Daily Trust - the online edition

Each year since 1982, April 29 has been marked as the World Dance Day. At this weeks celebration at the Ahmadu Bello University, one popular drama group in Zaria, creatively achieved an exciting fusion of Bori and Koroso dance forms.

At first, gentle Sunlight fell softly upon the scene. Later the darkness came. The event was the World Dance Day 2008, and the aesthetically pleasing Drama Village of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was the venue .Staff and students of the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts were present in high spirits for the celebration, which has regularly held at the University since 2005, and Ochekwu Francis Friday,(Oche.com) one endowed with loads of humour, and a student of the department, was the refreshing compere for the event. Professor Dapo Adelugba,referred to several times as the ‘ Grandfather of Nigerian Theatre’ was present too, as well as Salihu Bappa,Dodo Lumumba,Altine Binta,and Rabiu Isah .The Gamji Cultural and Dramatic Club of Samaru, Zaria were quite visible, and later that evening they put on a splendid performance which was a creative and stunning fusion of Koroso and Bori dance forms. One of the members of the club says that this fusion is called the ‘mixed dance’, and adds that the dance form was created some six years ago in the club. According to him the club has a long history of fusing dances for creative purposes, and some of these mixtures have been done with Tiv,Jaba and Hausa dances . The stirring, sometimes romantic, sometimes meditative, drumbeats, and the haunting wail of the talkative flute, provided just that bit of ‘ magic’ to make the stage come alive.The rather ritualistic motions of the performers,especially the impression of weightlessness that was powerfully suggested by the falling performers, also enhanced this effect. The Bori dance was hardly boring, and this is putting it mildly.

Felix Akinsipe, who lectures in the department, is of the view that Dance is easily the oldest art form, but says that paradoxically it is the most underdeveloped. He made this clear in his brief presentation, where he also drew attention to the way dance seems to naturally activate and define our lives. He gave the illustration of a new born baby, who when born immediately begins to cry. This cry, he avers, is movement, and therefore a form of dance. Come to think of it, there is so much rhythm and harmony in the cry of a baby or even in speech. Breathing too is dance, as well as eating. Indeed, wherever there is order and harmony in human habits or activities,one can perceive the element of dance.In his words ‘Dance occurs as soon as man is born.One cannot eat, breath or walk without dancing. Dance is the least developed among the art forms, despite its earliest beginnings. Its the most underutilised of all art forms’. Felix Akinsipe also decried a situation where groups in the country are not keen on sponsoring Dance performances, and argued that the situation abroad is much better. ‘Sponsorship is at zero level here.Things are better abroad.Over there, there are Ballet companies and Ballerinas.There are professional dancers abroad.In Nigeria, nobody sustains himself on dance alone, people dance and do other jobs’.On the other hand Professor Dapo Adelugba takes a position that contrasts that of Akinsipe .According to him it may not be right to speak of an underdevelopment of Dance in Africa.His words ‘I do not think there is an underdevelopment.If anything,I think the human body has been explored to its ultimate limits,by several centuries of experimentation with what the human body can do,resulting,for instance,in the Oriental flexibility’. He goes on to argue that rather than say that dance is underdeveloped or underutilised, he would prefer to say that the human body has its limits ‘I am arguing that perhaps dance is not underdeveloped, but perhaps the human body has its limits,and within those limits work over the centuries,has been quite exploratory and very successful indeed.’ In his opinion artists on the continent have also lived from the proceeds of their professions, whether they are dancers or chanters. ‘Certainly, up till more recent years, there were communities of artists in traditional Africa that lived on their art.I am talking of those who perform to broad based audiences,and who make their living that way.Of course,when you start to separate dance from other related forms like music,you would run into trouble,and you would then validate the point that one does not live totally on dance well.’ On the overall significance of the World Dance Day,he said that it simply draws attention to the potentials of the human body to reach the ultimate in creativity ,‘and it makes us realise, wherever we are in the world that we are not isolated from trends the world over. The fact that there is a World Dance Day in which virtually every continent,and every country participates, shows that there is, in spite of differences of style and form,a central meeting point which is creativity and exploration’.

Soon a brief dance performance was done, and the audience was entertained with bits of Western dance styles, such as the Breakdance’which has hardly lost its popularity. Some of the dance movements seen by the audience clearly defied the laws of gravity. The sheer flexibility of the human body,and its immense possibilities in the context of dance ,were emphasised in the charming dance sequences of the two gentlemen. Soon the dancers made their exit after a charming outing. Later Professor Dapo Adelugba read the official message marking the event of Professor Alkis Raftis,the President of the International Dance Council(CID).In his speech Professor Raftis stressed that governments,sponsors and the media are the main concern for the year 2008,as these are the ‘ three most important factors affecting the practice of our art. Dance professionals struggle to approach them individually,with poor results’ . Professor Raftis invited all dancers to join the International Dance Council,arguing that through this the profession of dance would be ennobled,and ‘all dancers can secure better conditions for the practice of their art.They will be able to obtain appropriate regulations from governments,adequate support from sponsors,and satisfactory visibility in the media’. He advocated for greater solidarity among dancers, as this would lead to the improvement of conditions for the whole group, rather than just a few individuals. His words ‘by working together we can increase the size of the cake’.

In the discussions that later followed at the venue, it was felt that not much has happened to the dancer in the country today,and that the dancer should be given the pride of place he richly deserves. But this can be achieved not just by government alone, but also with the support of the private sector as s seen in foreign countries. It takes the intervention of foreign governments before Nigerian dancers and artists are celebrated. The example was given of Peter Badejo,a World famous Nigerian Choreographer resident in Britain, who was given the OBE by the Queen of England. Up till now the Nigerian government has not given him a national honour. It was also shown that art has produced leaders such as late Ronald Reagan of the USA, who was an actor at one stage of his career. The late Pope was an artist, the audience was informed to the surprise of many.Dr Sam Kafewo in his contribution added that artists themselves need first of all, to define what they want art to achieve. At this point, the attitude of government towards Art would improve, he implies. To accompanying applause, he added that the arrival of Professor Adelugba in the department was a major boost to the study of dance in the ABU. Professor Adelugba on his part ,would like Nigerian dancers and Choreographers to look towards the Oriental part of the world,a rich treasure trove which Dancers here have not looked at. His words ‘What I would like to see is a turning towards the Orient.I don’t think we have done enough with the Oriental dance styles and dance approaches in Africa,and I think that’s an area we need to consider.We seem to think that all international cross breeding,must be between Africa and the West.But there are other places like the Oriental world,which can influence the future direction of dance in Africa’.

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