African dancing has both historical and social traditions that reflect more significance than those of many other cultures. The dances help celebrate not only special events and festivals, similar to other cultures, but often tell the stories of the nation's history. Unwritten oral history, passed through generation before writing became part of the culture, often included African dance as part of the process.
Many of the dances taught the young about social morays and values, others were simply for the joy of celebration. Some of the dances were tributes of thanks to the gods for helping the tribe achieve success on a hunt or harvest.
Many tribes trained singers to provide the music for the African dance. They produced intricate harmonies and set the rhythmic pace for the dance. While most of the music came from vocals, often drums accompanied the singers to provide heavy rhythms for the dancers. The bougaragou, on of the drums used, is by far the most popular, although there are dozens of others.
The dance of Africans is one method the cultures had of passing on their histories and beliefs. African dancing holds more significance than the dance steps of other cultures, since it part of their oral history tradition rather than just for social entertainment. The dance passed down each tribe's beliefs and history long before they had written records. It is part of the oral history of each tribal nation.
The African dances not only told of historical feats and actions; they were a way to pass on the societies social values to the tribe's young people. Some of the dances, however, were actually praises to the gods for help with the crops or a victory in war or on the hunt.
As we mentioned, the main difference between African Dancing and other popular forms of dance is that there is no close couple dancing in traditional African dance. This can be attributed to fact that many early African cultures believed that men and women should not dance together because it was immoral. That is the primary reason why most African dances are gender specific and why men and women rarely even touch during mixed dances.
The heartbeat of the dance came from the drums and it showed the essence of the tribe. The rapid strong rhythm indicated the tribe's vitality and strength. Just as chapel bells call people to worship, the drum called the village together for meetings and ceremonies. It also provided a symbol for the joining of all African nations, just as the African dance does.
Warrior Dance: As you might expect, this dance was performed before the men of the tribe went off to battle. It is a violent dance that consists of stabbing motions and other battlefield tactics.
Weddings and anniversaries often brought the dance of love to the celebrations. Unlike western thoughts, there were no couples but women primarily danced this celebratory dance. It showed the tribe's acknowledgement of the love that existed between the couple.
Coming of Age Dance: Performed to mark the passing of a young person from childhood into adulthood.
Other African dances besides these mentioned hold a hold a high place in the tribal traditions. The dances display important cultural morays and play a big role in understanding the culture and history of the tribes.
You can learn more about African dance by watching the African Side movie to see some great African dancing. Visit the African Side website today to obtain your copy.
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