Rehearsal Director
Bawren Tavaziva, Artistic Director of Tavaziva Dance, from Masvingo in Zimbabwe.
At eighteen years old Bawren was selected as an apprentice for Tumbuka Dance Company in Harare, with whom he toured across Africa and Europe with for five years.
In 1998 Bawren moved to the UK where he performed with Phoenix Dance Theatre, Union Dance Company, Jazzxchange, Carol Brown and Sakoba Dance Theatre. Bawren's first choreography was ‘Wachona’ for Tumbuka Dance Company in 1994. His choreography has been commissioned by Union Dance Company, ACE Dance and Music, Tumbuka Dance Company, Ballet Black, Srishti and State of Emergency. Bawren is also a musician, and has commissioned music for Phoenix and Union Dance Company and for all his own works. In 2004, Bawren choreographed ‘Umdlalo kaSisi’ a piece about the loss of a loved one to AIDS. ‘Umdlalo kaSisi’ was selected as one of five finalists in the prestigious Place Prize, sponsored by Bloomberg. As a result of his choreographic success, Bawren formed Tavaziva Dance in 2004 and began touring nationally and internationally before becoming a Regularly Funded Organisation (NPO) of Arts Council England in 2005. In 2007 Bawren choreographed the Sampad/Tara Arts national touring production ‘Motherland’, and other projects included creating work in India and Canada (COBA and Dance Immersion).
Bawren's body of work includes: Umdlalo Kasisi 2004, Soul Inspired 2005, Bophelo 2006, Chatsva 2007, Heart of Darkness 2009, Wild Dog 2010, Double Take 2011, Sensual Africa 2012, Greed 2013, Tavaziva Ten 2014, Africarmen 2015 - 17, Izindava 2017 - 18.
He has embarked on various research trips to Africa, visiting Ethiopia in 2016 to explore the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Rastafari movement. In 2016 Artistic Director of Rambert Mark Baldwin OBE invited Bawren to work with Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director Pete Glanville to create Mud Boy, a new work for children and family audiences. In 2018 Bawren choreographed for Euton Daley MBE’s Ending the Silence, a trilogy of work fusing dance, theatre and performance poetry.
Bawren has been working with Watkins Dance Company as a Rehearsal Director since 2011 as well as Mentorship for Research and Development project in 2014.
At eighteen years old Bawren was selected as an apprentice for Tumbuka Dance Company in Harare, with whom he toured across Africa and Europe with for five years.
In 1998 Bawren moved to the UK where he performed with Phoenix Dance Theatre, Union Dance Company, Jazzxchange, Carol Brown and Sakoba Dance Theatre. Bawren's first choreography was ‘Wachona’ for Tumbuka Dance Company in 1994. His choreography has been commissioned by Union Dance Company, ACE Dance and Music, Tumbuka Dance Company, Ballet Black, Srishti and State of Emergency. Bawren is also a musician, and has commissioned music for Phoenix and Union Dance Company and for all his own works. In 2004, Bawren choreographed ‘Umdlalo kaSisi’ a piece about the loss of a loved one to AIDS. ‘Umdlalo kaSisi’ was selected as one of five finalists in the prestigious Place Prize, sponsored by Bloomberg. As a result of his choreographic success, Bawren formed Tavaziva Dance in 2004 and began touring nationally and internationally before becoming a Regularly Funded Organisation (NPO) of Arts Council England in 2005. In 2007 Bawren choreographed the Sampad/Tara Arts national touring production ‘Motherland’, and other projects included creating work in India and Canada (COBA and Dance Immersion).
Bawren's body of work includes: Umdlalo Kasisi 2004, Soul Inspired 2005, Bophelo 2006, Chatsva 2007, Heart of Darkness 2009, Wild Dog 2010, Double Take 2011, Sensual Africa 2012, Greed 2013, Tavaziva Ten 2014, Africarmen 2015 - 17, Izindava 2017 - 18.
He has embarked on various research trips to Africa, visiting Ethiopia in 2016 to explore the spiritual and cultural heritage of the Rastafari movement. In 2016 Artistic Director of Rambert Mark Baldwin OBE invited Bawren to work with Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director Pete Glanville to create Mud Boy, a new work for children and family audiences. In 2018 Bawren choreographed for Euton Daley MBE’s Ending the Silence, a trilogy of work fusing dance, theatre and performance poetry.
Bawren has been working with Watkins Dance Company as a Rehearsal Director since 2011 as well as Mentorship for Research and Development project in 2014.
