You have to hold your breath as Zvishamiso Dance ensemble dart some breath-taking routines and the crowd goes “uh”! Where else have you seen somersaults through a bicycle wheel rim? It’s a bit hard to imagine. Tumbuka comes in a flash, before you know it; an enterprising Franco “Slomo” Dhaka disciple waltzes past.
That’s only a glimpse of special appearances by seasoned dancers, an intro to Jibilika Dance contest. A new brand is born on the Zim dance block, usadherere shasha. They dub it JIBILIKA and solely for those that fancy the vertigo of dance.
What’s so ambitious about Jibilika is that all dancers and dance groups were drawn from all fours of Zim. What a plus for a first contest.
With due respect, the game begins with the traditional dancers’ category. Zimbabweans from all walks love it to the tooth. I have not seen peoples of such diverse backgrounds together at one place, united in DANCE! Black, White, Colored, Asian, add to the list you get Rainbow Nation too.
If one is part traditional like me, it’s thumps up to the pole prize for Senkani’s Jerusarema dance, the imposing jingle that preludes the Zim radio and TV news bulletins. This time live on stage and guys jumping over drums.
The Acturus Chioda, a Nyawu outfit from Goromonzi didn’t win a thing but may just be the reason why tourists will want to sample the Jibilika gourd. I foresee youth coming from beyond the great waters just to watch the comedy that is zvinyawu, come 2010. Watchers roared and rolled with laughter but aren’t they gothic?
Magesh Tornados danced Kwaito ,scooped that category and also aced overall best with electrifying and well choreographed dances. They hail from Skies, flew up there a cool $160 million for the double. Life is worth living in dance!
Are you phobic to anything that resembles the Wild West? This paragraph doesn’t suit your taste then. Surprise, surprise the big attraction for the evening turned out to be the hip hoppers. All round the city suburbs of Zim one now gets hip hop dance groups serious at rehearsal . They rather get religious about it? Dance night November 17, Inmates from Harare, hopped around stage and came out numero uno. DJ Smoove went into overdrive. On the stage side, his brother in crime, Chucknosis the MC chanted, “Don’t try this at home!”
Something amazing from the City of Progress, Kumuzi found few challengers for the Museve jams. The galloping, borrowdale style, was so hypnotizing all the way to the A-prize that Franco “Injini Yechitima” Dhaka would have earned a style or two if he graced the occasion. You bet he has to be guest for 2008 if he is to protect his steam engine locomotive title.
Free living Kelly, a girl from Harare, won in the free-style category with the usual ragga gyrations.
Each top group from a category walked away with a $60 million dollar award and a Jibilika Sculpture which depicts dance. Magesh Tornados have a 3 month Dance Scholarship from a dance studio Edrique, a video contract with double award winning naughty kid Roki and they will tour all provinces in the Jibilika preliminaries next year.
Here are the words of ambitious 25 year old Plot Mhako, the Director of Jibilika Dance Contest ,”In Zim dance has been over looked for ages with so much prominence going to complementary acts such as music. And yet the country has witnessed a proliferation of dance groups and individuals who struggle day in day out perfecting their acts to entertain us at parties, weddings, etcetera. All this talent cannot go unnoticed”.
What a move to plot your fellow youth out of idleness, alcohol, drugs, crime and HIV brother. For evil to thrive, it takes good people to do nothing. Plot is doing something, the sky is the limit.
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