Igbo dance - Nigeria #1

by Gloria Ssali

Title

Igbo dance - Nigeria #1

Artist

Gloria Ssali

Medium

Drawing - Drawing

Description

Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo(e), Ebo(e),[9][16][17] Eboans[18] or Heebo[19] (Igbo: Ndị Igbọ) are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects;[20] today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism.[21] Igbo people are one of the largest and most influential ethnic groups in Nigeria. The Igbo dance to a complex of sophisticated rhythms. In the Ubi-Ogazu dance, a version of the popular Atilogwu performed by a boys' team, the adult leader dances while playing a small flute to lead the rhythm. He is supported by a single-membrane drum, a pot drum, two simple xylophones, and a bamboo gong. The dance has at least 10 variations, each with a distinct rhythm dictating its own movement pattern. As in most African dances, the rhythm gives the name to the dance steps: in the Ikpo Okme, the performers hop from one foot to the other; for Ebenebe, a stamping pattern leads into a cartwheel; Iza requires an upright carriage with high kicks; Nkpopi is a leaping dance; Etukwa requires the torso to be inclined to the earth as the feet drum a staccato beat; Nzaukwu Nabi is a stamping step with sudden pauses. In the Ubi-Ogazu (�Guinea Fowl�; named for the bird that inspired a hunter to create the dance), the performers hold bird-topped, carved staves for an initial dance in which they execute birdlike hops in a circle. They then drop the staves in favour of horse-tail switches held in both hands as they form two lines facing each other for the main performance. The performers wear brief skirts with girdles of brass bells and seedpod rattles around their ankles to accentuate their movements. The regular introduction of new themes calls for innovation in the dance rhythms. The girls' and women's teams use a more flowing quality of movement that elaborates the intertwining rhythms played by an ensemble or sung by a choir at varying tempos. While months of practice are required before an Igbo dance team is permitted by the elders to perform on a public occasion.

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October 9th, 2011

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