Celebrating cultural diversity

The community at the Rand Aid Ron Smith Care Centre recently hosted an outdoor event to celebrate, through music and dance, the richness and diversity of cultures represented at the care centre.

According to their website, the care centre residents and visitors were seated under the lovely shade of gazebos and umbrellas and were treated to a cultural dance spectacle performed by various staff from housekeeping, nursing, gardening and occupational therapy.

Everyone was beautifully attired in their various traditional dress and many of the residents wore hats decorated with South African flags and an indication of where they were born or their cultural roots.

The dance programme included traditional dances from the various tribes of our rich and colourful rainbow nation, the BaPedi, Zulu, Xhosa, BaVenda, BaTshonga, and Indian. Traditional African dances were followed by the whole group performing a Latin American line dance and Israeli folk dance.

Then it was on to Austria, where the staff scattered into the audience and danced with the seated residents to a beautiful Viennese waltz. The show ended with the whole care centre community being invited to join in the last dance to music by the well-known group, Malaika.

The cultural dance show was followed by a traditional South African braai which included boerewors, chicken, salads, pap and gravy, and was nicely finished off with an Eskimo Pie, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Debbie Christen, Rand Aid’s manager of Recreational Programmes said, the exposure to the music and dance of different cultures was wonderfully enriching, and was a good opportunity to learn more about the cultural identity and heritage of their residents and staff.

“Staff members were very excited and proud to be able to share their traditional dances, and their enthusiastic participation created a wonderful feeling of unity and harmony,” she said.

Many of the residents remarked that it was a joyous celebration and that they all benefited from this event in that they discovered a new-found appreciation for the diversity of cultures in South Africa; and learned more about the cultural identities of their neighbours.

Read: Celebrating Heritage Day

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