Provinces gear up for Jikinya dance fest

Daisy Jeremani Entertainment Editor
THE next two weeks will see Matabeleland and Midlands provinces holding their Jikinya Traditional Dance provincial competition ahead of the national finals to be held at the Bulawayo Large City Hall on 29 November. Annually held jointly by National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and National Association of Primary School Heads (NAPH), Jikinya aims at encouraging children to appreciate and perform Zimbabwean traditional dances, thus promoting and preserving the country’s cultural heritage.

In an interview, (NACZ)’s marketing manager, Catherine Mtombeni said Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Midlands would be holding their provincial finals on 22 November. Matabeleland South will set the ball rolling in the southern region of the country by holding its finals on Friday at Plumtree High Hall.

Bulawayo finals will be held at the Large City Hall, while the venue for Matabeleland North will be at Tsholotsho Catholic Hall. Chaplin High School in Gweru will host the Midlands finals.

The winners from all the country’s 10 provinces will converge for the national finals in the city. This would be the second time that the event would be held in Bulawayo since the inception of dance festival more than a decade ago.

This year Jikinya Dance Competitions will be held under the theme: “Our Culture: A Spring of Diversity and Harmony.”
Mtombeni said the theme underscores the various traditional dance types that will be showcased by pupils at this year’s competition.

These dances would be a reflection of the country’s cultural diversity.
“Thus, in the diversity there is a peaceful existence that brings the nation together,” she said.

This year the children will be competing on a set dance, Jerusalema Mbende and an own choice dance. The idea for schools to compete in one common dance was introduced three years ago. It was way of making sure that pupils were knowledgeable of dances from other regions instead of their own. In the long run this will make them appreciate the diversity of Zimbabwean traditional dances.

The common dance piece for 2011 and 2012 was Amabhiza, commonly done by the Kalanga people in Matabeleland South. The competitions for the two years were won by Matabeleland South schools, Matjinge and Tokwana Primary School respectively

This year’s dance, Jerusarema Mbende was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The dance is performed in the North Eastern parts of Zimbabwe, by communities of Murewa, Uzumba, Maramba and Pfungwe Districts.

The founder and Vice Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa, Professor Hope Sadza donated a trophy for the Jikinya Dance Festival’s common dance. The trophy has been since been named the ‘Prof Hope Sadza Trophy for Outstanding Common Dance

Performance’ and will be handed out for the first time at this year’s festival.
Besides walking away with the trophy, the winning school will be a guest group at the National Culture Week launch next year in May.

They will also perform at the national Independence celebrations.
“Attendance to the event is free and the Arts Council is encouraging parents and school heads to bring children to enjoy and consume what is truly a Zimbabwean experience,” Mthombeni said.