The Dance Forum is a section 21 non-profit organization that manages the annual major dance event in the arts calendar: The FNB Dance Umbrella. This festival is South Africa’s biggest festival of contemporary choreography and dance and focuses on showing new work from South African artists plus selected international works. The Dance Umbrella platform hosts new work from young unknown, up and coming and established South African choreographers. They also facilitate a Young Choreographer’s Residency programme at the festival and nationally throughout the year.

Maintaining the level of dance activities is expensive and this is why the Dance Forum has created Friends of the Dance Umbrella. The festival and other projects receive funding from First National Bank, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, the National Arts Council and other one-off funding partners. However, they need to continuously look for additional money to sustain the festival and the related projects.

This is where the public can play an important role in the development and sustaining of contemporary dance. Being a Friend of Dance Umbrella will give people the opportunity to attend selected rehearsals of forthcoming dance programmes in Gauteng, attend face-to-face interviews with choreographers and dancers and get discounted tickets to selected dance programmes. They will also receive a regular newsletter informing them about the dance scene. During Dance Umbrella, there will be great opportunities to find out more about what the choreographers and dancers are creating.

The Friends of Dance Umbrella will pay an annual membership fee between R30 to R80 which is renewable in September each year.

Further information from Georgina or Sifiso at Dance Forum at 011 482 4140 or 011 482 5615.