GWANDA based Bolamba Performing Arts emerged champions at the Matabeleland South Agricultural Show traditional dance competition after outperforming five other dance groups.
Bulawayo based Natasha Gora was crowned Miss Agricultural Show Society also at an event that was held on Friday last week during this year’s agricultural show which ran from August 16 to August 18.
Bolamba Performing Arts walked away with a floating trophy, $300 and a certificate. In second place was How Mine Chioda who walked away with $200 and a certificate while in third place was How Mine Chintale who won $100 and a certificate.
Other traditional dance groups that competed were Blanket Mine Chioda, Blanket Mine Beni Arinot and How Mine Beni Arinot.
In the modelling competition Gora beat seven other models to be crowned queen and walked away with $80, a cosmetics hamper and a certificate. Noreen Moyo was crowned first princess and received $60, a cosmetics hamper and a certificate while Farai Mavunga was crowned second princess and received $50, a cosmetics hamper and a certificate.
The provincial Agricultural Show Society entertainment coordinator, Adrian Musa said the pageant and dance competition which were held for the first time this year were going to be annual events.
“We successfully held the traditional dance competition and Miss Agricultural Show Society pageant on Friday last week at the Matabeleland South Provincial Agricultural Show. From now on we will be holding these events annually at every agricultural show.
“Going forth we hope to attract more participants in both the pageant and traditional dance competition. This year we expected 10 dance groups but only six made it to the competition. In the future we hope to have each district in the province being represented. We also want to increase the prize money for winners for both dance and modelling competitions,” he said.
Musa said they faced a challenge in engaging models from the province as all did not have readily available attires for them to participate in the competition. He said as a result models from Bulawayo participated in the pageant.
“We ended up engaging models from Bulawayo to participate in the pageant because models from the province didn’t have necessary clothing. It was also already too late for us to organise clothing for them.
“However next year all participants in the pageant will be strictly from the province. We will engage various partners in order to source funding for these events. As a society we want to use the agricultural show as a platform to showcase local talent and promote upcoming artists,” he said.
Bulawayo based Zimnyama Dance Ensemble, ZPCS brass band, local schools and local artists also kept the crowds entertained during the agricultural show.
Bolamba Performing Arts Manager, Mthabisi Dube attributed their success to hard work and dedication. Bolamba were third in the Chibuku Neshamwari national dance competitions that were held recently. – Chronicle
