Historic First for Dance at the Barney Simon Residency
The Market Theatre Laboratory, the training and development arm of The Market Theatre Foundation (MTF), has announced multi-award-winning choreographer and performer Thamsanqa Tshabalala as the recipient of the prestigious 2026 Barney Simon Residency.
In a historic first for the programme, the residency has been awarded to a theatre practitioner whose primary discipline is dance. This milestone signals an important evolution in the residency’s legacy and reaffirms the Market Theatre Laboratory’s commitment to supporting diverse artistic practices across theatre, movement, and interdisciplinary performance.
The Barney Simon Residency, established with the support of the Barney Simon Trust, provides an annual platform for one artist to receive funding, rehearsal space, mentorship and institutional support to develop new work while engaging with students of the Market Theatre Laboratory.
Residency Timeline and Public Presentation
Tshabalala’s residency officially commenced on 2 February 2026, with a public sharing of his creative work scheduled for late March 2026.
Throughout the residency period, he will develop a new concept titled It’s a LONG story…, an ambitious and deeply personal exploration centred on the becoming of the Black queer body through the lens of an African child’s journey across history.
The project interrogates themes such as:
- The Black queer body as a living archive
- Intersectionality and layered identity
- Self-definition in resistance to imposed narratives
- Cultural memory and embodiment
The residency also includes an educational component, with Tshabalala actively sharing his creative methodology and process with Market Theatre Laboratory students, further strengthening the institution’s mentorship culture.
A Career Rooted in Excellence
Thamsanqa Tshabalala’s artistic journey began at the National School of the Arts, where his passion for dance was first nurtured. He later completed a Diploma in Dance and Choreography at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), laying the technical and conceptual foundation for his professional career.
Over the years, he has collaborated with some of South Africa’s most respected names in contemporary dance and theatre, including:
- Dada Masilo
- Mamela Nyamza
- Kelsey Middleton
- Willie Venter
- Debbie Rakusin
- Khutjo Green
His growing independent repertoire has earned him critical acclaim and multiple awards for works such as Vibrations of Us, SIMON (2020), ISENYUSO, and most recently NO AIR.
International Recognition
Tshabalala recently expanded his reach internationally with the presentation of his solo work Petticoat Princess at the Lalanbik Dance Festival in La Réunion Island, marking a significant milestone in his global artistic trajectory.
This international debut further cemented his reputation as one of South Africa’s most compelling contemporary choreographic voices.
Art as Liberation and Cultural Intervention
Reflecting on his artistic approach, Tshabalala shared:
“My choreography often becomes a space where African traditions, embodied memory, and questions of liberation can coexist and be interrogated.”
He describes the new residency project as a continuation of this exploration, while also opening a new chapter in his artistic evolution.
“This project allows me to expand the ways I merge personal testimony with communal histories, and to refine how dance can serve as both cultural preservation and socio-political intervention.”
His work continues to position dance not merely as performance, but as archive, protest, preservation and reclamation.
Strengthening the Market Theatre’s Cultural Vision
The Market Theatre Laboratory has long been recognised as a critical incubator for bold and socially conscious performance work in South Africa. By awarding the 2026 Barney Simon Residency to a dance practitioner for the first time, the institution reinforces its identity as a cultural complex that embraces multidisciplinary artistic expression.
As Tshabalala moves through the residency, audiences can expect a thought-provoking, layered and emotionally resonant body of work that challenges convention while honouring lived histories.
The public sharing at the end of March is anticipated to be one of the standout cultural moments of the season.
