Michael Gagawala Kaddu

“I am a Ugandan dance activist, using dance to address social, political, and economic issues within the community. Throughout my creative process, curiosity and playfulness guide me. As an artist from a traditionally diverse background, I deconstruct movements to allow the body to create and transfer information, secrets, and rhythms, building my own movement vocabulary.

For a long time, I have sought to expand the scope of my dance activism. This progression has developed step by step, through the experiences I’ve gained by meeting new people, sharing ideas, and embracing opportunities to collaborate with artists of remarkable skill. This has led me to embrace the process, while giving my best to achieve excellence in conveying more than just a story through movement. Most importantly to me, as a Black man, is portraying myself in my Black body to tell a story about its significance, raising awareness about racism and discrimination.”