Traditional dance forms include local traditions linked to local people, customs, or beliefs. Traditional dance forms vary. According to conventional Sub-Saharan African ideas, dance is a fundamental depiction of rhythm, a reflection of life itself. Indeed, dance in many cultures is a phrase for rhythm accompanied by music to express the words of life! Traditional dance genres reflect this with full-body articulation and with no barriers between audience and dancers. In some cases, male and female form pairs and cavort to rhythmic tunes. Dancing, in these traditions reflects the community’s life, the beating heart inside and beyond.
While costumes, on the other hand, in typical traditional African dance, symbolise the tribe, group, song, or event presented; for the most part they come in bright colours with flashy decorations and embellishments. Costumes do more than merely depict; they provide shade and value as well as convey a vital message faster than the music or even the dance. They give the audience an impression of the performance and what the performer represents.
One such dance is the Omoko dance, by the Itsekiri people in Southern Nigeria. Omoko dance is energetic, acrobatic, synchronised, and often mesmerising and of course, entertaining.
The Itsekiri tribe is well-known for its expert waist-wriggling dancing techniques. However, this squirming waist-dancing moves are peculiar to the Itsekiri culture.
Omoko dance is one of the Itsekiri tribe’s different dancing steps which stands out.
Costume
What distinguishes Omoko dance is the extensive usage of clothes such as wrappers and various headscarves, which makes the outfit incredibly colourful nowadays. An Omoko dancer is always vivid in front of the audience. As a result, the dancers appear impossibly majestic and dignified. The wrapper serves as the foundation of the costume, with scarves wrapped in layers on the wrapper, and bells attached to the waist to provide the desired impression as the dancers’ dance, not to mention with his hand fan, handkerchief, and horsetail.
Dance Moves
Omoko dance is typically directed and controlled by male dancers who are typically positioned between two females. He dances to the beat of drums, and his moves are inspired by the temple of drums and other instruments. The whistle is an essential feature of the dance as well. The male dancer always has a whistle in his mouth and blasts it while dancing. The dancers frequently take it to another level with some twist of acrobatics as the intensity of the drum grows.
The ecstatic beat, which has no spiritual significance is as colourful as the dance and outfit. Local drums, Gongs and traditional instruments like Iyugume, Kpoki, Tsaka, Okri, and Oma are used. This combination encourages many individuals to feel proud of their Itsekiri heritage, while at the same time they are being entertained.