The choreographer from Zolani township in Ashton infuses ballet with rhythmic and percussive movement, bringing an African element to traditional forms. At the height of his powers, he's come home.

Listen to this article 12 min Listen to this article 12 min Mthuthuzeli November's deepest desire as a choreographer is to instil in other dancers the joy and lightness of being he himself has experienced by dancing.

"As long as I can remember, I've been a dancer," November said from the UK, a week before the premiere of Chapter Two, the first new work he has choreographed on South African soil since before the pandemic.

These days, it's a rare privilege to see November's work on a South African stage. Since 2015, he has lived and worked in the UK, where he won a scholarship to the Central School of Ballet in London. He was spotted while performing as a student and invited to join Ballet Black, a diversity-focused classical ballet company established for black and Asian dancers.

Having risen to become one of the company's senior artists, November has in just a few years gone from emerging choreographer to being among the most sought-after voices in contemporary-classical ballet.

Fusing two traditions

November has evolved a choreographic style that blends classical technique with what he calls "our own traditional ways of dancing".

He's known for infusing classical ballet with African...