Ngwale dance - Botswana
by Gloria Ssali
Title
Ngwale dance - Botswana
Artist
Gloria Ssali
Medium
Drawing - Drawing
Description
There are different styles of Basarwa dance.
About four (yes, they are that many!) of these are considered to be the best among the Botswana dance styles.
To enjoy a complete course of these you must attend the Kuru Dance festival that takes place every 2 years.
Or, you can attend the Western Kgalagadi Conservation Corridor (WKCC) cultural festival that takes every year in the Kgalagadi and Gantsi Districts.
Ngwale or puberty dance is performed for initiation of a girl into adulthood. The performance takes place immediately the girl has her first menstruation at 12 or 14 years.
It starts with the girl being isolated into a menstrual hut thereby secluding her from the rest of the community.
The isolation is meant to have the elders give her instructions about her new status. She learns from old women about her role in the community, and specifically about her relationship with men.
During the period, the girl is painted on the face. Meanwhile there is a lot of singing of eland songs by other women accompanied by dancing.
Uploaded
February 6th, 2012
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Viewed 303 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/19/2024 at 8:20 AM
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Comments (16)
Dean Harte
Just love how each of your dance works is so distinctly different. Nice work Gloria, V/F!
Bob Orsillo
Gloria I could never pick just favorite from your drawings - each one is so unique and beautifully accomplished. F/V/ SU
Xueling Zou
Under your magical expression, this dance drawing really came out beautifully! Thank you!!
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