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.
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