The Batwa dance named after the Batwa Pygmies of Uganda
The Echuya Batwa, more commonly known as Batwa Pygmies, are generally assumed to be the oldest surviving population of the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. They can be found in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although colonization has generally destroyed many of their cultural practices, their dance and singing rituals, which is often in connection with the forest, is a core of their identity.
This video was recorded near the town of Rubuguri at the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest in Uganda. Here, they sing about the beauty of Uganda and the rainforest in their native language, Rukiga. Their dances often include a lot of jumping and feet stomping.
Kpanlogo of the Ga people of Ghana
Roving Sounds beautifully explains the history and significance of the Kplanlogo dance:
The Kpanlogo dance originated in the south of Ghana in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, amongst the Ga people of Accra and the surrounding area.
Some dance moves of the Kpanlogo represent the pulling in of fishing nets, the traditional occupation of the Ga people. Other movements appear sexually charged and… well, a little bit raunchy, and for this reason it became and unofficial youth courtship dance, with dancers of the opposite sex flirtatiously performing it with each other. Worried about the suggestiveness of the dance, the Arts Council of Ghana banned Kpanlogo in 1964, however the dance was later redeemed through a demonstration to the council.
The Kpanlogo dance remains an important part of urban culture in Ghana, and it is performed at both informal and formal events throughout the year, where it can be seen danced in pairs on in groups
Dogon stilt dancers of Mali
Christraud Geary Teele, Curator of African and Oceanic Art Museum of Fine Arts, Boston writes of the Dogon masquerade:
This masquerade features a large and varied assembly of musicians and brilliant performers on foot, in the air, and on stilts, wearing masks evoking animal and human spirits and Dogon legends. Note the locale, Tireli, Mali, an agricultural village huddled into the base of a mountain in the Bandiagara escarpment, where productive land is scarce; the rhythms, steps, and gestures particular to each mask; the delight and imitative dancing of the children; the sympathetic send-up of a doddering old man, who leaps into the air when energized by his music; the village elders seated solemnly in a row toward the left; and the extraordinary vitality and athleticism of the dancing of the Kanaga (resembling the Croix de Lorraine) and Syringe (very high and fenestrated) masks.
San dancers in Ghanzi, Botswana
The San tribe or ‘Bushmen’ of Botswana are considered one of the oldest tribes in Africa.
Historians say the San style of dancing uses the arousal and amplification of emotions, improvised sounds, and spontaneous movement, to perform a ‘unique form of healing trance and hypnotic induction’. “The Bushman dance relies less on purposeful induction through direct or indirect verbal and nonverbal suggestion and entrainment, and more on the amplification of emotion and song. These help awaken spontaneous movement that goes past choreographed dance.”
The Ewegh dance by the nomadic Tuareg tribe of Niger
The Ewegh dance performed by the nomadic Tuareg tribe of North Africa, the one below of the tribe in Niger. It is a strong dance performed by men in groups during festivals and ceremonial events.
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