The first week of Dance Umbrella 2013 will include both local and international companies and opens with a work called Cover Up by Mandafounis-Mazliah-Zahry, three dancers from the William Forsythe Company in Germany. Cover Up is a multi-media work that looks at impressions and how it affects people differently. It will be presented in partnership with the Goethe Institut-Johannesburg it will be at the Dance Factory.

On Sunday, 1 September from 10:00 onwards, the Wits Theatre will rock with the evergreen, ever-popular Stepping Stones programme. Groups from all over Gauteng - youth groups, community groups and students, will display the diversity of our rainbow nation on all levels when they present their work. Entrance to this day-long programme is free.

Fana Tshabalala, the Standard Bank Young Arts Award recipient for Dance 2013, will present his commissioned work Indumba at the Dance Factory on Tuesday, 3 and Wednesday, 4 September at 19:00. With this work he looks at the tradition of cleansing body and soul, within the African culture. It is presented in partnership with the National Arts Festival 2013.

The doyenne of contemporary dance, Adele Blank will present a new, commissioned work called Blank Page at the Market Theatre on Tuesday, 3, Wednesday, 4 and Thursday, 5 September at 20:30. Blank will recapture some of the celebrated work she has created over the past fifty years, working with many dancers from both past and present. Blank Page is a celebration of her remarkable life in dance. On Wednesday, 4 September after the performance, a face-to-face interview will reveal details about her amazing career.

A Mixed Bill programme featuring six young choreographers - Reginald Danster, Sunnyboy Motau, Thamsanqa Majela, Liyabuya Gongo, Nthabiseng Segoe and Joni Barnard with Kieron Jina, will be at the Wits Downstairs Theatre on Thursday, 5 and Friday, 6 September at 19:30.

Pro-Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council will present Another Chopstick Story/Swan by T42 Dance Projects choreographed by Misato Inoue and Felix Dumeril at the Wits Theatre on Friday, 6 September at 18:00. This work, while reflecting on the opera Madame Butterfly, explores the struggle of a woman coming to grips with her own identity.

I Feel Ya, the collaboration between Moving into Dance Mophatong, Zuluboy and the Cross Over Dance Company from the Netherlands, will be presented at the Market Theatre on Saturday, 7 and Sunday, 8 September at 18:30 and 15:00 respectively. These artists join forces to take one on an adventure into a world where no sound exists and bring Hip Hop and traditional African dance together with sign language. I Feel Ya is presented in partnership with the Fonds Podium Kunsten Netherlands.

Mamela Nyamza brings her highly praised work Okuya Phantisi Kwempumlo/The Meal to the Barney Simon Theatre on Saturday, 7 September at 19:30 and Sunday, 8 September at 14:00. This work looks at relationships between women from different generation and races, inviting them to come to a meal together.

Our Lady of the Flowers is presented by Francisco Camacho/EIRA on Sunday, 8 September in the Wits Theatre at 18:00. This work has toured Europe extensively and now comes to South Africa. It looks at obsession, love and dance as a movement of sensual pleasure. It is presented in partnership with the Government of Portugal and the Secretary for Culture

Kristin Wilson from Tshwane Dance Theatre presents a new multi-media work called Platitudes on Tuesday, 10 and Wednesday, 11 September at 18:00 at the Barney Simon Theatre. Also on Tuesday, 10 and Wednesday, 11 September but at The Dance Factory at 20:00 is the USA-based choreographer Helanius J. Wilkins’ work called C/lose/r. This critically acclaimed work navigates the artist from questions to answers while exploring his own personal new found realisations. Nudity is featured in this work and is not recommended for children. It is presented in partnership with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and supported by the National Endowment of the Arts USA.

The internationally acclaimed Senegalese choreographer Germaine Acogny brings her new solo work called Songook Yaakaar (Facing up to hope) to The Market Theatre on Wednesday, 11 and Thursday, 12 September at 19:30. Acogny makes the audience meet her Africa: its leaders, its people and life today, showing that there is hope in spite of everything. It is presented in partnership with the French Institute of South Africa. There is a face-to-face talk with Germaine Acogny after her performance on Thursday, 12 September.

The collaboration between the South African Mcebisi Bhayi and Joey Chua from Singapore resulted in a work called Givers and Takers. This work, which explores the perennial themes in human relationships: love, sex and power, can be seen at the Barney Simon Theatre on Friday, 13 and Saturday, 14 September at 18:00.

Uncles & Angels /Scars & Cigarettes is the completed work from choreographer Nelisiwe Xaba and video artist Mocke J Van Veuren. The first part, Uncles & Angels was presented at Dance Umbrella 2012. Now, the full-length work will look at Rituals in African culture and will be presented at The Dance Factory on Friday, 13 and Saturday, 14 September at 19:30.

Rounding off Dance Umbrella 2013 is Vuyani Dance Theatre’s Luyanda Sidiya’s double-bill programme Umnikelo and Dominion at The Market Theatre on Friday, 13 and Saturday, 14 September at 20:30. Both works look at how people cope with life today from different aspects. On Sunday, 15 September from 18:00 at the Anstey’s Building, inner city Johannesburg, the final programme, Reverie Heights, created by Leigh Nudelman, a multi-media work that will take the audience walking through this historical building.

Also on offer at Dance Umbrella 2013 are Master classes for dancers - teachers will include Adele Blank on Thursday, 5 September; Mamela Nyamza on Monday, 9 September; Helanius J Wilkins on Wednesday, 11 September and Germaine Acogny on Friday, 13 September. To book, phone Lindi at 011 492 2033. There will be a meeting between dance practitioners from Sweden and South Africa, that will take place on Sunday, 8 September at the Wits Downstairs Theatre. It aims to highlight the women in dance who focus on choreography and is hosted by Vuyani Dance Theatre. To book for this, phone Lebo at 011 838 7666. There will be a networking opportunity on Wednesday, 11 September from 15:00 at the Dance Factory. All dance practitioners are invited to meet to pave the way forward to creating a dance constitution. It is vital that dance practitioners support this. To find out more, phone PJ Sabbagha at 082 560 0687.

Dance Umbrella 2013, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut, South Africa will again host a Dance Writers’ Workshop facilitated by Mary Corrigall, a senior feature writer and arts critic at The Sunday Independent, who will work with six selected participants. The intensive three-day workshop will assist them in reviewing, interviewing and writing generally about contemporary dance, with the focus on Dance Umbrella 2013.

Dance Umbrella 2013 extends a thank you to its many partners, without whom the festival would not have been presented: Johannesburg Arts Alive International Festival, City of Johannesburg, Gauteng Provincial Government, Goethe Institut-Johannesburg, The National Arts Council; Rand Merchant Bank; The Tshikululu Foundation, Business and Arts South Africa, French Institute of South Africa; French Consul; National Arts Council Singapore, Portuguese Government, Pro-Helvetia: Swiss Arts Council, Fonds Podium Kunsten: Netherlands and The Sunday Times.

For Dance Umbrella 2013 bookings, phone Computicket on 083 915 8000 or visit www.computicket.com. For block booking discounts and programme updates, plhone 011 492 2033/0709 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

For more information, visit www.danceforum.co.za. Alternatively, visit the Facebook page or follow @DanceUmbrellaSA on Twitter.