Sibonakaliso Ndaba, choreographer, was born in South Africa. She worked with Jazzart Dance Theatre in Cape Town as a performer, dancer and teacher and in 2001 she returned to Durban to re-establish Phenduka Dance Theatre. She began her dance career with the original Phenduka in 1989 and, during her tenure as artistic director with the company from 2001 to 2007, developed a reputation for her unique blend of contemporary and African dance. She has also choreographed for a number of other performance companies in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands and other countries. She created the choreography for Aida (Verdi). Her many awards include the KwaZulu-Natal Dance Link award for Best Choreographer, the Playhouse Company award for Women in the Arts and the Daimler Chrysler award for South African Choreography. This is her first work to be presented at the Israeli Opera.