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Friday, June 12, 2009

NDERE DANCE TROUPE


On Sunday evening we had the opportunity to experience the culture and customs of Uganda in a unique way. We attended a performance by the Ndere dance troupe, one that performs a number of cultural dances accompanied by classic African instruments. As we entered the lobby of the performance center, we admired a number of drums and art that were made by local people. Standing on top of a brick wall was a flute player who greeted us with an "interesting" tune as we entered to take our seats. During the show we were wowed by the dancers and their ability to isolate their hips from the rest of their bodies. They were EXTREMELY talented and during the show, Dr. Bishop and I received a personal lesson. I cannot forget to mention the host, who had a number of jokes and activities to keep the audience participating as well. "GO!" is what he constantly yelled in the middle of a sentence where our response would be to clap. Sometimes it caught us way off guard. I think many of my peers would agree is that one of the highlights of the night was a dance in which the women balanced up to 8 pottery vases on their heads as they danced. We were impressed with just 1!


What other things did you guys enjoy throughout the show?

4 comments:

  1. The Ndere Centre and Dance Troupe was one of my favorite events of the trip. It was fun; the director was comical; and the artwork, costumes, and the women were all beautiful. I felt like it was a true testiment to some of the best parts of culture and history in Uganda. The show was like a tour throu the country and through history, in which we learned about the different styles of dress, dance and other characteristics unique to each tribe. I enjoyed the whole night (minus the food service).

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  2. This whole experience was very fun. It was great to see the intense culture... Throughout the whole trip, I have noticed how Ugandans are so excited to share their culture, or way of life, or at the rural visit, their farm, etc. with us. This gala was another time for us to see Uganda's rich culture.

    I was very impressed by these talented people. They seemed so happy to be performing and sharing their talents. It appeared to come easy to them, but when we tried to match their dancing and skills, it definitely did not come easy to me! I guess I can't dance.

    I really enjoyed the flutes. While we walked into the gala, my classmates disliked the noise, but I loved it. It was so peaceful and different from what I hear in the US. I also was really impressed by the singing. It was so different, and by the end of the show, I loved the vocals as well.

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  3. I really enjoyed the Ndere Dance Troupe. I was really entertained by the host. He was constantly making jokes and was quite funny. I also was amazed by the dancing by the group and also loved the music. One of my favorite parts was when Provia went on stage and danced with them. I love seeing Ugandans love for their country and their specific village cultures. She was so excited and proud to be up there when they started to dance the dance from her village. Overall really enjoyed the experience.

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  4. The dance troupe was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. I enjoyed diving into the Ugandan culture in a different way. Usually, we just experienced stuff about their culture that is more visible in the present. I felt like the dance troupe gave us a taste of some of the country's traditional culture, which was refreshing. I had seen tribal dances on movies or what not, but it was better than I could have imagined. The highlight was when they stacked all those vases on top of their heads and still managed to do the dance. The close second highlight was seeing Provia get really excited about them doing her culture's dance. It was a very old-school experience, and that is why I liked it. It was a good change of pace from what we had been doing.

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