Additional Resources
Millennium Stage Home Page
Part of the Performing Arts for Everyone Initiative
NDERE TROUPE
About the Artist
Stephen Rwangyezi founded the Ndere Troupe in 1986. Through the birth of the now world-renowned group, he sought to give talented, but socially disadvantaged children, the opportunity to receive an education while developing their talents. The children he sponsored and trained are the ones who have made Ndere a world renowned troupe and facilitated the formation of the Uganda Development Theatre Association (UDTA) and the Ndere Foundation. Mr. Rwangyezi is National Chairperson and Executive Director of these organizations, respectively.
In addition to providing a vehicle for underprivileged children to receive adequate education and nurture their talents, Mr. Rwangyezi formed the group in order to recapture the quickly disappearing African art forms of song, dance, music, rituals, storytelling, and poetry. He hoped to spread the arts and culture of Uganda to the world through stage performances, recordings, and publications.
The recruitment of Troupe members is based on the cultural diversity of Uganda. Likewise, the Troupe’s repertoire is a reflection of the different music and dance styles of the various peoples of the country. Their repertoire ranges from the purely traditional forms of Ugandan music and dance to styles woven with creative aspects. Rwangyezi encourages artistic fusion by pairing instruments from one region/tribe with the music of another region/tribe. In the latter style, a new kind of Ugandan orchestra has emerged that takes foreshadows the evolution of Ugandan arts.
Past Performances
November 7, 2003
Ndere Troupe uses music and dance to illustrate the culture of their native Uganda, “the Pearl of Africa.”
Presented in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Uganda.
