Jikinya Dance festival is over, how funny time flies right? It is time to reveal the aftermath and the young gurus of dance that scooped the medals and who lit the stage on fire with their enthusiastic jaw- breaking dances. The future of creative traditional dance of the nation was reassured by the different youngsters that participated in this years’ dance festival. Posterity will definitely look back to such achievements in generational transmission of our cultural heritage and Zimbabweans values.
The underlying aim of the Jikinya dance came to live as each province had a representative primary school. Many primary school children came together to appreciate and perform Zimbabwean traditional dances which in turn is promoting and preserving Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage. The schools from every corner of Zimbabwe were represented by one school from each province and had the privilege to choose a dance of their choice. St Joseph stunned everyone with Chinyambera dance as well as Chegutu primary, Mkhithika Thebe, Ndlovu and Jahunda took Amantshomane as their choice of dance, Matenda primary and Rujeko danced Mbakumba, Chembira and Maringire chose Mhande dance and only Chipindura primary danced a dissimilar dance from other schools which is Jerusalema Mbende.
St Joseph primary from the Mashonaland East province took the victory lap in first place and was awarded $1200, trophy, 15 medals for participants and their teacher. In addition it also scooped $300 for the Prof Hope Sadza excellence award in common dance. The second was taken by Mkhithika Thebe primary from Bulawayo with a prize of $1000, third place which was $700 worth went to Rujeko primary from Manicaland and the fourth place with $500 prize was given to Maringire primary from Masvingo and the standardized trophy, participants and teachers medals for all schools. Schools that scooped the 5th-10th position where all given consolation prizes which was $150 per school and 15 Medals to all the 13 participants and their 2 teachers.
Congratulations to all winners and participants in the Jikinya Dance festival and all thanks go to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe for organizing this festival in partnership with National Association of School Heads which continuously gives children the opportunity to express themselves through dance.
Main image sourced from The Chronicle
