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Hello my name is Michelle Hughes, welcome to the Essence of African Dance. In my previous blog, I introduced you to specific types of dance, such as, Choreography, Formalized Movement, Line, Form, and Repetition as well as Rhythm. Today I will introduce you to the  history of African dance and what it embodies.  Most of us know that Africa is a continent known for having rhythm in its blood, and it is this innate quality that makes people of Africa so expressive.  Through dance Africans are able to express their social values and patterns.  African dance represents the life and culture of the community. 

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Circle of Life

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Bamako Dance

African Dance and the Slave Trade

East Africa
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West Africa
www.cpj.org

The 15^th century marked the beginning of the African slave trade.  Europeans were transporting Africans from East Africa as well as West Africa.  According to Sporre, “The east coast of Africa saw significant traffic in slaves.” (Sporre pg. 269).  As a result, “Slave trading proved detrimental to the economic health of East Africa” (Sporre pg. 269).  On the other hand, West Africa experienced quite the opposite.  “States in that area used the slave trade and adapted it to their own ends without becoming totally dependent on upon it”(Sporre pg.269). 

Though African dance was important to the daily life of Africans in their homeland, it was not the case during captivity.  African Slaves were forced to dance while in bondage.  The master wanted to assure that his stock was in good condition.  Consequently, “Slaves danced not for love, enjoyment, or religious celebrations; they danced to avoid the whip; most of all slaves danced for survival on their way to the Americas” (Afro-Panavisio).  “This marked the spread of African dances” (Afro-Panavision). 

Dancing on Deck

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History of African Dance

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African Dance has traditionally played an essential role in the culture of the tribes. "Much more than entertainment, dances communicate emotions, celebrate rites of passage, and help strengthen the bonds between members of the tribe as a whole” (lovetoknow.com).

African dance is polycentric, which sets it apart from most other dance traditions in the world. As a result, the dancer's body is segmented into separate areas of movement, “with each area being able to move to different rhythms within the music” (lovetoknow.com).  In choreographic terms, these moves are known as "Isolations" and are quite complex and difficult to master.     

Most African villages had "Dance Masters" who taught members of the tribe from a very young age how to perform the various dances.  Dances were very important and had to be performed exactly as taught; “with no room for improvisation or ornamentation until complete mastery of the form was achieved” (lovetoknow.com).  All of the dances were polycentric in some way; different areas of Africa had very different dances. For example, the men were known for leaping high in the air, while the women emphasized hip motions. As a result, movements are very precise; the same dances seen today have most likely been danced in the same way for many centuries.

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Mask Dance

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The Mask forms an essential feature of the traditional African culture. Elaborate masks are used in ritual dances. Masked dances form an integral part of the traditional ceremonies including weddings, funerals and initiation rites. The mask-wearer is said to transgress his human form and take over the form of the spirit that is represented by the mask. The masked dancer thus becomes a medium of communication between members of the community and the spirits.

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African Costumes

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Kulu Mele African Dance

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 Tribal Dance Costume

Clothing and Customs are an important part of African dance. Most African dances require certain outfits and costumes to be worn while entertaining. “The visual, kinetic, and aural attributes of costume dramatically affect the expressive qualities of dance” (Costume In African Traditions).  Once a personal and social statement, African costume today range from embellishment, or nudity, to dramatic transformations of the human form.  “Such transformations are inextricably related to movement, either facilitating or restricting it” (Costume In African Traditions).  

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African Children in Costumes

  

         

The Importance of Music and African Dance

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The drum is perhaps the oldest musical instrument in the world, with every society utilizing it in varying degrees.  However, it is most honored among people of Africa.  The Djembe is arguably the most famous drum of African origin.  “It is a goatskin-covered percussion instrument shaped like a large goblet made to be played with bare hands” (The History of African Drumming).  The Djembe first appeared during the Mali Empire, “the dominant political unit in West Africa from around the 15th century until present-day Senegal to Mali” (The History of African Drumming).  The Malinke people and the Susu people used it during the celebration of sacred and secular events.

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How to make a Dejembe drum

In African dance, the drum is one way to set the mood and bring everyone together as a community.  "As dancers move in expression of their inner feelings, their movements are generally in rhythm to the music"(History of African Dance).  The sound of the drum and the rhythms provide the heartbeat of the dance.  In the African culture, music and dance are considered inseparable, two parts of the same activity.  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq7lqE9vnuE

Drums and Dance

The Rights of Passage

“'Coming of age' is considered to be one of the most important rituals amongst the African tribes” (Buzzle). This dance is performed as an act of initiation into adulthood. Young dancers practice in seclusion for months before performing in front of the community.  This dance is used to boost the confidence of the young men and women.  It is also used to welcome them into the new phase of life.

Maasai people of East Africa perform the Rights of Passage to celebrate the coming of age of warriors.  “African dancers jump without allowing their heels to touch ground” (Buzzle).  In West Africa, Tokoe people use select young women of Ghana to perform the Rights of Passage.  “In order for the girls to 
be chosen, they must meet required qualifications” (Buzzle); one which include being a virgin at the time of entering puberty.   

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Massai Rights of Passage

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Ghana Girls

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               Ghana Girls