African Dance

Understanding African Dance

When you hear the words African dance, you may think of tribal cultures whooping and hollering in a primitive manner. While this may be true in some circumstances, today’s African dance finds its way in various studios and festivals, not just in primal clans. When we hear the term African dance, this refers usually to the movements that have come out of sub-Saharan or West Africa. While dance has come out of all portions of the continent, we are most closely linked today with the artistic expression of West Africa.

Many forms of African dance showcased today were carried over through European and Asian immigrants.

Unlike most other forms of dance, African dance features very few isolations, instead using the whole of the body. This dance genre is what is known as “polycentric”, or rather dictated by various rhythmic variations found in music. For this reason, African dance can easily be as varied as the wide variety of musical beats available to us today. For this reason, there are plenty of complex movements to be had, and many continue to be developed both within native tribes and outside of it throughout modern dance society.

Some argue that all dance styles come out of Africa, and there isn’t a single genre of movement that isn’t in some way credited to these ancient steps. Surely the soul is found in this sub-Saharan lifestyle, as African dance carries such a passion about it that no one could ever hope to duplicate unless they have been truly captured by the spirit of dance. African drum beats dictate the emotion of the dancers, and for this reason many have the same sort of self expression today in all styles of dance.

Various Forms of Dance

Throughout Africa, there is a tapestry of dance forms that have thrived throughout history. Below are just a few of these.

Warrior Dance

Throughout various tribes, warrior dances have been the essence of both battle and victory. Also used in cultural festivals and funerals, warrior dance is an integral part of many African religions and sects. Warrior dances usually contain a certain phrase of movement that is often repeated to make a simple, but lengthy dance. Different endings can signify different meanings, however overall the warrior dance is powerful and symbolic in its simplicity.

Love Dance

Performed at only special relational events such as weddings and anniversaries, Ghana women often dance special choreography as a way to pay homage to the bride. Men do not participate in dances of love, as they are often a gift to a betrothed woman from her friends, relatives, or attendants.

Summoning Dances

From a more primitive religious viewpoint, summoning dances are still used today in many traditional religions of Africa. The purpose of the dance is to conjure up a spirit, and this can be any deity from those representing plants and forests, to those that are thought to control the fate of ancestors and the current living. Many religions believe that specific deities have favorite dances, and for this reason they will perform appropriate movements when appealing to a cause or when they have a specific motivation for summoning the spirit.

Outside of these examples, there are countless forms of dance moves that come out of Africa and continue to write history. You may enjoy them today at a studio class, or you may experience them in their original form if you are ever lucky enough to travel to Africa. Seeing these native dances in the flesh can be a captivating experience, much in the same way the original movements have been credited for capturing the hearts of the African people and their gods.