As a person who has been involved in dance for years, I was delighted to see men dancing in Kivumu, and by that I don't mean the usual hopping in one place but, rather, real dancing. And I'm not talking about one or two exceptions… those who don't dance are the exceptions here!

It doesn't matter if you can dance perfectly or not. What matters to them is to have fun and enjoy the moment, and that's exactly what dancing is all about. Most of them are born with a sense for rhythm and their bodies seem to start moving all by themselves with the first sound of music, creating a choreography you'd think was planned for days and didn't just spring up at that very moment. You'll even see babies tied to their mothers’ backs shaking their legs the moment they hear music. I think many here first began to dance and only then learn to walk.

Even if you belong to those who cannot dance, or your moves are a bit unusual, no one is going to give you that ‘look at him’ look because the pleasure they get from dancing and the relentless spirit they approach it with make up for their ‘two left feet. They are happy to share the moment with others and just surrender themselves to the rhythm, not letting small details get in the way.

I believe that no person can stay immune to the sound of African drums and even the laziest and the most insecure are simply forced to wake up and get on their feet.

The roles are reversed here. Men dominate the dance floor, and the spectators are usually girls. And so men are left with no choice but to dance with other men. No matter how strange this might seem to you, this is quite natural here in Rwanda and, if you ask me, it is very charming!

Translated by Branimir Mlakić
Edited by Valerie Kae Ken