Nhlanhla Mahlangu

Nhlanhla Mahlangu is a vocalist, choreographer, composer, theatre-maker, dancer and educator and a graduate of Dance Teaching at Moving into Dance, Mophatong.

He was born in Pholapark Squatter Camp in Apartheid South Africa in the late 1970s. He started school during the national state of emergency in the 1980s and witnessed first hand the conflicts between the African National Congress, Inkatha Freedom Party and The “Third Force” of the 1990s.

Mahlangu can only be described as a generous interdisciplinary collaborator who excels at conjuring original, complex and contemporary work rooted in traditional forms. He is celebrated for his embodiment of Isicathamiya, a cappella-type musical form combining vocals and movement. Mahlangu uses this practice as a way to process the history of South Africa, particularly the plight of migrant workers. His prolific practice is one of interrogation, articulation, development and research. He has gained exceptional ground through his pivotal collaborations with luminaries the calibre of William Kentridge (“The Head & the Load”, “Sibyl”, “Ursonate”, The Centre for the Less Good Idea), Robyn Orlin, Richard Cock, Gregory Vuyani Maqoma, Sylvia Glasser, as well as his choral music and music making approaches with his Hlabelela Ensemble and Song and Dance Works.

Mahlangu is celebrated with the Naledi Theatre Award for Best Choreographer, the Promax Africa Award 2021 for Best Title Sequence in The Estate, New York Theatre and Dance Awards – The Bessies 2020 for Best Composition and Sound Design for “For Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Bolero”. He was recognized by the Danish Arts Foundation's Committee for Performing Arts Project Funding in 2019 for choreography, casting and co-directing and is a Special Price Winner of the Reumert Award 2020 in Denmark, among others. His latest achievements include being one of the directors of “Shaka iLembe”, an award winning and most prominent 12-part TV series premiered in South Africa in 2023.