Your signature is immersive, space-themed performances that blend live theatre, interactive multimedia, and innovative visuals. What sparked the idea of adding ballet into the mix?
Yasheen Modi: It was Luca’s idea, after chatting to [choreographer] Mario Gaglione, I thought it was a bit crazy, but he quickly convinced me otherwise...
Luca Pontiggia: A big-eyed, highly enthusiastic person by the name of Mario ran up to me immediately after our Hidden Giants show in September 2024 with a simple statement (along the lines of): “We are dancers of the Joburg Ballet, and we were mesmerised by what you were able to do with just a screen, a piano, and a voice. We think if we added dance, it would introduce a whole new dimension.” I was sold – I think it was the conviction with which he said it that convinced me more than the idea. But at the core, it resonated with an ambition to bring our universe to life in a way that no one has ever seen before – to make a concept that is often seemingly reserved for the elite accessible to everyone in a way that is just plain jaw-droppingly cool.
What’s been the most surprising thing you’ve learned from this production?
Modi: How quickly things can happen. We went from one weekend being unsure about whether the show would happen, to the next weekend rehearsing and composing with Mario.
Pontiggia: What it means to work with professionals – I can summarise my experience in a phrase: “Inspiration is the vision of a future that doesn’t exist, and discipline is the road you build to get there.” Up until this point, Yash and I have figured out everything ourselves. Neither of us is from the entertainment or theatre world – we’re from corporate environments – and we share a mutual desire to have fun with our creative abilities, which has inspired us to do what we’ve done. But now that we are working with a professional like Mario and his ballet, we see the dedication and discipline that is required to pull off something like Celestial Bodies.
What has it been like to work with a dance choreographer, in this case, the award-winning Mario Gaglione?
Modi: The word ‘genius’ gets thrown around too casually, but Mario’s ability to conceptualise a stage performance is unmatched. His musicality is also inspiring and has made me a better composer.
Pontiggia: There are creative minds out there in this world that I’m in awe of, and I ask myself, how is this person not everywhere? Mario is one of them. He has a clarity of vision and creative potential that feeds into Yash and me so much – his experience of stage theatre is remarkable. I am a sponge, trying to learn everything I can from him.
Universe on Stage has gone from a small, niched stage to a space where worlds collide and culture, art, music, and space share a stage. Share some milestones on taking that journey.
Modi: At first we'd only reach 30 sold-out shows at The Bioscope. The second milestone was reaching over 1,600 people at our first big stage performance at the Joburg Theatre. The third – completely selling out two nights at the 1,100-seater Mandela Theatre. Finally – collaborating with a world-class ballet company.
Pontiggia: I’d add to Yash’s answer – our first night where there wasn’t a single known person in the audience at The Bioscope (about six shows in).
“At the core, [Mario’s idea] resonated with an ambition to bring our universe to life in a way that no one has ever seen before – to make a concept that is often seemingly reserved for the elite accessible to everyone in a way that is just plain jaw-droppingly cool.” – Luca Pontiggia
It seems, like space, the possibilities of what Universe on Stage can focus upon are infinite. At what stage did you realise that this story could unfold forever?
Modi: I never truly appreciated the universe until Luca explained – every atom that makes us up was once in either our sun or other stars. Not figuratively. It’s easy to think of Earth as if it was always there. But the atoms in stars are moving about in such a way that the celestial bodies of space around them are formed, literally, by them. Luca might be able to explain more elegantly...
Pontiggia: I think there are two angles to this – from a business perspective, I knew this story could unfold forever when I saw people’s reactions, hunger, and constant attendance at our shows. Niche or not, it’s the ferocity and energy of people’s support – people, in their own time, are reaching out to help us grow and to connect us to others – that reflected back to us that we have a product people enjoy. I think people like to be entertained, like to learn, and like to feel inspired – we offer all three. It’s a gap in the market that it feels like we’ve stumbled into – a universe of possibility.
And the second – personally, I just have so much fun doing this with Yash. I see such longevity in this because I see longevity in our friendship, in how we connect, create, and handle stress and conflict. Our reach will go as far as our bond – and that feels like it grows bigger, faster, than anything we do.
