Dreaming Dance in District Six: The Johaar Mosaval Story

At 95-year-old, Johaar Mosaval enjoys a trip through memory lane at the District Six Museum in Cape Town.

Dreaming Dance in District Six: The Johaar Mosaval Story, is a celebratory dance production co-directed by Basil Appollis and choreographer Grant van Ster.

Johaar was born in District Six on 8 January 1928 and was one of nine children in his family. His family descended from Southeast Asian slaves.

He was the first black South African to become a senior principal dancer at the Royal Ballet, which is the highest rank in the profession at one of the world’s most prestigious classical ballet companies.

His journey to the Royal Ballet at the height of apartheid saw him dancing for Queen Elizabeth II and being the first black performer on the ‘whites-only’ Nico Malan stage in the 1970s.

Mosaval has performed, mostly as a soloist, all over the globe, and has shared the stage with the likes of prima ballerina’s Margot Fonteyn, Elaine Fifield, and Doreen Wells. He danced Jasper Sir Arthur Sullivan’s Pineapple Poll ballet, which premiered in 1951 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. He also played Bootface in The Lady and the Fool and Puck in The Dream.

He became revered for his wide-ranging styles and flawless technique and was chosen to dance in Benjamin Britten’s Opera Gloriana, the first performance presented at the Royal Opera House, London, in 1953, during the celebrations of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Dr. Johaar Mosaval will be honored in "Dreaming Dance in District Six: The Johaar Mosaval Story" at Artscape Opera House from March 2-4, 2023.

The production celebrates both the spirit of District Six and dance, and will feature top performers from the South African ballet and dance scene.

Audiences will also be treated to a multimedia experience that will share key moments from Dr. Mosaval’s dance and life journey.