All set for Jikinya finals

This year’s competition promises to be gruelling for the schoolchildren as a theme dance script has been introduced for all participants, a shift from previous years where only an array of dances from the various provinces were showcased.
The theme dance is “amabhiza”, a dance which originated from eMaphaneni in Matobo District in the Matabeleland South Province.
The story behind the dance is: It is believed that Ngwali, a god, was brought to eMaphaneni by the Venda people. He later settled at Njelele. Ihosana (female medium spirit) was another god believed to bring rains, thus, Ihosana songs were sung together with the amabhiza dance when asking for rain.
When the Ndebele saw the dancers, they said that they danced like horses, thus, they were christened “amabhiza”, which is Ndebele word for horses. The name was also derived from the fact that the leader of the dancers holds a horse’s tail (itshoba) when dancing.
The dance is also found among the Kalanga people of Plumtree and has spread to other parts of Matabeleland and Midlands provinces.
The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) says the primary aim of the competition is “to encourage school pupils to appreciate and perform our rich traditional dances thereby help preserve this rich cultural tradition Zimbabweans pride themselves in”.
The Jikinya Dance Festival showcases various traditional dances by primary school children from across the country.
This year’s participants are Zimburu Primary School from Goromonzi District (Mashonaland East) which brings some mbakumba dance; Matjinge from Bulilima District, (Matabeleland South) which will showcase the intshomane dance; Mhlabangulo (Tsholotsho District in Matabeleland North) will be belting
out the isitshikitsha dance; St Patrick’s (Bulawayo) will also be performing isitshikitsha dance; Glen View 8 (Harare) will be exhibiting the mbakumba dance; Matenda (Zvishavane, Midlands) promises some scintillating mbakumba dance as well; Sakubva (Mutare, Manicaland) will bring some dinhe dance; Matande (Mwenezi, Masvingo) will represent the province with some dendera dance; Chifamba (Guruve, Mashonalalnd Central) will be belting out the dinhe dance; and Tafadzwa Primary School (Kadoma District in Mashonaland West) will perform some mbende dance.
This year’s festival is supported by the traditional partner of the festival, Delta Corporation and the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe and will see winning schools and individual pupils walking home with various prizes. Another sponsor of the festival this year is the European Union which will also sponsor individual winners’ prizes. – Staff Reporter.