Seychelles gears up for 10th Biennale de Danse |10 August 2023
Mr Joseph flanked by Ms Rose (left) and Ms Barbe during the press conference
Five countries to participate in gala night
By Vidya Gappy
Five countries – Russia, Congo, Mauritius, Seychelles and Cuba (online) – have confirmed their participation for the 10th ‘Biennale de Danse’ which will take place from August 20 to September 2, 2023. Rodrigues Island will also send a troupe.
Organised by the National Conservatoire of Performing Arts – School of Dance under the umbrella of the National Arts and Crafts Council (NACC), this year’s ‘Biennale de Danse’ will have the theme ‘Water’.
This was announced yesterday by Pierre Joseph, director of the National Conservatoire of Performing Arts, during a press conference at the NACC headquarters.
“The aim of this 10th ‘Biennale de Danse’ is to promote dance not only as an art form but also to influence lives, to tell important stories about peoples and regions and to raise the level of dance interpretations in Seychelles,” he said.
Mr Joseph said the last ‘Biennale de Danse’ was held in 2017 and for this year’s edition they had sought the assistance of an international choreographer.
“We are also grateful to the Tourism department for sponsoring the main choreographer from South Africa, Philo Mangoge, and the department of Culture is bearing the cost for all participants locally,” he added.
He pointed out the main goal of such an event is to allow more students to attend workshops and training where different levels of dancers participate.
Daniela Rose, head of dance programme at the school, shared that each country has to prepare a choreography to present at the end of the Biennale.
“All troops have to work with the same choreographer. Seychellois are not often exposed in other festivals and competitions. Our participation in the recent Francophonie games helped us to learn and gain more knowledge. This is why we need to select the participants carefully and train them,” she said.
Ruth Barbe, senior dance instructor, shared that this year’s Biennale is special as they have chosen a theme. “This particular theme, ‘Eau’ (Water) resonates to us as a life changing theme that engages people heavily involved in sustainable programmes, environmental challenges to preserve and make use of water and to freely distribute this life source to all equally. With dance, the participants will be able to show every emotions linked with the theme and it will be a fusion of contemporary linked with cultural dance.”
According to the organisers, a total of 21 dancers will be in Seychelles for the Biennale, excluding Cuba, whose participants will be following online. Seychelles will have a group of seven participants for the workshop and another group of nine will do the choreography.
Biennale de Danse is the platform where dancers come together to express their creative and physical abilities. It is also an opportunity to build trusts and confidence, by working in teams with colleagues from different countries, background and dance levels.
The sessions will start from 9am every day and will end at 6pm. The international participants will also have time to visit Seychelles.
The public will be able to attend the big show on September 2 at the ICCS starting at 7pm. Tickets will be on sale at R200 apiece at the NACC.
Currently the School of Dance, located at Mont Fleuri, employs three full-time instructors and one part-time instructor with 237 students following classes in Seychelles traditional dance, contemporary dance, ballet, hip-hop and b-boy.
They follow the syllabus Imperial society for teachers of Dance. All students sit for exams and can do advanced intermediate level. They do not organise competitions and their mandate is to promote the art.
Vidya Gappy
Photo: Louis Toussaint