performances from Germany, Tanzania, and 3 special commissions from Nairobi, Kisumu and Tana River
Our fifth edition of Dance Life Festival is here!
Mark your calendars on 13th + 14th July! Come to Kenya National Theater and enjoy a fascinating programme with performances from Germany, Tanzania, and 3 special commissions for Dance Life Festival from Nairobi, Kisumu and Tana River.
Experience contemporary dance in its various forms and aesthetics. Join us and get immersed into the flow of rhythm and movement!
About Forward Dance Company
FORWARD DANCE COMPANY is the in-house dance company of LOFFT – DAS THEATER, an independent production house in Leipzig. It consists of a permanent ensemble of six dancers who work with several different choreographers. The Artistic Project Director is Gustavo Fijalkow.
Enjoy a performance by dancers with different backgrounds and physicalities as they engage with one of the most famous works of classical ballet: Swan Lake.
Swan Lake – to the music of Tchaikovsky – is one of the most famous works of classical ballet and thus representative of a certain idealised body image. It continues to shape our perceptions and our expectations towards dance to this day.
The dancers move on stage as if they were a flock of birds – sometimes harmoniously side by side, other times dispersing and swarming apart. They search individually their way through space, yet remain connected and always find back together again. The dancers’ weave their own experiences and voices into the performance and while questioning humorously and playfully what is considered ’normal’ or 'beautiful', they take ownership of Swan Lake’s history and write themselves into it.
About African Roots Dance Group
African Roots Dance Group is a dynamic quartet of Tanzanian dancers, each with diplomas in African Contemporary and Traditional Dance. Their journey was elevated with a 3-year scholarship at the prestigious Muda Africa Dance School in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania.
Their artistry serves as a vibrant storyteller and catalyst for social awareness. “Madaraka Addresses” bravely takes on leadership issues, while “Connect” celebrates our shared humanity. In the solo “Ujana na Tamaa,” they explore the impatience of youth in pursuit of success. “Akiba Haozi,” with support from the Goethe Institut, becomes a mesmerizing dance film. Join African Roots Dance Group on a captivating journey through the rhythm and emotion of their bod language. Together, they’re on a mission to foster change, enlighten hearts, and honor the essence of Africa through the transformative power of dance.
About NYAWAWA - Spirits of the Lake by Paul Muiruri
An exploration of the phenomenon, around the concept of spirits of the dead, believed to originate from the Lake and the cultural practices, involving household instruments implored to ward off these spirits.
About MA'ADHA by Jackson Atulo
Traditional rituals within the Pokomo community from the coastal region of Kenya have been an iconic symbol of passage from one stage of life to the other. These rituals have been observed right from child conception/ birth, naming, through initiation into young adulthood and custom marriages just to name some, and also not forgetting in some traditional healing sessions.
This piece takes a journey through some of the passages involved, shining a spotlight on the
rituals that may take place in different stages of life within its community.
About KIKE by Marion Munga
The piece will explore conversations in, of, and around the womb.
About FROZEN POWER by Ian Mwaisunga
Have you heard of the Tanzanian ruler who used bees to protect her land from colonial forces? Litti Kidanka is the inspiration behind Ian Mwaisunga’s latest contemporary dance piece, flavored with Tanzania’s unique Taarab and urban music styles. Weaponized bees, treachery, and fatal seduction make up this epic tale of one woman’s fight to keep her land in the hands of her people.
