Tawanda Chabikwa, a talented young dancer from Africa, and a troupe of dancers from College of hte Atlantic hope to capture the imagination of local audiences when they take the stage at the Criterion Theatre next weekend. Performances of "Ngano Nhatu: Three Africa Tales" will showcase Mr.Chabikwa's original blend of Afro-fusion dance and storytelling to benefit AIDS orpahns in his native Zimababwe. "I love to dance and make art," says 20-year-old Mr. Chabikwa, whose studies have taken him from Harare to Hong Kong to Bar Harbor. "And this was the best way to make it useful."...
Each dance piece is based on a traditional Zimbabwean folk tale. The first one titled Zvikara meaning "beasts" is about five sisters who marry five wealthy strangers who were brothers. When they were in a far off land, the sisters discover a secret: Their husbands turn into beasts at night to go hunt and return with large amounts of food for their wives. This peice focuses on the demeanor of the beastly brothers and juxtaposes their violent and disharmonious side with their affectionate and loving aspects...
The last dance...plays off the humorous tale of Chameloen and Lizard's competition over whose survival methods are more effective. Chameleon can change colors to hide and Lizard can drop his tale to fool predators. Mr. Chabikwa uses this tale to explore his experience of African Diaspora using the metaphor of camlouflage and wit... "I figured that this performance is a way for me to have fun and have it be useful and meaningful . This way, I'm not just doing art..."