REPOSITIONING INDIGENOUS NIGERIAN DANCES FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE POSTMODERN NIGERIAN SOCIETY (original) (raw)

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.

How African is Africa? Postnormality and Futures Assessment of Indigenous Dance Art in Nigeria

Critical Stages , 2024

We have entered a period of high scientific and technological advancements that is shrinking the world and upturning long-held beliefs and ideologies about our culture. Seeing these changes, one is coerced now to ask, "how African is Africa?" or "how traditional is tradition?" These drastic changes on the tripod of complexities, contradictions and chaos have formed the basis of Zygmunt Bauman's use of the term "liquid" and Ziauddin Sardar's "postnormal" to qualify the present epoch which indicates a drastic shift from solid cultural structures to more flexible structures. The indigenous performatives of the African culture are implicated in this change: Can the concepts of African dance serve these postnormal times? Are the canons of postnormality threatening indigenous dances towards extinction, and if so, what ideological and philosophical approach can be injected into the indigenous dances to secure sustainability? The researchers rely on critical theory and observe that if indigenous dances are to survive beyond this millennium, there is a need to rethink the concept, context and content of African dance since the aesthetic, functional and ideological platforms that birthed the pure forms are changing, if not completely eroded. Indigenous dance choreographers as a matter of urgency must begin to engage African dance creations from the points of critical syncretism which allows the choreographer to be flexible enough to align indigenous dances to the realities of contemporary society. The researchers recommend certain areas critical to this transition.

Surviving in Postmodernism: Strategies for the Nigerian Indigenous Choreographer

In contemporary times, many indigenous dances have failed to get the needed applause and patronage desired. A lot of indigenous choreographers also, have been displaced by the quick change strides in the area of dance, discouraged by the perception that indigenous dancing have no place aesthetically in the contemporary world, and that indigenous dances are fetish and mundane. This study hinged on the theory of postmodernism and the Formalist Theory of dance to investigate Nigerian indigenous dance challenges in postmodernism with the view to evolve strategies and techniques for the survival of the indigenous Nigerian choreographer. It recommended the need for the indigenous Nigerian choreographer to break out of the limitations of indigenous dance form, shed indigenous dances off their ritualistic content where necessary, indigenize the alien dance movements rather than complain about their western origins and expose indigenous dances to contemporary innovations with the media ever ready to project the result of this experiment.

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.

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...

DANCE AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACHES OF THE POSTMODERN NIGERIAN SOCIETY

Abstract Dance is a universal art that occupies a central position in the entertainment culture of most geo-enclaves around the globe. However, beyond the entertainment value of dance, there are latent functions of dance that are yet to be harnessed by the postmodern Nigerian society. However, dearth of postmodern dances with the bite of critical realism is a major problem of this paper. Thus, it is a truism that dance can contribute to the resolution of religious, political and socio-economic problems that continue to hamper national development in the postmodern Nigerian society. Therefore, this lecture interrogated the place of dance as an agent of development, using cultivation development theories and theory of postmodernism. Case study and content analysis approaches of the qualitative research method were adopted by the speaker. The paper concluded that if properly applied by the dance scholar; dance can fit into the development approaches of the postmodern Nigerian society. PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 10

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.

Dance and its many faces in the Nigerian worldview

Creative Artist: A Journal of Theatre and Media Studies , 2023

This article situates the concept of dance within the worldview of Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular. It views dance from the lens of dance practice and scholarship. It specifically gives meaning to dance from the perspective of its nature, functions, and identity in Nigeria.

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