Ddembe Kevina Namutaaya is a Ugandan dance anthropologist, ethnochoreologist, educator, researcher, and performing artist whose work focuses on the preservation, transmission, and contemporary application of dance and dance-music traditions. Her academic and professional career reflects a strong commitment to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage while advancing innovative approaches to arts education, research, and community engagement. She combines scholarly inquiry with artistic practice, positioning dance as a medium for cultural preservation, education, and social transformation.
Kevina earned an International Master of Arts in Dance Knowledge, Practice and Heritage (Choreomundus) through a consortium of four European universities: the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway), the University of Szeged (Hungary), the University of Clermont Auvergne (France), and the University of Roehampton (United Kingdom). Supported by the prestigious European Commission International Mobility Scholarship, her postgraduate studies provided advanced training in ethnographic research, anthropology of dance, dance analysis, Laban notation, intangible cultural heritage, and performance studies. She previously obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Arts (Dance Major) with Second Class Upper Honors from Makerere University, Uganda.
Her research interests span choreography, dance anthropology, ethnochoreology, indigenous knowledge systems, ritual performance, and the role of dance in education and social change. Her master’s thesis, Performing Masculinities: A Case Study of Khuminya Dance and Male Circumcision Ritual among the Bukusu People of Western Kenya, examined the relationship between dance, ritual, and constructions of masculinity. Earlier, her undergraduate research investigated the use of dance as a tool for promoting positive social behavioral change among children in Uganda.
Professionally, Kevina is serving as an assistant lecturer at Makerere University, where she is supporting in teaching dance, curriculum delivery, student mentorship, assessment, and practical dance training.
She has also worked as a freelance performing artist, dance consultant, research data analyst, artistic coordinator, dance trainer, and peer educator, integrating dance into community development initiatives, early childhood education, and HIV/AIDS awareness programs. Her experience is complemented by specialized training in motion capture, body movement calibration, and Laban movement analysis.
Beyond academia, Kevina has actively participated in international artistic collaborations and cultural exchange programs across Europe and Uganda. She has choreographed, performed, and led intercultural dance initiatives while promoting dialogue between traditional and contemporary performance practices. Through her research, teaching, and artistic leadership, she continues to advocate for dance as a powerful vehicle for cultural continuity, education, creative expression, and sustainable community development.