Morogo-Wa-Ngwana takes 4th at Korean dance fest
Katlego Motsamai | Tuesday September 18, 2018 13:48
Morogo-Wa-Ngwana Dance Troupe entered the world finale competing against 10 countries that made it to the grand finale, landing in position four and an encouragement prize of $1,200.
Entering the world finale were South Africa landing position one, Georgia position two, Guam, an island in the Pacific Ocean in position three and Botswana coming in fourth. Poland, Brazil, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain and Latvia were also countries that participated at the grand finale.
Morogo-Wa-Ngwana Dance Troupe, who are based in Ramotswa, sent 20 of their dancers to South Korea, Cheonan Arts Centre to compete at the Korea Contemporary Dance World Festival. The 10-day event, which pitted 16 countries against each other, covered numerous cultures.
“Our culture is unique, Culture has always been important, but today, it's becoming more than just a buzzword. Culture is an important differentiator to set your country apart from the others. It's also what attracts the right talent and brings investors to our country,” Morogo-Wa-Ngwana general secretary, Oteng Mantirisi said in an interview.
He added that through traditional dance and song the troupe is simply raising awareness of Botswana culture, and sending a message that it is high time people document culture for future generations.
Morogo-Wa-Ngwana put many hours into rehearsals after learning about the Korea Contemporary Dance World Festival. Mantirisi added that their days and nights were comprised of hard work and sweat. They found themselves rehearsing for the competitions up until 4am every day to get to that position.
However, even though the group held their ground with a wonderful routine in the competition and made some impressive moves in the finale, still there was room for improvement. “We have learnt, we gained experience and moreover we saw other ways to be more creative,” he said. The group is expected to be home tomorrow.