Monthly Programmes

Uganda National Contemporary Ballet (UNCB)

UNCB performs every last Wednesday og the month at UNCC, the Uganda National Theatre.

The UNCB is composed of eight dancers (six men and two women, including the choreographer) and one percussionist, the leader from Percussion Discussion Africa. They all originate from different dance companies in Kampala and have been performing together as one company for two years now. They are trained in contemporary, classical jazz, traditional dance and hip hop, all of which are blended to promote and show the diversity of the different cultures. The dancers rehearse for a minimum of four hours every day at the dance studio, (space kindly given by the National Theatre).

On 16 September 2007, with the backing of Alliance Française and the Goethe Institute, “Black & White” and “Memories of Child Soldiers” was presented for the first time at the Ndere Centre, in Kampala. The performances involving fifteen professional Ugandan dancers and choreographed by Valerie Miquel. In November 2007, the well known French German TV programme Arte/ Metropolis broadcast a report about them. In February 2008 they performed for the President of Germany, as well as his delegation and the government of Uganda. They toured France in May 2008, Germany during September October 2008, and East Africa in October 2008.

For the past year they have performed a minimum of twice a month at National Theatre. They have also created pieces for Goethe Center, Alliance Française, Europe Uganda Village, Orange, International Woman Organization, Goethe Centrum, and the Global 2009 Smart Partnership Dialogue. They performed for the Ugandan Wildlife Authority to help celebrate the International Year of the Gorilla and at the Norwegian Embassy, as part of an international workshop for women’s rights, for the prevention of domestic violence in Uganda.

CNN broadcast a piece about the Dance Company as part of the Inside Africa magazine in December 2009. The following month Valerie Miquel was interviewed on French radio for the programme Plein Sud. 

Latin Flavor

The Latin Flavor Night is an event presented by Latin Flavor Uganda where dancers on stage are performing all the Latin dance styles - the New York salsa, Cuban salsa, cha cha, merengue, samba, bachata, jive and rhumba. The audience can be part of this event themselves and try to learn the steps after the show, by the performers on stage.

Latin Flavor Night

Latin Flavor Night is a dance event that takes place once a month at the National Theatre that is every last Wednesday of the month. Each time there is a different setting on stage creating an ambience, which reflects the togetherness, heat and sensuality that the Latin dance styles and the Latin rhythms hold. The event is both a dance performance as well as it invites the audience to come to the dance floor and experience the Latin rhythms themselves – the performers are interacting with the audience by giving them an introduction to the Latin dances.

The show is an explosion of dance in the most sensual ways, which takes the audience to another level of being man and woman together. Besides from the show’s entertaining aspect, it illustrates a valuable relation between man and woman, setting an example that this relation can be defined by mutual respect, honesty and courtesy.

Art as a Livelihood

In addition to being an entertaining event, the Latin Flavor Night also serves an educational purpose and teaches community how the social environment can be build around respect, discipline, and an understanding of your fellow human beings as equals, no matter gender. While learning to dance, people will learn to respect one another because the Latin dance styles are setting an example for the male-female relation as well as bringing togetherness and familiarity among strangers. The achievement of respect and discipline among fellow human beings will result in a better social environment; thus the Latin Flavor Night illustrates how people can gather in a relaxed social manner and thereby gain a social approach of life.

The social change is needed and is beneficial to the community, because people in Uganda are in pretence of who they are. Cultural limitations result in denial, thus there is a lack of transparency and an absence of solidarity. Dance helps you communicate with your deeper self, which empowers the individual to self-esteem and confidence. In dancing you are around people in an enjoyable manner, which leads to people being relaxed and honest, learning to communicate in a positive way, creating healthier relations among people. Pretence limits creativity whereas socialization inspires it.

Furthermore the event seeks to generate new dance students and dancers, which will enable more people to be teaching dance, wishing that the show can create a positive cycle where the students become the teachers and performers. In time, this project can serve as a way of creating employment for people. This project illustrates that it is possible to be active in creating livelihood in Uganda. Teaching is a profession that makes a livelihood around the world, therefore educating teachers of dance is enabling people to make a living.

Behind the Project

Founder, coordinator and artistic director of the monthly Latin Flavor Night, is Samuel Ibanda. Samuel Ibanda has worked as a dancer, singer and actor in Kampala and has taught dance classes in Latin, African contemporary, modern dance and hip hop.