What is it about the cosmos that enchants the two of you, and what makes you want to share that with the world?
Modi: How impossible it all is. I once looked up at the moon and had the weird thought of, "How is it possible that there’s a giant ball of rock ‘right there’?" And on the other side, a giant ball of plasma (which I thought was fire until Luca corrected me), and without either, we wouldn’t exist. I think an appreciation of the universe is the easiest path to an appreciation of life itself.
Pontiggia: There is a concept called collective effervescence: it’s a psychological effect that occurs when groups of people are united in a large crowd under a single shared experience, like a concert, sports event, or rally – a feeling of unison, a feeling of belonging to something greater than oneself. That moment heightens people’s happiness, makes them open to everyone else’s lives, and less judgemental.
My depth of studies in physics has afforded me an understanding of our interconnectedness with everything in the universe – how we are all part of something so large it is seemingly infinite. There is no greater shared experience than that of our existence. And I guess I want others to realise it too – to have a moment of collective effervescence when they see the moon, a flower, a fly, a friend.
I want to give people access to a universe of wonder that I have seen through physics, science, and mathematical rigour – but deliver it in a language that the ordinary person can understand – and that’s through emotion and art.
“I can summarise my experience in a phrase: “Inspiration is the vision of a future that doesn’t exist, and discipline is the road you build to get there.” – Luca Pontiggia
When you think about the audience for your productions, who comes to mind?
Modi: Cliché, but anyone and everyone. We’ve had kids asking for the chord progressions I used in specific compositions, to pensioners saying they’ve shifted their life perspectives.
Your work demystifies science in such a unique way – why do you think science needs this?
Modi: Luca’s statement has always resonated – science is sometimes taught in such a way that leaves the impression that everything’s already known. But it’s far from it. So much is unknown. And better yet, science is often perceived as the most ‘concrete’ and fixed of areas, so to realise that even science hasn’t uncovered everything is to realise that everything in life is open to discovery.
Pontiggia: People have a perception of science that is linked to their first experiences of it – often boring, scary, intimidating, or associated with manipulation and control. This creates fear, distrust, or ambivalence – and while that is a loss for the sharing and advancement of scientific information, it is a greater loss to what true science encourages: curiosity, doubt, critical thinking, and imagination – human characteristics that, to me, are the greatest resource a civilisation will need to overcome future obstacles. And so, more than demystifying, I hope it rewrites their narrative of what science was for them.
What’s been the most surprising response to your work so far?
Modi: Maybe not surprising, but amazing to hear – one of the Discovery CEOs brought his children to the show. He said his daughter’s usually glued to her phone, but at the show, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the stage. And when we did the show again, she wanted to come back.
Pontiggia: Hearing people make comments about how it has transformed their lives – how it made them try activities they were once scared of. A colleague said his son, who was intelligent but lacked enthusiasm and would always just be on his screen, came home and started reading again after many years, and even tried playing the piano. I met someone who said they created a play around “Melanoheliophobia,” which is the fear of black holes – something he used to have. It was inspired by watching our show.
What is it you want to awaken in people through your work?
Modi: For me, when I hear a piece of music that immediately grabs me, I’m excited. Excited to plug in, work out better, work harder, share it with other people, listen together. That excitement for life in general, despite how small we are in the universe, is the best reaction I can hope for
Pontiggia: I want to awaken a courage to be curious to realise that we all have an ability to create wonder in this world, to explore and go on adventures of the mind and of life.
“I never truly appreciated the universe until Luca explained – every atom that makes us up was once in either our sun or other stars. Not figuratively. It’s easy to think of Earth as if it was always there. But the atoms in stars are moving about in such a way that the celestial bodies of space around them are formed, literally, by them.” – Yasheen Modi
It seems that each production draws a bigger band of devoted fans – usually sold out shows. How have you managed to do this?
Modi: Our posts are real and unscripted when it’s Luca and me on camera. And what you would consider as our ‘ads’ – we put as much creative energy into those as we do into our actual shows, to give people a true sense of what UOS is about.
