The 2016 Dias Festival will do justice to its slogan of “Where Cultures Meet.” In addition to South African cultures, the cultures of the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Madagascar, Spain and Germany will also be represented at this year’s festival.

China will be represented by the award-winning Hunan Song and Dance Troupe of about 25 members from Huaihua in the Hunan province of the People’s Republic of China.

Their programme will include song, dance and acrobatic performances, which include items such as the “Golden Lion Celebrating the Spring Festival” dance, the “Strength and Beauty” acrobatic performance, in which two actresses cooperate perfectly with each other, using various skills to show the ideal combination of strength and beauty,  and the “Charm of the Old Town” dance.

Other numbers include the “Toast Song at the Doorstep,” a unique unaccompanied choral song of the Dong minority people, the “Girls of Camellias” dance and the “Oral Stunts,” in which the artists mimic various sounds of birds, animals like cows, dogs, pigs, tigers and lions and musical instruments such as tubas, trombones, saxophones and drums.

Newcomers this year are Madagascar, which will be represented by folk dancers at the festival, while Spain will be represented in the form of flamenco dancers.

The Indonesians will be back for the fourth successive year to stun audiences with their colourful and spectacular displays. The German “oompah” band, which really brought the festival arena to live in 2015, will also be back, as will the Portuguese folk dancing group which has been entertaining Dias Festival audiences for the past four years with their lively dances and music.

Festivalgoers can also look forward to the performances of the energetic Nuwe Graskoue Trappers riel dance group and band from Wupperthal in the Western Cape, which recently won the open dance category at the 19th annual International Performing Arts Championships in Long Beach, California. They also won 14 gold and eight silver medals in the senior dance category, while the band won seven silver medals in the senior instruments category.
 
Another group that will be back are the gumboot dancers with their form of dancing which originated at the South African mines, while the Ethemba Kids from KwaNonqaba will also perform at the festival.
 
The Dias Festival will be held from 3 February 2016 to 7 February 2016.
 
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