United in dance

Abrams Tekya choreographed the piece Beatles Remix. PHOTO by Edgar R Batte

One would not miss the very colourful costumes designed perfectly for particular dance routines, as students of Makerere University Students of Film and Performing Arts joined those from Norwegian College of Dance.

The choreography blended Ugandan genres such as entogoro, Nankasa, Runyege and Kadodi into routines on European music, fusing in ballet, and jazz.

Running for four years now, this partnership, supported by the Norwegian Embassy has raised a continuous exchange of dance culture.

Ann Christine, the director of the dance college, says: “What we have done is take two students to Norway after one year so that they improve their art, and we shall offer them a master’s degree so that they return and teach dance at Makerere.”

Such exchange is bound to raise professionalism for dance in Uganda, improving technique and dance expression through contemporary fusion.
“It gives us an opportunity to learn, share and grow the performing arts. Merging African and Western culture allows us appreciate each other in a world of tension, our people seeing their dances fully fusing with foreign dances is strengthening,” Patrick Nihege, the head of the Department of Performing Arts at Makerere University, asserts.

Jill Pribyl and Abrams Tekya, who choreographed pieces Money, All My Loving and Beatles Remix respectively, have the resounding notion that both parties learn from each other in the exchange. “Seeing people that did not know each other a month ago perform on one stage proves that dance is universal,” noted Tekya.

Opening both nights with national anthems of both states, the dancers balled, jazzed, bopped and sang the audience to life. Applause struck through the air with energetic performances, and tender pieces such as Let it be and Help captured admirable silence.

The dances were rehearsed to the dot, hardly any flops and the entry for each piece effectively used the stage - as dancers came in from either wings of the spacious Wonder World auditorium.