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"Inganzo"is derives from the Twa word for the mud found near a river. As the Twa's economic survival derived from pottery made from this mud the word more accurately translates as

Inganzo Ballet, a group of teenage musicians from Rwanda will be shortly be touring the UK sending out a powerful message of unity and reconciliation, and introducing UK audiences to one of Africa's most established yet least exposed musical traditions.

The Ballet are drawn from all three of the country's main ethnic groups, (Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa) and witnessed the 1994 genocide as children. And yet they have come through the suffering and unimaginable trauma to become grassroots ambassadors for progress and hope. At a time of media attention on the genocide and its legacy, the stirring songs and dances of Ballet Inganzo articulate a powerful alternative message.

The musicians and dancers will travel to the UK on March 19 for a seventeen day series of music workshops in London schools and performances. The tour is being organised and managed by Inshuti-UK - a London-based collective dedicated to raising international awareness of this traditional form of musical drama from Central Africa, and to providing development assistance to the community of Ruhengeri and the surrounding area.

There are three main components to Rwandan Ballet, and a standard performance by a group will contain all three. These are the songs/dances that are the essence of the art form (and are referred to here as 'the Ballet'), Intore (dance of heroes) and Ingoma ('drums').

Intore

The 'Dance of Heroes' is performed by men wearing grass wigs and carrying spears. The background is a dance performed by returning warriors, celebrating victory in battle. The dancers move from side to side combining grace and complex choreography with a raw aggression. At certain stages the dancers stop, with arms outstretched and make blood-curdling battle crys.
These calls are individual to each dancer and represent warriors declaiming the details of how many he had slain in battle. Battles traditionally involved Hutu, Tutsi and Twa fighting alongside each-other against a common enemy. The performance of Intore therefore has always consisted of warriors of all groups dancing together.

After the Ballet Inganzo UK 2002 tour, a UK company INSHUTI-UK was set up after the first tour of Ballet Inganzo to the UK in 2002 in order to develop the potential of the Ballet and to use the profile of the group to instigate associated cultural, educational and development projects.

In July 2003, three founding members of Inshuti-UK travelled to Rwanda to visit the Ballet and set up projects that will help their wider community in the long term.

Inshuti-UK are working to create a channel for these African drums to be brought to the UK for resale, with all profits going back to Rwanda to help the community

The musicians and dancers travelled to the UK on March 19 for a seventeen day series of music workshops in London schools and performances. The tour was being organised and managed by Inshuti-UK, a London-based collective dedicated to raising international awareness of this traditional form of musical drama from Central Africa, and to providing development assistance to the community of Ruhengeri and the surrounding area.

The Rwanda Forum on Saturday 27 March remembered the 800,000 to a million Tutsi and Hutu moderates murdered in just three months by the Hutu extremist government ten years ago this month.

The day concluded with a performance by Ballet Inganzo a Rwandan dance troupe composed of Hutu and Tutsi performers - an emblem of reconciliation

Hampshire County Youth Orchestra will host Ballet Inganzo, an exciting young dance company from Rwanda. Formed from three Rwandan tribes that until recently were engaged in civil war, Ballet Inganzo was founded as part of a process of reconciliation by group director François Nkinzehwiki.

See them at The Anvil, Basingstoke Saturday 13 July 2004.

During July, the company will also be giving workshops and performances in 11 Hampshire schools.

Information compliments of http://www.pangaeamusic.co.uk/