Special Workshop
Special Workshop with Judith Novela:
Traditional Dance from Mozambique (Xigubo) & Afro House
November 2nd 2025
About Judith: Judith Novela is a dancer and teacher at the Cultural Association Hodi Maputo Afro Swing. With a solid background in Mozambican traditional dances and Afro Swing, she has performed at several national and international festivals, including the Folkloric Festival of Passo Fundo (Brazil, 2014), the National Festival of Culture (Mozambique), and the Theaterformen Festival in Hannover, Germany.
Throughout her career, she has participated in numerous contemporary dance workshops with renowned choreographers such as Idio Chichava, Horácio Macuácua, Didier Boutiana, and Janete Mulapa, as well as international Lindy Hop workshops with teachers including Fredrik Dahlberg, Mimi Gunnarson, Angela Andrew, and Mike Davison. Judith has attended three editions of the Herräng Dance Camp (Sweden) and the Velo Swing Festival in Saarbrücken, Germany (2019, 2023, 2024).
In 2022, she joined the Dance Incubator, an exclusive women’s program led by Janete Mulapa, and she is also a member of the TP50 dance group. More recently, she contributed as a dancer and co-creator to the choreography of #VAGABUNDOS by Idio Chichava, which premiered at the One Dance Week Festival in Bulgaria and is now in its third year of international touring. Beyond her artistic work, she also coordinated catering for the MASX – Mozambique Afro Swing Exchange Festival.
Currently, Judith is developing her own project “Wansat Wa N’tamo: Strong Women”, while continuing to teach workshops and perform at festivals in Germany, Spain, Sweden, and beyond. As a dancer and teacher with Hodi Maputo Afro Swing, she remains dedicated to inspiring young artists and promoting Mozambican culture on both national and international stages.
Swing Times is delighted that Judith will be joining us for the second time in Cologne as part of her European tour. After all, all swing dances have their roots in African dances, and we believe it is essential that we get to know and appreciate these roots!!
Judith’s Website: https://judithnovela.my.canva.site/
Judith’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/judith_novelass
Classes: The workshop includes two classes of 1,5 hours each, which will be held in English. You can book the classes individually or together for a combined price.
Traditional Dance from Mozambique (Xigubo) (10.30 – 12.00 Uhr)
Xigubo is a traditional warrior dance from Mozambique, particularly in the southern provinces of Gaza and Maputo, which symbolizes resistance to colonial power. Performed by men and women lined up in rows wearing warrior attire such as animal skins, skirts, and spears (xitlhango), the dance is accompanied by drums and represents the strength and cultural identity of the people.
Afro House (12.30 – 14.00 Uhr)
Afro house is a subgenre of house music developed primarily in South Africa. The genre emerged in the 1990s. This musical style fuses elements of traditional house with African rhythms and sounds, incorporating instruments such as saxophone, piano, and synthesizers, as well as vocals in several African languages.
Levels: Suitable for dancers of all levels (no previous experience required!)
Classes:
10.30 – 12.00: Traditional Dance from Mozambique (Xigubo)
12.30 – 14.00: Afro House
Location: ehrenfeldstudios, Wissmannstraße 38, 50823 Köln
You can pay the festival fee by bank transfer to the account specified in the email. After you get the confirmation email, you’ll be required to pay the full ticket price within five weekdays. Keep in mind that there are three different prices:
You are welcome to claim the reduced solidarity price if, for instance, you are a student/a trainee/retired/temporarily unemployed or if you have a disability. (Proof of eligibility must be provided in order to qualify for the discounted price.) The above are merely examples and the list is not meant to be exclusive: If you believe that you are eligible for the discounted price for other reasons (not listed here) or if you are unable to afford the solidarity price, please contact us. We will definitely try to work something out.
You are welcome to pay the supporter price if you would like to help others who are currently unable to afford the full price to attend the festival. The amount exceeding the regular price will be donated to a support fund, which we will use to fund the attendance of people who would otherwise not be able to afford the festival.
All prices include 19% VAT.