Visa 2 Dance Festival

Founded in 2007 by Aloyce Makonde a Tanzania choreographer, Visa 2 Dance Festival grew into an international event through a collaboration with Vanessa Tamburi from Flusso Dance Project and Rachel Kessi from Mawazo Art Centre. The festival is an annual event that takes place from August to October in Dar es Salaam.

The mission is to develop Contemporary Dance and Choreographic Research in Tanzania through yearly training programmes and to outreach communities via public events. Through workshops, exchange forums, and performances, Visa 2 Dance reinforces dance skills, rigour, team spirit and emphasizes creativity and openness to change. These skills contribute to creating individuals better prepared to face the challenges of Tanzania’s future.

Visa 2 Dance now comprises two festivals, a Home Festival for developing Tanzanian dancers and choreographers, and an International Festival for showcasing both international and home-grown artists.

During the International Festival the dancers involved each year take part in intense training delivered by international choreographers, whose work forms part of the festival. Visa 2 Dance is looking to develop this into a training programme that takes place throughout the year, offering burgeoning Tanzanian dancers the opportunity to develop their professional careers.