Upstage Welcomes Swiss Choreographer Johanna Heusser for Artistic Residency

Upstage is pleased to welcome Swiss choreographer Johanna Heusser to Kenya for a month-long artistic residency and performance programme, delivered in June - July 2026 with the support of Pro Helvetia. The collaboration forms part of Upstage's ongoing commitment to creating opportunities for international artistic exchange and cross-cultural collaboration.

Based in Basel, Johanna works at the intersection of dance and theatre, with a practice that explores the cultural meanings embedded in movement. Her work often draws on traditional dance forms, examining how history, identity, and social change are reflected through the body.

During her residency, Heusser will collaborate with professional dancers from Nairobi to develop and present her piece Valse, Valse, Valse, a contemporary performance that re-examines the history and symbolism of the waltz. The project explores how the dance has evolved across different cultures and time periods, inviting new interpretations from a Kenyan perspective while reflecting on questions of transformation, appropriation, and cultural exchange.

The residency includes performances at Dance Life Festival 2026 in Nairobi before continuing to Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam. Through this exchange, the project creates space for artists from different cultural backgrounds to learn from one another while developing new choreographic approaches together.