Continental dance festival ends on a high

IT was an energetic night of colourful performances, as the third edition of the annual East African Night of Tolerance-(EANT) dance festival came to an end. The contemporary dance festival started with professional workshops held by the visiting dancers at several locations in Kigali and Huye. Dance Dance Dance. Source: Irina Bara/YouTube The performances started on November 20, with the Independence Cha Cha at the Rwanda Revenue Hall in Kimihurura. On Friday, the festival moved to Maison de Jeunes in Kimisagara, for a night of contemporary hip-hop from Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo. Then it was back to the Rwanda Revenue Hall on Thursday for three East African contemporary groups and, finally to Papyrus Restaurant for an evening of solos with dancers from West Africa. Dancers take center stage. This year’s theme was: “Culture and Transgression.” The final performances were by dancers from Benin, France, Isoko Yu Buzima, Gabon and Cote d’Ivoire and the small venue at Papyrus was packed with a delighted crowd. Richard Adoussou of Benin opened the show with a piece called Murmures, which was inspired by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s speech in Dakar, which claims: “Africa has no history.” Matthieu Nieto followed with the piece: “I am not my colour.” He dressed and danced like a Malian woman and spoke like one in fluent Bamanan to represent his diverse cultural influences. The stages had theatre-class lighting and an awesome sound system—which made everything so entertaining. (Irina Bara) Next was a piece from Gabon by Amael Dibobe titled, “Pepper in the Eyes,” about a leader who puts on a mask in order not to see the suffering around him. The last performance was “I Love Red” by Ange Aoussou from Ivory Coast, which is about the post-election violence in Cote d’Ivoire and the country’s future. The performances won applause from the crowd. Niyomugabo Jean de Dieu, a teacher from Gisenyi said, “These dances are new to me, they start slow and then they get interesting. The way they organise the stage makes everything so entertaining.” East African Night of Tolerance dance festival was held in different locations of Kigali and Huye. (Irina Bara) Dance student Moudhi Gatete, said, “I have learnt more dance steps from the workshops and the performances. It helps a lot to meet and work with professionals like this.” An overjoyed Wesley Ruzibiza, Artistic Director at Amizero Kompagnie, said he was so grateful for the success of the event and added, “Through dance we can explore and challenge and create. It is through the arts that we imagine a better world.” The festival brought the art of dance to Rwanda. (Irina Bara) The dance festival was organised by Amizero Kompagnie and sponsored by the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Institut Français Paris (IF), Institut Francais du Rwanda (IFR) and Positive production. It was also supported by Ishyo Arts Centre, Papyrus, the Office and Iriba Centre.

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Continental dance festival ends on a high