WINDHOEK– With former plays such as Eros and Thanatos in 2004 and The Namibian Odysseus in 2008 being well received by the public, the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) continues to tell inspirational stories through art performances. This time around a play about baby dumping that took shape in the form of a dance piece was staged at the Goethe Centre. The dance piece titled Dark Medea was performed by six Namibian dancers from the OYO dance troupe together with two British young dancers. The idea behind the premiering of the piece was to assess how the piece will be received, and to also get feedback from the public. Taking a more in depth look at why baby dumping is so prevalent in Namibia, the dance-play allowed audiences to get a better picture of the situation.
The killing of one’s baby is often referred to as infanticide or filicide but in the Greek methodology, Medea embodies a mother killing her children. There have been many theories as to why Medea killed her own children, and many artists have tried to understand her. Thousands of years later, even in Namibia, the situation of babies abandoned in dustbins, flushed down toilet pots or found buried in river beds is a reality. Some of the questions, theories and reasoning with regards to baby dumping/killing were addressed through the dance piece, which also aims at using it as part of OYO’s repertoire and exercise it in schools as well.
Other venues where the piece will be presented in the future include the University of Namibia (Unam) space theatre, Unam School of Medicine, Unam Neudam Campus, Children’s Home of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the Katutura Youth Enterprise Centre (KAYEC). The “Dark Medea” was choreographed by Philippe Talavera.