Zimbabwean Traditional Dance Class
Saturday, November 8, 2025
11:20 AM - 12:35 PM
Westlake Middle School, Oakland
$25
Kanukai will be teaching a Zimbabwean Traditional Dance workshop as part of the 2025 LAHYDI DANCE FESTIVAL. We will explore the techniques, rhythms, and traditional dances of Zimbabwe. We will learn and practice dance moves that involve moving across the floor, and conclude with a mini choreography. The class will be accompanied by live music on traditional instruments such as marimbas and ngomas.
ABOUT
Kanukai Chigamba is a multifaceted dancer, musician, performer, and burgeoning photographer. She started dancing at a young age in Harare, Zimbabwe, at Biras and as part of Mhembero Dance Troupe. She is the Assistant Director of the renowned Chinyakare Ensemble, and principal in Gbedu Town Radio, a Pan Afro Urban Music and Dance Ensemble. Chigamba has performed all over the United States, including at the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Oregon Zimfest, Monterey Bay Reggaefest, Stern Grove Festival, Carnegie Hall, Princeton University, and Oakland Museum of California. She currently resides in the Bay Area where she performs and teaches in elementary and middle schools. Her travels to Togo, Nigeria, and her work with Yoram Savion/YAK Films, Julia Chigamba, Nkeiruka Oruche, Destiny Arts, and Afro Urban Society find her embarking on her photographic essay series featuring African women navigating complexities of emotional expression.