By: Heidi Kwok, Staff Writer
Indangamirwa Vancouver is a dance group “dedicated to the preservation, education, and appreciation of traditional Rwandan music, dance, and culture.” For the troupe, cultural dance is more than a form of entertainment but also “a means to educate, communicate, and preserve ancestral background all while fostering togetherness.” The Peak interviewed Angelique Muhorakeye, chairperson of Indangamirwa and SFU alum, to learn more about the origins and inspirations behind their performances.
This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.
When was Indangamirwa Vancouver established? What motivated you to form the dance group? How has it evolved since then?
Prior to coming to Canada, I belonged to another group, also called Indangamirwa, based in Nairobi, Kenya. As refugees in Kenya, there are a lot of vulnerabilities that can lead someone astray. So dancing was used as a way to heal people and to keep young people busy and connected.
Now I’m here. This is another test for me, so I thought of looking for Rwandans who live here and seeing if we can start a dance group. In 2015, my sister and I, along with two other dancers, established the group. We were then invited to perform at a wedding, which motivated us, and out of passion we just continued.
Year by year, we would have different people coming from Rwanda joining. We started becoming really strong in 2018. We now have 16 members. Last year, we had our 10th anniversary, which was a huge success. The entire community showed up and everyone wanted more!
Could you tell me more about the types of dances that Indangamirwa has performed in the past?
We do both Intore and Amaraba. Intore is specifically for men, because the word means “warrior.” Traditionally, they were meant to guard the king and the kingdom. With Amaraba, mostly women do it. It’s a dance that could represent anything, but our dancers usually imitate cows with big horns. That’s why you see a lot of hands being raised.
There are also other different types of dances depending on where you’re from and which part of Rwanda. Most of the time we are celebrating something. Either the birth of a child, a wedding, love, it’s always something being celebrated — something beautiful. That’s why our dance involves smiling throughout.
You are a dancer, a language interpreter, and an advocate for refugees and immigrants in Canada. How have these different experiences shaped or influenced your artistic practice?
They’re intertwined. Like I mentioned, we come from a refugee background. There are a lot of negative influences that come with it because there’s poverty involved. So having an artistic background helps with being creative and taking that art into the community so that people will have something to do instead of being idle.
When we go perform, we involve people. We have children’s groups where I sometimes go to teach how to dance, to connect with their African background and heritage. We also have women who are going through healing, and some of them are immigrants.
The language part helps me because the people we deal with here were immigrants and from the same background of the languages I speak.
It’s a communal type of work because it’s collective and it’s through association. That’s why, back home, a lot of people know how to dance — not because they’re dancers — but because that’s the way you spend your time, connecting to your ancestral dance.
What does it mean to you to perform and showcase Rwandan music, dance, and culture here in Canada?
There’s pride in who I am. It gives me confidence to stay, to love who I am, and to connect back to where I’m from, which influences where I’m going.
I’m a cultural ambassador. If I have something beautiful, why not share it?
— Angelique Muhorakeye, chairperson of Indangamirwa Vancouver
Every time I dance, I’m healing. I’m working out. There’s just a lot of benefits. Why not give it to the other person?
Our performances always end with interactions that encourage people to dance with us. You get to have a different kind of outlook on things when you participate.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I would just tell people to get up and dance! It doesn’t matter what you’re dancing — just get off that couch and dance. Don’t worry about people looking at you — just enjoy yourself. And if people see that you’re happy, they will join you, because joy is contagious.
Follow the dance group on Instagram @indangamirwa_vancouver for more information and news on upcoming performances.
