Mzamo Nondlwana
Mzamo Nondlwana is a queer, non-binary performing artist originally from Johannesburg, South Africa and currently based in Vienna, Austria. Their work focuses on marginalized bodies and seeks to subvert colonial fantasies.
In 2006, they began their formal dance training at Moving Into Dance Mophatong (South Africa). In 2007, they worked with Arrep Theatre for Life. In 2009, they moved to Salzburg, where they completed their formal dance education at SEAD, specializing in contemporary dance and choreography.
Collaborations
Throughout their career, Mzamo has collaborated with various choreo-graphers and artists.
- Brutal by RootlessRoot – Guest dancer for BODHI Project (Szene Salzburg)
- Cann Cann by the late Nigel Charnock (co-founder of DV8) – Guest dancer for BODHI Project (Szene Salzburg, 2013)
- Michikazu Matsume – Picnic With Old Masters (Somerszene Salzburg, 2013) and Dance If You Want To Enter My Country (Somerszene Salzburg, 2015; brut Vienna, 2016)
- Doris Uhlich – More Than Naked (Somerszene Salzburg, 2014), Gootopia (Ludwigshafen / Düsseldorf, 2022), and Melancholic (Wiener Wochenfest, 2023).
- Magdalena Chowaniec – SANCTUARY (WUK Vienna, 2014)
- Needcompany – Needlap (Herbst Festival Graz, 2014)
- Michael Turinsky – My Body Your Pleasure (Wildbusch Festival, 2017) Reverberation (Halle G / Tanquartier, 2018)
- Costas Kekis – Bounce (brut Vienna, 2021)
- Essen Wiele – HARDCORE FREEDOM (Curated by Gallery Vienna, 2021)
- Manuel Pelmuş – Permanent Collection (Kunsthalle & Tanzquartier, 2021)
- Elizabeth Ward – Hedera Helix (Tanzquartier, 2023)
- Konstgruppen Ful – Rörelse Frihet – Genom Baba Karam och Andra Danstillstånd (Riksteatern, 2024)
Personal
They have presented their works in various prestigious venues and festivals, showcasing their artistic vision and dynamic movement.
Notable performances include:
- Ima Read… Shake It to the Ground and Bring It Back Up (SEAD, 2014)
- Alley of His Majesty… Black Swan (ARGE Salzburg, Ostertanztage 2013; Monopoly Festival, Croatia, 2014)
- We Can Have So Much Fun, Mum… Mum, What Do You Say? (ARGE Salzburg, Ostertanz-tage, 2015).
In 2015, they also presented IN THE CLOUDS WITH THE SEA OF SOUNDS at Künstlerhaus Salzburg.
In 2016, they were awarded the TURBO residency at ImPulsTanz Vienna for their work My Garden Flourishes with Flowers. Their dedication and artistry earned them the DanceWEB scholarship and Stadt Stipendium scholarship in 2017. The following year, they received the Kültür Gemma working grant.
In 2018, they presented My Garden Flourishes with Flowers at the first RAKETE Festival at Tanzquartier and performed a duet at Festival Escena Mobile at Teatro Alamanda in Seville. Their collaborative solo Dance for the Future premiered at imagetanz Brut in 2022, followed by Operational Dollzzz, created with Faris Cuchi for The Gym by Partners in Crime Verein.
In 2023, they were awarded a residency at Köttinspektionen for Turning Point, which later premiered at brut in 2024. Their work All in Love is Bliss was presented at STORM, a curation by Soñ Gweha in collaboration with Kunstraum Niederösterreich.
Bicha Boo Collective
Mzamo is also one half of Bicha Boo, an audio-visual performative DJ collective founded in 2017. Through music and movement, Bicha Boo creates immersive experiences that blend sound, visuals, and embodied storytelling.