National Ballet of Rwanda

Last updated
2011 show. Ballet national du Rwanda devant Jules Ferry.jpg
2011 show.

The National Ballet of Rwanda (French : Ballet national du Rwanda), also known as the Urukerereza National Ballet (Ballet national Urukerereza), is a Rwandan dance company. It was created in 1974 at the behest of President Juvenal Habyarimana. [1] Their long-running show features traditional Rwandan songs, drums and dances (not European ballet). [2]

Its name Urukerereza literally means "the one that causes you to delay", referring to how it holds the attention of the audience. Urukerereza was the national dance-music troupe formed in the 1970s by the Ministry of Youth and Culture. Urukerereza became the ballet’s senior troupe with the formation of the junior national troupe, called Indangamirwa (lit.'the ones who receive the attention'). The junior troupe was formed by Simon Bikindi, supervisor of cultural activities, in 1985. The juniors trained at the former mwami ’s palace in Nyanza. [3] [4] [5]

They regularly take part in dance festivals and perform abroad. [6] In 2000, the company made its first visit to North America and performed at the Seattle International Children's Festival. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molière</span> French playwright and actor (1622–1673)

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world literature. His extant works include comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright today. His influence is such that the French language is often referred to as the "language of Molière".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7th arrondissement of Paris</span> Municipal arrondissement in Île-de-France, France

The 7th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as le septième.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Quebec</span> Culture of Canadas Quebec province

The culture of Quebec emerged over the last few hundred years, resulting predominantly from the shared history of the French-speaking North American majority in Quebec. Québécois culture, as a whole, constitutes all distinctive traits – spiritual, material, intellectual and affective – that characterize Québécois society. This term encompasses the arts, literature, institutions and traditions created by Québécois, as well as the collective beliefs, values and lifestyle of Québécois. It is a culture of the Western World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François Bayrou</span> French politician (born 1951)

François René Jean Lucien Bayrou is a French politician who has presided over the Democratic Movement (MoDem) since he founded it in 2007. A centrist, he was a candidate in the 2002, 2007 and 2012 presidential elections. He has also presided over the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Ngendandumwe</span> Burundian politician

Pierre Ngendandumwe was a Burundian politician. He was a member of the Union for National Progress and was an ethnic Hutu. On 18 June 1963, about a year after Burundi gained independence and amidst efforts to bring about political cooperation between Hutus and the dominant minority Tutsis, Ngendandumwe became Burundi's first Hutu prime minister. He served as prime minister until 6 April 1964 and then became prime minister again on 7 January 1965, serving until his death. Eight days after beginning his second term, he was assassinated by a Rwandan Tutsi refugee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingdom of Rwanda</span> Bantu kingdom in southeast Africa (15th century to 1961)

The Kingdom of Rwanda was a Bantu kingdom in modern-day Rwanda, which grew to be ruled by a Tutsi monarchy. It was one of the oldest and the most centralized kingdoms in Central and East Africa. It was later annexed under German and Belgian colonial rule while retaining some of its autonomy. The Tutsi monarchy was abolished in 1961 after ethnic violence erupted between the Hutu and the Tutsi during the Rwandan Revolution which started in 1959. After a 1961 referendum, Rwanda became a Hutu-dominated republic and received its independence from Belgium in 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Beauchamp</span> French choreographer, dancer, and composer (1631-1705)

Pierre Beauchamp or Beauchamps was a French choreographer, dancer and composer, and the probable inventor of Beauchamp–Feuillet notation. His grand-father was called Christophe and his father, a violinist of the king's chamber, was simply called Louis. Following a custom of the time, Pierre Beauchamp was named Pierre after his godfather Pierre Vacherot, tailor of the queen's pages and a relative of the Beauchamps family.

Les Ballets maliens is a Malian dance troupe created under the name 'Ensemble folklorique du Mali' in 1960, the day before the independence of Mali on September 22. By 1978, Les Ballets maliens had evolved into an artistic group specializing in traditional Malian dance, but open to the innovations of contemporary dance and choreography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mouvement Jeunes Communistes de France</span> Communist youth organisation in France

The Mouvement Jeunes communistes de France (MJCF), commonly called the "JC", is the first political youth organisation of France, close to the French communist party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Brumachon</span> French choreographer

Claude Brumachon is a French choreographer and dancer in contemporary dance. In 1984 he founded his own company, the Compagnie Claude Brumachon. Since 1992, he has been co-directing the Centre Chorégraphique National de Nantes, with Benjamin Lamarche.

