THE first annual Windhoek International Dance Festival (WIDF) is set to take Windhoek residents by storm with performances of original choreography by both local and international dancers and companies from 23 to 28 October.
The purpose of the WIDF is to educate, entertain and to develop awareness and appreciation for the art of dance.
The festival is a pilot dance project and kicked off yesterday with a media stakeholder engagement evening taking place at the John Muafangejo Arts Centre (KCAC). The evening showcased dance performances by West Uarije and Nikhita Winkler as well as the launch of a video and photo exhibition that focused on dance evolution in Windhoek. This exhibition will run until Saturday, 28 October.
Attendees will be engaged in workshops which include genres such as hip-hop, contemporary, Namibian contemporary, Afro-pop, Afro contemporary, belly dance, ballet as well as dancing in heels. These workshops will be held at the College of the Arts (Cota) Studio 40 as well as at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN). Facilitators of these workshops are Namibia’s finest local choreographers, dancers and teachers as well as international facilitators from Portugal and Zimbabwe.
Registration and payments for the workshops will be done at the Cota and NTN on the day of the workshops.
On Thursday, 26 October a lecture presented by Angelika Schroeder, Cota rector, together with keynote speaker Ilona Veldsman (South Africa), will be held at the FNCC from 14h00. The topic in discussion is ‘The State of Dance Education in Namibia’.
The festival will also host three stages for live performances.
The Urban Stage in Post Street Mall will have a variety of flash mob performances on Wednesday, 25 October from 12h00 to 14h00 featuring a selection Windhoek’s urban youth dancers.
The Main Stage at the Warehouse Theatre will have two nights of live performances on Wednesday, 25 October and Friday, 27 October. On Wednesday, audiences will enjoy performances from Anchen Wille Dance Academy, Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO), Beat Revolution, First Rain Dance Theatre (FRDT), Da-mâi Dance Ensemble as well as Tatenda Chabarwa (Zimbabwe).
On Friday, 27 October, the festival will feature international solo acts such as Andre Herculess (Portugal), McIntosh Jerahuni (Zimbabwe), and Vathiswa Nodlayiya (South Africa) as well as local acts Da-mâi Dance Ensemble, Equipped Dance Academy, an Anchen Wille Dance Academy.
Tickets are available at the FNCC and Cota.
The Heritage Stage is the third and final stage which will be held at the Cota Courtyard on Saturday, 28 October featuring five Namibian traditional dance groups and a performance art piece by Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja and international solo pieces from McIntosh Jerahuni (Zimbabwe) and Vathiswa Nodlayiya (South Africa) .
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