Audrey Galawu
From jiti to pungwes, the Elysium Magna Dance Theatre recently took the audience at Mitambo International Theater Festival through Zimbabwean freedom fighters’ experiences through The Rising bones, a dance and poetry theatrical production.
“It took tonnes and tonnes of hours’ worth of rehearsals, sometimes working into the break of dawn just to ensure we have a satisfactory piece of work,” EMDT founder and choreographer Hilary Indi told Zim Now.
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The act derives its title from the prophetic statement by Mbuya Nehanda through her medium Charwe, when she predicted, “mapfupa angu achamuka” (my bones shall rise).
The 4th Edition of the Mitambo International Theatre Festival ran in hybrid format from the 20th to the 24th of September 2022, at Reps Theatre in Belgravia.
The annual exciting five-day extravaganza draws the very best local and international theatre performances, exhibitions, installations, masterclasses, critical talks, interactions and presentations.
In addition to EMDT, this year’s billed acts included Tumbuka Dance Trust, Gospel DJ Unlocked, Clowns without Borders and Music Crossroads’ Vazukuru VeAfrica Band. The hybrid festival will also feature regional and international acts including the United States of America, Brazil, Macedonia, Spain, Lithuania, Poland and South Africa
Comprising a 55- member cast The Rising Bones story unfolds in riveting contemporary, traditional and jiti dance, complemented by poetry, song and soliloquy.
“The cast we use in this particular play is just half of the full EMTD ensemble,” said Indi.
“Rising bones is a continuation of the production we did on the life of Nehanda herself, and now we talk about how they (freedom fighters) were led by the spirit of Nehanda and the inspiration they derived from those words: mapfupa angu achamuka.
The significance of the absence of spoken word is meant to allow audiences to interpret the story in their own way.
“They came by boat and they took everything. This part, shown in the second routine, has people in the background carrying a yoke, and there is somebody with a whip beating them up,” the director explained.
He elaborated the dance also demonstrates slave trade and how the Zimbabwean story of liberation and emancipation is similar to other African countries which have experienced colonialism.
“In the routine where dancers are grabbing onto the ground we are depicting the colonialists hounds lying in wait, sneering at our people and, at some point, the dancers leap very high in the air. Here we are talking about the birds or rather the Zimbabwe bird itself, the hungwe.
Over the years, EMDT it has become a hub for African story-telling, actively involved in numerous theater and television productions, ad campaigns in product launches, product awareness campaigns, roadshows, flash mobs, high profile national events as well as community based awareness projects and campaigns.
Elysium Magna Dance Theatre contacts
+263 77275406/ +263 864425927
Website: www.elysiumdancetheatres.co.zw
Email address: elysium.org@gmail.com
Facebook: Elysium Dance Theatres
Instagram: @yeleelysium
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