CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Background to the study

Dance has been an art that has existed in almost every culture and
tribes of the world, especially Africa. Dance is a natural activity with
man, just as other activities in human life. In essence, dance has to do
with movement.

Dance is an art of expression by which the body moves rhythmically to

the sound of a drum, xylophone, horn or music. Dance and music are
inseparable but at times, some dances are mimed. It is an art by which
individual or individuals exhibit or portray their talents. Dance becomes
an art when there is accompaniment of musical instruments and songs.
It is the physical expression of the inner emotions.

Judith Mackrell in her article entitled ‘Dance’ describes dance “as the
movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music or drum and
within a given space, for a given purpose of expressing an idea,
emotions, releasing energy or simply taking delight in the movement
itself.” From the above definition, it can be said that dance is an
expression and an exercise.

The fundamental principle of dance is that, it is an art form or an activity

that utilizes the body and the movement performed in everyday living,
dance movements involves extra qualities or features such as
self-expression, aesthetics, pleasure and entertainment.

Furthermore, dance is the transformation of ordinary functional and

expressive movement for extra-ordinary purposes. If one often uses a
fixed vocabulary of terms for movements or steps that have no
meanings in them, it may contain symbolic signs as in the animal
representation of aboriginal dancing. It may use mime gesture as in
Asian dance forms. Each culture tends to have its own distinctive style
or way of dance and reasons for dancing.
Walter Sorell states that, “The art of dance is as old as man and his
desire to express himself, to communicate his joys and sorrows, to
celebrate and to mourn with the most immediate instrument at his
disposal body.” Sorell (1967:9). It is a universal phenomenon that serves
a vital function in human society in an effort to achieve social cohesion
or togetherness, causing them to feel a deep sense of communication
with one another. As a result, people are liberated from the bounds of
individuality.

According to Mark Tekena, “Dance can be describe as an art by which

human movement is used as a means for transmitting messages in the
form of ideas, feelings, as well as experience.” Tekena (2004:1). This is
to say that dance can reveal much about a people and their ways of life.
Dance can be art, ritual, or recreation. It goes beyond the merely
functional movement of the body to become an experience that is
pleasurable, exciting or aesthetically valuable. In so doing, it can also
express emotions, moods, ideas, tell a story or social need.

In African societies, dance as a performing art is deeply woven into the

social fabrics of the lives of the people, which involves aspects of music
and rhythmic body movements. In addition, dance serves complex
purposes. Within an indigenous dance tradition, each performance
usually has a principle as well as a number of other purposes, which
may express or reflect the communal values and social relationships of
the people. In order to distinguish between the varieties of dance style,
therefore, it is imperative to establish the purpose which each dance is
performed.

The Igeli dance of the Okworogung people, being one of the millions of
African indigenous traditional dances also seeks to communicate
through body movements, gestures some meanings inherent in the art
form. It has evolved because of the impact of modern technology and
western education. It is also through the influence of Igeli dance that
other dances domesticate in Okworogung such as Iwali, Ogrinya dances
emanate from.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM.

The Igeli dance being one of the cultural heritages of the okworogung p
people, and one of African indigenous dance that has not been given
attention either locally or internationally. The dance has no written
documents like the “Ikpatamana war dance of the Obudu people,
Ekombi dance of the Efik and so on.” This research is primarily aim at
bringing the Igeli dance to the limelight of African traditional dances.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The Igeli dance of the Okworogung people have existed for so many
years now. However, it claims to be a national dance but it has no
written documentary about any of its aspects. This research is directed
towards exploring, describing, analysing and explaining the beauty or
aesthetics of the dance, its costumes, musical instruments and their
communicative roles in the dance.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The findings about this dance (Igeli) will contribute to the benefit of the
society as it plays a vital role of entertaining and educating the audience.
This research will help bring the dance to national recognition and help
revive it from its present state of slumber and near-extinction. This
research will also spur the performers and custodians of the dance to
take it serious as one of their cultural heritage. Lastly, this research will
also help to reveal how whistle, xylophone and body gestures are used
to communicate messages and express emotions and feelings.

1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The type of research methodology used by the researcher in carrying

out this research is the qualitative research method, and as such, the
method of data collection is the interview method. The researcher also
embark on a field trip exercise to the site of performance where he
carried out video coverage of the dance and afterwards held interview
session with the chief custodians and performers of the dance. The
interviews helped the researcher to describe and explained the
importance and significance of the xylophone, whistle, bottle tops, waist
beads, white handkerchiefs, etc. The researcher also makes use of the
participant-observation method in gathering information about the
dance. Other secondary materials used are Isidore Okpewho’s African
Oral Literature, and Ruth Finnegan’s Oral Literature in Africa.

1.6 THE OKWOROGUNG PEOPLE: ORIGIN, HISTORY AND WORLD

VIEWS

Okworogung village is one of the seven major villages that comprises

Utugwang community (Ngbenege, Okworogung, Ukpirinyi, Okwongung,
Ukpada, Ukwutia and Nkirira). Okorogung literarily means “The coming
together of mountains.” Oral history has it that the ancestry of the
Okoworogung people can be trace to Oshie who is said to be the
founding father of the Okworogung village. It is said that Atem, son of
Oshie, begot Odie or Omudie who begot Ade, Erimpang, Ogbangbe,
Eluka, Anumugbe and Agbang which are the six family units in
Okworogung.

In an interview session with chief Oko Odiang, the clan head of

Okworogung village, he states that as a result of the ever present land
dispute between Oshie (founder of Okworogung) and his six brothers,
he decided to migrate to the southern and mountainous part of
Utugwang where he married a wife that gave birth to six children who
are the six family units in Okworogung.

