Tariro girls dance wearing traditional magavhu leg rattles
In today’s post, I’d like to share news from Tariro’s traditional music and dance ensemble. As my own personal history with Zimbabwean music led directly to the formation of Tariro, our traditional music and dance group is one of my favorite parts of our work. Weekly rehearsals, led by master dancer Daniel Inasiyo, provide our students with a space to develop confidence, self-esteem, and social networks with their peers, in addition to gaining practical skills as musicians and dancers. The traditional dance group has also led to great collaborative projects, such as our fundraising CD, Maungira EZimbabwe, as well as our ongoing partnership with the marimba group Hokoyo, in Eugene, OR.
Peer instruction is an important part of Tariro's traditional music and dance rehearsals
As our traditional music and dance group continues to develop, I’m happy to report that instructor Daniel Inasiyo recently shared some good news with us! First, we’re very pleased to announce that several of Tariro’s newly enrolled students, who joined us in 2011, have joined the group, infusing rehearsals with new energy! Several of these new students entered the group with a background in traditional music and dance, after having participated in an ensemble as part of their primary school education. We’re happy to have a new group of musicians and dancers sharing their skills and experience with the rest of the ensemble!
New participants in the ensemble include many students with previous experience in traditional music and dance
Second, our ensemble is now officially registered with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe. Our official status at the arts council will assist us in working toward gaining recognition and visibility within Zimbabwe, as well as securing performance opportunities at cultural events, giving us a platform to share our wonderful work with other organizations and individuals in Zimbabwean civil society. Finally, Daniel also reports that he has ordered a new set of costumes for the group, to replace our old costumes, originally purchased in 2008. We can’t wait to share photos of the group in their new uniforms in the coming months!
The support Tariro receives from individuals, foundations, and organizations around the world is critical to our ability to offer this incredible empowerment program. Thanks again for your donations, which enable us to pay school fees for girls in Zimbabwean communities affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as offering extracurricular activities like the traditional music and dance group!