Last Saturday, March 22, Kampala Serena Hotel witnessed not just an ordinary concert, but a celebration of dance in the most glamorous and stylish way ever in Uganda.
It was Valentino Kabenge’s maiden edition of the Uganda Dance Nights show. By 7:00pm, the stairs and walkways at Serena Conference Centre were already painted red, waiting for fashion enthusiasts to walk by as they expressed themselves as freely as they could. And, indeed, they did!
From colourful outfits, netted blouses donned by both men and women, bespoke dresses and suits for men, to out-of-the-ordinary designs, the night was not for dance only, but for celebration of fashion as well. It could easily remind one of the good old days of Ahumuza Brian’s Abryanz Style and Fashion Awards (ASFAs).
The show kicked off at around 8:00pm, but firstly, if you knew nothing about Latin ballroom dance, then you probably had to watch a YouTube tutorial first, lest you’d be sidelined the entire show.
The man of the hour, Valentino, took to stage to show the crowd how ballroom dance ought to be pulled off. From Salsa, with a fusion of Rumba and Cha Cha, to everything latin dance, Valentino had the entire auditorium watching intently and waiting for his next step, move, twist and skill with his follower. As the lead, he showed full control of his stage.
Accompanied by some Cuban and high-tempo Latin American music, the groove and steps on stage were just in perfect sync as the crowd enjoyed a rare showcase of art.
However, the show was not just about Valentino, but a celebration of several other dancers as well. The crowd was treated to an electrifying ballet dance by a young girl whose command of the stage left many in awe.
Her stretch of the feet, disengagement from the floor, jaw-dropping round of the leg, to how she could develop her leg from a coupe, attitude, to a full expression, were just enough to send the crowd into deafening screams. Again, you had to know a bit of ballet dance, to understand the jargon.
Away from the ballet dancer, have you ever seen comedienne Anne Kansiime dancing salsa or rumba? Perhaps never. Well, she surprised the crowd, when she was led by Valentino to treat the crowd to an exciting ballroom dance showcase. Donning shiny, multi-coloured pants with a purple crop top, Kansiime showed the crowd that apart from cracking jokes, she can actually boogie down the latin ballroom way.
Another surprise act on stage, doing a salsa dance set was actor Allan Kutos, famous from the hit TV series – Sanyu. Kutos showed off his skills, almost coming off as a professional salsa dancer, thanks to the intensity during rehearsals.
From Latin American dance moves, the show was brought back home with some traditional dancers taking centre stage. The dance troupe entertained the crowd with exciting dance routines from the central, western and eastern parts of the country, leaving some revellers more thrilled than they were by the ballroom dancers.
The show was also graced by other entertainers like musician Racheal Magoola, who treated the crowd to her iconic music with songs like Obangaina, setting for mood right for a dancing moment by the crowd.
By the end of the show, a precedent was set. Perhaps, dance as an art form will be looked at in a more professional way.