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The Pan-African Festival of Dance, known by the French acronym FESPAD, was born out of a proposal made in 1998 by the Rwandan Ministry of Culture to the Organization of African Unity. The Rwandan government offered to host a festival every two years, which would features artists from across Africa. This festival would complement other pan-African cultural galas, such as the well-known Pan-African Festival of Cinema (PANAFEST), held in Burkina Faso.
The first FESPAD was held in Kigali in September 1998. Performers from six nations participated in this first gathering, which carried the theme ¡°Dances for the culture of peace.¡±
Since then, Rwanda has hosted FESPAD every other year. The 2004 FESPAD was the first to present performances outside Kigali, with events in three Rwandan provincial cities. The festival is carried out under the auspices of the Rwandan government and the African Union, and several international organizations and private groups, including World Culture Open, UNESCO and La Francophonie, also provided assistance and support. FESPAD 2006 will be the fifth edition.
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