African Dance in Transition: Interview with Arnold Udoka critical-stages.org/13/interview-with-arnold-udoka (original) (raw)

CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN DANCE: ACCEPTANCE, CHALLENGES AND GROWING TREND

ABSTRACT African dance performances have been popularized globally as a result of its initiators’ need for global identity. This has encouraged African dancers and choreographers to create work that address social, cultural and political issues peculiar to the African continent. However, so many debates have arisen to redefine contemporary dance and contemporary African dance. The latter, with a core reference to Africa depicts a dance with its roots and plot structure in Africa. This paper tends to make reflections on the contemporary African dance, especially in Nigeria and its impact on the contemporary Nigerian society who are beginning to understand this new language in the performing arts. It will analyse opinions from the two factions in dance, that is, the ‘distortionist’, who is the contemporary dancer/choreographer or the preserver of culture who is the indigenous dancer/choreographer. Keywords: Contemporary African Dance, Choreographers, Acceptance, Challenges, Growing Trend

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...

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.

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.

Contemporary Dance in Nigeria: The Emergent Form of Alajota Company

2013

It is easy to identify Nigerian traditional dance through its form, structure and style. Components of the dance such as concept, movement, music, costume and props are integrated and help to interpret one another thereby making the form easy to assess. Contemporary dance on the other hand cannot be identified as a particular form; since it fluctuates with every choreographer and with every dance created. This is why it is often difficult for contemporary dance to be appreciated and accepted by indigenes as an art form like conventional dances. In order to asses and comprehend contemporary dance, this paper investigates the emergent form of ‘Alajota Dance Company. Two dance performances by the company are analysed; these are “Yuogoslaver” and “Naked Home.” These dances are observed both on the live stage as well as on video. Evidence gathered shows that the emergent form of Alajota Dance Company is dependent on three major factors; Nigerian traditional dance themes, personal dance c...

The Role of Afrika Kreative Dance Company in the Structuring of Nigerian Contemporary Dance

2018

Nigerian choreographers have not been able to establish a unanimous Nigerian contemporary dance convention (like traditional dance) since its inception in the 1950s. While Hebert Ogunde and his contemporaries from the 1950s relied on the folk era syndrome to structure their dances, the Usman Abubakar and contemporaries from the 1990s to the present are relying on complex concepts and the application of the computer and mix media technologies. Kariamu Welsh’s ‘Umfundalai’ and Rudolf Laban’s ‘choreology’ are adopted as theoretical frameworks. The paper evaluates the contribution of Afrika Kreative Dance Company under the control of Usman Abubakar in the forging of the structure of Nigerian Contemporary Dance. Two major dance pieces by the Afrika Kreative Dance Company, Oju and Night were investigated as videotexts in addition to the peripheral treatment of a few other dances by the same Company. Results shows that the structure of Afrika Kreative Dance Company, in spite of being heavi...

The Dialectics of Bata Dance and Its Socio-Economic Significance in Nigeria

2022

Dance in Africa, specifically from Nigeria, has over the years made tremendous impact in such areas like propagation of culture, projection of unity in diversity and promotion of the idea of National identity. With the global rejuvenation and economic diversity, dance has provided an enabling environment and concrete platforms for its practitioners to explore the potentials embedded in the packaging and production of dance performances, thereby serving as a vital tool for economic stability. Despite its relegation to the background as a mere form of entertainment, African dance has provided immense benefits to practitioners. Through the adoption of Performance Aesthetics theory of Dance and Participant Observation method of research, this paper carries out a dialectical engagement of the roles of dance in general perspective, with a close reference to the Bata dance of the Yoruba, for the purpose of identifying the various dimensions by which the dance has helped in projecting both the Yoruba ethnic and the Nigerian National identities. Findings reveal that Bata Dance performance has grown beyond its Yoruba ethnic enclave to becoming a global brand that is studied by non-Africans and the Africans in Diaspora therefore creating a viable socioeconomic platform and global acceptance for the dance and its practitioners.

The Nature of Nigerian Dance: A Dialectical Overview

Nigerian dance in performance is usually questioned on the issues of significance and connotation of the movements employed. Spectators, especially indigenous ones observe the dance mainly from a cultural insight, and all appurtenances accompanying the dance are appreciated as a whole, and even given interpretations. An example is masquerade dance. Obviously, the dance movement of a particular masquerade cannot be appreciated without the costume, props, chants, songs, instrumentation, ritualism and other components that accompany the masquerade dance. These are enjoyed by the audience not only for their aesthetic value but also for their functional purposes. This means that Nigerian dance is mainly utilitarian in nature. This paper is therefore a review of the components making up Nigerian dance. From evidence gathered, it is clear that Nigerian traditional dance goes beyond moving the body in space and time especially for aesthetic purpose, but inculcates different cultural syndromes which demonstrate the actual nature of Nigerian dance.