Johannesburg is about to get a new generation of dancers moving.
On 22 September 2026, the city’s young creative talent will take centre stage when Joburg Moves Junior makes its debut at the Keorapetse William Kgositsile Theatre at the UJ Arts Centre.
The inaugural festival is being presented by UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA), in partnership with Moving into Dance (MID).
But this is about much more than one evening of dance.
The initiative is creating a new platform for Intermediate Phase learners in Grades 4 to 6 to access high-quality dance training, develop their creative voices and experience the excitement of performing in a professional theatre.
For some of the participating learners, it will be their first time performing in a professionally equipped theatre.
And that first step could prove significant.
From the Classroom to the Stage
Joburg Moves Junior is the brainchild of Pieter Jacobs, Head of UJ Arts & Culture, and Nadia Virasamy, CEO of Moving into Dance.
The programme brings together learners from five schools:
- Greenside Primary School
- Melpark Primary School
- Saxonwold Primary School
- Pinnacle College Linden
- Blairgowrie Primary School
Ahead of the festival, the young participants will work with experienced Moving into Dance facilitators.
Their preparation will focus on more than learning dance movements.
Learners will develop their dance skills, creativity, confidence and ability to collaborate as they work towards their public performance.
That process is central to the initiative.
The goal is not simply to put children on stage.
It is to give them the experience of creating, preparing and performing as part of a professional arts environment.
Building Johannesburg’s Dance Future
Joburg Moves Junior grows out of the wider Joburg Moves vision.
The original platform was established as an inclusive initiative aimed at supporting and rebuilding Johannesburg’s dance community, encouraging collaboration and cultivating an engaged, intergenerational audience for dance.
The Junior platform takes that vision into schools.
By introducing learners to dance participation at an earlier stage, the programme aims to create stronger connections between schools, communities, higher education and the professional arts sector.
It is also part of a longer-term commitment to strengthening Johannesburg’s dance ecosystem.
The thinking is simple.
If the city wants a strong dance sector in the future, young people need opportunities to encounter dance now.
“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.
For Morgan-Baatjies, Joburg Moves Junior provides a way to begin building that relationship at school level.
It gives learners a space to develop confidence and creativity while discovering the discipline, collaboration and excitement involved in preparing for a professional stage.
More Than Movement
Dance can teach lessons that extend well beyond choreography.
Joburg Moves Junior is designed to support curriculum-aligned arts education while providing experiences that learners may not encounter during a normal school day.
The programme encourages:
- Creative and artistic expression
- Confidence and self-awareness
- Discipline and commitment
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Physical development and coordination
- Exposure to professional dance practices
- Awareness of potential careers in the arts and creative industries
That makes the stage an important part of the learning experience.
For the participating learners, the performance becomes the culmination of preparation, practice and teamwork.
But it also opens a window into what a future in the creative industries could look like.
A Partnership With Purpose
The collaboration between UJ Arts & Culture and Moving into Dance brings together two complementary strengths.
UJ Arts & Culture provides the institutional environment and professional theatre infrastructure.
MID brings extensive experience in dance education, artistic development and community engagement.
The organisation also brings professional dance expertise, experienced facilitators, child-centred teaching practices and a record of nurturing dance talent.
Together, the partners are creating a model that connects schools directly with professional arts practitioners.
That connection could help establish a stronger 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 Nadia Virasamy, CEO of Moving into Dance.
She says the partnership allows MID to work directly with learners in their school environments while supporting them as they develop the skills and confidence needed to take their work onto a professional stage.
The investment, she adds, is not only in future dancers.
It is also in creative, expressive and engaged young people.
Opening the Door to University
There is another opportunity built into the experience.
By bringing the learners onto the University of Johannesburg campus, Joburg Moves Junior gives them an introduction to a university environment.
For young learners, that exposure can help broaden their sense of what is possible beyond primary school.
The initiative encourages them to imagine wider possibilities for their education, creativity and future careers.
It also reflects UJ’s vision of being “an international university of choice, anchored in Africa and dynamically shaping the future”, with a focus on youth development, community engagement, creativity and accessible arts experiences.
The theatre therefore becomes more than a performance venue.
It becomes a doorway into a larger world.
The Next Generation Takes the Stage
Joburg Moves Junior is ultimately about creating a pathway.
The inaugural performance is one moment, but the ambition stretches further.
The programme aims to help schools and learners connect with Johannesburg’s wider dance community and create meaningful opportunities for young people to participate in the city’s artistic life.
When the curtains rise on 22 September, families, teachers, classmates and members of the wider community will have the opportunity to watch the learners showcase what they have developed.
For the young performers, it will be a chance to step into the spotlight.
For everyone watching, it will be a glimpse of the next generation of Johannesburg’s dance community.
And perhaps that is the most exciting part.
Every dancer has to take a first step.
For these young performers, Joburg Moves Junior could be that step onto a much bigger stage.
Joburg Moves Junior: Performance Details
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
Participating schools: Greenside Primary School, Melpark Primary School, Saxonwold Primary School, Pinnacle College Linden and Blairgowrie Primary School
