African dance, also known as Afro dance, Afrodance, and Afro-dance, encompasses a diverse range of dance styles originating from sub-Saharan Africa. These dances are intrinsically linked to the traditional rhythms and music of the region, forming an integral part of many African societies.
Zulu dancers
Modern African dance styles are deeply rooted in culture and tradition, with many tribes assigning specific roles to preserve their dance traditions. These dances, passed down through centuries, often remain unchanged, allowing little room for improvisation.
The Purpose and Evolution of African Dance
Each tribe developed its own unique style of dance, which can be categorized based on purpose:
- Traditional: Dances that maintain the ruler's status in the tribal society.
- Griot: Dances that tell a story, named after the traditional storytellers of West Africa.
- Ceremonial: Dances performed for specific rituals and events.
However, many dances served multiple purposes, blending primary intentions with secondary functions.
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Colonialism and globalization have led to the disappearance of some African dance styles. As people were forcibly taken from Africa as slaves, beginning in the 1500s, they carried their dance styles with them. Entire cultures were transplanted into the New World, particularly in regions where slaves had more freedom to maintain their traditions and outnumbered Europeans or indigenous Americans, such as Brazil.
African dance styles merged with new cultural experiences, giving rise to new dance forms. For instance, slaves adapted high-energy dances to shuffling steps in response to their masters' concerns. In North America, however, slaves had less freedom to preserve their culture and dance.
Many of these dances have evolved into modern styles, including African-American and Brazilian dance. The Calenda, for example, originated in Brazil from tribal dance.
Traditional dance in Africa is typically a collective activity, expressing community values and desires rather than individual sentiments. Although dances may seem spontaneous, they are usually strictly choreographed.
In traditional African societies, children begin learning traditional songs, rhythms, and dances from birth, starting with lullabies sung by their mothers. They are exposed to music while carried on their mothers' backs during daily activities and social events.
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Many traditional African children's games, especially in western and central Africa, incorporate elements that enhance a child's understanding of rhythms. As children grow, they imitate older dancers until they can replicate the dances accurately.
Musical Accompaniment and Rhythmic Complexity
The musical accompaniment for African dances is highly diverse. Most dances incorporate the human voice through singing, shouting, recitations, grunts, whispering, and other vocalizations. Many groups also use drums.
Many African dances are polyrhythmic, employing two or more conflicting rhythms simultaneously. Dancers may synchronize different body parts to various rhythms or alternate between rhythms fluidly. Dancers in Nigeria, for example, often combine at least two rhythms in their movements, or three if they are exceptionally skilled. They may also add rhythmic components independent of the music.
Dance historian Jacqui Malone notes the distinct ways different groups use their bodies: "The Anlo-Ewe and Lobi of Ghana emphasize the upper body, while the Kalabari of Nigeria give a subtle accent to the hips. The Akan of Ghana use the feet and hands in specific ways."
Here are some examples of traditional African dances:
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- Adumu: A Maasai jumping dance performed during the warriors' coming-of-age ceremony.
- Mokhibo: The "shoulder dance," predominantly seen in Lesotho, performed by women.
- Muchongoyo: A Zimbabwean dance performed by men, with women participating through singing, playing instruments, and dancing on the sidelines.
- Umteyo: A Xhosa dance performed by young men, characterized by rapid torso undulation.
- Agbekor: A warrior's dance originating from the Fon and Ewe peoples of West Africa.
- Moribayassa: A solo dance from the Malinke people of Guinea, performed by a woman to celebrate overcoming hardship.
- Agbadza: An original rhythm and dance from West Africa.
Afrofusion is a dance style concept introduced by South African choreographer-dancer Sylvia Glasser, also known as Magogo, in the 1970s. Glasser's protégés include international contemporary dance figures such as Gregory Maqoma and Vincent Mantsoe. Afro fusion gained popularity in African countries like Namibia and Zambia.
The Reed Dance (Umhlanga)
One notable example of traditional African dance is the Reed Dance, also known as Umhlanga, practiced in Eswatini and South Africa. This dance is a revival of the older "umcwasho" custom, where unmarried girls were grouped into age-regiments to ensure their virginity. The reed dance continues to be practised today in Eswatini. In South Africa, the reed dance was introduced in 1991 by Goodwill Zwelithini, the former King of the Zulus.
The girls wear traditional attire, including beadwork, loincloths and skirts that show their bottoms. They also wear anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and colourful sashes.
In the KwaZulu-Natal region, thousands of bare-breasted maidens perform the reed dance in front of the monarch to honour their beauty and virginity. They sometimes surround the king during some important broadcast, as a sign of dignity and virtue.
In Eswatini, girls begin the rite by gathering at the Queen Mother's royal village, which currently is Ludzidzini Royal Village. After arriving at the Queen Mother's royal residence, the women disperse the following night to surrounding areas and cut tall reeds.
