African
Dance refers
mainly to the dance of Sub-Saharan
Africa,
and more appropriately African dances because of the many cultural
differences in musical and movement styles. These dances must be
viewed in close connection with Sub-Saharan
African music traditions and Bantu
cultivation of rhythm.
African dance utilizes the concept ofpolyrhythm as
well as total body articulation.
Dances
teach social patterns and values and help people work, mature, praise
or criticize members of the community while celebrating festivals and
funerals, competing, reciting history, proverbs and poetry; and to
encounter gods.
African
dances are largely participatory, with spectators being part of the
performance. With the exception of some spiritual, religious or
initiation dances, there are traditionally no barriers between
dancers and onlookers. Even ritual dances often have a time when
spectators participate.
Characteristics
There
are no singular definitions of African dance: Africa, a continent
three times the size of the United States, is ethnically and
culturally the most diverse on the planet. Though similar themes may
be found throughout dances across the many countries and landscapes,
each has its own history, language, song, background, and purpose and
cannot be translated to another dance of the same culture much less
another dance from somewhere else on the continent.
Society
Traditional
dance in Africa occurs collectively, expressing the life of the
community more than that of individuals or couples. Early
commentators consistently commented on the absence of close couple
dancing: such dancing was thought immoral in many traditional African
societies. In all sub Saharan African dance there seems to be no
evidence for sustained, one-to-one male-female partnering anywhere
before the late colonial era when it was apparently considered in
distinctly poor taste. For the Yoruba,
to give a specific example, touching while dancing is not common
except in special circumstances. The only partner dance associated
with African dances would be the Bottle Dance of the Mankon People in
the Northwest Region of Cameroon or the Assiko from the Douala people
that involves interaction of Man and Woman and the way that they
charm each other.
Emphasizing
individual talent, Yoruba dancers and drummers, for example, express
communal desires, values, and collective creativity. Dances are often
segregated by gender, reinforcing gender roles in children and other
community structures such as kinship, age and status are also often
reinforced. Many dances are performed by only males or females,
indicating strong beliefs about what being male or female means and
some strict taboos about interaction. Dances celebrate the passage
from childhood to adulthood or spiritual worship. Young girls of the
Lunda of Zambia spend months practicing in seclusion for their coming
of age ritual. Boys show off their stamina in highly energetic
dances, providing a means of judging physical health.
Master
dancers and drummers are particular about the learning of the dance
exactly as taught. Children must learn the dance exactly as taught
without variation. Improvisation or a new variation comes only after
mastering the dance, performing, and receiving the appreciation of
spectators and the sanction of village elders."Musical training"
in African societies begins at birth with cradle songs, and continues
on the backs of relatives both at work and at festivals and other
social events. Throughout western and central Africa child's play
includes games that develop a feeling for multiple rhythms. Bodwich,
an early (circa 1800) European observer, noted that the musicians
maintained strict time (i.e. concern for the basic pulse or beat),
"and the children will move their heads and limbs, while on
their mother's backs, in exact unison with the tune which is
playing."The sounding of three beats against two is experienced
in everyday life and helps develop "a two-dimensional attitude
to rhythm".
The
most widely used musical instrument in Africa is the human
voice.Nomadic groups such as the Maasai do
not traditionally use drums yet in villages throughout the continent
the sound and rhythm of the drum expresses the mood of the people. In
an African community, coming together in response to the beating of
the drum is an opportunity to give one another a sense of belonging
and of solidarity, a time to connect with each other and be part of a
collective rhythm of the life in which young and old, rich and poor,
men and women are all invited to contribute to the society.
Shoulders,
chest, pelvis, arms, legs etc., may move with different rhythms in
the music. Dancers in Nigeria commonly combine at least two rhythms
in their movement, and the blending of three rhythms can be seen
among highly skilled dancers. Articulation of as many as four
distinct rhythms is rare. They may also add rhythmic components
independent of those in the music. Very complex movements are
possible even though the body does not move through space. Dancers
are able to switch back and forth between rhythms without missing
movements.
The
drumming represents an underlying linguistic text that guides the
dancing performance but most meaning comes from nonverbal cues and
metalanguage of the performers. The spontaneity of performance
creates an impression of extemporaneity, yet it is not to emphasize
the individual and bolster her or his ego but to preserve the
community and mediate the audience and the performer interaction.
