I forgot to blog about the Intore Dancers last month! We were treated to a wonderful Rwandan "Ballet" last month at an icecream social at the preacher's house. This was the third time I had seen the Intore Dancers performing, and it was by far, the best performance. It's such a neat cultural experience to see. Intore dancing is really an art form in Rwanda, and was started many centuries ago by the kings. But they perform it like a play, and there are 3 main parts to it. The Ballet (songs), the Intore (dance of the heroes), and the Ingoma (drums.)
The Dance of the Heroes is performed by men wearing grass wigs and carrying spears. This is supposed to depict warriors returning from battle and celebrating their victory. They move their arms from side to side, and make warrior cries. The warrior cries are individual to each dancer and represent how many they have "killed" in battle. Both the men and ladies wear bells on their feet, which creates a great rhythm. Their "battles" turn into a great artistic display of dancing, and jumping and drumming. The guys train so they can jump many meters off the ground! So neat to see! The ladies look so graceful and elegant, as they support their "warriors." Watching these Intore dancers was such a privilege!
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