10th Biennale de danse culminates with gala evening   |05 September 2023

Launched on August 20, the 10th Biennale de danse’ of Seychelles ended with a dance gala evening last Saturday, September 2, at the International Conference Centre Seychelles. 

This year’s biennale began with a 10-day dance workshop with choreographers and dancers from six countries namely the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rodrigues Island, Mauritius, Russia, Seychelles and Cuba which took part virtually.

Saturday’s gala which started at 7pm, included performances by all the countries, showcasing their interpretation of this year’s chosen theme – water.

The event was organised by the National Conservatoire of Performing Arts – School of Dance under the umbrella of the National Arts and Crafts Council (NACC).

In an interview with Seychelles NATION, director for the National Conservatoire of Performing Arts, Pierre Joseph said the aim of this 10th ‘Biennale de danse’ was to promote dance not only as an art form but also as one that influences lives, to tell important stories about people and regions and to raise the level of dance interpretations in Seychelles.

According to Mr Joseph, 21 dancers took part in the ‘Biennale de danse’, excluding Cuba, whose dancers performed virtually.

Seychelles had a group of seven dancers for the workshop and another group of nine for the choreography. “Every delegate was very engaging in the two-week contemporary workshop, whereby they worked with the different choreographers and had the chance to polish their piece before performing at the ICCS,” said Mr Joseph.

He expressed that the 10thBiennale was a success as everyone who performed, put up a very good show and applied special energy into their interpretations.

“Most of the groups said they were astonished with the level of our contemporary dance and it exceeded their expectations,” stated the director. He added the 10th Biennale signifies 20 years of engagement in contemporary dance. 

Mr Joseph said for the next Biennale de danse, they are considering broadening the show to involve more young Seychellois so as to give them exposure to contemporary dance.

“We are planning to collaborate with the public schools and the Seychelles National Youth Council to attract more talented teenagers so that this art form can be recognised alongside academic performance,” said Mr Joseph, who emphasised that this recognition will be included in a student’s end-of-year report.

The main choreographer for this year’s biennale was South African Refiloe Mogoje and her trip was sponsored by the tourism department whilst the culture department bore the cost for all dancers locally.

Using the theme 'aqua', Ms Mogoje conveyed her artistic philosophy of storytelling through movements, adding that art is about having to share feelings and tell stories to the best of your ability.

“With my work ethic, level of commitment, being reliable at all costs and being a non-fan of mediocre works, has proven some qualities of my professionalism as an artist,” said  Ms Mogoje.

The gala concluded with an award and prize-giving ceremony for the participants and presentation of gift to each delegation.

Meanwhile, the biennale committee will soon start planning for the 11th edition in 2025 and will disclose the theme by January 2024.

Neil Sirame

Photos: Gerard Govinden and contributed