Johannesburg-based dance company WGRUV (pronounced “W-Groove” - taken from the family name of founder Holly Gruver) will begin with their 2026 season with returns to the Roodepoort Theatre from 9-12 April 2026 and the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex from 30 April to 02 May with a brand new show: “JUXTAPOSE”.
Group booking discounts are valid only on the first two prices: 5-plus tickets – 10% discount; ten-plus tickets – 20% discount. Tickets are on sale at www.wgruvdance.com and www.webtickets.co.za.
The company staged their previous production “Art Effect” at the same venue towards the end of 2025, and fans and patrons across Gauteng have been clamouring for a return. Company members and West Rand residents, Jenna Goves and Nicola Tolmay, will again be performing on their home stage at Roodepoort Theatre.
“JUXTAPOSE” is a contemporary ballet program that places the human body under tension – physically, emotionally, and symbolically. Rooted in classical ballet and driven by contemporary movement language, the work explores what it means to remain human in moments of strain, exposure, and change.
The evening opens with “Human Exposure” by Holly Gruver, an examination of vulnerability and presence. With music leading the action, movement becomes a living response to sound, positioning one figure at the centre of a shared space where isolation gives way to connection. “Not Forgotten” by Lex Gruver confronts unseen histories and silent grief. Inspired by lives lost under oppressive policies of the past, the work gives form to absence, memory, and the quiet weight carried by those who remain.
In “Rooms Rewired”, choreographed by Holly Gruver, the focus turns inward. Finding collaborative creation with dancer Vuyelwa Phota, identity is questioned and reshaped through a process of learning and unlearning, as the dancer navigates transformation while staying anchored to roots that create stability.
The programme concludes with a piece not to be missed called “Waxing Moon” by international choreographer, Robyn Mineko Williams, a work of quiet expansion and renewal. Growth unfolds gradually, embracing process rather than resolution. Across all four works, “JUXTAPOSE” uses contrast as its language – tension against release and stillness against momentum. The body becomes a site of resistance and resilience, asking audiences not to escape struggle, but to hold the line through it.
In Gauteng – where life moves fast, screens stay lit, and connection is often virtual – “JUXTAPOSE” brings the human body back into focus. Stripped of filters and automation, the dancers hold tension, breath, and presence in real time, asking local audiences to pause, feel, and reconnect – not online, but together.
Holly Gruver is the founder and artistic director of WGRUV Dance Company and has choreographed and staged original works in South Africa and America over the past 20 years. Lex serves as Assistant Director of WGRUV and Head of Asset Management at USP&E Global, focusing on energy development in emerging markets. His creative leadership and choreographic input are central to WGRUV’s artistic vision. Robyn Mineko Williams is a director and artist from Chicago, IL. She is drawn to embodiments of memory, time, lineage, and our relationships with the traces left in us of the people we encounter. Robyn is the founder and director of Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists (RMW&A), which houses and shares a body of interdisciplinary performance created in collaboration with an evolving roster of dynamic artists and designers.
“JUXTAPOSE”, when struggle and hope find meaning in the middle, is a stage performance that will touch the heart and engage the mind. Join WGRUV Dance Company for performances filled with artistry, meaning, and breathtaking dance. Tickets are available from www.webtickets.co.za and cost between R99 and R300. On Thursday afternoon, just prior to the show opening, WGRUV is hosting a dress rehearsal at 16h00 for students and school groups, followed by a Q&A session with the WGRUV dancers. Tickets for the dress rehearsal cost R99 per student. To book, contact Tanya at [email protected].
WGRUV fans should also make a note about the company’s future 2026 seasons. The company will bring “Highlights” to the Roodepoort Theatre from 8-12 July before taking it to the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town from 26-29 August. WGRUV will then close out the year with three runs of “Angels In Africa” – from 12-15 November at the UJ Arts Centre and 15-20 December at the Roodepoort Theatre, with performances at the Mandela Bay Theatre Complex from 2-7 December still to be confirmed.
“As WGRUV, we present quality productions with works by local and international choreographers,” says WGRUV Artistic Director Holly Gruver. “In these three new works that we have created – ‘JUXTAPOSE’, ‘Highlights’ and ‘Angels In Africa’ – we have a beautiful programme for 2026 that can be defined by saying, ‘One Line. Three Visions. Infinite Humanity.”
