Ah, the wondrous art of movement, a language that transcends words and speaks directly to the soul. With a rich and storied heritage that spans millennia, African dance is as diverse as the continent from which it hails. Traditional African dance holds a rich and diverse history that spans across the continent. It is a means of storytelling and expression, a language that speaks of community, spirituality, and the human experience.
As a people, South Africans are strongly connected to the music, moves and fashion that make their local dance styles unique. South Africa needed music that emulated how its people lived and aspired to live - freely, openly and at pace with the rest of the world. Today, music creators of African descent are celebrating and reclaiming their contributions to electronic music worldwide, with Africa standing as one of the largest consumers and producers of original electronic genres to date.
Amapiano: Origins, Evolution and Global Impact - The Sound of South Africa
To understand the art of movement in African dance, one must first delve into its historical context. Traditional African dance is a living, breathing chronicle of the past, with roots that stretch back into the mists of time. Ritual dances, social dances, and rites of passage are but a few of the many facets of traditional African dance. They serve as a means of communication and connection with the spirit world, a celebration of life, and an affirmation of one’s place in the community.
Key Elements of African Dance
To truly grasp the essence of the art of movement in African dance, one must explore its key elements.
Rhythm
In African dance, the rhythm is king. The beating of drums and the percussive symphony of other instruments form the very foundation of the dance, guiding the movements of the dancers like an invisible hand. Take, for instance, the Zulu Indlamu dance, performed to the rhythm of drums and a chorus of singers. The dancers, adorned in traditional dress and wielding shields, move in precise, synchronized steps, their movements echoing the beat of the drums.
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Zulu dancers perform the Indlamu dance, showcasing rhythmic precision and cultural pride.
Full-Body Expression
African dance is a full-body experience, a dynamic interplay of movement, gesture, and expression that engages the entire being. The Adumu, a traditional Maasai dance from East Africa, exemplifies this use of full-body movements and gestures. In this dance, the warriors leap into the air with legs straight, while their upper bodies remain erect and poised, displaying their strength and agility.
Visual Spectacle
In African dance, the visual spectacle is just as important as the movements themselves. The Egungun dance of the Yoruba people of Nigeria provides a striking example of this use of costumes and props. In this masquerade dance, the performers are adorned with elaborate masks and costumes, representing ancestral spirits.
An Egungun dancer adorned in elaborate attire, representing ancestral spirits.
South African Dance Styles
South Africa boasts a vibrant and diverse dance culture, reflecting its rich history and multicultural society. Dancing is a lifestyle in South Africa. Warriors did it with spears and shields on the battlefield, and once the dust settled, women did it with a sexy shuffle in the shebeens or watering holes. People are defined by it, by their chosen style… Or by the style that chooses them. It comes as naturally as breathing - people aren’t told how, when or where to dance - it just happens.
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Some of these styles are setting trends globally, but for us South Africans, that’s not where the importance lies.
IsiPantsula
IsiPantsula is a South African energetic dance style that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, as a response to forced removals implemented by the Apartheid Government. The dance style was born in two townships in Johannesburg, Alexandra and Sophiatown, and has an interesting technique based around on-the-spot rhythmic footwork. The dance style is quick-stepping, with a distinct influence of tap dancing, blended with everyday gestures (such as the rolling of dice). Pantsula dancers move to Kwaito and House music, often incorporating an element of whistling.
Pantsula dancers in Soweto, captured by Chris Saunders.
In addition, the fashion and dress are as important as the dance moves in isiPantsula. IsiPantsula is mostly performed by male dancers, but there is a growing number of female dancers.
Amapiano Dance
Amapiano is a style of House music that emerged in South Africa around 2012. The genre is a combination of deep house, jazz, and lounge music, with a sound easily identified by its high-pitched piano melodies. The emergence of the Amapiano genre sparked the Amapiano dance style. The dance style features quick-step moves and body popping. Amapiano has created trending dance moves such as ‘the pouncing cat’, ‘the Zekethe’, and the famous ‘Dakiwe challenge.’
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Bhenga/Gqom
Gqom is a Zulu word meaning ‘drum’ or ‘hitting a drum.’ Gqom emerged in Durban on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. The genre is a minimal form of House music in which the beats have a raw and repetitive sound. With the Gqom genre came a dance style called Bhenga, where dancers ‘bhenga’ to the repetitive raw beats of Gqom music. The dance style aims to grab the audience’s attention and make the dancer seem flexible. The dance style is characterised by wavy arm movements, toe-tapping, and wobbly knees, requiring proper footwork.
S’bujwa
S’bujwa is a freestyle dance style incorporating elements of Hip Hop, Jive, and isiPantsula. As time went by (in the 2000s), S’bujwa merged with House music to create its own unique identity. The dance style is very energetic and requires every muscle in the dancer’s body to work to complete the moves. The dance style demands a lot of creativity from dancers.
Other Dance Styles
Apart from the above mentioned popular styles, South Africa also has a vibrant culture of:
- Breakdancing
- Lion Dance
- Irish Stepdance
- Jazz Dance
- Latin Dance
- Modern Dance
- Swing Dance
The Evolution and Influence of South African Dance Music
Since the stretching of the first animal skin drums, Africa has had an unbreakable connection with the sound known to South Africa as “isigubhu.” As the cradle of humankind, it’s no surprise that this visionary place has managed to harness the power of sound in a way that leaves generations of people in complete awe.
In the late 80s and 90s, genres such as bubblegum soul and kwaito laid the foundation for a country poised toward a rebelliously flavourful way of life. After years of oppression and hopelessness, South Africa’s musicians including M’du Masilela, Yvonna Chaka Chaka and Chicco geared up to manifest their innermost creativity to bring a sense of aliveness to its clubs and dancefloors; and with the first democratic elections in 1994, a house-appreciating nation was born.
In the city of gold, godfathers Vinny Da Vinci and Christos spread this new gospel via House Afrika Records, breaking cultural boundaries that prohibited their collaboration pre-1994, while Johannesburg-proud Soul Candi evolved from its brick-and-mortar record store to become a household record label.
Over in the coastal town of Durban, the 2010s saw a new iteration of house music hotting up. Up-and-coming producers in the townships began to experiment with a new craft around house’s 4-4 structure laden with whistles, smoky synths and agitated ad-libs. Named after the cacophony streaming from open minibus windows that navigated the city, “iGqomu” or “Gqom” saw young producers taking FL Studios’ capabilities that stole the limelight from Western techno and EDM to bring their own sounds of dark, fidgety is’qinisi and the tinner, skeletal uthayela to the fore.
Today, Amapiano has become this generation’s sonic marker, carrying many flavours of house, jazz and Afropop. From the township jazz clubs to the inner city rooftops, Amapiano can be heard at all times of day, played by all ages, brimming with nostalgia and newness alike.
Contemporary South African Dance
As the world continues to shrink and cultures collide, African dance has evolved and adapted, finding new forms of expression and influence. In the hands of innovative choreographers and dance companies, traditional African dance styles are being reinvented and reimagined for the modern age.
In the end, the power of dance as a universal language and the unique contributions of African artists to the global artistic community cannot be overstated. As we immerse ourselves in the captivating rhythms and movements of African dance, let us not forget the lessons it has to teach us about resilience, adaptability, and the human spirit.
