Panellists:  Masaba Roger (Uganda), Harivola Rakotondrasoa (Madagascar), Simon Iyarwema (Rwanda) and Denis Plassard (France)

Roger Masaba

Dance has been a journey in East Africa, we have had to endure and get out of the box. It was small beginnings but meeting with other choreographers helped and gave new dance encounters where we exchanged ideas and techniques.  Slowly things evolved and dance groups sprung up and new journeys begun to evolve.

Dance needs to continue to go from entertainment to the community – community want this experience – dance has such potential to traverse from theatre to the world.

Harivola Rakotondrasoa

Harivola shared his dance experience – he started his company 15 years ago and there is currently a school of music and dance. He organizes platforms in Madagascar for workshops and research in dance with their own vocabulary of dance. There is also a resource book and a story of the history of dance in Madagascar. There are also 2 international programs supporting young choreographers.

He also talked of the challenges that sometimes it is only 1 choreographer that gets the opportunities. He urged dancers to stay on the continent and not go abroad – we should exchange within Africa – we have a lot and need to be connected.

Simon Iyarwema

It is not easy as a dancer. It was in fact Roger (mentioned above) who introduced him to dance. Simon didn’t go to school to dance but he connected with dancers around the world. Slowly but surely he got new experiences.

His company does theatre, drama, dance and been exposed to experiences around the world. The National Theatre is a stepping stone with the company that is disabled but able and British Council has supported the performance at Tuzinne.

Denis Plassard

He is a choreographer and dancer. 28 years ago he started a company in Leo. For the past 15 years he has had his own studio and office. His work has two parts: performance and choreography and outreach (working with people that don’t dance). He has invented strategies of different ways of working with people that don’t dance (in prison, hospital, schools etc). Denis feels he needs both strategies to create.

He believes dance is the most important of the art forms because it is the art form that uses the body.

It was Denis first time to Uganda in February and he also visited Tanzania, Madagascar where he also performed and did workshops. He is excited to network and come again.

1^st Question: What is the most important quality in a dance artist?

The dancer is unique. You should use your mind to communicate through your body. It is good to communicate beyond language. It is good to find ways to relate with the audience and my life, to make a connection. It is also important to believe in yourself for if you think you can you can and the opposite is also true. All dancers should have the interest and the availability. Lastly it is important to have the capacity to share our art with others – in performance, in the studio and be family minded.

2^nd Question: Ugandans don’t get dance! How easy is it to communicate a message through dance to the ordinary person?

Roger - Dance in Uganda has had its journey, it’s been bumpy – it used to be about men watching females and there was not much depth. I even remember a time when I would dance and it would be announced that the troupe was from Nairobi implicating that our own wasn’t good enough.

When he started plunging into contemporary dance, it was not easy but we never gave up. We must use technique, codes in dance, posture, inner energy needs to be shown, it is hard to connect with the audience, but you must continue persisting and slowly they understand. Use every day as a resource for creating, maybe use spoken word/ silence, actually silence can be good as there is so much noise, it’s about focus.

3^rd Question: What about challenges of ordinary Ugandan who can’t get feedback from choreographer?

Harivola – We should prepare brochures as they guide the dance and do research to execute the dance with ease. Furthermore we should do workshops to engage and allow audience members to create. It is important to allow time for questions at the end of the performance.

4^th Question: As a new dancer can we learn from your failures?

At first I was a dancer and didn’t know choreography. We should understand our responsibility. Contemporary dance is new in East Africa and we must continue to sensitize the audience and have forums etc.

5^th Question: How can we stop brands taking advantage of dancers and not paying them?

To achieve endorsements we must erase what dance does – we must understand the value of dance.

6^th Question: How can we share with the rest of the world?

It is good to have East African festivals – we educate, meet, share and encourage each other

7^th Question: Contemporary dance is visual, how can we engage blind people?

Dennis – In France there is a translator of movement that spends time with the choreographer beforehand and then at the time of the performance the blind audience member has headphones where movement is narrated.

It is important to have blind choreographers.

Where the funds allow, it is also important to have audio description.

8^th Question: Are there any institutions to support professional dancers?

Simon – It is no easy road. Let us share what we have by doing trainings and workshops and having festivals. At present there is no school but we do have choreographers and one day we will.

Harivola – In Madagascar we have 2 schools of Contemporary Dance and trainings as well

9^th Question: What could we do to educate EA audiences?

Denis - Contemporary dance is not a style but a way of thinking. Dance for today, it is not precise and it takes different forms in different parts of the world. Communities need to understand the potential and the background.

10^th Question: Who is a choreographer?

Roger – To claim that you are a choreographer does not give you a crown and you won’t get acknowledgement. The acknowledgement comes later. There is no diploma for a choreographer.

Simon - I am a choreographer if I can teach and bring understanding.

11^th Question: How do we celebrate and not expose?

Simon - We must prepare that person well. We must give others opportunities and we should not just teach for performance sake. We should not just create motifs.

12^th Question: What are the differences between contemporary dance in Europe and in Africa?

Dennis - In Europe contemporary dance came from a negative reaction towards ballet. There is no traditional folk dance in France, it has finished. At present contemporary dance is for the stage, it is intellectual, choreographers think before they do. Hip hop is also a strong influence of Europe. Contemporary dance in Europe is also focused on workshops.

In Africa dance is relational and has national and traditional roots which is good and also different to Europe.