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By Chimeno Azriel
All is set for the Jikinya Dance Festival slated for the end of this month. The Jikinya Dance Festival is an annual event that showcases the diverse Cultural Heritage of Zimbabwe through dances.
This year the festival is going to focus on mhande which is a Zimbabwean traditional dance.
The dance festival is open to all primary schools in Zimbabwe and the provincials are set to begin in the second week of October with the National Finals taking place in Bindura, Mashonaland Central on the 26th of October 2023. Around 5000 primary schools are expected to participate in the 2023 festival. The Jikinya Dance Festival is set to enlighten the primary school calendar with schools ready to take part in this year’s edition.
Mhande is an indigenous Zimbabwean song-dance normally performed by the Karanga people who live mostly in the Midlands and Masvingo Provinces. The dance is performed as part of the Mutoro and kurova guva ceremonies which are cultural rituals for the Karanga people.
In a statement during an interview, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe ( NACZ) Communication and Marketing Manager, Rodney Ruwende, said the performance of mhande as a set piece at the Jikinya Dance Festival is a significant event for the preservation of Zimbabwean Cultural Heritage.
“The performance of mhande as a set piece for the Jikinya Dance Festival was a crucial element in safeguarding the cultural practices of indigenous Zimbabweans,” added Ruwende.
Running under the theme ‘Building Zimbabwe through dance’, the mhande performance goes beyond a typical dance performed to the historical significance and a deeper meaning. It is a key link between the living and the ancestral spirits as it is performed at ceremonies that represent the settlement of ancestral spirits and rain-making rituals.
The Jikinya Dance Festival is an important event for the promotion of cultural diversity and understanding in Zimbabwe.
“The competition is a valuable opportunity for young people to learn and appreciate the country’s rich cultural heritage and the performance of mhande is a positive development for the preservation of Zimbabwean Cultural Heritage,” said Ruwende.
“It represents an artistic spiritual performance as well as an important element of safeguarding our culture,” continued the spokesperson.
The festival is organised by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe ( NACZ), and the National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) with the support of Delta Beverages Zimbabwe and prizes are going to be offered to the top three Schools at the National Finals.
According to Ruwende, the value of the prizes will be announced in due course.
In the last edition of the Jikinya Dance Festival, Lwendulu Primary School of Hwange in Matabeleland North Province won the finals.
