TOP 10 BEST TRADITIONAL AFRICAN DANCES

African dance has transformed over the years with African music. The traditional African dance is gradually making way for a more modern dance moves. although this is true many of some clans have managed to keep their traditional dances which is good because such culture should be preserved at all costs.Dance in general is the art of expression with coordinated body movement which aim to serve the purpose of communication. In various parts of the globe, such transformation seems to be the order of the day with some simple and funny dance moves sweeping across the globe like wild-fire as seen in the "Gangnam Style" dance steps. In Africa, the African dance transformation seems to be spearheaded by the Western African countries.
The African traditional dances are mainly done by the cultural communities found in the continent, communities use these dances to teach, socialize, celebrate festivals and to mourn during funerals while some dances are special for spiritual or religious practices.
The interesting part about dancing is that not only humans dance, animals dance too although in this case many dance moves from animals is to court a female into mating.
Enough with the talk now, hope you aint bored.. here are the top 10 best traditional african dances

And hey,, if your traditional dance isn't mentioned in this list, it doesn't mean it isn't the best? No! all African dances are awesomely crazily good and all deserve to be in the list but fortunately only 10 of the thousands of dances in Africa are supposed to be here are here they are.



10.AGBADZA
COUNTRIES:GHANA, BENIN, TOGO & NIGERIA
ORIGIN TRIBE: EWE PEOPLE OF GHANA

Agbadza finds its origin in the times of war. The Ewe people went through various times of war and oppression before settling down in the Volta Region of Ghana and in Southern Togo. In order to train their warriors to be ready for battle, the Ewes used various songs and dances to encourage the warriors. Through this a dance called Atrikpui was born. This dance later evolved to Agbadza, which is no longer used for war but rather in events that are more joyful. Through Agbadza, at the time known as Atrikpui, Ewe singers and poets sang about battles, life and death, heroism, cowardice, migration, conquest, imperialism, and a warrior ethos. The move towards Agbadza was done due to a period of peace that was enjoyed by the Ewes around the 1920s, and so instead they decided to use some of their old songs as entertainment. Today, Agbadza is the most famous and widely played Ewe dance
 The dance is usually played at funerals, weddings, and parties. Essentially, it is played at any occasion that called for an Ewe identity emblem, since this music is known by other ethnic groups to be uniquely Ewe. Everyone is welcome to join in the dance, unlike other Ewe dances, which sometimes are reserved for people of a certain age, religion, or gender. The dance is sometimes known as the “chicken dance” due to the bird-like motions required for the dance.



09.MUWOGOLA
COUNTRIES: UGANDA
ORIGIN TRIBE:BAGANDA

Is a traditional folk dance that originated in the palace of the King of Buganda, situated near by the Lake Victoria, the home of Nalubaale, the wife of Lubaale, one of the gods of the Baganda people.
A former Bugandan king (kabaka) greatly enjoyed the local beer, tonto omwenge. Tonto is made from banana plants, and the name is taken from the Lugandan word tontomera, which means, "Do not knock me over".
At one gathering, this king drank too much of the beer and became quite happy. (In Buganda, it is taboo to say that the king is drunk; you can only say that the king is very happy.) The king then started praising the people who had made the beer, saying abaakisiimba, which means "those who planted the bananas", and bebaakiwoomya, "they made it delicious".
The musicians at this gathering created an abaakisiimba rhythm that imitated the words of the king, who was so happy and relaxed that he began to move and dance. While the musicians mimicked the king's words on their drums, the women imitated the king's movements, which eventually became a dance that is now performed throughout Buganda by all generations. There are three major movements in this dance: the first is Nankasa, the second is Baakisiimba, and the third is Muwogola.



08.CHAKACHA
COUNTRIES: TANZANIA & KENYA
TRIBE: SWAHILI PEOPLE

Chakacha is a traditional music and dance style (a ngoma) of the Swahili people of coastal Kenya and Tanzania, originally associated with weddings and performed and watched by women. In the late 20th century, musical groups such as Mombasa Roots, Safari Sound Band and Them Mushrooms have adapted this style to afropop music. Basically, the women are dressed in very light transparent clothing and have a belt around their waists for ease of movement. Tanzanian ladies, especially around the coastal areas are very good at this dance. It is also somewhat associated with Taarab, another type of music style adapted in the coast and mainly performed by women.
The hip-swaying dance movements of Chakacha are bear some resemblance with both Congolese soukous dances and Middle Eastern belly dances.
The Swahili coast was highly influenced by the Persian along with Arabic traders- The “Chakacha” Dance will be derived coming from the Persian belly dance along with traditional African wedding dance. This specific marks joyous occasions usually “Harusi” (weddings) with songs being mainly in praise of the bride along with her family



07. PAT PAT
COUNTRIES: SENEGAL & GAMBIA
TRIBE:JOLA PEOPLE

Cultural dances play a huge role in African societies. These dance forms are used to teach moral values, social etiquette and to help people mature and celebrate members of the community while celebrating festivals and other occasions.
African dances are largely participatory and every ritual dance often have a time when spectators must participate.The Pat pat dance is the most popular dance among the Senegalese and the Gambian People,  it involves rhythmically patting the body and fast leg movements.




06. ESKISTA
COUNTRIES: ETHIOPIA & ERITREA
TRIBE:AMHARA, WOLLO & GONDAR

Eskista is one such dance. Loosely translated to ‘dancing shoulders’, this incredible Ethiopian style sets it apart from most other African dances, which usually place emphasis on the feet and legs. To audiences outside of Ethiopia, eskista may look very similar to the East African country's other main dance, Tigrigna, but the two are distinct from one another in that the latter is not as static when it comes to the use of the hands and feet.
Eskista is well known among the various tribes in central and northern Ethiopia, one of them the Amhara. The dance is performed by men and women and is characterised by rolling the shoulder blades, bouncing the shoulders and tilting the chest. It is believed that the dance mimics the shaking of a snake’s tail.



