Moderator: Jefferson Tshabalala 

Facilitator: Lee-ché Janecke 

Lee-ché Janecke, the magnetic visionary known professionally as Litchi HOV, does not simply choreograph movement; he constructs living, breathing cultural moments. As the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance, the Cape Town-born architect of rhythm has spent over thirteen years forging a movement language that feels ancestral and futuristic at once, rooted in South African pulse yet commanding the world’s most electric stages. Globally recognised as a choreographer, creative director, and cultural innovator, Litchi detonates stages with a signature style that slices through silence and lingers long after the lights fade. He is a deeply versatile, well-versed creator who has explored the vast terrain of global pop culture, dissected its textures, and reassembled them into a refined, unmistakable signature vocabulary. Rather than borrowing from trends, he interrogates them, reshapes them, and infuses them with African cadence, redefining what signature choreography can look and feel like in the modern era.

As the creative force behind Grammy Award-winning phenomenon Tyla, Litchi helped propel “Water” into a global dance awakening, crafting choreography that moved from screens to stadiums with magnetic velocity. His visionary work on “Push 2 Start” earned a 2025 MTV VMA nomination for Best Choreography, affirming his status as a global tastemaker in performance design. Alongside collaborations with some of South Africa’s most celebrated stars, he continues to sculpt moments that travel far beyond the stage and into cultural memory.

His rise began on South African television, where he first captivated national audiences as a contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance” South Africa, as well as being a member of the iconic Vintage Cru on “Step Up or Step Out”. Later, choreographing for Idols SA, he sharpened a creative philosophy that blends indigenous rhythm structures with sleek, contemporary aesthetics, positioning him as a principal architect of Africa’s evolving performance identity.

Now stepping boldly into a new chapter, Litchi HOV is launching a global choreography and creative tour envisioned as a dynamic cultural exchange. Through high-impact masterclasses, immersive workshops, large-scale live productions, and elite creative consulting, he transforms every city into a laboratory of rhythm and reinvention. Available for international bookings across Europe, North America, Asia, and beyond, Lee-ché Janecke continues to push boundaries, amplify African excellence, and expand the language of dance. He does not follow the pulse of pop culture; he recalibrates it.