Ugandan youths dance to denounce gender-based violence

The Voices dance performances at National Theatre in Kampala. PHOTOS BY GABRIEL BUULE

A group of young men and women ascended to the floor of the National Theatre auditorium floor barely mocking a young woman as a few of them gang up to rescue with others instead chanting.

In a mixture of dance, poetry and music, the craft intends to address gender-based violence as lines are recited to bring out the importance of the matter.

“He said to me that my place was a Kitchen! He said if I dare run away he would look for me and chop me into pieces, drink my blood, burn my body and send the ashes to my father”. (I’m speaking to you)!

“You have seen have seen your neighbour sing bad about her husband, this is not a joke”

The above lines are part of the recitals in the Voices dance piece that was staged at National theatre by a group of dancers who hail from Dance Adventure studios and other artistes that included renowned Poet Zoey The Storyteller and self-established Afro-soul Andereya Baguma.

According to the Voices scriptwriter Ms Betty Lunkuse, the dance piece is intended to create awareness about gender-based violence in Uganda.

Priscah Atite the curator of the Voices explains that in a fusion of music, dance and poetry the piece intends to revisit stories of gender-based stories as told in communities and by some participants in the Piece.

gbuule@ug.nationmedia.com