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PREPARATIONS for the Jikinya Dance Festival are underway with provincial finals starting tomorrow in the Matabeleland provinces.
The festival, held annually to encourage primary school children to appreciate and perform Zimbabwean traditional dances, will see 10 schools converging on Norton on November 27 for the national finals which will be held at Pakare Paye Arts Centre.
Last year, traditional dance group – ZRP Tomlinson Depot Primary School from Harare – won the competition.National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) communications and marketing officer, Catherine Mthombeni, said the festival was being held to promote and preserve Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage.
“The festival showcases various traditional dances by primary school pupils. The different dances that’ll be showcased will be a reflection of endless diversity that’s found in our country’s different communities,” Mthombeni said.
Schools will showcase a dance of their choice as well as the common dance that is Ihosanna dance. Ihosanna, a rainmaking dance, is performed in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. It is also used during spiritual ceremonies among the Ndebele people.
Four years ago, NACZ introduced a system whereby a specific dance is selected as a festival piece that runs for two years and is judged as a Common Dance. The Common Dance was introduced so that all participating children, despite their regions, can learn, perform and appreciate diverse Zimbabwean cultures.
This year’s festival is being held under the theme: “Preserving Cultural Heritage and Identity.”
“This particular theme underscores the need to embrace diverse cultural aspects that bring people together, giving them a sense of belonging and making them realise that despite the differences in values and norms, we’re all Zimbabweans whose identity is spearheaded by certain cultural traits that are unique.”
Last year the common dance was Jerusarema Mbende Dance that was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Jikinya Dance Festival is a partnership programme between NACZ and National Association of Primary Heads.
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