This October, Nairobi hosted one of Europe’s most distinctive contemporary choreographers, Joshua Monten, whose work Linearity has toured across Europe, Asia, and North America. His arrival marked not just a performance series, but a symbolic moment in East Africa’s growing dance ecology — one that increasingly negotiates between local identity and global expression.
Monten’s Linearity, performed alongside British dancer Jack Wignall, is both mathematical and mischievous. The choreography plays with rhythm, tension, and balance, often giving the illusion of chaos while maintaining precise control. Dressed in vibrant yellow gear and protective pads, the dancers’ bodies become lines and angles in motion — testing the limits of both geometry and humanity.
Presented by Upstage Limited, the Nairobi tour (Oct 29–Nov 1) included performances at Artzone Studios, Kenya National Theatre, Hilton Square, and Alliance Française, alongside closed-door workshops with Kenyan movement artists. Upstage’s programming continues to bridge global and local practices, creating vital space for East African performers to dialogue with international masters.
What made Linearity especially resonant for Nairobi’s audiences is its universality. Beneath its minimalist aesthetic lies a deeply human inquiry into order and play — the same duality that shapes everyday life in an ever-modernizing city.
Monten, who once studied literature and cultural anthropology before turning to dance, has described his creative process as “an experiment in freedom through structure.” This approach echoes a generation of African dancers now embracing contemporary forms while reinterpreting indigenous movement vocabularies.
Supported by Pro Helvetia, Swisslos Culture Canton de Bern, and Kultur Stadt Bern, the project also signals Switzerland’s sustained investment in cultural exchange within East Africa — following previous collaborations through the Dance Life Festival.
As Nairobi continues to position itself as a continental hub for performance art, Linearity offers a glimpse into how cross-border choreography can become not imitation, but conversation
