Madagascar's Deaf Youths Excel in Dance Program
By Fela Razafinjato (fela.csm@netclub.mg)
Dance was introduced to the young deaf people of the AKAMA by a young woman whose studies in Physical Education culminated in a thesis on the movement expression of deaf people. Under the supervision of the Lutheran church, the AKAMA is a school for children and youth with hearing impairments. The classes follow two tracks:
- The "formal education" track:
- Primary classes, from 1 st to 5 th grades
- Secondary classes, from 6 th to 9 th grades
- The "Professional Training" track:
- Carpentry
- Sewing, embroidery
- Computer Science
It all began more than 10 years ago...
It all began in 1993 when Mirana, the young woman in question, was hired as a volunteer physical education teacher at the AKAMA. Using the elements of her thesis, she tried to teach to the young deaf people not only gymnastics, but also modern dance. She met this great challenge with patience and creativity, and soon came the time for the group's first public appearance.
At first, the audience was made up only of the Lutheran parishioners attending a religious feast. A mixture of surprise and admiration was apparent on their faces as they saw the young deaf dancers moving in harmony with the rhythm of the music. Even Mirana was stupefied, she later confessed, for the results of their work surpassed her expectations.
The success of the first show spread so fast that the group was soon asked by the City of Tananarivo School District to perform at the various school fairs such as All Schools' Day, Back To School Day, etc. The invitations have since kept coming, and the members of the group are more and more motivated to give it their very best. As for Mirana, she has consistently added an innovative touch to their style.
During the celebration of independence day last June 26 th , the group danced in front of an audience of over one thousand at the great stadium of Mahamasina, and everyone was amazed. You could hear people whispering: "This is incredible! How is it that the young deaf people manage to dance when they don't hear the music? Are they really deaf or are they pretending?..." Sadly, this confirms the biases that handicapped people confront on a daily basis.
Malagasy group visits Switzerland
The group's reputation has spread beyond Madagascar's borders and has conquered Switzerland. In 2003, the group - still directed by Mirana - performed 40 shows on a tour of several cities in Switzerland. It was a success. The young deaf people of Switzerland learned a lot from young deaf Malagasy.
Mirana, with the help of their new Swiss friends, now directs a program called "Tanana Mirana (Delighted Hands)" which works towards the social, cultural, and professional integration of young deaf people. The program offers many activities: drawing, cutting and sewing, embroidery, sign language classes, French, English, family planning, and of course dance. About 70 young deaf people currently use the program.
According to Mirana, the program's goal is not only to help spread dance among young deaf people, but also to help launch their other talents, such as drawing and embroidery. When I visited the program, I saw that many drawings made by the young deaf people graced the walls of the various rooms. Seeing these works of art immediately made me want to support their creation.
It is important to note that Madagascar is one of the few countries with a deaf dance group. Judging from the response to the events that the deaf dancers participated in, I dare say that they carry with them the pride of the nation, thus proving that they are indeed citizens in full.
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