South African Groove Vibes with Litchi
Company:
Ailey Extension
Join South African choreographer and creative director Lee-chè Janecke, creator of the viral Tyla “water dance,” for a 2-hour beginner-friendly workshop at the Ailey Studios.
Lee-ché Janecke, the Cape Town-born magnetic visionary known professionally as Litchi HOV, does not simply choreograph movement—he constructs living, breathing cultural moments. Named the 2026 Standard Bank Young Artist for Dance by YFM Radio, Litchi has spent over thirteen years forging a movement language that feels both ancestral and futuristic, rooted in South African pulse. Litchi is a deeply versatile, well-versed creator, choreographer, creative director, and cultural innovator 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. His visionary work on “Push 2 Start” earned a 2025 MTV VMA nomination for Best Choreography. 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. Litchi's rise began on South African television, where he first captivated national audiences as a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance South Africa and as a member in the iconic Vintage Cru on Step Up or Step Out, and later choreographing for Idols (South Africa).
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 cities into a laboratory of rhythm and reinvention.
