Dance with a former Poacher at Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village

DANCE WITH A FORMER POACHER AT GORILLA GUARDIANS CULTURAL VILLAGE 

Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village formerly Ibyi’wacu Cultural Village is literally a Non-Profit Umbrella Organization, formed mainly to improve the livelihoods of the reformed poachers and local community members around the famous Volcanoes National Park through allocation and provision of several Conservation incentives, livelihood-based initiatives as well as supporting some of the community enterprise development projects.  While majority of the activities offered within Volcanoes National Park focus on mainly on Gorilla Trekking and Golden monkey Tracking as well as Volcanoe climbing, the Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village introduces tourists to the lifestyle of the local communities – Its a Rwanda cultural experience worth adding to your Rwanda Holiday.

Take a trip to Gorilla Guardians Cultural village formerly Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, where the locals have convinced a group of ex-poachers to turn their back on their former lifestyle and create a traditional dance group that performs for visitors on a cultural village tour. Known as The Intore, or The Heroes, this ancient form of celebration is based on the victory dance of the Rwandan kings. When not watching the traditional dances and drumming performances, you can step into the traditional dwelling of the local king, watch an authentic medicine man preparing his herbal remedies, and you can also try your hand at shooting the traditional weapon of bows and arrows.

Lively music and festive dance play a great role in the traditions of all the people of Rwanda. One of Africa’s most dynamic and least well known musical traditions, the Ballet of Rwanda is performed by the Intore, the chosen ones, and was at one time exclusively a performance only for the royal court.  The dance is performed by men dressed in sisal wigs and carrying spears, who wear little tinkling bells on each foot, providing a ringing rhythm as the background music. The ‘Dance of Heroes’ is about returning warriors, celebrating victory in battle. Complex choreography reveals the performers shifting from side to side, blending agility and grace with raw aggression – You simply need to see this, words can’t explain it all.

PLACES TO STAY – Ideal Lodges & Camps to Stay at whilst on a visit to Gorilla Guardians Cultural Village