The ManicaPost
Entertainment Reporter
ALL entertainment roads in Manicaland will this Friday lead to Makoni District where the provincial Jikinya Dance Festival, involving primary schools drawn from across the province, will be held.
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe’s Manicaland provincial arts manager, Caroline Makoni confirmed the event which is running under the theme: “Building Zimbabwe Through Dance”.
She said they organised the festival in partnership with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education through the National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) and received funding from Delta Beverages.
“We are holding the Jikinya Dance Festival in Makoni on Friday. Its aim is to promote the country’s culture through dance. Just like language, dance is a carrier of culture and that will all be showcased during the event. The theme this year: “Building Zimbabwe Through Dance” aptly describes what we seek to capture by staging this event.
“The Jikinya Dance Festival is all-encompassing as it starts from the zonal level right up to the national platform. After the provincial competitions, the national finals are slated for Midlands Province. The dance theme for this year is AmaBiza, which originates from Matabeleland South and will be performed by all competing schools throughout the country,” said Ms Makoni.
The Jikinya Dance Festival is the biggest such programme involving over 5 000 primary schools drawn from across the country’s 10 provinces.
The fiesta started in 2001 with the aim of nurturing primary school pupils’ talent in traditional music and dance through showcasing a variety of the country’s local dances.
