Today was really exciting because after rehearsals we went to the Modibo Keita Stadium near Hippodrome (just outside of Djoumanzana) to see a rehearsal for the huge performance at Mali’s anniversary celebration in September. This dance was chorographed by Sali and had over 250+ dancers- most of them were from the performing arts schools, but many are also professional dancers such as our evening dance instructors- Alhasan and Madu. This was a sight to see and words really cant describe the feeling of watching so many beautiful dancers moving together to really skilled choreography- unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take photos or videos since the performance will be premiered at the celebration. If you’ve taken the Mande class at Brown or seen the students rehearsing, imagine that times ten, but…with Malians. During the rehearsal I was really able to get some insight into how Malians choreograph movement, interpret rhythms, and are conscious of the audience. There was a great deal of interaction between dancers and the choreography achieved themes and ideas beyond that of dancers simply doing steps in formations. I’m excited to take some of these ideas to the Mande class when I T.A. again in the spring!
After about a half hour of the rehearsal dark clouds began to roll over the stadium and much to our surprise, a tempest of rain and wind comparable to the hurricanes I’ve experienced growing up in South Texas suddenly hit and without a second of hesitation the 250+ dancers screamed and scattered like a bag of marbles dropping and just rolled into the stands with us for shelter. We shouted and laughed for a good half hour as the cold rain hit our backs- people were hiding behind chairs, under the stands, and behind the sound-booths- with dark music playing in the background the visual would have seemed like a rainstorm horror movie but it was actually a lot of fun and there were many laughs going around. We were supposed to go observe a rehearsal for the District D’Bamako Dance Troupe later that afternoon and since Sali’s rehearsal ended early, we took a cab to L’Relax, our favorite toubabou café instead of going back home. Chicken Chawarma! Yum!
Did I hit the hay early to sleep for 17 hours straight that night? Yes.
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