The Uganda National Contemporary Ballet perform two new creations each month at the National Theatre, Kampala

"We don't give any solution. The audience is free to think what you want... Dance gives an opportunity for individuals to find themselves."

- Patrick Kaddu, Dancer

The Uganda National Contemporary Ballet 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, was so popular that they went on to form the Burudani Dance Company. 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.

In March 2009 the company changed its name to the Uganda National Contemporary Ballet and presidential advisor John Nagenda officially became Patron. 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. 

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Valérie Miquel, choreographer