TANGLED TRIBE Contemporary Dance in Zimbabwe

Contact :: Artistic Director :: Megan Allardice :: Email :: moonlght@mweb.co.zw

LOCAL CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY, TANGLED TRIBE, VISITS UGANDA

Contact: Megan Allardice, Artistic Director, Tangled Tribe, Ph 302 809, (091) 246 993
PHOTOS CAN BE MAILED ELECTRONICALLY

Members of TANGLED TRIBE, Zimbabwe's newest contemporary dance company, will perform with Ugandan Artists and conduct training workshops in Kampala, Uganda between the 15th and 26th June. They are supported by the Public Affairs section of the US Embassy in Harare.

The company will perform My Favourite Things/Reasons To Get Up, a dance/theatre piece choreographed and directed by Jill Pribyl, at the National Theater in Kampala on 22nd June and at the Ndere Cultural Centre on 24th and 25th June. The work represents a collaboration between Tangled Tribe, American Choreographer/Director, Pribyl and Okulamba Dance Theatre, a group recently formed by the 3rd year dance students of Makerere University, Kampala. The work premiered at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) on 29th April 2004.

My Favourite Things/Reasons To Get Up is inspired by images of identity and culture
An examination of the dancers favourite things uncovers who an artist is, where they come from and what they value. The work combines dance, theatre, song, poetry, projected video images and live music by Zimbabwean Mbira player, Reginald Chiundiza (who recently returned from a five week tour of Japan) and Kampala based Percussion Discussion, in a rich and challenging artistic experience for the audience. The process of developing the piece has been one that promotes self-understanding - the basis for dialogue, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Tangled Tribe, since its launch at HIFA in 2003 has performed in the Young Africa Arts Festival (YAAF) in Chitungwiza, done schools performances and created and filmed a commissioned dance piece on the theme of diabetes choreographed by Lifati Harimedi. Company members travelling to Uganda are Artistic Director, Megan Allardice and dancers, Lifati Harimedi, Jonathan Kamupando, Leah Matereke, Grashem Museve, Jonas Sande, Austin Sydney and Jackson Tick.

Pribyl, currently a Fulbright Scholar and Professor of Dance at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, began work on My Favourite Things/Reasons To Get Up with Tangled Tribe Dance Company during a two-week visit to Zimbabwe in June 2003. She then returned to Harare in mid-April, to develop the work into a full-length piece for HIFA, performed at Harare's 7 Arts Theatre. Guest dancers from Makerere University, Grace Flavia Ibanda and Susan Bamutenda Nakintu joined Pribyl in Zimbabwe to perform in the work. Having the opportunity to collaborate with Tangled Tribe Dance Company was "wonderful and challenging" states Ibanda.

Pribyl has been working in the in the genre of dance/theatre for over fifteen years. She has been a Professor of Dance at Eastern New Mexico University and has directed aLANDdance a dance/theatre company based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her interests lie in creating works that expand self-knowledge. Of working with Ugandan and Zimbabwean artists, Pribyl says "It is always my desire to bring out an individuals own movement style in the work. These distinct styles of the Ugandan and Zimbabwean dancers have lead to piece that is Afro-Urban, from two distinct cities on the continent."

The Uganda performances and workshops are supported by the Alliance Francais, Ndere Center, British Council, East African Airways, Kampala Amateur Dramatic Society (KADS) and the American Embassy Performing the work in Uganda will enable Pribyl to include additional Ugandan dancers from Footsteps Dance Company, Makerere University and the community. Curtain raisers will include work by American choreographer Ruben Ornelas, Footsteps Dance Company, Yole Africa and students of Makerere University.

On their return from Uganda, Tangled Tribe will be working on a new piece to be choreographed by Mathias Julius. The piece will be incorporated into a performance of three urban inspired contemporary dance works later in the year.

"Pribyl's work is luminously beautiful and profound" Aanya Adlier Friess, Albuquerque Journal

"By examining the dancers favourite things, Pribyl weaves the urban experience into a highly entertaining yet moving journey for the audience." Susan Hains, Theatre Director and critic, Zimbabwe

"An intricate restructuring of traditional and othere dance styles that
creates a new niche for Zimbabwean dance" Tsitsi Dangarembga, Zimbabwean writer and filmmaker