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The Nelson Mandela Bay Dance Festival will be returning to the Savoy Theatre with a record number of more than 1,600 performances scheduled to enthral audiences during the festival’s 45th instalment.
The festival, taking place from Monday August 24 to Saturday August 29, will combine a celebration of dance with an initiative to support animal welfare in memory of a beloved member of the local theatre community.
Open to registered dance studios across the Eastern Cape, this year’s festival will feature 29 studios and 807 dancers competing in ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip-hop, modern, acro, lyrical dance, and many more.
A record 1,692 performances will take place over six days before the festival concludes with a gala evening and awards ceremony on Saturday.
thiFestival organiser Carol-Ann Cash said the 2026 event had been shaped by the legacy of the late Linda-Louise Swain, who was widely respected in the Nelson Mandela Bay dance and theatre community and dedicated much of her life to animal rescue.
The former Collegiate Girls’ High School dramatic arts teacher died in May. She was 67.
Alongside Sharon Rother, she co-founded the Rother Swain Drama Studio in 1991, where she taught speech and drama, musical theatre and performance arts.
At the Rother Swain Drama Studio, she helped shape young performers by building confidence, discipline and creativity through stage work and storytelling.
“This year’s festival is a reflection of our relationship with Linda-Louise,” Cash said.
“She was a huge part of the dance and theatre community, but she was also incredibly passionate about animal welfare.
“We wanted to honour her memory by supporting causes that were close to her heart.”
Head adjudicator Brigitte Reeve-Taylor, an internationally experienced dance adjudicator, said she was delighted to return to the Nelson Mandela Bay Dance Festival after a four-year absence.
Having judged competitions both in SA and abroad, including in Poland, she believes the festival continues to showcase exceptional local talent.
“I’m very excited to be back after four years.
“The standard here is incredibly high, and your stages do very well.
“The teachers are training superb talent, and it’s wonderful to see the opportunities these dancers have to grow and perform.
“The Savoy is also a lovely theatre venue that allows dancers to get used to international stages,” Reeve-Taylor said.
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