African Dance

Nevertheless, distinctive differences can be recognized through the various traditions. Dance, music and singing in Africa are inseparably linked to daily life and are so deeply rooted in the people's everyday consciousness that they are indispensable.

War Dances

In Africa, there are different types of dances. Very important are the war dances. Here, dancers learn various sword fighting techniques and practice avoiding attacks. Along the way, they develop the muscles that are essential for combat.

Love Dances

The love dances, on the other hand, have a quite different significance. They are supposed to be graceful, yet powerful and energetic. These dances are often performed at full moon festivals, annual celebrations and weddings.

In West Africa, you can also find the two dances Yankadi and Macru. Both dances are always performed one after the other. It starts with Yankadi, which is very slow and smooth. This is followed by Macru, a dance that is five times faster and includes many erotic movements. In this dance, men and women stand opposite each other in two rows. The women offer the man they want to dance with a scarf. The men then pass this scarf on to the women they want to dance with. This quickly makes it clear who likes whom.

Welcome Dances

Welcome dances, on the other hand, have a different meaning again. They strongly demonstrate respect for the guests and the joy that the guests are there. The dances show how attractive and talented the host is.

A special dance performed by women is the Yabara. Here, rattles are thrown up to different heights during the dance and caught again. Such a dance is particularly impressive when performed simultaneously by several women.

Religious Dances

Many dances are also used to invoke spirits, which is why dances play a special role in African religion. Orisha dances, for example, are performed by Africans all over the world. Orishas (gods) are honored and thanked for certain things, such as food and drink.
Kakilambe, on the other hand, the spirit of the forest, is always invoked through a dance. To do this, a statue from the forest is carried into the corresponding village. Priests then ask Kakilambe what the coming years will be like and whether events such as war or drought are imminent.

Women who find themselves in misfortune, for example because they cannot become pregnant or are not loved, dance the Moribayasa and invoke the god Monbayasa. The woman puts on torn and dirty clothes, dances once around the village. At the foot of a tree, she digs a hole - here the dirty clothes are buried and with a prayer she begs for help.

Modern Dances

In many tourist centers in South Africa, the gumboot dance is also performed. This is a modern and authentic dance performed by dance groups. It is often seen as a precursor to tap dance. Traditional movements are combined with new movement elements and danced to new modern African music.
In Senegal, the Mbalax is danced. A well-known representative is Youssou N'Dour.