BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
LOCAL beverages company ZLG, through its new drink Afro-Joy, have committed to uplift dance talent through the Afro-Joy Breakdance competition and mulling over plans to make the event an annual thing.
The beverages company has stepped up efforts to bring back the breakdance culture, at a time when many arts promoters appear to be concentrating on music.
In an interview with Standard Style, ZLG spokesperson Brian Chiparawasha said: “The inaugural Afro-Joy Breakdance competition was such a huge success that unearthed untapped talent, which has motivated us to host this competition annually.”
“We are going to be working with some of the competition winners in our different company activities.”
Chiparawasha said breakdancers should be given the platform and opportunity to use their talents to improve their standards of living.
“Although music is known to be the most popular genre, we have committed to bring a new lease of life into the arts sector by introducing the Afro-Joy Break- dance competition as a way of promoting the marginalised breakdancers,” he said.
“There is very little attention given to breakdance, so we saw it fit to tap into that by introducing this competition that is going to be an annual event featuring both established and upcoming breakdancers.”
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Chiparawasha said if they got more partners on board, who support the course, they would spread their wings to other provinces so as to accommodate as many participants as possible in next year’s edition.
Meanwhile, dance groups Break Nation and Super Geeks pocketed RTGS$5 000 and RTGS$3 000 as they came first and second respectively with talented, 13-year-old Tawananyasha Nyadome coming third and walking away RTGS$2 000 richer at the inaugural Afro-Joy Breakdance competition held last week at Hellenics Sports Club in Harare.
Nyadome danced solo, competing against over 20 contestants, among them renowned groups who had been selected through tightly-contested auditions. The teenager said the competition was a great platform for him to take his dancing skills to greater heights.
“I am very happy to have won. I once doubted my abilities, but not anymore. I will continue dancing, putting more energy in rehearsals hoping to win more competitions,” Nyadombe said.
Lethal Fame came fourth and got RTGS$1 000, with fifth-placed Takunda Chiduku getting RTGS$900. Sixth-placed Ricky Goto received RTGS$800, while seventh-placed Jermaine Hlamini got RTGS$700. Eighth-placed Robotics Dance Crew walked away with RTGS$600. Other participants from ninth to 20th-placed pocketed RTGS$500 as participation fees.