Pontiggia: We have been incredibly lucky to have developed a supportive network in our respective lives that shares through word of mouth what we do and who believe in us. We are driven to create marketing content that is cool, epic, and attractive. We think through and debate content. We act intuitively (what feels natural and authentic) and rationally (looking at stats, performance, and numbers). There is a natural luck in having stumbled on something that naturally attracts people, and we have refined our ability to advertise it.
You mentioned in a conversation that awakening people’s inner children is something that is important to the two of you. Why?
Modi: To me, any measure of success – money, happiness, fitness – is a function of how open you are to new things. So why debate the measure of success when they’re all a function of the same thing?
Pontiggia: Very personally, I saw the sacrifice my parents made when raising me – they had very difficult upbringings. Their parents neglected them; they shouted at them for asking questions, for being adventurous, for being naughty. They felt unsafe simply being children. That loss of childhood really hurt them – a fracture occurred, a version where the need to survive takes over but leaves behind the inner child.
For most people, that fracture over time develops into rigid views, a growing loneliness, and a constant state of survival, which translates into passing down this survival instinct to everyone around them – perpetuating the cycle of a lost childhood. My parents somehow did the work to not let that happen – they shielded me from their own trauma and allowed me to play, to be a child. And it’s that inner child that has guided so much of what I do; it has made me happy, curious, and able to fail and try again. I think it’s so important because so many people have lost their inner child and, as a result, become lost. Reawakening this inner child is really the lighthouse that shows them how to rediscover who they are.
“There is a concept called collective effervescence: it’s a psychological effect that occurs when groups of people are united in a large crowd under a single shared experience, like a concert, sports event, or rally – a feeling of unison, a feeling of belonging to something greater than oneself. That moment heightens people’s happiness, makes them open to everyone else’s lives, and less judgemental.” – Luca Pontiggia
What’s next?
Modi: A collaboration with the Joburg Philharmonic Orchestra in November 2025.
Pontiggia: Practically this year, from a live show perspective, we are working on a Philharmonic production as a celebration of our third birthday, which started in November 2023, by showcasing the best music and visuals of our three years. We are doing a show in Cape Town in the second week of December at the HCC (our first show outside of Johannesburg).
Then, in terms of our ambitions, we are working towards a huge show (something like the SunBet Arena for 8,000 people in one place with a huge screen, orchestra, and maybe even a choir). We want to bring our work to a whole new level – take it overseas in whatever format works. We are working on creating special digital content, such as for 360 domes and planetariums for Wits, and to sell overseas either as a stand-alone product or as a special live event, as well as exploring VR content.
We are also filming everything we do to hopefully create a documentary or even some kind of series on Netflix. We are working on creating children’s books, a fashion brand incorporating our philosophy in clothes and style, and an interior design collection of lighting (think planet and moon lamps as ordinary lamps and as works of art). We also want to start a foundation called the STEAM Foundation (Science, Technology, Entertainment, Arts, Music) that supports career exploration in kids by exposing them to multidisciplinary industries through career expos and supplies them with bursaries, mentorship, and scholarships in the fields of sciences and arts.
These are all large ambitions, but as of now, we are actively working on moving them all forward bit by bit – focusing on live events as our main brand.
Rapid-fire round: Five questions about Joburg
Universe on Stage caught fire in Joburg. What is it about this city and its people that you think are the reasons why?People are looking for something new. Not just art, or music, or education, or something for a specific age group. They’re looking for something all-encompassing.
You are Joburg's mayors for one day. What would you enforce?
A four-day work week, but the fifth day has to be used for something creative and scary.
One thing about Joburg most people would be surprised to know?
How open people are to new experiences. We thought our show was quite niche, but it has attracted thousands of people for all sorts of backgrounds, ages, and cultures.
Three words that describe this city?
Inquisitive, friendly, ambitious.
Three things or people you could put on stage if the sky is the limit?
A stadium-sized LED screen, a 20-metre holographic star (and other space objects), and a 200-piece philharmonic orchestra.
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