05.ADOWA
COUNTRY: GHANA
TRIBE:AKAN

 The adowa is a popular dance that is widespread among the Akan and is performed during funerals and public social events. An adowa ensemble comprises a lead singer, a chorus and percussion instruments. The leader and the chorus are nearly always middle-aged women, who accompany themselves with hand-clapping and/or with a dawure double bell or an atoke single bell. The adowa has been studied in detail by Kwabena Nketia in his Folk Songs of Ghana (1963 pp. 88-99).
 The dancers use a symbolic language, the different movements of their hands telling their own story. This body language is accentuated by the use of a white linen cloth, which they hold in their hand. The short dance steps are very subtle, drawing attention to the upper part of the body.
This music is characterized by polyrhythmic accents: the dance is in compound triple time and the accompaniment of the drums is interwoven with syncopations and cross-rhythms. The bell plays a steady rhythm, to which the chorus sings the responses. The lyrics of the songs express social and moral values such as, chiefs who have passed away, the grieving family, sympathy for the deceased, and the Akan faith.
The adowa percussion ensemble comprises several drums (a pair of atumpan, an apentemma, a petia, a brenko and a donno hourglass drum) and bells (a dawuru double bell and an atoke single bell).



04.INDLAMU (ZULU DANCE)
COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
TRIBE: ZULU

 Traditional Zulu dancing is an important part of the Zulu culture. Dancing is usually performed during a traditional Zulu ceremony, and is accompanied by vibrant singing and sometimes the beating of drums. Zulu dancing is something quite spectacular, especially when the men and women are fully dressed in their traditional attire.
This traditional dance is most often associated with Zulu culture. It is performed with drums and full traditional attire and is derived from the war dances of the warriors.
This war dance is untouched by Western influence probably because it is regarded as a touchstone of Zulu identity. Full regimental attire, precise timing and uncompromised posture are required. It is danced by men of any age wearing skins (amabeshu), headrings, ceremonial belts, ankle rattles, shields and weapons like knobkerries and spears. While indlamu uses similar steps as girls do for ingoma, it has a much more calculated, less frantic feel, showing off muscular strength and control of the weapons with mock stabs at imaginary enemies. Dancers are more likely to make eye contact with the audience. Various drums and whistles accompany the dance.
Both indlamu and ingoma are performed at weddings; women perform the Ingoma and men perform the Indlamu.


03. UMUSHAGIRIRO/UMUSHAYAYO
COUNTRIES: RWANDA & BURUNDI
TRIBE:BANYARWANDA

 The show dance/cow dance Umushagiriro (which means, literally, dancing and swaying elegantly in the trunk and arms while moving slowly) is designed and developed within the royal court, and has some emulation among the notables. It involves the elegance, sophistication of the composition and the effects of style in choreography and singing.

The Dance of Women is more gentle and graceful and unusual in Africa.  Its strength is the Graceful movement of Rwandan women highlight kindness, goodness, purity and the radiant beauty of what many consider Africa’s most beautiful women – even though as often is the case the Women’s Dance is based upon the movement of Ankole Cattle
The female’s dance is usually compared to ballet. It is meant to display the grace as well as the beauty of the women of Rwanda as they emulate the movements of cows and wildlife though you would never know that as you watch the graceful, artistic movements of the Women Dancers.
In Rwandan Traditional – Cultural Dance Men dance and portray Courage, Strength, and Confidence while Women through Dancing so forth, love, care, nurture and their graceful feminine strength.



02.ADUMA(MAASAI DANCE)
COUNTRIES: TANZANIA & KENYA
TRIBE: MAASAI

It’s a tourist favorite, and it’s been captured in endless pictures, videos, and documentaries; the adumu, often called the “jumping dance,” is a highly recognizable ritual of Maasai life. But many tourists may not know the true meaning of this dance in Maasai culture (tribesmen will often perform an out-of-context version of it for visitors). For the Maasai, the adumu is just one in a series of rituals that make up the Eunoto, the ceremony in which the junior warriors, or morani, graduate to the ranks of manhood.

Cordoned off from the rest of their tribesman and not even allowed to eat or drink in the presence of a woman (part of the reasoning behind the manyatta camp is to teach male Maasai independence, since mothers generally take  care of household tasks as they’re growing up), it’s understandable that the morani jump at the chance to graduate to full adulthood…literally.



01. ZAOULI DE MANFLA
COUNTRY: IVORY COAST
TRIBE:GURO/KWENI
 

Zaouli de Manfla, a mask dance from the Gouro or Kweni culture, filmed by African dance teacher Konan Kouakou David in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa. Of the tradition, he writes:

"Zaouli is a popular mask dance created by Gouros in the fifties. Legends at the origin of the Zaouli mask and dance are diverse, but all say that they were inspired by a very beautiful girl named “Djela Lou Zaouli”, daugther of Zaouli…
Each Gouro village has its local Zaouli dancer, who performs during funerals or parties. A musicians and singers orchestra first call the Zaouli dancer by its music. The dancer wearing the mask covered by a cloth then arrives after a predecessor who unveils the mask. After the beauty of the mask has been shown to the audience, the dancer performs extremely quick and rhythmical steps according to the flutes of the orchestra. Hands and feet follow a common choreography improvised by the dancer according to the music.