Mophato Dance Theatre delivers another thrilling musical
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Wednesday September 25, 2024 13:19
The three-day musical attracted a number of people who could not wait to see what the group brought for them this time around. After their brilliant last musical dubbed Pula, it was without a doubt that the directors of Mophato are amongst the best contemporary scribes in the country who worked hard and did their research in telling different aspects of Botswana’s history through dance and song. With energetic and talented dancers, Mophato Dance Theatre through Kreative Koncept Kola mesmerised the audiences with a brilliant performance as they took them through the history of how the Botswana diamond was discovered and how it changed the lives of Batswana. The play showcased dancers digging the mines looking for a treasure. Their attire portrayed the wearing of animal skin, which was done long before civilisation.
After digging for long, one of the dancers found the first diamond and showed it to others. Together they hid it and when the British commander who was in charge by then came. They told him they did not find anything. Seeing that Botswana did not posses any mineral resources, the British government left the country. According to the play, that was when later Botswana gained her independence. Things later changed including the dressing, which was different than before. The dancers were also now wearing vintage dresses, skirts and blouses for the women while men wore their formal pants and shirts with hats. There was a clip of the first President, Sir Seretse Khama addressing the nation after gaining independence and later the men and women went back to the mines and dug some more. After digging a couple of times without giving up, they later discovered more diamonds and celebrated.
The beautiful dance piece was an eye opener to those who did not know about the country's diamond history and how it changed and contributed to the development of this country. The lighting, staging, attire, singing and performances were perfect and many of those in attendance gave the musical thumbs up while some still want to see it again. The narrator also did a good job taking the audience through the history of local diamonds. The show was supported by De Beers and OKavango Diamond Company (ODC). It had over 20 dancers, five live band members. It was directed by Andrew Kola and produced by Amble Promotions Kabelo Rapinyana.