Madagascar Traditional Dance Debut In Expo Park

In May 30th, World Expo, Shanghai, ushered in the Madagascar National Pavilion Day.

At 4 p.m. on the same day, Kent Mino song and dance ensemble in Madagascar appeared in the African square of C area in Expo Park, Shanghai, performing Madagascar traditional dance.

Rhythmic percussion rings, dressed in traditional costumes of Madagascar, wearing dressily and exaggerated dancers, twists the body with the beat, and constantly strikes the ground with both feet in a continuous and rhythmic manner. The dance of high and unrestrained dancing kindled the enthusiasm of the audience and won enthusiastic applause.

The Kent Mino ensemble consists of 15 members, including dancers, singers, musical performers, choreographers, etc.

Most of them have participated in many large international events, but this is the first time they have performed for Chinese audiences.

Through this dance performance, the song and dance ensemble displayed the cultural spirit of Madagascar's multi-ethnic solidarity to the Expo audience.

The performance was warmly welcomed by the audience, and the African square was besieged.

Traditional dance in Madagascar is a portrayal of reality. Every movement of hands and feet has its specific meaning.

Dina, assistant deputy director general of the Madagascar Pavilion, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency on the same day that today's dance performance is divided into two parts.

The first part is called "Bilo" in Madagascar dialect.

This is the name of a god believed by the inhabitants of the country. The meaning of dance is "pray to God and hope for spiritual renewal."

The second part is called "INO VAOVAO", which means asking people what new news is.

These two dances are from southern and southeastern Madagascar respectively. They are very popular throughout Madagascar.

In a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters in the capital of Madagascar, Mino, a pitional government official, pointed out that the Kent's song and dance troupe's live performance mainly wanted to clarify the theme: free and happy life in a society of ecological and cultural diversity.

He said Madagascar hopes to demonstrate its socio cultural values and resources and economic potential through the opportunity of Shanghai World Expo.

The performance that lasted for half an hour soon came to an end. On the scene, the actors warmly invited the audience to clap their hands and interact with each other to push the performance to a climax.

Many spectators at the end of the show took pictures with the singing and dancing troupe.

Liu, a native of Shanghai, said that this is the first time she watched African dance performances on the spot, feeling that "African culture is very warm and interesting".