You never know what you’ll encounter in your travels. During my time reporting on Cheetah Conservation Botswana’s work, I headed to the town of Ghanzi to get supplies and run a few errands with CCB’s camp manager.
Right when we arrived, the Botswana National Youth Council was staging a huge outreach festival in the town center. Grabbing my camera, I jogged across the street and asked to take a few photos and video as a group of young San (Basarwa) dancers prepared to go onstage. A bit shaky on the video as it was difficult to get a good position, I was keenly aware of the lucky timing. This performance was not for tourists, journalists, or anyone else but the people of Botswana. The enthusiastic cheering for their peers was full of cultural pride.
Having studied many forms of dance from Brazil, Guinea, and Haiti, I was enthralled with the movement, singing and complexities of the rhythms that reminded me of so many other dances of the African Diaspora. Its these serendipitous moments that I look forward to on my journey to Kenya as I continue to follow the story of the cheetah and people of Africa.
All photos, text & video: Marcy Mendelson © 2013 / Cheetah-Watch.com
Read more from Botswana via these links on National Geographic News Watch:
Reaching Out to Communities in Botswana
The Cheetah Mother’s 72 Hours Part I
The Cheetah Mother’s 72 Hours Part II
The Cheetah Mother’s 72 Hours Part III
When Predators & Farmers Collide
