adminMelissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
ALL roads lead to Macdonald Hall in Mzilikazi where five schools will today compete for a slot to represent Bulawayo at the Jikinya Dance Festival national finals being held in Harare on November 28.
The annual festival run by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) showcases an assortment of traditional dances by primary schools from around Zimbabwe. After having gone through zonal and district competitions conducted by National Association of primary heads, the schools will today have a feel of the national stage when they compete to represent Bulawayo at the national finals.
The school which will come out tops will walk away with $500 and automatically be entered into the finals taking place at Belvedere Teachers College Great Hall. The best drummer, best male and female dancers, best coach and best costume will also be awarded for their efforts with the schools which will take second and third position walking away with $300 and $200.
Matabeleland North provincial finals will also be held today at Ntabazinduna Community Hall in Umguza followed by the Matabeleland South and Masvingo finals being held tomorrow at Plumtree High School and Mucheke Hall respectively. Midlands will host its finals next week Friday at Kandodo Hall in Zvishavane.
Catherine Mthombeni, NACZ communications and marketing officer, said the schools would showcase a dance of their choice as well as the Jerusarema Mbende Dance at the national finals.
“The Jerusarema Mbende Dance will be adjudicated as the Common Dance with the winner in this dance walking away with $300 and the floating Prof Hope Sadza Trophy,” Mthombeni said.
Floating trophies and prize monies will be given to the top four schools at the national finals. The best school will receive $1,500, second $1,000, third $750 and $500 for the group which will take fourth position.
Mthombeni added that the festival which is now in its 12th year, would run under the theme “Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Social Cohesion through Dance”.
“Jikinya dance festival aims to encourage children to appreciate and perform Zimbabwean traditional dances, thus promoting and preserving the country’s cultural intangible heritage. “The festival will bring people together to give them a sense of belonging. It will also make them realise that despite the differences in our values and norms, we’re all Zimbabweans and should live in peace and harmony for nation building.”
Nyandoro Primary School from Mashonaland Central won last year’s festival at an event held in Bulawayo at the Large City Hall.
derick.khumalo