As part of the series ‘Videodanse 2009: Quand le réel entre dans la danse,’ the Georges Pompidou Centre will show the film “Keep the Dance Alive” by Rina Sherman, on the 20th November 2009 at 12.25pm.

Photo Rina Sherman

Rina Sherman, film director, anthropologist and photograph, born in South Africa and settled in France since 1984, lived during 7 years with the Ovahimba and other peoples related to Namibia and Angola. There, she filmed the ritual dances of spirit possessions; previously unseen moments where singing, movement and trance integrate daily life, from childhood to old age and beyond.

“That which in the discourse is designated as the representation of dance and music, constitutes in the Ovahimba culture a universe rich in imagination and complex in realisation. As other peoples in Africa, the Ovahimba experience these artistic and spiritual presentations as fluent transitions from one moment of life to another. In this sense, my work with the Ovahimba is in line with a contemporary expression and thought.” Rina Sherman.

Additional information on the Georges Pompidou Centre’s website