Reinventing Igbabonelimhin: An Icono-Cultural Emblem of the Esan (original) (raw)
Related papers
Adjusting to Change: Reclaiming the Indigenous Dance Space in Contemporary Nigeria
JOTAMS, 2017
Colonialism resulted in the twist in the fortunes of indigenous dancing through its revolutionary ideologies like evangelization, islamization, formal education, and capitalism among others. These colonial ideals, signaling the modern period in Nigeria resulted in the extinction of certain indigenous dances, adulteration of the functionality in several others, and the downturn in the patronage, which indigenous performances enjoyed within the traditional dance space. Alien dance forms have invaded the indigenous theatre spaces wherein revival and reclamation have headlined major scholarly work on indigenous theatres since the modern period. This study using the case study and content analysis approach of the qualitative research method draws from the theory of postmodernism and Formalism to investigate the challenges faced within the Nigerian indigenous dance space with focus on evolving strategies and techniques for reclaiming the Nigerian indigenous dance space. It concluded that both the indigenous Nigerian dancer and choreographer should move beyond the rigid pre-colonial philosophical and performance limitations of the indigenous dance form to carve a new aesthetic identity for Nigerian indigenous dance art. An aesthetic brand that can favorably compete with these alien forms, meet entertainment needs of contemporary audience and debunk demeaning ideas of indigenous dancing as fetish, mundane and incapable of meeting today's aesthetic demands. To do this, this paper recommended that the indigenous dances should be disrobed off their ritualistic contents, exposed to contemporary innovations, blended with the aesthetic and movement patterns of other dance forms rather than complain about their origins and collaborate with the media to project the new face of indigenous dance art that emerges from this experiment.
Dance and content issues: implications for contemporary indigenous dance in Nigeria
EJOTMAS: Ekpoma Journal of Theatre and Media Arts, 2020
Many traditional dances have witnessed downturn in patronage to occasion academic debates geared towards reviving interest in indigenous performances and live theatres in Nigeria. It is within this context that this article closely look at content issues in Nigerian indigenous dance from a diachronic perspective and observed that the seeming dwindling patronage for certain Nigerian indigenous dances is as a result of the inability of indigenous dance creators and performers to package indigenous dance products to reflect popular tastes in contemporary times. Also, it is observed that content issues in art are indicators that human society is constantly in a state of flux and that as humanity responds to these changing realities; art must do the same to remain relevant to the society within a particular period. Drawing on this, the study concludes that Nigerian indigenous dance space could be enlivened when its contents are at par with dominant societal realities and respond to preva...
AFRICAN TRADITIONAL DANCE AS OLD WINE IN NEWSKINS: THE NASARAWA STATE PERFORMING TROUPE EXPERIENCE
The influx of western civilization has wrought changes on all facets of the African society including African traditional dance. It is a fact that the world is now a global village. Which begs the question: what is the place of African traditional dance in this global village? For African traditional dance to retain relevance in these current times, the need for choreographers to recreate the dances in order to fill new societal needs has become inevitable. Within the last few years, the Nasarawa State Cultural Troupe of Nigeria has produced traditional dances which have attained the pedestal of global appeal and acceptance. Using " Girma " – one of the traditional dances in their repertory, this paper explores the tenets employed for the purposes of dance recreation without a distortion of its original cultural contents. This paper submits that African choreography has to be dynamic in order to achieve preservation of our traditional dance form, its propagation, recreation for global appeal, and artistic appreciation of its aesthetics.
Research paper, 2019
What is African in theatre is the culture of the people. The theatre is always a mirror of human existence and theatrical expression is always linked to a specific time and place and culture. Changes in societies generally lead to new forms of dramatic expression. The methodology of this research work is facilitated with information and findings in history, of related literature analyzing Bom Magum dance of Guma local government. The research examines African dances using Bom dance performances and its rudiments highlighting its roles and importance to the socio political, economic and cultural development.
