Ezimnyama Dance Ensemble director Phibion Ncube says their goal is to become the best dance group in Africa as they continue opening new avenues; this year they have embarked on a tour of Italy among a myriad of foreign trips.
The award-winning dance group turned 14 years in the arts industry this month.
“We will continue opening new avenues as this year we will be embarking on a journey to Italy, France, and Switzerland showcasing the best of Zimbabwean culture,” he said.
“Our goal now is to become the best in Africa and also to give back to the community by grooming and nurturing the young ones so that our industry continues until the next generations.”
Reflecting on the groups’ journey, Ncube said it wasn’t a rosy one, but patience and perseverance gave them the green light to cross the bumpy showbiz sector where there were some struggle to cut their teeth due to financial constraints among others.
“Our journey wasn’t a walk in the park we had to endure some difficult times because dance to some is not viewed as a viable career so we had to convince people that dance is a profession which needs to be praised and uplifted.
“We also had good friends who have managed to support us throughout by facilitating shows and recommending us. . . and we managed to stay in our lane regardless of all this. We keep on dreaming big.
“We have had the privilege to scoop some of the awards nationally and internationally and we have created links across the world which will see the us travelling out of the country,” he said.
He said they appreciate everything they have now especially looking back where they came from.
“When we think of where we are coming from and where we are, we feel so humbled. This is because we realise that it wasn’t easy and now we have many people who appreciate our work, it’s a dream come true to us,” he said.
“Our best ingredient is discipline and being focused. In this industry without discipline you have great chances of failing.
“Again I am happy that so far we have grown to be one of the best dance companies in the country. We have introduced juniors and in total we are 24, we are a gender-balanced group. Above all, I would like to thank the most important people in our artistic journey; the promoters and fans without them we are nothing. We will continue producing the best.”