Dance Umbrella has announced that Mamela Nyamza’s THE HERD/LESS will open the 2026 festival, with performances at Sadler’s Wells East from 8 to 10 October.
The internationally acclaimed South African choreographer returns to London following the success of HATCHED ENSEMBLE, which opened the 2024 festival, and her recent recognition as the recipient of the 2026 Venice Biennale Silver Lion.
THE HERD/LESS explores the dual meaning of the ‘herd’, examining both collective unity and the forces that shape and control individuals within a group.
Through ritual, repetition and striking physicality, the production interrogates themes of power, conformity and cultural authority.
The work uses traditional southern African objects such as cloth and symbolic sticks, transforming them into tools of both status and control within the performance.
Movement and sound combine to create a live percussive score, resulting in an immersive theatrical experience that reveals the tension between harmony and underlying violence.
Nyamza, known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance theatre, continues her exploration of identity, culture and resistance in this new production.
The piece is co-commissioned by Dance Umbrella and co-produced with the Venice Biennale 2026 and Lalanbik La Reunion.
Full festival programming for Dance Umbrella 2026 will be announced at a later date.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
