DANCE TRUST OF ZIMBABWE

Phase 1 has started! The roof trusses are being put at the moment as part of phase 1.
This is Heritage Construction Company at work!

PRESS RELEASE

The National Ballet Centre was destroyed on Sunday the 30th October 2011 when the roof caved in, leaving the building unsafe and unusable. The Dance Trust of Zimbabwe announced that the collapse of the centre, which was inaugurated on the 2nd September 1980 by Merle Park C.B.E and which has housed and trained the national dancing community since then, is a national disaster and throws doubt over the future of many forms of dance in Zimbabwe. All dancers, teachers, parents and friends of dance were devastated by the news.

The National Ballet centre, situated on East Road, Harare (behind Reps Theatre) has staged many shows over the years including its annual dance festival Starlight Dancing. It is also registered as a Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) examination centre and its facilities are used daily by many of Zimbabwe's top dance studios and dancers including the Tumbuka Contemporary Dance Company, The Dance Foundation Course, The Outreach Project, the National Ballet dancers themselves,visiting dance companies and workshops for the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA).

When the Ballet Centre initially opened, it focused on "classical ballet". Later, the National Ballet Committee of the time, recognised that it was essential to take dance to the community as a whole, especially to the high-density suburbs. "Vanavanotamba" (children who dance) was launched in 1984 - a project initially confined to children under twelve in Harare's high density areas who would otherwise have had no exposure to the physical & mental benefits & discipline of modern dance.

The teachers went to various schools in Harare and classes were given on Saturday mornings to teenagers, who formed the City Youth Group. A few dancers, who showed potential, were awarded scholarships to learn ballet at a more advanced level from classical teachers at the National Ballet Centre. Some of these students have gone on to perform all over the world.

This initiative soon led to the first dance workshop. So successful was this course that the training was extended and culminated in a formal three year Dance Training Programme specifically aimed at talented young schools leavers from economically constrained backgrounds. The course was free of charge and all students were provided with daily transport and lunch money. The first course was completed in 1992. The graduates were then employed either by the newly formed Tumbuka Dance Company, or the community based Outreach Team.

This was an innovative and exciting move because of its employment creation policy and the possibilities for future expansion. Since then, four further three year long Dance Foundation Courses, funded by donors such as KHIO/SAIH/SIU/ACE/NORAD/SIDA and AFRICALIA, have been successfully run, which has highlighted the interdependency of all three projects. The fifth Dance Foundation Course started in July 2008 and the students graduated on the 29th July 2011.

The Outreach Team has identified talented youngsters in the community, who were invited to audition for the Dance Foundation Course. Talented course graduates have been taken into Tumbuka as professional dancers. Tumbuka Company members are an integral part of the training course, as they are involved in teaching the students on a regular basis and are disciplined role models and inspirational leaders.

In 1999 two of the students on the Dance Foundation Course were offered a one-year scholarship with the Oslo National College of Ballet and Dance. The scholarships were extended by a further two years. Both of these dancers gained employment in the field of Dance in Europe. Since then six more students have benefited from these scholarships.

The Outreach Programme, which was initiated as "VanoVano Tambo", developed into a formal programme with an Administrator and a Co-ordinator. The Outreach Programme works with many disabled and disadvantaged children to provide physical and mental rehabilitation and to help the children grow and develop in body and mind. This programme also helps to bring awareness of various social issues to communities through free shows and demonstrations at Community Centres in and around Harare and further afield.

Currently there are four teachers, one of whom doubles as the Co-ordinator, who teach 728 children. The classes are given free of charge at various schools and institutions. Outreach Dance Festivals are held every year, funds permitting, to afford the children an opportunity to dance in public and a show is currently in rehearsal and due to be staged on 26th November 2011 at The Dutch Reformed Church,22 Samora Machel Avenue, Harare at 10am. A morning not to be missed!

All the above programmes are based at the National Ballet Centre and use the facilities for rehearsals, training & development of choreography and the Outreach Courses. The National Ballet Centre is the hub of all the activities that fall under the Dance Trust of Zimbabwe.

Last, but certainly not least, the Centre is home to the National Ballet Dance Company. It consists of classically trained ballet dancers, who dance for the love of it. Although it is an amateur company, the standard of dance is very high. Some of the dancers have danced professionally outside Zimbabwe and others have obtained high qualifications in the Art and Teaching of Ballet and "Other Genre of Dance" and become teachers themselves. The NBC is run by a committee of dedicated volunteers. The company's only source of income is from box office takings at its shows. At least four productions, which include several types of Dance, are staged each calendar year. Two of the shows are structured to enable all dancers (both young and mature) from several dancing studios to perform on a stage in front of an audience. This is very important as National Ballet Company aims to keep Dance alive in Zimbabwe. The National Ballet Company won the National Arts Council Award for THE MOST OUTSTANDING DANCE GROUP IN 2010. Their two Principal Dancers won THE MOST OUTSTANDING FEMALE DANCER in 2010 & 2011. Their main male dancer won the MOST OUTSTANDING MALE DANCER in 2010.

Chairman of the Dance Trust of Zimbabwe Tereza Carter, said that "Rebuilding the National Ballet Centre, is critical to ensure that all the gains over the past 31 years are not jeopardised. Dance in Zimbabwe must continue in all its forms and it's important that The National Ballet Centre remains as the hub of that national project."

Well wishers, friends of dance and the corporate world are requested to contact The Dance Trust of Zimbabwe on dtz@ecoweb.co.zw, or go to the web site,
www.dancetrustof zimbabwe.com  for more information and if possible to donate anything they can to help us rebuild.

Funds are URGENTLY required

The account for all donations

BANK………………  STANBIC
BRANCH………….  BELGRAVIA - 3103
A/C Name…………  DANCE TRUST OF ZIMBABWE
A/C No…………….  0240090176202
SWIFT CODE………..  SB1CZWHXXXX


STANBIC BANK
5 Sheffield Terrace
Sam Nujoma Ext
Belgravia
Harare
Zimbabwe
NB: This account is solely for the donations towards the DISASTER