The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
POSTPONED due to the ripple effects of the devastating Cyclone Idai, the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) are finally on this Saturday.
The creative community is set to converge at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) for the ostentatious occasion where the best in various artistic fields will be recognised for their efforts. The air is already filled with anticipation as fans and other interested parties count down the days to the ceremony.
While more eyes will likely focus on the music category, another interesting element will be dance. Dance might not be as prominent as the music, but the community is alive and vibrant.
From traditional to contemporary dance, there has not been a shortage of activity with many individuals trying their hand at the various styles that are on offer. The industry has been growing each year, with numerous institutions that cater for the craft springing up.
Prominent dance teacher, Debbie Fleming, said while most young people identify with hip-hop dance moves, there is a growing interest in other genres as well.
“Looking at the past National Institute of Allied Arts (NIAA) entries for dance and the local shows, which have been staged like DTZ Starlight Dancing or DTZ Stars of Tomorrow, it seems the best understanding of ‘dance’ with our local school-going age is hip-hop.
“In the past, ballet was not really featured too strongly as a style kids wanted to pursue, but it is becoming more and more popular among young girls and boys, both for the strength that one needs to perform it and also for the lyrical quality it is famous for. I am encouraged to see more children and adults exploring the different styles of dance that Harare has to offer,” said Fleming.
She said there is a need for awareness about the dance categories available in the country and where they are taught.
“I think more awareness of the styles available to people should be done because the teachers are there but people don’t know about some of the styles unless they have more knowledge about them.
“DTZ often put on movie shows in conjunction with various embassies, or they hold staged events at either Reps Theatre or the open air theatre at their premises where people are encouraged to attend,” she said.
While there is a lot of talent in the country, the environment has seen some of the best dancers migrating to greener pastures in other countries.
“We have a lot of talent in Zimbabwe. It would be wonderful if this art got recognition from sport and culture leaders within our Government. Sadly, in the past our top dancers have moved to other countries to perform at top levels within dance companies all over the world.
“Dance is not really recognised as a way for our kids to earn a living here. But people do earn a living from being excellent at what they do, we just lose them to other countries as the support is not good for them here. Imagine having a locally born and bred ballet or dance company right here in Zimbabwe, getting paid for doing what they have been trained to do. If other countries can do it, so can we,” said Fleming.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association (ZNTDA) president, Kennedy Kachuruka, said the cultural dance industry is visible but the main challenge has been finding paying gigs for operational groups.
“Areas that are benefitting traditional dance groups who live on dance as a profession include Harare, Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and part of Matabeleland South.
“In tourist attraction areas, groups have long term contracts and in urban setups they are hired for different occasions like weddings, funerals, birthday parties and other ceremonial and celebratory events. Dance has grown to a job creating and educative industry with the help of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and its parent ministry,” Kachuruka.
According to ZNTDA, there are 589 registered traditional dance groups in the country. The groups perform different dances, which are both indigenous and exotic.
This year’s Nama nominations in the dance category, usually dominated by contemporary styles, also feature a traditional dance group, Bolamba Performing Arts.
“Bolamba Performing Arts is unique and it comes from Matabeleland South Province in the area called Kafusi. It comes from a traditional setup and the group performs Tswana dances with some Ndebele influences and a few Shona dances.
“They are always being hired in Mat-South because of their dances. Being nominated, whether they win or not, is good recognition for them. The group is made up of young people and it has capacity to grow bigger,” he said.
Kachuruka said there is need for more support from the Government, corporates and potential funders if the industry is to grow.