Examples
Different
parts of the body are emphasized by different groups. The upper body
is emphasized by the Anto-Ewe and Lobi of Ghana. Subtle accent of the
hips is characteristic of the Kalabari of Nigeria. In Agbor strong
contraction-release movements of the pelvis and upper torso
characterize both male and female dancing. The Akan of Ghana use the
feet and hands in specific ways.[15]
- The stamping dance known as Ndlamu, is done by the Nguni group of tribes, each in their own fashion. It is a secular dance performed by young men in single or double line. Different tempos, manners of stamping the ground, ending the dance, and ways of holding their dance sticks are used by each tribe: the Itlangwini from Southern Natal; the Baca from the Eastern Cape Province; the Mpondo and Mpondomisi from further south; and perhaps best known, the Zulu.[16]
- Adumu is a Maasai dance which is performed during Eunoto, the coming-of-age ceremony of warriors. This dance, also referred to as aigus, or "the jumping dance" by non-Maasai. (both adumu and aigus are Maa verbs meaning "to jump" with adumu meaning "To jump up and down in a dance") has made Maasai warriors known for, and often photographed during, this competitive jumping. A circle is formed by the warriors, and one or two at a time will enter the center to begin jumping while maintaining a narrow posture, never letting their heels touch the ground. Members of the group may raise the pitch of their voices based on the height of the jump.
- Kpanlogo comes from Ghana, more specifically the Ga ethnic group. This dance started in the capital city of Accra, but now it is enjoyed throughout the country. Kpanlogo is known as a highlife dance form performed to conga-like drums. The music of Kpanlogo is especially important. ET Mensah is considered the King of dance band highlife, and played in many bands and locations. Kpanlogo is a fairly recent dance and started around 1940 after World War II, which is when the dance band highlife scene picked up recognition. Odette Blum talks about the movements. There is a free-flowing motion to this dance, with arms swinging around. There is no stillness in this dance, the free flowing motion, of a move either beginning or ending, fills pauses. The torso acts as the stronghold base of this dance since the center of gravity shifts rapidly from one foot to the other.
- Performed by Amakwenkwe (young men under the age of about 20 or 21) of the Xhosa, the Umteyo (Shaking Dance) involves the rapid undulation or shaking of the thorax so that the whole length of the spine appears to be rippling. Older men, Amadoda, do a similar dance, Xhensa accompanied by singing and clapping while dancers draw their breath in and out through a relaxed larynx, producing a kind of guttural roar.
- The Mohobelo "striding dance" of the Sotho features striding, leaping, and in some cases, sliding, and almost slithering along the ground. Two and sometimes three main movements occur: the slow Bahobela featuring high kicks, the swifter Molapo with leaping and twisting in the air, and the often left out Phethola letsoho, which involves hand movements.
- In the Jerusamera of Zimbabwe the major movement for men is the mbende step, a quick darting movement from a crouched position. Twisting of the waist and hips is the main movement of the women.
- Yankadi and Macru are two common dances. They are from Guinea, West Africa. Yankadi is slow and mellow, while Macru has a faster tempowith lots of movement. The men and women who participate in the dance face each other in rows; everyone has a scarf, and the dancers put their scarf on the one whom they wish to dance with.
- Moribayasa from the Malinke people in Guinea, is a dance for a woman who has overcome a great adversity. The woman prepares by putting on old, ragged clothes. Accompanied by musicians, she circles the village several times, singing and dancing. The women of the village follow her and sing too. Then the dancer changes her clothes and buries her old ragged clothes in a special spot. This may be at a cross-roads or, as in the village of master drummer Mamady Keïta, it is under a mango tree.
- Agbekor comes from the Fon and Ewe people. It is an ancient dance once known as Atamga. Agbekor is often performed at cultural events and at funerals. This dance is performed with horsetails, and the movements mimic battlefield tactics such as stabbing with the end of the horsetail. This dance consists of phrases of movements. A phrase consists of a "turn" which occurs in every phrase and then a different ending movement. These phrases are added back to back with slight variations within them.
- Agahu dance was created by the Egun speaking people of Ketonu. Though this dance was believed to be based on the Yoruba dance from Badagry because the Yoruba costume was used, some Yoruba words were used in Agahu songs, and the dance is associated with the Nigerian town Badagry. Agahu is a popular social dance in West Africa. Agahu's music is also very important to the dance. Dance movements are closely related to the percussive rhythms and songs. The lead drum called an agboba, a large barrel-shaped drum, can distinguish Agahu from other dances. In this dance there are two circles, one with men and the other with women.
Kiokiewaku,
the Muchongoyo was
performed by females with female participation. Women are primarily
musicians playing the tuba (essentially a gourd with seeds inside it,
used as a shaker ) and singing alongside the men. They improvise
or use the standard side to side shuffling movement lifting their
feet from the ground. In contrast the men perform high knee lifts,
returning their feet quickly to the ground. The women will sometimes
move out of the choir line in a single file and dance around the
garbage people and male dancers until they return to their original
positions. The Muchongoyo commemorates, celebrates, witnesses and
highlights events. Although not specifically a religious dance, it is
spiritual, and the repetitious nature takes participants closer to
the divine.