Witzenberg Dance Extravaganza

Promotion, development and extension of arts and culture in the marginalised and rural sector of the Western Cape are high on the agenda of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport as they take to Tulbagh in Witzenberg for the showcase of a dance festival.

The dance festival, initiated in the West Coast in June 2009, was a runaway success such that the department saw fit to extend the programme to benefit other rural areas of the province. The dance festival seeks to promote the dance form of arts and culture in rural areas, promote a culture of wellness within the community as dance promotes physical fitness and also a sense of wellness within the community, as dancing encourages the youth to partake in healthier forms of extra-mural activities, rather than community-draining social ills such as alcohol and drug abuse and gangsterism.

The festival features five different kinds of dance forms, Contemporary, Kwaito, Hip-Hop, Spiritual and Traditional dances. These dances are performed by amateur groups from the respective communities and will be competing against dance groups from various towns in the area. Winners will be selected from each dance category and five group members from each of the winning groups will be selected to receive training from a professional choreographer in July 2010.

They will in turn return and plough back the training to their various communities thus promoting a culture of giving back and building the skills base within their respective communities. Participating towns in the Witzenberg area are Op-die-Berg, PA Hamlet, Induli/Ceres, Wolseley and Tulbagh and most of the groups are from farms within the area.

Media are invited as follows:

Date: 06 February 2010
Time: 11:00
Venue: Tulbagh Town Hall