Manuel Legris is a French ballet dancer. He is an étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet for 23 years. On September 1, 2010, he became the director of the Vienna State Ballet. In December 2020, he was appointed artistic director of the La Scala Theatre Ballet.

Françoise Adret was a French ballet dancer, teacher, choreographer, and company director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuelle Houdart</span> Swiss artist and illustrator (born 1967)

Emmanuelle Houdart is a Swiss artist and illustrator.

Olivier Dubois is a French contemporary dance choreographer.

Gérard Piouffre was a French journalist, writer, and historian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Justice (France)</span> Justice ministry in France

The Ministry of Justice is a ministerial department of the Government of France, also known in French as la Chancellerie. It is headed by the Minister of Justice, also known as the Keeper of the Seals, a member of the Council of Ministers. The ministry's headquarters are on Place Vendôme, Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of the Kingdom of Burundi</span>

The Definitive Constitution of the Kingdom of Burundi, sometimes called the "independence constitution", was the constitution of the independent Kingdom of Burundi from its promulgation in 1962 until its suspension in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Étienne Bertrand Weill</span> E. B.Weill artist creator of abstract photography & kinetic shows

Étienne Bertrand Weill (1919-2001) was a French photographer. His primary works were abstract Metaforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yolande Cohen</span> Canadian historian

Yolande Cohen is a Moroccan-born Canadian historian and professor of contemporary history whose research focuses upon History of Youth and the History of Women. A Moroccan Sephardi, she also focuses on the History of Moroccan Jews. In the 1990s, Cohen was a politician, the initial leader of the Coalition Démocratique–Montréal Écologique municipal political party and its candidate for mayor in the 1994 municipal election. Cohen is a Fellow of Royal Society of Canada. Her awards include Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour and Knight of the National Order of Québec.

The Luindi Chiefdom, also known as the Lwindi Chiefdom, is a chiefdom located in the Mwenga Territory, within the South Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is situated in the mountainous area of the Itombwe Massif.

References

  1. Briggs, Jimmie (2004), "A Dance of Hope in Rwanda", Dance Magazine , Macfadden Publications, pp. August 2004, retrieved 10 July 2010
  2. "Rebirth of a Nation", Shanghai Daily , Eastday, 4 July 2010, archived from the original on 6 March 2012, retrieved 10 July 2010
  3. McCoy, Jason T. (2013). Mbwirabumva ("I Speak to Those Who Understand") (PhD). Florida State University (College of Music). "Urukerereza" translates literally as "the one that causes you to delay," the idea being that the troupe is so astonishing that when watching them, people will be spellbound and will not be able to carry on with their other activities.
  4. Pour vos loisirs au Rwanda (in French). Ministère de la jeunesse et du mouvement associatif. 1990. p. 96. Le centre URUKARI, ancienne résidence royale (ex-palais du mwami Mutara Rudahigwa) est le centre d'entrainement des deux troupes du Ballet national: URUKEREREZA (troupe des ainés) et INDANGAMIRWA (troupe des cadets). [Abridged translation: “The Urukari Centre, former royal residence […], is the training centre of the two troupes of the National Ballet: Urukerereza (senior troupe) and Indangamirwa (junior troupe).”]
  5. Rwanda. Ministère de la jeunesse et du mouvement associatif (1989). Rapport annuel (in French). Le Ministère. pp. ?. La troupe INDANGAMIRWA, composée de jeunes artistes, suit la mêne organisation que la troupe URUKEREREZA. [Translation: “The Indangamirwa troupe, of young performers, follows the same organization as Urukerereza.”]
  6. Auzias, Dominique (2007). Rwanda. Petit Futé. p. 68. ISBN   978-2-7469-2037-8.
  7. Verhovek, Sam Howe (24 May 2000), "Purdy Journal; Rwandans Share Peace and Unity Through Dance", The New York Times , retrieved 10 July 2010

See also

Other ballets of non-European traditional dances: