Zimbabwe News Update
earground
3 min read
internationally acclaimed zimbabwean choreographer and performernora chipaumirebrings her latest work,dambudzo, to redcat in a groundbreaking performance that defies boundaries of genre and form.drawing from the shona worddambudzo—meaningtrouble—and inspired by the writings of celebrated zimbabwean authordambudzo marechera, the piece interrogates colonial legacies while imagining new revolutionary possibilities of performance.for this production,redcatis transformed into ashabini—an informal bar once central to zimbabwe’s political and cultural life—where citizens gathered to debate, organize, and resist.
within this immersive environment, audiences encounter a soundscape of barking dogs, live music, and shifting visuals that blur the lines between theater, ritual, and lived experience.chipaumire, a four-time bessie award winner, describesdambudzoas “a name, a desire, a lament, an inspiration, even a loathing—a poem—that speaks to the 1980s before the fall of communism and the end of apartheid.” the work reflects on the ongoing struggles of zimbabwe while offering a radical vision of performance as an act of resistance, memory, and dreaming forward.the cast featurestatenda chabarwa, joyce delores edwards, soko jena, fatima katiji, jonathan kudakwashe daniel, tyroneisaacstuart, shamar watt,andgilbert zvamaida, alongside chipaumire.
music includes recordings by the legendarybhundu boys, with sound engineered byvusumuzi moyoandkwamina biney.onseptember 26, audiences will have the opportunity to engage further in apost-show q&a with nora chipaumire, moderated by redcat deputy director and chief curator of performing arts,katy dammers.see alsosaywhat and jibilika dance trust successfully host 2nd edition of craft festivalpresented in bothenglish and shona,dambudzois anambulatory piece, inviting audiences to move freely through the space.
while the production incorporates loud sounds and low lighting, limited seating will be available for those who need it.a commission ofwiener festwochenandfestival d’automne à paris, the work was produced bynora chipaumireand developed during a residency atcallie’s berlin.withdambudzo, chipaumire once again affirms her reputation as one of the most fearless and innovative voices in contemporary performance—challenging categories, disrupting conventions, and opening space for radical collective imagination. internationally acclaimed zimbabwean choreographer and performernora chipaumirebrings her latest work,dambudzo, to redcat in a groundbreaking performance that defies boundaries of genre and form.
drawing from the shona worddambudzo—meaningtrouble—and inspired by the writings of celebrated zimbabwean authordambudzo marechera, the piece interrogates colonial legacies while imagining new revolutionary possibilities of performance. for this production,redcatis transformed into ashabini—an informal bar once central to zimbabwe’s political and cultural life—where citizens gathered to debate, organize, and resist. within this immersive environment, audiences encounter a soundscape of barking dogs, live music, and shifting visuals that blur the lines between theater, ritual, and lived experience.
chipaumire, a four-time bessie award winner, describesdambudzoas “a name, a desire, a lament, an inspiration, even a loathing—a poem—that speaks to the 1980s before the fall of communism and the end of apartheid.” the work reflects on the ongoing struggles of zimbabwe while offering a radical vision of performance as an act of resistance, memory, and dreaming forward. the cast featurestatenda chabarwa, joyce delores edwards, soko jena, fatima katiji, jonathan kudakwashe daniel, tyroneisaacstuart, shamar watt,andgilbert zvamaida, alongside chipaumire. music includes recordings by the legendarybhundu boys, with sound engineered byvusumuzi moyoandkwamina biney.
onseptember 26, audiences will have the opportunity to engage further in apost-show q&a with nora chipaumire, moderated by redcat deputy director and chief curator of performing arts,katy dammers. see alsosaywhat and jibilika dance trust successfully host 2nd edition of craft festival saywhat and jibilika dance trust successfully host 2nd edition of craft festival saywhat and jibilika dance trust successfully host 2nd edition of craft festival presented in bothenglish and shona,dambudzois anambulatory piece, inviting audiences to move freely through the space. while the production incorporates loud sounds and low lighting, limited seating will be available for those who need it.
a commission ofwiener festwochenandfestival d’automne à paris, the work was produced bynora chipaumireand developed during a residency atcallie’s berlin.
