BY KIMBERLY KARIATI
DANCER and choreographer Ndomupeishe Chipendo says dance has the capacity to bring peace and harmony in society if well embraced.
Chipendo said she is using her God-given talent to bring positive change in society through participating in social campaigns to nullify negative narratives associated with the dancing profession.
She has encouraged other dancers to acquire academic knowledge about dance as a way of enhancing their talents.
During the breast cancer month in October, she was holding a breast cancer dance campaign to raise awareness and celebrate those that have survived it.
Biography
“I am Ndomupeishe Chipendo, a multi-disciplinary creative in the performing arts from Harare. Dance is my main art which is then complemented by singing, acting and instrument playing.
“I am well-travelled. I earned a diploma in performing arts under the Dance Institute, Afrikera Arts Trust and a professional certificate in music under Music Crossroads Academy.”
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Upbringing
“I come from an artistic background. My mum Rumbidzai Chipendo is an arts educator at Zimbabwe Association of Music Educators (ZAME) and one of the former co-ordinators of UMOJA Cultural Flying Carpet, an arts exchange programme.
“For this reason, I was drawn to the arts industry at a very young age. I then joined Children’s Performing Arts Workshop (Chipawo) from 2006 to 2007, stopped for high school between 2008 and 2012, and then started my performing arts programme under Afrikera from 2012 to 2015. Since then, I have been a freelance performer.”
Portrayal
“I am a happy, bubbly person who is passionate about dance. I would love to be remembered as someone who encouraged other dancers to equip themselves with dance knowledge.
“I am eager to learn, collaborate and network with other artists while preserving African culture through my performance skills.”
Fusing dance with other artforms
“Dance is an expressive form of art which is very dominant than any other artform. Dance can fuse very well with other art forms.
“If you want to raise awareness, you can use any art and fuse it with dance in order to bring out energy and emotions out of words, sound and action.
“Dancing visualises what is being talked about. If dance is used in theatre, it blends well in expressing emotions of happiness and sadness.”
Dance assessment
“Dance in Zimbabwe is a very small sector. Dance communities are very few and many at times, we lie to ourselves that we are doing well, but we can do better. If one has knowledge of the art, they will be able to stand their ground in this profession.
“I hope I am already encouraging others to pursue this art academically if they have the passion and talent for it. When parents identify that their child is talented, they should help them pursue arts programmes so that they can pursue dance professionally in a number of areas.”
Dance and mental health
“Dance contributes massively to society. Many people are suffering from mental health problems such as anger, depression and stress and dance can bring so much healing in times of pandemics like in this COVID-19.
“Dance can be used for leisure and relaxation. Even at school, it relieves stress and pressure. The art can also bring positive results in tackling issues of drug abuse and intake.”
Vision
“My vision is to change the narrative about dance in our community. Dance is a profession and one can actually excel within the industry.
“Ladies are no exception, I am a testimony that it is possible. I am hoping that with the work I am going to be doing from now moving forward, I will inspire more young women to be a part of the dance community.
“There is Afrikera Arts Trust, a school for performing arts, where I started my diploma in performing arts. They should go and equip themselves with the right and professional knowledge about the performing arts.
“Having a good foundation in school will make you a different performer in all the good ways.”
Projects
“I have done projects which include choreographing for the official launch of the My Old Mutual Is Great, the Shuwa video by Hope Masike featuring ExQ, TamyMoyo for the Kwandinobva video shoot and Janet Manyowa for the Many Blessings official music video.
“Other projects are still in the production process, but I am definitely working on something for December as well for the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.”
Follow Kimberly on twitter @lizellekimkari
