To mark International Dance Day and the launch of Let’s Dance International Frontiers 2026 (LDIF26), Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage presents two powerful new works alongside an opportunity to learn more about the organisation’s vision for dance over the next decade.
BECOMING
Samwel Japhet (Tanzania)
BECOMING: From the Streets to Now is an autobiographical work reflecting on the ten years since Samwel Japhet’s journey from living on the streets of Tanzania to performing on stages around the world. The performance explores emotion, memory and personal growth, examining what it means to develop in challenging environments, confront societal expectations and find belonging.
The work stands as both a personal record of resilience and a broader reflection on identity and transformation. Japhet is co-founder of Nantea Dance Company, which builds artistic relationships between Africa and the wider world through intersectional dance practice.
A contributor to BlackInk Issue 1 and previous LDIF online editions, this event marks Japhet’s live UK debut at Serendipity.
Sonje
Lauryn Pinard (Haiti/France/UK)
Sonje is described as an intimate excavation of embodied eloquence. Lauryn Pinard allows movement to speak and listen, drawing inward reflection into outward expression. The performance explores intention, presence and the communicative power of the body.
Image credit: Samwel Japhet. Photograph by Jimmy Mathias | EyeFilms.
More Leicester Listings MORE
Aworan: African Lenses
Nigerian visual artist and Leicester-based photographer John Olalekan Durojaye explores identity, resilience, human beauty and African ways of…
Reel Histories 2026: Black Classics
Reel Histories 2026: Black Classics is a bold film programme for Black History Month 2026, amplifying the cinematic…
Black History Month Cookery Course
Black History Month Cookery Course celebrates the cultures and culinary traditions of the African diaspora through a four-week…
African American GIs in Leicester During the Second World War
Discover a lesser-known chapter of Leicester’s wartime history and the experiences of African American servicemen stationed in Britain…
COBO: Comedy Shutdown Black History Month Special
Celebrate Black History Month with an unforgettable evening of comedy as COBO: Comedy Shutdown returns to Leicester with…
Aurie Styla: Maverick
Aurie Styla returns to Leicester with Maverick, his brand-new stand-up show following his acclaimed 100-plus date international The…
Lenny Henry: Still At Large
For over five decades, Lenny Henry has been a defining voice in British entertainment, shaping comedy, television and…
Book Launch – Migrants, Minorities, and the History of British Boxing
Book Launch – Migrants, Minorities, and the History of British Boxing explores how migration, race and minority communities…