Dance culture in Nigeria is regarded as cultural dances, and is among the varying cultures and traditions of Nigerians. One major aspect of culture which Nigerians love a lot is dance. Nigerian cultural dances have a way of unifying the people in one way or the other and sometimes telling stories via accompanying music. Dance in Nigeria is a culture that unifies the people and also tells the people's stories. Cultural dance is a special type of dance that is shared by a community for specific uses and meanings.
These stories may differ from tribe to tribe and most often reflect on victory, beauty, honesty, love, war and the likes. Dance culture is the way of expressing an idea, emotion or releasing energy. Dance is one of the best art forms for expression, entertainment and fun.
Dance is important to the human health and development of our young people in the society. It is a form of emotional expression, social interaction, or exercise and these dances are sometimes used to express ideas or tell a story. Dance also helps develop skills that are necessary for learning such as; creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Hausa Dancers
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Diverse Traditional Dances in Nigeria
Nigeria boasts a rich tapestry of traditional dances, each with its unique style, music, and cultural significance. Here are a few examples:
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Ekombi Dance
Ekombi is a traditional dance amongst the Efik people in Calabar, Cross River State - Nigeria. The movements are derived from the motions of the ocean. It is a graceful dance with incredible footwork, it’s a dance of peace and happiness.
Ekombi Dance
Bata Dance
The Bata dance is prominent in the western region of Nigeria, home to the Yoruba tribe. It is associated with Sango, God of Thunder is believed to be athletic and overtly acrobatic. The dance emerged out of the need to soothe a king with a fiery and tempestuous nature. The Bata dance can be performed as a part of festival or dance performance or used to dethrone or enthrone a king. It can also be said to be a cultural festival that serves as a means of entertaining people. Bata dance is an important part of entertainment because it encompasses different moves and stunts. It can be danced by both the males and the females in the Southwestern part of Nigeria, where it is popularly known.
Atilogwu Dance
Atilogwu Dance is a traditional dance from the Igbo ethnic group of Nigeria. Atilogwu is one of the most entertaining Igbo dance that focuses on vigorous body movement and often includes acrobatics flips, high jumps and so on.
Ukwata Dance
The Ukwata Dance is one of the dances of the Abbi people of Delta State have during the Ukwata Festival. It comes with religious aspects that include dances and rituals to worship the gods. Throughout the festival, women make bonfires to keep evil spirits at bay.
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Toward the end of the festival, the Egwu, Igba and Ukele dancers dress in marine colors and wear costumes representing aquatic creatures like crocodiles, alligators, fish and iguanas. This dance has a major character - the Adamma masquerade who is dressed in female attire but wriggles her body like that of a man. While the masquerade itself is feminine, most of the dancers are males.
Ohogho Dance
The Ohogho dance comes from the Benin culture and belongs to certain strong and healthy age groups. It is a religious dancer that has its dancers wearing the waist gown - ebuluku and dance in circles with gongs or bells in their hands and around a bowl with burning medicinal leaves.
Gese Dance
Gese is a religious dance that originated from the Yorubaland of western Nigeria and gets its name from a type of drum. Its famous sources come specifically from the towns of Okeigbo and Ifetedo in the southwest region of Nigeria. It is grounded in complex drum rhythms that only trained dancers can expertly perform in a way that truly represents the religious customs of the people. The movements represent a holistic view of life that is enshrined in the people’s religious practices.
Igba Dance
This dance is synonymous with warriors and is usually performed to welcome soldiers back from tribal wars. In those days in the Igbo land, as akin to other traditional settings and societies, communities usually engage in wars and conflicts with other neighboring communities. Thus, to welcome the warriors who went to defend the community, this dance is enacted - as a sign of solidarity, and to give the warriors a sense of belonging and fulfillment after carrying out the duty of defending the community.
Swange Dance
The Swange is a form of urban recreational dance among the Tiv in which men and women dance together. This dance uses the circle formation familiar in village dances and adapts traditional musical themes to highlife rhythms played on a combination of Tiv and Hausa instruments.
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Omuru-onwa and Agbacha-ekuru-nwa Dance
This also is an example of the types of dance in the Nigerian Dance Culture. It is strictly performed by married women, it generally involves responsive movement of the body, in a rhythmic fashion to hip-swinging.
Evolution of Dance
The dance, which from inception, hinged on a particular pattern of steps and body movement, has evolved over time. This is also known as the “Maiden dance” and is synonymous with young maidens of marriageable age. It also helps the younger girls to keep their minds occupied and to abstain from sexual activities before marriage. The dance is a sight to behold and involves rhythmic movement from the chest and waist.
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