‘Frontier’, treading the boundaries through art

By Kiundu Waweru

"… Dance is the mirror of our lives and beyond, it reflects our links to the spirits, our dialogue with the past and our feelings and thoughts…"

These words were uttered by the Kenyan founding father, Jomo Kenyatta, in 1964. The Kenya Performing Arts Group, K-PAG, religiously follows this quote. And as they gyrate, in performance of Frontier, these words echo and vibrate through their choreographed movements.

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The press performance was held last Friday at the Kenya Cultural Centre, Concert Hall, during a media launch. The show kicks off on June 13, at the National Theatre.

Their smooth, energetic and vigorous dance encompasses movement, gestures, and the elements of wind, water, earth and fire. And is sometime intertwined by satirical recorded words as diverse and satirical as "unga! Migingo! Typing error! Youth! Jobs!"

Frontier is an artistic and creative performance is a journey through dance, or theatre, treading on boundaries and seeking to criticise. It is about informative expression and questions the status quo. Moses Otieno, 24, the artistic director says, it is about critical pedagogue, questioning the pedantic, dogmatic manner of traditional teachings.

As they gracefully move across the floor, with their lean and supple bodies crisscrossing each other, entangling and some posing, seemingly to eternity, they create an aura of utopia. One thing is clear though; it’s a radical and controversial dance.

For instance, in a scene in the ‘struggle’, a dance, that is also an act, shows characters in different circumstances of life.

But perhaps the most identifiable is the character, played by Sidi Baya. Whenever she tries to cry out about her problems, a character that you can translate as your boss, dad, or that bully at the school or maybe the ruling system, tries to suppress her, literally. He presses her on the floor, putting his feet in a gag on her throat.

Frontier’s slogan reflects the simplicity, cuts across the frontiers of generation and time. It utilises techniques and styles of physical theatre and dance, sending a strong message for individual introspection, provocation and appreciation at the same time seeking a collective partnership for building and investing in arts and culture.

The artistic director says that the performance is all about identity. Frontier will tour different parts of the country for the next two months with a message to the youth, and the general public. They rely on the fluidity of their movements on their fun dance, ubuntu. The performance leaves the audience baffled, but nevertheless entertained.