Geographically, Okworogung occupy an area in the southern part of the

Utugwang in Obudu Local Government Area. The village shares
boundary in the North with Ukpada community, also in Utugwang
community, in the South with Irruan community in Boki Local
Government Area, in the East with mbube community in Ogoja Local
Government Area and in the West with Alege community also in Obudu
Local Governnent area.
The major occupation of the Okworogung people are farming and
tapping of palm wine. Crops such as yams, rice, cocoyam, cassava,
plantain, groundnut, palm oil and others are cultivated on a subsistence
basis. The people also tap palm wine as a major means of earning
income. Palm wine is held in high esteem because it serves numerous
functions such as; generation of income, use for refreshment, use for
marriage, burial, naming ceremonies, coronation ceremonies, etc. It is
considered as the chief of all wine because it is natural and shows
values for our cultural heritage.

The okworogung people developed a traditional system of government

where the chief (Uti) is the head and carries out administrative and
judicial responsibilities. Elders of council are chosen from each of the
six family units that made up the village for effective representation. On
the supernatural, each individual prayed to ancestors (Ekwu-si),
although, four family units (Ogbangbe, Eluka, Erimpang and Anumugbe)
have a male cult group known as “Ikwong” which is exclssively for men
and initiates.

The rest of the village is divided into age grades or groups known as
“Eten” which incorporate both sexes. Members of each age group
behave as peers by cooperating to help one another and the village at
large when the need arises. Children help their parents in the farm and
after dinner in the evening, they are made to gather at the central hut
known as (Nkang) where night fires are built and stories with moral
lessons are told. Children are expected to respect the elders while
elders are held in high esteem and expected to be of sound moral
behaviour.

In an interview with Mr. Francis Oshie, he states that “There are some
cultural taboos which exist in the village, one of such is sexual
relationship between members of same family units, such act is totally
prohibited and offenders are subjected to punishments and provision of
items for sacrifices, cleansing and appeasement of the gods. Another
taboo is the eating of the civet cat (Irishor), it is an abomination for
anybody who is of Okworogung origin to eat the civet cat (Irishor),
Antelopes are also forbidden by some family units ,the village head
chief is forbidden from seeing a dead body or corpse hence, he goes to
a burial ceremony before the corpse arrives or after the interment.lastly,
stealing is also prohibited in the village, hence, anybody who steals is
arrested and locked up in the native handcuff called (Irrihum) and given
several strokes of the cane.”

In an interview session with Mr. Jacob Mfam, he observes that

“Concerning rites in the village, certain songs and dances are sung and
performed on different occasions.” The Ikpatamana war dance is
performed at the burial ceremony of great members of the village, Iwali
dance is performed at marriage ceremonies, Igeli dance is performed at
naming ceremony, coronation ceremonies and also marriage
celebrations.

The Okworogung people believe in a supreme deity (Asabusi) who

controls the universe, and other gods, which they feel, are offspring of
the supreme deity.

1.7 THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE IGELI DANCE

The Igeli dance naturally belongs to the Agbang unit of the Okworogung
people, the Igeli dance is one of the oldest dancing groups in
Okworogung village.

According to Mr. David Agba Ashu (Chief custodian of the dance), he

narrates that for about a century ago, there was a man named Ngbe,
who was a great farmer, he cultivated millet and ordered his two eldest
sons, Ede and Adie to watch over the millet in order to prevent birds and
other animals from destroying it.

Ede and Adie respected their father and went to the farm to watch over
the millet, one day, their father came to the farm to inspect their work,
he came and saw them sleeping, he became furious and beat them up
mercilessly. The next day in the process of keeping away birds and
other wild animals, a thought came to Adie “let us do something to keep
us busy.” He said to his brothers Ede. After sharing the idea with his
brother, they went and cut wood and shaped it into a xylophone and
started playing it with wooden sticks. They sat at the opposite end of
the xylophone and began playing at the same time to enable them
watch the birds. When the millet was ready for harvest their father and
other family members came, harvested the crops, and took it home. So,
Adie and Ede decided to carry their xylophone from the farm to their
home. When they brought it home, they decided to continue playing it
after dinner during the moon light,while other children and neighbours
watched and danced to the rhythm of the xylophone.

One day, there was a burial ceremony of an old man in the village
playground. Ede and Adie went and brought their xylophone to the
playground and started playing. One man called Okani Aka Olim
popularly known as Aka Ngbekem who had drank to stupor, started
dancing which attracted others to join him without singing a song.

Okani Odey Abua who was holding an animal horn blew it to

complement the beatings from the xylophone and to enable the dancers
listen to the tune of the xylophone. Afterwards, Olian Idiga and Obian
Owoko joined them in playing the xylophone while it became a
permanent dance during occasions like burials, marriages, coronations,
naming ceremonies, etc.

The dance was almost lost for many years but through the efforts of Mr.
Ochi Awhen in 1985 who revived it the then coordinator and chief
custodian while Mr. Anthony Asa and Mr. Augustine Adie became the
xylophone players until 1990. Presently, the whistle is use in place of
the animal horn to complement the tune of the xylophone. Also,
presently, Mr. David Agba Ashu is the chief coordinator and custodian
of the dance while Mr. Akormaye Agaji and Nkpe Aburu are the
xylophone players.
Works Cited

Mackrell, Judith.Dance, Encyclopaedia Britannica 9th Jan., 2010:

http://www.britannica.
com/EBchecked/topic/150714/dance/25694/music, 19th March,
2020.

Sorell, Walter.The Dance Through the Ages . London: Hudson, 1967

Tekena, Gabriel.Dance as a Tool For Ethnic Integration in Nigeria: A

Case Study of Selected Kalabari Dances in River State. The Crab:
Journal of Theatre and Media Art. Vol. 2, No. 9, 2014