The Goethe-Institut hosted a dynamic 2-day festival on 13th and 14th July 2024 at the newly renovated Kenya National Theatre in Nairobi.
The ‘Dance Life Festival’ aimed to celebrate the diversity and quality of contemporary African dance with performances by ensembles drawn from Nairobi, Kisumu and Tana River counties in Kenya as well as Dar Es Salaaam in Tanzania and Liepzig in Germany.
“By connecting Kenyan audiences both with Kenyan and international choreographers and dancers, we provide a glimpse of the power, the aesthetic wealth, and the beauty of contemporary performance arts,“ said Cristina Nord, Director of the Goethe-Institut Nairobi.
The annual festival, which is currently in its 5th edition, was the first event to be held at the Kenya National Theatre auditorium this year as the performance space has been closed for renovations since November 2023.
Among the dance performances staged at the event were ‘Nyawawa- Spirits of the Lake’ by Paul Muiruri, ‘Maadha’ by Jackson Atulo and ‘Kike’ by Marion Munga.
Tanzanian dance crews African Roots Dance Group and Muda Africa thrilled with ‘Madaraka’ and ‘Frozen Power’ respectively while German based Forward Dance Company staged a rendition of the classical ballet dance ‘Swan Lake’ christened ‘On the Shores of the Lake’.
Musicians Ambassa Mandela and Akoth Jumadi were also among the performers at the multidisciplinary showcase which was also supported by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Swiss Arts Council.
“With this festival, I connect dancers to other dancers, choreographers, dance festivals and new audiences every year,” said the event’s curator Adam Chienjo. “My goal is to challenge how Kenyans view dance, to create an opportunity for them to consume dance as an art form and a profession.”
