Presidents ‘concert captivates audience
Members from the Mophato Dance Theatre, Sky Blue Dance hHub and Sereetsi and the Natives came together to display creativity through their different arts to give the audience an unforgettable experience.
The first act of the concert titled ‘Togetherness’ was written, directed and choreographed by Clayton Ndlovu. In this act the performers including the MCs for the night were dressed like cats. They acted and behaved like cats; purring, licking their ‘paws’, sometimes walking on all four, both hands and feet. The setting was a rubbish place where garbage is disposed off.
The cats were divided into two rival gang groups competing in the ‘cat glorious cup challenge’. The sub story in the act involved two gang members in love with one another but unable to pursue their love due to the gang rivalry. One cat was played by Leshie Lovesong who sang heartbrokenly because she could not be with the cat she loved.
Each gang danced in different dance styles; one group was break-dancing, b-boking and doing the splits whilst the other danced traditional styles and themes. Both gangs gave each other moments to perform their routine, with a fight breaking out after each dance. These fights were often ended by the MCs for the night. At the end of the competition, the judge cat would announce the winner; with the message being that instead of competing against one another they should learn to work together.
The second act of the concert was titled, ‘Let’s celebrate Botswana’ and was directed by Gao Lemmenyane. Unlike the first the second act included three women dressed in Herero traditional wear and singing and dancing whilst playing traditional instruments like Segaba and Setinkane in a funky way.
Spiza Valentino and Amantle sang a duet called ‘When I die’ which was followed by Spiza, Sereetsi & the Natives, Thabang and Leshie Lovesong’s performance of a popular local song Robete much to the delight of the audience.
At the end of the night a cheque from the show’s sponsors was presented to the beneficiary of the concerts proceeds being the Tebogo Horatius Carter Foundation (THC Foundation); a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing support for women and children who are victims of gender based violence.