VISUAL artist Lin Barrie has declared 2025 “a year of dance”, a fitting description for a year in which movement, rhythm and cultural expression took centre stage locally and globally.
From the international spotlight of the Olympic Games in France, where break dance, skirting and BMX were officially recognised, to grassroots dance competitions across Zimbabwe, 2025 celebrated dance as both sport and art, tradition and innovation.
Across the country, schools and community groups competed for honours in vibrant showcases of chinyambera dance, reaffirming its enduring cultural relevance.
The National Dance Association of Zimbabwe played a pivotal role by recognising and rewarding institutions, instructors and creatives who tirelessly promoted dance education, learnership and practice.
These acknowledgements not only honoured excellence, but also strengthened the infrastructure supporting dance development nationwide.
One of the year’s highlights was Harare’s Green Stars Dance Troupe being crowned champions at the 2025 Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival.
Goromonzi Arts Ensemble from Mashonaland East claimed second place, while hosts Semvumba Arts of Manicaland finished third, underscoring the depth of talent across provinces.
Dance was also central to the 23rd edition of the National Arts Merit Awards, held at the Hippodrome on March 1, where traditional and classical performances, including chinyambera, animated the celebrations.
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At grassroots level, the Jikinya Dance Festival ignited passion among primary schools nationwide.
Throughout the year, children immersed themselves in chinyambera dance, competing while learning the values embedded in Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage.
The festival continues to be a vital platform for preserving traditional dance and instilling national pride and cultural identity among young people.
For Barrie, 2025 marked a personal and artistic turning point.
Known for artworks such as Wine and Wild Dogs, which reflect her fascination with African wild dogs, food, art and responsible tourism, Barrie found renewed inspiration during Zimbabwe’s National Culture Month, held under the theme Celebrating Indigenous Voices.
The experience broadened her appreciation of dance, rhythm, music and craft, boosting her confidence and expanding the reach of her work among art lovers.
“The experience at the Culture Month launch at Rusununguko Clinic in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe was fascinating and especially celebrating our local Tsonga/Changana culture. There was a wonderful celebration of traditional xibelani dance,” she said.
“Living with the Mahenye Xangana (Hlengwe) community of the south east lowveld, dance (kudzana/kutamba), storytelling (ngano) and poetry have long featured in my art, such as the painting and poem Dancing With My Sisters and Dancing With My Cellphone.”
Throughout 2025, Barrie sketched traditional dancers from Tsonga/Changana communities alongside contemporary performers from Zimbabwe’s Afrikera Trust and France’s DANS6T at Alliance Française in Harare.
What fascinated her was the continuity of movement and expression and connoting a universal language transcending boundaries.
She now dreams of large abstract dance paintings, inspired by costumes and motion, connecting traditional African dance to global icons and modern styles, from Michael Jackson to hip-hop.
Hillary Indi, the director for Elysium Magna Dance Theatre, said dance was a powerful expression of human identity, emotion and connection.
It nurtures physical health by improving strength, coordination and endurance, while also supporting mental well-being through stress relief and emotional release.