After a day of rest and washing, the women prepare their traditional costumes consisting of a bead necklace, rattling anklets made from cocoons, a sash, and skirt. The women sing and dance as they parade in front of the royal family as well as a crowd of dignitaries, spectators, and tourists.
After the parade, groups from select villages take to the centre of the field and put on a special performance for the crowd.
The present form of the Reed Dance developed in the 1940s from the Umcwasho custom, where young girls were placed in age regiments to ensure their virginity. Once they had reached marriageable age, they would perform labour for the Queen Mother followed by dancing and a feast.
The date of the ceremony is scheduled by looking at the phases of the moon. Once the moon reaches full stage, the ceremony commences. Places where the reed is located are visited to check if it is ready for cutting and its availability.
Preparations also include finding places where the young girls will sleep, health meals, organising transport to carry them from their respective constituencies to the royal kraal.
From constituency level, the constituency chooses four trustworthy males who will lead the young group of girls from that constituency. If an emergency situation arises two of the men who are accompanying this girls will head back home to report the situation.
From early days the girls start practicing traditional songs and traditional dances. In earlier times, the girls used to sleep outside in open space; today they sleep in tents. Today they are also ferried by lorries instead of walking long distances carrying the reed. Microphones are used to start songs and to announce which song will be sung.
Reed Dance ceremony I Dissecting cultural aspects of the Reed Dance: Ntshangase
Traditional African Religions and Dance
In traditional African religions, deities, spirits, ancestors, and other forces are active elements in the material world. Deities and spirits inhabit the world and impact human lives daily. For the Yoruba, these are the orishas; for the Fon, the vodun; for the Baganda, the baalubal and other locally named spirits or lesser deities. Families typically worship only a few of these deities, offering them sacrifices and seeking their help.
Traditional African Dance
Bori
The Bori is a traditional African religion of the Hausa ethnic group, found in West and Central Africa. Bori is the spiritual power contained in material things.
In Bori, spirit possession and the ability of priestesses to control these spirits are central. Communication with the spirit realm is primarily through ecstatic dance rituals, where priestesses reach a state of wild dancing, opening themselves spiritually to allow the spirit to enter and act. The royal priestess, Inna, played a leading role in this practice.
Today, Bori survives in syncretism with Islam in Niger and Nigeria. Religions and cults in which ecstatic dance plays a major role are numerous in West and Central Africa.
Bantu Religions
Despite the hundreds of Bantu ethnic groups across central and southern Africa, their religions share common features. Bantu religions believe in a supreme God, often vaguely characterized and linked to the sky or mountains. A recurring motif is that heaven and earth were once closer, but human disobedience caused God to move away.
Associated with death are the chameleon and the lizard. Oral tradition says that God sent the chameleon to proclaim immortality, but the lizard, carrying a message of mortality, overtook it due to the chameleon's slowness. The lizard's message prevailed, making humans mortal. Both animals are bad omens in Bantu cultures.
The cult of ancestors is also important. The Bantu believe that the spirits of deceased ancestors remain in the world and can influence it. Spirits exist as long as they are remembered, and angry spirits can cause misfortune or illness. People address spirits through oracles, seeking advice, blessings, or intercession.
Mythology Bushongo
The Bushongo ethnic group worships a creator god named Bumba, who vomited up the sun, stars, earth, animals, and humans. Initiates and sorcerers are called ngangas, and their most powerful weapon are the magical figures of Nkisi Nkondi.
Religion of the Sudanese Dinka
The highest god of the Dinka is Nhialic, present in all creation and responsible for the fate of all living things. Myths describe humans being breathed out of Nhialic's nostrils or created from clay. Prayers are directed to Nhialic, to whom a bull is sacrificed, as well as to other gods and ancestral spirits. The snake is a sacred animal for the Dinka.
Bwiti Religion and Psychedelics
Some religions in Central Africa use psychoactive substances in ceremonies, such as the iboga bush root in the Bwiti religion. Marijuana smoking is also widespread as a tool to tune into spiritual experiences, enhanced by rhythmic drumming, dancing, monotone singing, prayer, or spirit control.
Common Characteristics of Central African Religions
A key aspect of African religions is the reverence for ancestors, who can bless and punish and have great power to influence the world. Ancestors play an important role in rites of passage, guiding individuals safely through rituals. Elders have the closest contact with ancestors, and the Beng people believe newborns are reincarnations of ancestors.
Not every deceased person becomes a revered ancestor; only prominent individuals or those who have done something exceptional for their community are chosen. The future ancestor must die a good death at an old age, signifying wisdom and knowledge.
Here is a table summarizing some of the key aspects of African traditional dances and religions:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| Dance Purpose | Traditional, Griotic, Ceremonial |
| Musical Accompaniment | Voice, drums, polyrhythms |
| Umhlanga | Reed Dance celebrating virginity |
| Bori Religion | Spirit possession, ecstatic dance |
| Bantu Religions | Belief in supreme God, ancestor worship |
| Sudanese Dinka | Creator god Nhialic, animal sacrifice |
