Umkhathi slowly redefining dance theatre in Bulawayo

Raisedon Baya

LAST week I attended Umkhathi Theatre Works’ première of their latest dance theatre piece aptly titled “Footprints”. 

I must admit having seen Uhambo and Bloom by the same ensemble before I was curious to see what surprises or new things they would offer to the audience this time. 

I have attended other dance theatre shows before and half the time they are as predictable as famous Leopold Takawira Street in Bulawayo. 

The idea of most dance shows has been to loosely present Zimbabwean traditional dance from the different regions as a canvas of Zimbabwean life and culture.

Umkhathi Theatre Works are a leading dance ensemble in Bulawayo and have collected several awards in their many years of existence and so I don’t usually judge them with the same yardstick as other young ensembles. And to be honest I was glad I attended the première. It was fresh and full of surprises.

Footprints, as a new dance theatre piece, is testimony enough that Umkhathi Theatre Works is getting closer to redefining dance theatre in the City of Bulawayo. For those who have been following dance development in the city you will be familiar with a lot of what has been called dance theatre — a series of loosely choreographed dances delicately held together by a story about either colonisation (a white explorer travelling across Zimbabwe and seeing the country through song and dance) or someone trying to explain the dances and their meanings to an imaginary white audience. This last idea feeds on the artistes’ most common dream of taking their pieces to Europe and performing before a white audience. 

This is how as a people we have decided to define success. You are not successful enough as an artiste if you have not boarded a plane and performed before a white audience.

Now I could give you a dozen other productions that I watched that went these two routes. 

However, from Uhambo to Bloom and now Footprints Umkhathi Theatre Works has slowly been building a different reputation — maybe this is because having travelled to America and Asia they are no longer excitable about doing pieces for an imaginary white audience. 

Now they are focusing on telling authentic Zimbabwean stories to Zimbabweans and anyone else interested in good stories. Footprints is not one of those stories you struggle to connect the dances and their reason for being part of the piece. 

Watching Footprints I didn’t leave the theatre wondering what the story was about. It was very clear. I guess it was the same with most of the audience.

I walked out more excited about the fact that Umkhathi now completely understands that we are a story people and that when people come to the theatre they come for stories. 

Their theatre performances are totally different from what they do at weddings and corporate functions. I am really excited at how they continue to value and invest on stories.

Footprints, as National Art Gallery in Bulawayo Director, Butholezwe Nyathi, put it, is basically a “socio-historical journey of Ndebele and their interaction with Kalanga, San and white settlers.” 

The piece traces Ndebele history through dance, song, ritual and storytelling from the time they set foot in now what is called Matabeleland to nearly present-day Zimbabwe.

“I cannot, for not wanting to lie, put a finger on what I enjoyed most about the show but there are definitely a lot of things that stand out. The choreography was outstanding. The direction was on point. 

The agility of the dancers was a serious WOW! Talk about the energy and the near perfect historical writing,” said veteran director and actor Memory Kumbota immediately after the show. “It is a show that demands more than just one sitting there and watching. It demands being experienced, it wants to be felt. 

One must allow it to speak and to touch him/her in a deeper way,” quipped another member of the audience. 

“It was truly refreshing. I loved it and enjoyed it. It was another example of Umkhathi doing what they know best, giving us a 101 lecture in dance and music!” said another dance enthusiast.

I liked the fresh “new” dance umdadada. The energy. It brought a new vibe to the piece. For me that was the climax of the production. It made me want to stand up and dance, and be part of the performance. 

There was also the Imbube piece. That was another showstopper! I can, without any iota of doubt in me, recommend this show to anyone and anytime. this is the direction dance theatre should be taking.