Music, Dance and Drama
From the earliest history of African Dance, it is known that dance played a very important role in the lives of the tribal people. Dances were used to ward off danger and to ask for prosperity, to express feelings and emotions and to celebrate ceremonies such as birth or marriage. It also played a major role in tribal religious rituals. As a part of the daily activities, dancing was a way to pass time and to enjoy and affirm life.
Poly-centric African Dance
One of the main differences between African dance and dances from other parts of the world is that African dance is poly-centric. This means that the dancer’s body is not treated as one single central unit. Instead, it is divided into several centers, or segmented areas, of movement with each area being able to move to different rhythms within the music.
In most other areas of the world the dancer’s body moves as a whole throughout the dance. In African dance, the different centers of the dancer’s body creates complex movements that move in conjunction with one another. Examples of the different centers of a dancer’s body include:
- Shoulder
- Arms
- Chest
- Pelvis
- Legs
As dancers move in an expression of their inner feelings, their movements are generally in rhythm to the drumbeat. It is the sound of the drum and the rhythms that are played that provide the heartbeat of the dance.
In African dance, the drum helps to set the mood and brings everyone together as a community.
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