After receiving the 2008 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance, Masilo delivered her fresh, new versions of Romeo and Juliet (2008), Carmen (2009) and Swan Lake (2010). All three works premiered at the National Arts Festival, where they were greeted with critical acclaim, standing ovations and full houses.

In 2011, she presented a new solo work, The Bitter End of Rosemary at the Anticodes Festival in Brest. This brought her to the attention of European producers, who invited her to begin touring her group works. So far, it is her Swan Lake that has been blazing a trail across France (including six weeks in Paris), Italy (including Rome), Switzerland (nine cities), Austria (Innsbruck and most recently five sold out performances at ImpulzTanz in Vienna), Germany (Dusseldorf and Hamburg), Kuopio (Finland), Stockholm, Athens and London (at Sadler’s Wells).

In South Africa, Masilo has made a name for herself both as a dancer and as a choreographer. Trained in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Brussels, Masilo is a contemporary dancer who has a deep love for the classics – from Shakespeare to Tchaikovsky, from Ballet to Flamenco. As a dancer, she has impressed with her ‘signature speed’ - the ability to move like greased lightning; and also to imbue her roles with a precocious theatricality. As choreographer, she has been amazingly daring, tackling the ‘big’ stories and boldly fusing dance techniques; musically, mixing the original scores with twentieth century composers and performers.

Carmen’s 2014 cast includes Masilo with Nadine Buys, Zandile Constable, Phindile Kula, Ipeleng Merafe, Refiloe Mogoje, Khaya Ndlovu, Cindy Okkers, Thamsanqa Majela, Songezo Mcilizeli, Llewellyn Mnguni, Thabani Ntuli, Nonofo Olekeng, Kyle Rossouw, Xola Willie and Tshepo Zasekhaya. This enhanced version is fortunate to have as tutor, ‘Maestro de Flamenco’ Rosana Maya.

Dada Masilo’s Carmen runs at The Dance Factory in Newtown from Wednesday, 3 to Friday, 5 September at 18:00.

The work runs for one hour without an interval and is not intended for children under 12. To book, visit Computicket.

For more information, phone 011 833 1347/082 493 6968 or email [email protected].