Born in Gugulethu, Mamela Nyamza trained as a dancer at the ZAMA Dance School and later at the Pretoria Dance Technikon where she received a National Diploma in Ballet. Highly acclaimed and provocative choreographer Nyamza’s work considers the engendered body, and the contemporary definition of dance, through her experimentation around themes of men and (mostly) women’s roles and issues. In 1998 she received a scholarship to further her studies in dance at the ALVIN Ailey American Dance centre. After her graduation Mamela joined the State Theatre Dance Company where she performed nationally and internationally. Whilst appearing as a dancer in major international musicals, such as The Lion King, We Will Rock You and African Footprint, Mamela Nyamza simultaneously started to develop her own artistic practice, developing choreographies which deal with important political and social issues of today’s South Africa.

Since 2006 she has dedicated her career to her own choreography which brought about autobiographical works such as Wena Mamela, Kutheni, Shift and Hatched. All of these works have been part of the Johannesburg’s Dance Umbrella. HATCHED was also part of the Dance Umbrella in the UK at The Place in 2011. She has appeared at The Bates Dance Festival and in Slovenia, in Italy and Switzerland, running workshops and performances. In 2012, she directed a hip hop dance theatre - the fi rst of its kind in South Africa. Her work Okuya Phantsi Kwempumlo was awarded The Standard Bank Ovation Award at the National Arts Festival in 2012. Nyamza was awarded the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance for 2011 and a GIPCA Fellowship in 2012.