The History of Dance in Africa

Tribal chiefs at Reed Dance in Swaziland

Beyond the brilliant costumes, infectious drums and dynamic movements, African dance enjoys a rich history that stresses the importance of language to music, and subsequently music to dance. Adama Ouane and Christine Glanz, authors of a UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning brief, estimate that there are between 1,000 and 2,500 languages in Africa; thus, the dances also vary and are equally as numerous. Though each ethnic group has its own story and differences in dance style, central to the dances of Africa are a connection to the land through oral traditions, memory and epic.

Historical Significance

According to choreographer and dance scholar Kariamu Welsh-Asante, any examination of African dance must consider the role it plays in African society. Traditionally, African dances expressed the livelihood of the community, depicting activities such as hunting, cooking and fishing. They also played an integral part in ceremonies and celebrations such as births, initiations and weddings. Thus, for Africans, dance functioned as more than artistic expression: it formed a working definition of what made them distinctly African.

Components

African dance marries movement, music, artifacts and function, conveying the values and beliefs of the community that created it. Oforiwaa Oduonum, head of the African Dance and Drum Ensemble at Illinois State University, states that the gestures of the hips, shoulders, legs, hands and head teach codes of conduct and transmit traditional values. Music from drums, bells and stringed instruments, clapping, and other sounds serve as the basis for the execution of movement. Dancers slow down, speed up and change their movements based on what the music does, so movement and music do not exist independently of one another.

From Pre-colonial to Post-colonial African Dance

Since African dance stemmed from rural communal traditions, community members were always an active part of the festivities. The influences of Islam, Christianity and colonialism forced conformity to religious and Western ideals, initially suppressing indigenous dance. After independence, African societies re-embraced traditional dance as a form of self-definition. Now, African dance has taken new shape, functioning as more of a spectator sport, yet with aspects of traditional audience participation such as hand clapping, call and response, and impromptu solo dances in less formal settings.

References

• "Why and How Africa Should Invest in African Languages and Multilingual Education"; Adama Ouane and Christine Glanz; 2010
• "Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader"; Ann Dils and Ann Cooper Albright; 2001
• "Encyclopedia of 20th Century African History"; Paul Tiyambe Zeleza and Dickson Eyoh; 2003