WAfrican dance also known popularly as "Afro" refers mainly to the dance of Sub-Saharan Africa, and more appropriately African dances because of the many cultural differences in musical and movement styles. These dances must be viewed in close connection with Sub-Saharan African music traditions and Bantu cultivation of rhythm. African dance utilizes the concept of as well as total body articulation.
WAdowa is a dance by the Akan people of Ghana. It is a popular traditional dance in Ghana and it is performed at cultural ceremonies like festivals, funerals, engagements, and celebrations. The Adowa dance is a sign of expression that allows performers to communicate their emotions and feelings through their hands and feet. There are different hand movements performed for each setting, people will communicate positive emotions at weddings or engagements and negative emotions at funerals.
WAgbadza is an Ewe music and dance that evolved from the times of war into a very popular recreational dance. It came from a very old war dance called Atrikpui and usually performed by the Ewe people of the Volta Region of Ghana, particularly during the Hogbetsotso Festival, a celebration by the Anlo Ewe people. In addition, it is also performed by Togolese and Beninese of Ewe descent. The dance has five movements in performing it, 1. Banyinyi which is a short introductory in prayer to the gods and ancestors, 2. Vutsortsor which is the main dance, 3. Adzo- which is less energetic and only the master is made to drum along with Gankogui and Axatse, 4. Hatsatsa- historical songs are performed along with Gankogui and Atoke, 5. Vutsortsor- finally, another round of the main dance which usually last for a number of hours. Gankogui is an instrument in a form of a bell where a stick is used to play. Atoke is also an iron banana shaped bell and played with a small forged iron rod. The Atoke can be used in place of the Gankogui they are both used for the same purpose.
WAmbasse bey or ambas-i-bay is a style of folk music and dance from Cameroon. The music is based on commonly available instruments, especially guitar, with percussion provided by sticks and bottles. The music is faster-paced than assiko.
WThe Assiko is a popular dance from the South of Cameroon.
WAzonto is a dance and music genre from Ghana. Ghana News Agency cites their study which found out the dance is connected to the traditional Ga dance Kpanlogo, associated with the coastal towns in the country such as Chorkor, James Town, Teshie, Nungua and Tema, in the Greater Accra Region.
WDhaanto is a style of traditional Somali music and folk dance. It is cultural folk dance native to Somali-speaking areas in the Horn of Africa region.
WThe funaná [funɐˈna] is a music and dance genre from Cape Verde. Funaná is an accordion-based music. The rhythm is usually provided by the ferrinho much like the use of washboards in zydeco, the saw in Caribbean ripsaw music, the scraper in Sub-Saharan African music and the güiro in Latin and Pre-Columbian music.
WGoli is a traditional African dance and masquerade of the Baoulé people of the Ivory Coast. A single performance of a goli lasts an entire day.
WThe Guérewol is an annual courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people of Niger. Young men dressed in elaborate ornamentation and made up in traditional face painting gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women. The Guérewol occurs each year as the traditionally nomadic Wodaabe cattle herders gather at the southern edge of the Sahara before dispersing south on their dry season pastures.
WThe gumboot dance is a South African dance that is performed by dancers wearing wellington boots. In South Africa these are more commonly called gumboots.
WJera is a traditional dance popularly performed by the Dagomba people of the Northern region of Ghana.
WKizomba is a genre of dance and a musical genre originating in Angola in 1984.
WKuduro is a type of music and dance from Angola. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable. Kuduro was developed in Luanda, Angola in the late 1980s. Producers sampled traditional carnival music like soca and zouk from the Caribbean to Angola, techno and accordion playing from Europe and laid this around a fast 4/4 beat.
WKwagh-hir is a multipart culturally edifying art form of the Tiv people of central Nigeria which became popular in the 1960s. It is a dramatic public performance telling moral stories of past and current events, and incorporates puppetry, masquerading, poetry, music, dance and animated narratives to portray its moral themes. It is used by the Tiv people to reinforce traditional beliefs and convey other worldly tales to educate, socialize, provide secular entertainment and address societal issues.
WNagila is a recreational dance by the Kassena and Frafra people of the Upper East region in Ghana. This dance genre is performed mostly at festivals and other times for entertainment purposes. The Nagila dance is a solo act in which the dancer stamps his feet on the ground in a rhythmic motion and in interaction with the drums.
WThe Ohafia War Dance is a popular war dance performed in several parts of Eastern Nigeria. The dance which has its roots from Ohafia is performed by a group of muscular men in commemoration of their strength in fighting and winning wars in the past.
WThe xibelani dance is an indigenous dance of the Tsonga women of the Limpopo province in northern South Africa. The name of the dance comes from the native Xitsonga language and it can translate to "hitting to the rhythm", for example, the concept "xi Bela ni vunanga". The name "xibelani" typically refers to the dance style while the skirt itself is referred to as "tinguvu", however, the term "xibelani" is sometimes used to refer to both the dance and the skirt.
WZaouli is a traditional dance of the Guro people of central Ivory Coast. The Zaouli mask, used in the dance, was created in the 1950s, reportedly inspired by a girl named "Djela Lou Zaouli". However, stories on the origins of the mask are varied, and each mask can have its own symbolic history.