As we draw close to the 4th annual Walking & Dancing Out of Cancer 2-day event taking place on 26 and 27 October 2024 at Soweto Theatre, hosted by Nomsa Manaka Dance Beat, the excitement is mounting as we reveal the artist line-up performing at this year’s event.
This annual unique purpose driven event, aims to celebrate the many brave cancer survivors in South Africa, regardless of age, gender or diagnosed cancer. “Cancer is a debilitating and isolating disease which gravely threatens your existence as a person and can erode your dignity. As an Ovarian Cancer survivor, I have literally fought for my life, to beat the odds of survival and have taken the opportunity to tell my story uniquely, in art-form, through dance and music.” says Nomsa Manaka, Founder and Pioneer of Nomsa Manaka Dance Beat – a social entity developed to provide children in the townships a safe recreational facility to express their creativity through dance. Through the Nomsa Manaka Dance Beat platform, Manaka is telling her story of how she has survived the excruciating journey of cancer, where she almost gave up on her artistic dream of teaching dance to the children she mentors across Soweto. Instead, and encouraged by her son Mak Makana, she is using the platform to encourage others that there is no dream too big to achieve regardless of your circumstances.
“The 2024 Walking & Dancing Out Of Cancer annual event, promises to be much bigger than previous years as we have secured a 5000 per day, venue capacity. This is reflective of the great support this initiative has attracted over the years from corporates, NGOs, media and entertainment stakeholders as well as ordinary South Africans from all walks of life who have been touched and or impacted by the scourge of cancer, in one way or another. But support can never be enough as, every minute, a cancer diagnosis is given to someone, somewhere in the world. Child cancers in particular, are often not detected early enough and neither are they spoken about widely enough. It is also for that reason that we have chosen the Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (CHOC) to be the main beneficiary of this initiative, but we still need more help.”
Manaka is reaching out to Corporate South Africa to partner with Nomsa Manaka Dance Beat to not only celebrate cancer survivors but encourage those still fighting the cancer survival battle. Various sponsorship packages are on offer, with great benefits for sponsors. Proceeds will be donated to CHOC – Childhood Cancer Foundation SA.
The event will take the form of a 2 day festival starting off with a 10km or 5km walk and run on a carefully crafted route around Soweto, which will start and end at Soweto Theatre, on the morning of Saturday 26th October. This activity will be followed by a dance and music day-time concert suitable for families, and features some of South Africa’s finest artists. Nomsa Manaka Dance Beat is honoured to announce the following confirmed musical performing artists:
- the legendary Sipho Hotstix Mabuse,
- sultry jazz soul singer: Wanda Baloyi,
- afro jazz songstress: Unathi Nkayi,
- . DJ Bilaal and Just Themba,
- Dj Hue and McCauley Marimba band.
This stellar music artist line-up will be supported by various local poets featuring well renowned poet Mak Makana as well as a choreographed dance music ensemble from the Nomsa Manaka Dance Studio. The talented Kenny Makhenzo Nkosi will be the MC together with Ntsiki Mazwai, who will no doubt, keep guests entertained.
Ticket sales are open on Quicket and ticket prices range from as little as R150 to R450, with a range of options to choose from, from walk/run-only tickets to all-inclusive walk/run concert tickets, for either or both days.