Prime
Batalo fuses local dances with hiphop
Right: The drummers at it.
What you need to know:
The dance training started with perfecting the Bakisimba waist spinning and footwork. Sweat-matted foreheads as the youth, followed instructions. The session also included the Basoga dance, which involves fast foot shuffling back and forth. The music was live, featuring the long Ngalabi and conventional drums.
The Batalo Dance Promoters are touring the country, holding performances, hosting talks and promoting various dance styles, including hip hop, Nankasa, and Bakisimba.
Previously, they were in Mbiko, performing with electrifying energy. They moonwalked and spun their waists, as if they had rubbery skeletons, captivating residents at Bright Future Primary School, with a three hour moment of free entertainment.
Levy Elasu, the head of the Street Dance Force (SDF) group, explained that they meet for rehearsals during weekends under the name Weggule -Open Your Potential and are tutored by founder members.
“There are youth in Mbiko with talents that need slight polishing to excel. Besides pursuing academic excellence, we encourage them to explore boxing, wrestling, football or long races. Joining our group increases their visibility,” said Elasu. “Do you remember the Katwe Chess girl?”
The dance training began with perfecting the Bakisimba waist spinning, footwork, and wearing an ear-to-ear smile. Sweat-matted foreheads as the youth, ranging from six to 30 years old, followed instructions precisely. The session also included the Basoga dance, which involves fast foot shuffling back and forth. The music was live, featuring the long Ngalabi and conventional drums.
By sundown, participants switched to a boombox and started fusing Bakisimba, Kadodi, Larakaraka, and Nalufuka with hip-hop dance moves. They cheered each other on, rubbed fists and cheeks in a circle and took turns showcasing their creativity. Among the participants were two local girls and three others from Germany.
Rachael Nakato, the organiser of the Batalo East dance, emphasised that for Ugandans to excel in hip-hop dance or music, there is need to incorporate traditional dance moves.
“It could be rhythm, dance, or music. To stand out globally, you must infuse it with our traditional ways, add energy, vibrancy and a unique dress code. This approach will catch the attention of crowds,” Nakato advises.
Right: The drummers at it.
Joan Tusingwire also observes that cultural dances and songs are uniquely captivating.
“Hit the dance floor with foot bells, like your Kitagururo ancestors. Use fly whisks to emphasise your arm movements. Your costumes will convey the message powerfully,” stresses Tusingwire.
“We want to tell our own stories. Poet Okot P Bitek did and so did Prof Timothy Wangusa,” she adds.
The Weggule participants are enthusiastic about pursuing careers in the art industry as entertainers, actors and performers in stage plays across the country. Founded in 2013, the Batalo East is a not-for-profit organisation that works with young people to promote incorporate traditional African art forms into their lives and artistry. The organisation is dedicated to preserving authentic traditional art forms, promoting education and developing young people as socially conscious global citizens.
Batalo East is composed of members from the Tabu Flo Dance Company, Breakdance Project Uganda and other dance organisations. It holds workshops dubbed Equations at the National Theatre, every last Saturday of the month.
In past performances, the Batalo East Dance Festival has left audiences astounded with its fusion of traditional and modern dance styles. Their collection includes Afro House, Top Rock, Krump, New Style Hip Hop, Style Yake and much more.
The free dance workshops are particularly popular among the youth. Batalo East operates in partnership with Stitching Doen, Uganda National Cultural Centre (UNCC), Fenon Records, Alliance Française Kampala, Vijana Vipaji Foundation, TabuFlo, and Urban Market is becoming very popular.
The blend
“It can be rhythm, dance, or music. To stand out globally, you must infuse music with our traditional ways, add energy, vibrancy and a unique dress code,’’ says Rachael Nakato, the organiser of the Batalo East dance. She believes that for Ugandans to excel in hip-hop dance or music, there is need to incorporate traditional dance moves.
