Samwel Japhet

Samwel Japhet is a Tanzanian dance artist, choreographer, storyteller, and social entrepreneur based in Dar es Salaam. He found his voice through dance after a childhood marked by homelessness and abuse, using the body as a site of memory to reflect on social and political realities. His choreographic work blends movement, text, music, and visual storytelling, and has toured festivals and theaters in over 25 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. He is a recipient of the 2021 Seed Award from the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, and is currently a 2024–2026 Global Fellow with the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University. In 2021-2022 he co-managed UMOJA, a multidisciplinary residency program for East African and European artists in Tanzania. He co-founded Nantea Dance Company (2015) to produce touring performances, social projects, platforms for East African dancers, and cross-cultural collaborations. He is particularly interested in building artistic relationships between Africa and the rest of the world. Through his work, he strives to address global and local challenges and build a culture where art not only reflects reality but also inspires new possibilities. He is a graduate of the MUDA Africa Dance Institute. He is also a Salzburg Global Fellow and serves on the Salzburg Global Advisory Council on Culture and Arts.