A story that once sent shivers through boarding school dormitories in central Uganda is making its way to the stage as Batalo East and Wakiso Dance Kids team up for a new dance theatre production, Kakalabanda.

The one-hour production will premiere at the National Theatre in Kampala on September 9, 2026, before heading to Kavumba Recreation Centre in Wakiso on September 12. Both shows will start at 7:30pm, with tickets going for Shs30,000.

Inspired by the old Kakalabanda tradition, the production takes audiences back to an era when stories of a mysterious creature moving through school dormitories were common.

Also known as Nkalabanda, the figure was portrayed in different ways, often as a ghostly or skeletal creature that appeared at night to frighten students. Stories included claims that it could steal belongings or cut students’ hair and nails, while some former students remember tales of learners being attacked in their dormitories.

Rather than simply retelling those frightening accounts, the production uses them as a starting point to examine Uganda’s changing school culture and the experiences of young people today.

Albert Mubiru, the production director at Batalo East, said the project is part of the company’s broader effort to keep traditional art and storytelling relevant to younger generations.

Batalo East was founded by young artists in 2013 and has since brought together traditional dance, contemporary and urban styles, theatre and other forms of creative expression.

“We want to pass this kind of art to the next generation for purposes of sustainability, and this explains why we chose Wakiso Dance Kids,” Mubiru said.

The collaboration also allows the production to place young dancers at the centre of a story that belongs largely to an older generation.

Davis Elisha Ssebulime, the head of artistic at Batalo East, said the stories surrounding Kakalabanda carried lessons that went beyond the fear they created.

“There were hidden meanings in those stories. These stories shaped discipline and behaviour among the young people,” he said.

Ssebulime said revisiting such stories can also help older and younger generations have conversations about the challenges facing children today.

“How can we the old generation support the young people today? Through this production, the communities can take action. This way, we will be closing the inter-generational gap using art, music, dance and storytelling,” he said.

The production is choreographed by hip-hop dancer, visual artist and mentor Elvis “Levy” Elaso, who said the performers are ready to present a show that goes beyond entertainment.

Elaso said the school setting has allowed the creative team to weave contemporary social issues into the performance, including the emotional struggles experienced by some learners.

“As an artist who likes to address social issues, we are blending in so many other things. Lately we have heard of so many stories at schools, some learners are depressed to the point of taking their own lives; there are many unanswered questions about what is happening in schools,” he said.

He promised audiences a production that moves through different moods, combining humour, fear and sadness.

“We shall take you through different emotions; it will be funny, terrifying, sad, everything is in the production,” Elaso said.

For Wakiso Dance Kids founder and manager David Mubiru, the project is also an opportunity for the young performers to work with a company whose work they have admired.

“We are thrilled to be working with Batalo East. We are pleased for this opportunity because we had picked interest in their work. This is a dream come true,” he said.

Under the theme “A celebration of our culture, our stories, our future,” Kakalabanda” blends traditional dance, urban movement and theatre to revisit an old Ugandan story while asking what it can teach a new generation.

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