Aletta Shikololo

WINDHOEK - Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (OYO) dance troupe, turns 10 this year. 
To celebrate this milestone, the group will have an exciting international collaboration at the National Theatre of Namibia in March. 

“We will work alongside renowned Syrian visual artist, Kevork Mourad, and invite guest dancers such as Nikhita Winkler and West Uarije,” says OYO’s director and choreographer, Philippe Talavera. 

Talavera further explained that this year they have been asked to address the issue of social media dating as more and more young people have access to social media. “Few are educated on how to use social media and fall prey to sexual predators,” Talavera said. The troupe premiered, ‘A different me’ last Wednesday, which was received well, with the audience praising the expressive performance of El-Junita Philander and Desmond Kamerika. Philander plays the schoolgirl, who chats with a ‘nice’ guy (Kamerika) on social media. When she agrees to meet him, he does not look like his profile. He is older and married. Kamerika’s lifts mesmerised the audience and left many speechless, while Philander’s expression brought some people to tears.

The troupe also performed ‘Helen, Again’, a tribute to all the victims and survivors of domestic violence. It was a chance for the audience to renew contact with Monray Garoeb, well-known for his portrayal of the General in OYO’s DVD, ‘Salute’. He plays the lead in ‘Helen, Again’ alongside Mary-Jane Andreas. The two performed a very physical piece in which ‘till death tear us apart’ takes a completely different meaning.

Talavera said the OYO dance troupe gained international recognition in 2014 when it was selected to represent Namibia at the Commonwealth Youth Dance Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Since then, they have also toured South Africa, Botswana and The Netherlands. This year, they have already performed in the //Kharas Region and will continue touring schools and communities, creating social awareness on much-needed issues.