South African choreographer Mamela Nyamza’s is back in the UK with her latest offering The Herd/Less which had its European Premiere at Biennale Danza 2026 which also opened this year’s annual Dance Umbrella festival.
We were first introduced to Nyamza’s work in 2024 through the stunning, poetic dance piece Hatched Ensemble.
As The Herd/Less opens we are immediately captivated by the sound of dancers marching, arms swaying, heads bobbing with urgency. It is a visual and sensory treat and their movement is rhythmically in sync with train like whistles that accompany the piece alongside various naturally made human sounds. They create a powerful soundscape.
This 70-minute production is mesmerising whether through movement or the dancer in a plain white suit balancing a cultural stick with steadfast determination representing masculinity and power. The dancers’ collective movements are subtle and harmonious as they move as one, their feet clad in silver tin cans – stilt like shoes. The repetitive choreography is reminiscent of a train going nowhere as they slowly make their way around the stage with creator, writer and director Nyamza taking the lead.
Whilst impressively dancing on tin cans for the entire performance, the ensemble wear a variety of designs ranging from bright and vibrant primary colours, or sparkly disco attire with most adorned with hats in different styles. Nyamza is striking with a floor length orange number and her stance is regal. The choice of wardrobe design adds an element of fun to the performance despite the seriousness of what the world at large is dealing with.
Although centred on life in South Africa on so many levels it reflects the current state of the world. They take us on a journey that feels relatable. The show’s title The Herd/Less makes a play on the word headless. We are the herd. World leaders make decisions on our behalf that often seem to make little sense, yet we continue to follow them and hope that they know what they are doing.
The show is intense taking us from utter silence and leaving us breathless at times before descending into chaos.
Despite the weight and worries of the world, by the end of the show I felt Nyamza, an activist was trying to leave us with a sense of hope even when we are feeling despair by decisions being made by world leaders that are out of our hands. There is one scene where the dancers take a minute to slow down and enjoy the feeling of the sun on their faces and as such, I thought Joy’s Paradise Road was a fitting choice.
Nyamza left us with plenty to mull over on the journey home in terms of marvelling at her bold out-of-the-box choreography which challenges our ideals on what contemporary dance should be and is. Nyamza’s work continues to excel at feeding our souls with wonder and intrigue.
NEED TO KNOW: Mamela Nyamza’s The Herd/Less played at Sadler’s Wells East from 8-10 Oct 2026
