Pre-Colonial or Folk Dance

Pre-colonial or folk dance is a unique dance that is peculiar to a particular nativity and used to depict the culture and tradition of a certain people or tribe.

Examples Of Folk Dances Are:

a. Atilogwu Dance:

Atilogwu is a traditional dance from the Eastern part of Nigeria, particularly the Igbo ethnic group. It is performed only by youth because of the great amount of energyEnergy is the ability to do work. Energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, and electrical energy. Units of Energy: The SI unit... More needed to perform it.

Atilogwu focuses on vigorous body movement and often includes acrobatics, high jumps, flips, twisting, climbing and falling from a human tree formed by the members of the group.

Atilogwu means “having magic”. The reason is that people believe that no individual could be able to perform the dance at such a tempo without some magic potion.

The instruments used are:

• drums
• metal gong
• flute
• udu and lute

The costumes used are:

• bright-coloured traditional dresses
•  leg wraps
•  waist wraps
•  wrist beads

b. Agidigbo Dance:

Agidigbo dance is a traditional dance of the southwestern region of Nigeria, the Yoruba tribe.

It involves wearing a lamellophone around the neck, which is played by striking the box frame of the instrument with a ring worn around the thumb. The tunes are in proverbs which can only be interpreted by wise people.

Instrument:

• A stringed box frame played with a ring.

Costume:

• Traditional dress.

c. Bata Dance:

Bata dance is a traditional dance of the southwestern part of Nigeria, peculiar to the Yoruba ethnic group. It is characterized by twisting of the waist, bent knees, footwork, tilting of the trunk, acrobatic steps, and expressive movements

Bata is linked to the God of thunder and lightning Sango; who is believed to be an athletic deity. Hence, the reason the dancers perform the dance in an athletic way using the feet, hands, and shoulders with the Gymnastic energy, its flashes and dashes complement the thundering, rattling and piercing sounds of the drums. The most significant part of the dance is the drumming. Bata dance is believed to be a communication channel between Sango and his worshippers.

Instruments:

Three sets of drums. The biggest (Iya) is played by the master drummer. The middle (Itotele) and the smallest (Okonkolo)

Costumes:

Yoruba traditional dress.

d. Sharo Dance:

Sharo is a traditional dance from the Northern part of Nigeria, particularly the Fulani. 

Sharo means “flogged”. The participants are flogged with wooden sticks and canes to test their endurance. It is a ceremonial dance to demonstrate that a young man has come of age and is mature enough to have a wife.