An excerpt from a powerful and moving new work by renowned contemporary African choreographer and music producer Bawren Tavaziva. An account of his early life in Zimbabwe, BOY’S KHAYA is an immersive work which brings together contemporary dance, ballet, and African dance, with a spoken-word soundtrack and music.

BOY’S KHAYA, meaning ‘servants house’ is a colonial legacy still very apparent today in Zimbabwe. It refers to the living quarters for Black servants, which stand in stark contrast to the luxurious suburban dwellings of white families, and draws evocative memories for Bawren who grew up living in one. This new work speaks powerfully, through dance, about political persecution, slavery, and modern colonialism, and about fragility and the human experience.