ALL is set for the Bulawayo provincial Jikinya Traditional Dance finals set to start today at the Large City Hall in which more than 10 primary schools will battle for the right to represent the City of Kings at the finals later this year.
OWN CORRESPONDENT
This year’s festival will run under the theme “Our Culture, A Spring of Diversity and Harmony”.
William Nyandoro, the National Arts Council Bulawayo Programmes Officer, told Southern Eye Lifestyle yesterday:
“Two schools each will be representing the five districts of Bulawayo and the sole winner will get the ticket to the national finals to be held next week at the same venue.”
Participating schools include Ross Camp, Kumalo, Mthombothemba, Mbizo, Godlwayo, Mkhithika Thebe, St Patrick’s, Queen Elizabeth and Mawaba. Winners of the provincial finals will walk away $500 richer with runners up pocketing $300 and $200 respectively.
“Besides the provincial winners getting the top prize, there are individual prizes for best boy and girl dancer, best costume and most harmonious school,” added Nyandoro.
Schools will showcase a dance of their choice as well as the festival piece jerusarema mbende, a dance which is synonymous with the community of Murehwa.
The dance, also known as a fertility dance, is performed by the community of Murehwa and Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe in the north-eastern districts of Zimbabwe.