For Johannesburg’s young dancers, the journey from the classroom to the professional stage is about to become a reality as the University of Johannesburg’s Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), partners with Moving into Dance (MID) to launch the inaugural Joburg Moves Junior.
The festival takes place on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the UJ Arts Centre, bringing Intermediate Phase learners in Grades 4 to 6 into a professional theatre environment while giving them access to high-quality dance training.
The initiative is the brainchild of Head of UJ Arts & Culture Pieter Jacobs and MID CEO Nadia Virasamy. Learners from Greenside Primary School, Melpark Primary School, Saxonwold Primary School, Pinnacle College Linden and Blairgowrie Primary School will take part in the programme.
Ahead of the festival, the learners will work with experienced MID facilitators to develop their dance abilities while building creativity, confidence, discipline and collaborative skills.
At its core, Joburg Moves Junior is about creating stronger connections between schools, communities, higher education and the professional arts sector. The initiative aims to restore dance as an important part of the school environment while giving young people more opportunities to participate and perform.
Extending the Joburg Moves vision
Joburg Moves was established as an inclusive platform aimed at supporting and rebuilding Johannesburg’s dance community, encouraging collaboration and developing an engaged, intergenerational audience for dance.
The Junior platform takes that vision into schools, introducing children to dance participation and professional creative practices at an earlier stage. In doing so, it contributes to the development of future dancers while helping cultivate the next generation of dance audiences.
The programme forms part of a longer-term commitment to strengthening Johannesburg’s dance ecosystem by allowing young people to experience dance not simply as a recreational activity, but as a form of artistic expression, learning and potential professional development.
“Joburg Moves has always been concerned with the long-term sustainability of dance in Johannesburg. If we want a strong and thriving dance sector in the future, we must create opportunities for young people to encounter dance, participate in it and see themselves as part of its future,” says Lakin Morgan-Baatjies, Marketing Manager at UJ Arts & Culture.
“Joburg Moves Junior allows us to begin building that relationship at school level. It creates a space where learners can develop their confidence and creativity while experiencing the discipline, collaboration and excitement of preparing for a professional stage.”
A strategic partnership for dance development
The collaboration combines the institutional and production capabilities of UJ Arts & Culture with MID’s extensive experience in dance education, artistic development and community engagement.
MID brings professional dance expertise, experienced facilitators, child-centred teaching practices and a strong track record of nurturing dance talent. UJ Arts & Culture, meanwhile, provides the professional theatre infrastructure that allows learners to experience the process of preparing for and presenting work before a live audience.
Together, the organisations are establishing a model that connects schools with professional arts practitioners while creating a foundation for sustained participation in dance.
“Moving into Dance believes that access to quality arts education can have a lasting effect on a young person’s development,” says CEO Nadia Virasamy.
“This partnership enables us to work directly with learners in their school environments and support them as they develop the skills and confidence required to take their work onto a professional stage. It is an investment not only in future dancers, but also in creative, expressive and engaged young people.”
Supporting learning beyond the classroom
Joburg Moves Junior also supports curriculum-aligned arts education while giving learners an experience that extends beyond the traditional classroom.
Through the programme, participants are encouraged to develop creative and artistic expression, confidence and self-awareness, discipline and commitment, collaboration and teamwork, physical coordination and an understanding of professional dance practices.
The programme also introduces learners to potential careers in the arts and wider creative industries.
For many of those taking part, the festival will be their first opportunity to perform inside a professionally equipped theatre. Bringing the learners onto the UJ campus also gives them an opportunity to experience a university environment and begin imagining broader possibilities for their education, creativity and future careers.
The initiative aligns with UJ’s vision of being “an international university of choice, anchored in Africa and dynamically shaping the future”, particularly through its focus on youth development, community engagement, creativity and accessible arts experiences.
Building the next generation
More than a single performance, Joburg Moves Junior is intended to form part of a longer-term pathway connecting schools and young people with Johannesburg’s wider dance community.
The public presentation will showcase the learners’ development while giving parents, teachers, fellow learners and members of the community an opportunity to experience and support the next generation of dancers and dance audiences.
Performance information
Production: Joburg Moves Junior
Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Time: 18:00
Venue: Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre, UJ Arts Centre, Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
Tickets: R100
Bookings: Quicket – Joburg Moves Junior bookings
Participating schools
- Greenside Primary School
- Melpark Primary School
- Saxonwold Primary School
- Pinnacle College Linden
- Blairgowrie Primary School
