English Essay, Paragraph, Speech on “African Dance” for Kids and Students for Class 8, 9, 10, Class 12 and Graduation Examination

African Dance

The African aesthetic dance form has many 1. characteristics that have influenced the dance forms of the New World, starting with the sacred circle in Dahomey to the Vodun ritual, Ring Shout, up to Minstrelsy, Vaudville, and musical theatre. The characteristics include the Di-bod philosophy which is an emphasis on the joints, and the movements are centrifugal in which the pelvic region is emphasized. They dance in a crouched position and are always barefoot giving them more of a connection to the earth. The dances were rhythmic; they didn’t dance without drums for the drums were symbolized as a heartbeat, and were hermeneutic, interprets life and feelings. The movements were dynamic; continuous and percussive, as opposed to static, holding a position as done in the Hindu religion. The movements also imitate animals in a realistic detail, and are poly rhythmic; all body parts are moving to different drum-beats. Also improvisation was of great importance for it was historically used as a survival technique. The sacred circle in Dahomey was the beginning of all circle dances.