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HOSTS of this year’s high schools dance festival, Glen View 1 high, refused to be beaten in their backyard and scooped the top prize in a tightly contested competition last Saturday.
The seven-member outfit beat 22 other contestants from schools around Harare to pocket US$300 while Royal College and Note-View College went away with US$200 and US$100 for coming out second and third respectively.
The show, which drew more than 1 000 spectators, was a resounding success. It was also fun-filled.
A spokesperson of Glen View 1 high dance group said they were honoured to be singled out as winners in such a tight competition.
“We are very happy. It was a tough competition but we managed to make it and this gives us encouragement to go even further and contest in bigger competitions.
“We hope to keep our group intact and make dancing our daily bread,” said the spokesperson.
The festival brings together high schools to celebrate art and creativity through dances of different genres with the aim of empowering, promoting and developing the youths.
Morocco bound Flip Floppers, the Avondale Capoeira team, Pachena School of Arts and dancehall artist Jiggaz kept the audience entertained with scintillating performances as guest artists.
Festival coordinator, Plot Mhako, applauded the participating groups for putting up stiff competition.
“The level of performances was great, with superb choreography accompanied by loud cheers from the huge audience,” said Mhako.
“It was a great stride from the previous show and we are proud that the competition is growing with each edition.
“The three-year-old project will next year expand into two other provinces Bulawayo and Manicaland, before scaling up to the entire nation in the next three years.
“This will be further cemented by a series of training workshops at various schools to further develop the project.”
Brilliant Mushipe from the Anti-drug Association of Zimbabwe, Samantha Gonyora of the Zimbabwe Germany Society and Fidelis Burawa a member of the Flip Floppers dance group were the judges at the event. They admitted that it was very difficult to come up with the top three.
According to the festival brochure, the judges were looking for creativity, and originality among other things.
Jibilika Dance Trust, the organisers of the annual showcase, said they were impressed with the level of talent and the successful event which ran under the theme “Stop drugs, Stop the menace”.
It is hoped that there will be bigger prizes next year as the festival grows.
Last year, Glen View 2 high school won the competition that was held at Allan Wilson high school. Fifteen schools participated in that festival.
BY OUR STAFF
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