By Tarisai Maringire
Talented and exciting dancers from Senegal the Diagn’Art Dance Company will descend on Harare soil for a one night performance at Reps Theatre on Saturday.
The Senegalese group will be supported by Zimbabwe’s’ premier dance group Tumbuka who will be the opening act.
The production by Diagn’ has been a great success in the countries the company has toured and is brought courtesy of Alliance Française.
“This piece has been performed in numerous countries including Senegal, South Africa, Reunion Island, Netherlands and France to resoundingly positive reviews. Diagn’ Art is currently on an African tour and Zimbabwe will be hosting the final show of the tour,” said Alliance Française Administrative Asssistant Gerald Mugwenhi.
Diagn’Art will perform pieces, a solo entitled This Line is My Path and Banlieue.
Banlieue is a dance show that cleverly blends traditional African dance and contemporary dance based on Roland Fichet’s texts.
It is both relaxing and intense; the piece was inspired by the childhood of the choreographer and dancer Alioune Diagne who grew up in the Banlieues (outskirts) of a Senegalese city. Accompanied by Seydou Camara and Madiba Badio, the three dancers evoke despair, express celebration and demonstrate the revolt of life in survival mode. These universal themes with a touch of humour will captivate audiences of all ages and from all backgrounds.
Banlieue is the most recent creation from the group, other contemporary dance pieces that have been created by Diagn’Art includes This line is my path (2009-2011), Café Toubab (duo with Aida Colmenero Diaz) and Blabla (2008).
The core mission of the company is to discover, develop young talent and to help them become professionals.
“Diagn’Art is involved in the education sector, initiating projects that educate the students in multiple artistic disciplines. The students are encouraged to express themselves through dance, photography and literature.”
Diagn’Art was created in 2008 by Alioune Diagne in Saint-Louis, Senegal. In the same year he initiated the international festival “Duo Solo Danse”, which became one of the most important annual festivals for contemporary dance in Senegal.
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