Contemporary dance festival opens in Kigali

THE 5th edition of the annual East African Nights of Tolerance music and dance festival was officially opened on Wednesday evening in Kigali. The opening reception kicked off with a cocktail and dinner at the residence of Giancarlo de Picciotto, Giancarlo de Picciotto, head of International Cooperation, Swiss Cooperation Office Great Lake in Kiyovu, Kigali. During the ceremony, guests were treated to, “Memories”, a play by Abdul Mujyambere, a Rwandan contemporary dancer. Event producer Ariane Zaytzeff speaks at event as Wesley Ruzibiza, director and founder of East African Nights of Tolerance -(EANT) looks on. “Memories’ is a play that portrays the kind of life that I lived here in Kigali and in Senegal where I learnt how to act and dance. It displays the spirit of the hardworking young people, but who want a room to thrive,” said Mujyambere after staging a 30 minute-performance. This year’s edition of the festival guarantees a sonically diverse line-up and promises a four-day extraordinary entertainment. (L-R) Abdoul Mujyambere and Mouhdi Gatete during the performance. The festival, which concludes Sunday, will feature different exciting activities such as dance master classes, performances, a seminar, and original work from around the continent and Europe. Festival goers will witness 10 performances from Rwanda, France, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Cameroun, Uganda, Belgium, DRC and Tanzania. “This is the launch of the opening of the festival and it will run until Sunday. The idea behind this is to promote the message of tolerance, loving one another and to help one another for development. We believe it is through this that we can achieve development. We have seen the impact for the last four years,” said Picciotto. The event attracted a cross section of people in Kigali. Venues From November 24, 25 and 27, the performances will be held at Zenith Hotel in Kimihurura, while Saturday’s show will be held in Kimisagara – Maison des Jeunes. Since its inauguration in 2012, the festival has evolved into one of the most popular events in East Africa that provides networking opportunities for African artistes and music professionals, and at the same time, drawing thousands of festival goers. It’s a cultural event, with various genres of music and a rich variety of African music showcasing popular and established musical artistes as well as emerging artistes. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Contemporary dance festival opens in Kigali