HARTWICK COLLEGE – The ZUZU African Acrobatic Troupe returns to Hartwick College’s Slade Theater to perform traditional Kenyan and Tanzanian circus culture acrobatics to soulful African beats. Wednesday, February 28th from 6:30 p.m. Organized by Hartwick College's Center for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, this performance is free and open to the community.
According to a media release, the ZUZU African Acrobatic Troupe held a virtual performance at Hartwick College on February 9, 2022, and came to campus on February 17, 2023. Those who attended last year's show still talk about its interactivity. A performance in which an acrobat brings guests onto the stage to participate in several acts.
ZUZU is a theater company from Tanzania. Its performance is based on 2000 years of history. They bring contemporary art, culture, and passion with them wherever they go. ZUZU celebrates Dar es Salaam's niche culture through amazing acrobatics, live music, song and dance.
Acrobats are said to perform gravity-defying stunts while at the same time expressing the beauty of Tanzanian culture in East Africa.
Their interactive 90-minute show includes human pyramids, plate spinning, stick balance, contortion, chair balance, unicycling, juggling, hand-to-hand balance, pole acting, hoop diving, comedy, and more.
Each acrobat is a graduate of the Baba Watoto School of Performing Arts, which is reportedly world-renowned for producing performers of the highest quality. She has 14 performers, including 9 acrobats, 3 dancers, and 2 musicians.
As further stated in the release, the ZUZU African Acrobatic Troupe, originally from Tanzania, celebrates the 2000-year-old Bantu culture of East Africa. Each cast member will be instructed by the elders of the Bagamoyo Institute of Arts and Culture to perform the ancient tradition for audiences around the world.
Training highlights include mastering ngoma (drums), contortion (ubisi wa solo), plate spinning (sahani inazunka), chair balance (kusawajisha kitty), unicycle and bicycle tricks (baiskeli), and the human pyramid (mazoezi ya viungo) Contains degrees. African beat sounds. Africa's grace, beauty and strength are living proofs presented through living human art and entertainment.
For more information, visit zuzuafricanacrobats.com.