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Dance contest on HIV awareness drive

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JIBILIKA Hip-Hop Dance festival has this year adopted an HIV awareness theme to help educate the society through dance.

JIBILIKA Hip-Hop Dance festival has this year adopted an HIV awareness theme to help educate the society through dance.

OWN CORRESPONDENT

The dance festival will run under the theme “Step up to HIV” and more than 30 dance groups from different parts of the country will battle it out at Harare Gardens on December 1.

In an interview with NewsDay, festival organiser Plot Mhako said he crafted the idea during his two-month tour of the United States recently.

“We want to use popular culture to impart HIV awareness messages. Popular culture has proved influential on young people, especially in terms of fashion and behaviour,” said Mhako.

“I came up with this concept during my recent visit to the US where hip-hop is used to communicate, engage and entertain.”

He said each performance would depict a story on HIV.

“Each group will showcase a three-minute performance with an HIV theme. In this way they have to communicate with the audience. Three groups will walk away with $500 each, while the solo dance category will award $100 each to the top three.

“We are having different judges such as Yeukai Zimoyo who is part of Rolex dance group from Bulawayo and has attended dance classes in the US and Blessing Fire, a celebrated B-Boy who has done a host of international shows.

“We will also have, Tarisai Chigama, a renowned dance instructor who has choreographed videos of various artistes including Prince Mafukidze, while Pedzisai Mafukidze, a member of Harmony Dance Crew which won the Jibilika title in 2008, completes the line up of judges.”

Several celebrated artistes will participate as guest performers and among them are Chris Goldfinger from UK, Shinsoman, Flip Floppers, Spiderman and Jiggaz.

The event will also host a dancehall category to cater for reggae lovers.