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Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent
Local dancers will tomorrow audition to be part of the Street Culture Festival set for Lusaka in August.

To be held at Batanai Gardens by the festival’s local partner Jibilika Dance Trust, the auditions will select 30 dancers from different genres.

Jibilika Dance Trust founder Plot Mhako said the dancers will audition solo acts

“We have 30 spots open for dancers who will audition as solos. The audition is open to all styles of dance including hip hop and traditional dance. Participants will have to be involved in a dance battle to secure their spots,” he said.

This is the first time Zimbabwe will be participating at the festival except for a group, Flip Floppers that moved to Zambia some years back.

Mhako said the audition is only for dancers in Harare and nearby areas.

“Dancers from far outside Harare will audition online. We will make a callout after the Friday auditions,” he said.

Finalists will have a chance to be combined into an all-star group that will showcase at the festival.

Mhako expressed excitement to be part of an international event.

“We are excited to have this opportunity to showcase local dance talent at such a big festival. As Jibilika this really means a lot to us as we have been pushing for our visibility in the region,” said Mhako.

Jibilika has been expanding in the region, first to Mozambique then Botswana.

“We have formally registered Jibilika Botswana which will have their inaugural festival this year. In Mozambique we have been having different workshops and events but we plan to take the same steps as in Botswana in the coming year,” added Mhako.

Street Culture is an urban culture festival that has been in existence since 2011. It features skateboarding, music, and dance among other art forms. In dance competitions for different styles are held with many participants battling for prize money.