2. Who Dances?
The Community! Men, women, and children!
Dances are often segregated by gender to reinforce
gender roles in children.
Community Structures such as kinship, age and
status are also reinforced.
Dances are both religious and non-religious.
Examples…
4. Adumu
Performed during Eunoto, the coming of age
ceremony of warriors.
Referred to as Aigus, or "the jumping dance" by
non-Maasai.
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
6. Moribayassa
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.
8. Gahu
Gahu created by the Egun speaking people of Ketonu.
Gahu is a popular social dance in West Africa.
Music is very important to the dance. The lead drum
called an agboba, a large barrel-shaped drum, can
distinguish Agahu from other dances.
Dance movements are closely related to the percussive
rhythms and songs.
In this dance there are two circles, one with men and the
other with women.
9. Movement
Simple: emphasizing the upper body, torso or feet
Complex: involving coordination of different body
parts and intricate actions such as fast rotation,
ripples of the body, and contraction and release
Variations in dynamics, levels and use of space.
Utilizes the concept of polyrhythm (the
simultaneous sounding of two or more independent
rhythms.)
10. Clothing
Bright
Comfortable
Loose
Traditional
Hand Made
Different for each specific dance
Utilize symbolic gestures, masks, costumes and
body paint to communicate
12. Discrimination:
Much of the African traditions were oppressed
during the days of slavery, some of the culture was
salvaged by disguising it in the face of slave owners.
West African dance reached the Americas during
the slave trade. Slaves were often prohibited from
dancing but African based movements found their
way into European dance styles, quickly evolving
into popular American dances.
13. Contribution to American
Culture
The influence of African dance can be seen in early
American dances such as the Ring Shout and the
Cakewalk, and later dances such as the jitterbug and
the Charleston.
The influences still visible in the more
contemporary styles of dance including hip hop and
jazz.
14. What has been lost?
Some of the traditions
Early African history
West African culture before slavery.
The true meanings of the dances
15. Suppression
During slavery, the plantocracy orchestrated the
suppression of many customs and traditions,
especially language and those practices that
threatened the security of the system and its ruling
class.
They were suspicious of whatever they did not
understand.
16. Conclusion
West African dance has had many influences on
modern dances, music and culture.
West African dance is used as a form of self-
expression to celebrate life, love, rites of passage,
the harvest and to mourn death.
West African dance is expressive and free. The
movements are big and spontaneous. It’s terrible
that these people were suppressed and some dances
and traditions were lost. We must keep the
traditions alive.
