2022 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance - Sylvester Thamsanqa (Thami) Majela

Thamsanqa graduated from Performing Arts, Research and Training Studios in Belgium. He is well-trained in improvisation, and studied dance and dance teaching at the Tshwane University of Technology.
Thamsanqa choreographed Neverland, a theatre-dance film motivated by dissociative identity disorder. This film aimed to educate the black community that the disorder ia not a work of witchcraft but a condition that requires treatment and care.
To Thamsanqa, dance isn’t just movement, it’s an expression of energy, storytelling that breaks down stereotypes and norms. “Space” plays a critical role as he defies traditional restrictions of his artform to become one of the most captivating dancers of his generation.