The Organisation of Igbo Traditional Performing Arts and Sustenance
Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, 2015
This paper examines the Igbo performing arts in relation to organization and the factors which sustain their existence despite the changing trends the popular arts are undergoing in Nigeria. It is observed that Igbo traditional performing arts such as music, dance, songs and poetic chants originate from their culture which is handed over from one generation to another. It is also noted that the performances are expressions of their collective spirit espoused in the basic Igbo philosophy which guides the society. The performances are organized in various communities for entertainment to maintain the link with the gods, deities and the ancestral spirits as well as other supernatural forces they depend on for survival. So, the artist ensures the sustenance of his art by creating in relation to the existing traditional materials found in myth, ritual, history, and communal experiences. The performances are usually undertaken by some troupes including Egedege, Mkpokiti, Igbo Cultural War Dance, Nkwaumuagbogho, Adaeze and Igba Akwu Nche Enyi. It is also revealed that family and kinship affinities form the basis of operation for the performing arts and the troupes. Occasions which provide opportunities for the performances include the New Yam Festival, marriage, initiation and chieftaincy installation ceremonies, launching, birthdays and funeral. There seems to be hope for the future survival of the performing arts since they are still needed and cherished by the society. Therefore, it is recommended that governments, organizations and individuals should support the efforts aimed at sustaining the performing arts through the empowerment of the artists by making fund, facilities and training programmes available to them.
Extra-theatrical Functions of Igbabonelimhin Music and Dance of the Esan
Technical Theatre and the Performing Arts in Nigeria: Celebrating Olateju Wasee Kareem Edited by Duro Oni and Sunday E. Ododo. Published by the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners, Lagos & Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization., 2011
Ceremonial activities abound in traditional African societies whose functions are still very much germane to contemporary milieus in Nigeria and elsewhere. These ceremonies are often accompanied with much music and dance and, of course, music and dance constitute an integral part of masquerade performance. Several studies have been done on Igbabonelimhin as a masquerade performance, especially in relation to its potentiality for geriatric and entertainment purposes. This present effort examines the extra-theatrical functions of Igbabonelimhin with a view to X-raying its ritualistic and cleansing propensities and the need to incorporate these offerings into the social fabric of contemporary Esan society, the whole essence being the promotion of a more harmonious and progress-minded society.
Old Wine in New Bottles: Revamping Indigenous Dance Patronage in Contemporary Nigeria
The views of aesthetics in the context of African Indigenous dances have been a dialectic one when taking into consideration the socio-political, religious, and economic changes that have hit the nation since pre-colonial periods to contemporary times. Indeed, dance before now was considered aesthetic only when it has satisfied one communal function or the other for both the 'seen' and 'unseen' audience due to the pre-colonial societal setup of Nigerian communities and their worldviews. Today, certain structures have been put in place that have questioned pre-colonial aesthetic values in dance wherein today's dance performances must appeal first to the eyes before its functionalities. The change put indigenous dance art in a disadvantaged position as contemporary audience view them as archaic and other forms have invaded its space leading to the apathy shown to the art in contemporary times. This research paper adopts the content analysis design of the qualitative research method and hinging on the theory of Postmodernism, investigates the factors that necessitated the change and evolves strategies towards reclaiming audience appeal of indigenous dance art in contemporary Nigeria.
REPOSITIONING INDIGENOUS NIGERIAN DANCES FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE POSTMODERN NIGERIAN SOCIETY
THESIS, 2016
What remains unchanged about dance in the world today is the fact that dance has come to stay with all its functions in society and that the society will continue to navigate the aesthetics, functional appeal and approach of the art of dance. Dance in pre-colonial Africa have a communal appeal that govern its composition, aesthetics and functional appreciation, which took a different shape in the colonial and modern period with its attendant philosophies and modernization mantra. The alien dance forms introduced since the colonial period have meddled with the business of indigenous dance culture and have impaired the pre-colonial indigenous aesthetic ideologies so much that some Africans in modernism term indigenous dancing as archaic and fetish. In the period of postmodernism however, the changed audience perception of indigenous dancing have posed great challenges to growth and sustenance of the indigenous dance forms where it becomes necessary to reposition indigenous dance art to appeal to postmodern audience. To do this, the researcher advocates among other strategies that the choreographers and performers of indigenous dances should boldly cut through the aesthetic and functional limitations of the indigenous dance forms, and become open to the aesthetic formations and choreographic standards of other forms while remaining functional in a postmodern world.