This rich and decorative practice and culture continues to dominate tribes in all areas of the continent while it makes its way west. Come join our many classes Nika teaches ATS Fusion (American Tribal Belly Dance), Egyptian, Lebanese, Club Cabaret, Ethnic, and fusion Belly Dance. While the types of pigment, body jewelry and application methods vary widely between the two cultures, there is no denying the fact that this history has changed hands.Įvidence of African body art has been found dating back thousands of years. Scarification as a form of body alteration in the United States and is beginning to gain momentum as an alternative to tattooing.īody painting and face painting have long become a more mainstream type of decoration for events such as children's parties in the west while the practice continues to dwindle amongst tribes in Africa. While scarification was once widespread through many African tribes, it can now be found only in pockets. What is most interesting is the fact that as many tribes begin to leave behind the practice of body decoration, these body arts are beginning to grow in popularity in the Western world. Body painting, face painting, henna tattoos, scarification and body piercings can all be traced to African body art. When the stranger is represented in African art, it usually depicts someone from a foreign country or tribe that is not welcomed.Many traditions and types of beautification and body decoration we practice today can be traced back to African tribal roots.
African men are often honoured in warfare and there is a great emphasis on weaponry in African art, as it depicts survival and power. The male figure with a weapon or animal, represent honour to departed ancestors. The boy will court her for a while and at the appropriate time, he will ask her the meaning of the beads.Īrt and sculpture are prevalent in African culture, and the most common themes depict a couple, a woman and child, a male with a weapon or animal, or a “stranger.”Ĭouples are usually freestanding figures of the same size, representing the importance of “two as one.” A male and female couple in African art usually depicts strength and honour rather than love and intimacy, as it is uncommon for African men and women to publicly display their affection.Ī mother and child couple can represent “mother earth” and her people or the strong bond between mother and child. It is an African tradition for young girls to send a boy a beaded bracelet of different colours. The beads have been used to carry messages known as “ucu,” a Zulu term loosely translated as “love letters”. The Zulu people are well known for their intricateĬolour of each bead carries a specific meaning. Often spectators will be encouraged to join in. You can rock out as Snow White or Red Riding Hood this Halloween by finding the best princess and storybook. Take on your favorite story with a womens costume that puts on a modern style to the character.
Dance is used to express emotion, whether joyful or sorrowful and it is not limited to just the dancers. You are going to take a page out of your fairytale this Halloween with our storybook and princess costumes. The dance movements can be simple or complex with intricate actions including fast rotation, ripples of the body and contraction and release.
The beat of the African drum is the “heartbeat of the community” and its rhythm is what holds the dancers together.ĭance is an integral part of the African culture, and it utilizes symbolic gestures, masks, costumes, body painting and props to communicate. It expresses the mood of the people and evokes emotion. The most significant instrument in African music is the African drum. Music is often used in different African cultures to ward off evil spirits and to pay respects to good spirits, the dead and ancestors.Īlthough the musical styles and instruments vary from region to region, there are some common forms of musical expression. Songs accompany marriage, birth, rites of passage, hunting and even political activities. Music is a form of communication and it plays a functional role in African society. They must know the traditional songs and must also be able to improvise songs about current events and chance incidents. In West Africa, a griot is a praise singer or poet who possesses a repository of oral tradition passed down from generation to generation. The songs are often sung in call-and-response form. Naturally, singing is very important to the African society because the melody and rhythm follow the intonation of the song text. * I understand that you will use my information to contact me or send me the information I have requested. * I have read and accept the privacy policy.
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