By Norman Stephenson known as Rubba
Norman Stephenson is a teacher, African dance performer and part of the DMAC dance collective based in Bristol. He has over 40 years experience of delivering African dance in the UK and across the world.
From Rubba’s point of view, African dance is not solely used for performing. That is just a small part of a whole picture and there are important meanings attached to the African dance, including uses for religious rituals, ceremonial rituals or social events. Different forms of dance expression can be used to restore order and balance in various communities throughout the continent.
Both dance and music are infinitely linked and in most cases, a master drummer plays music as a language to communicate to the dancers or listeners. The drum play a vital role and can also serves various purposes within the communities such as using the drums to make announcements of important events, retelling stories of their origins, great times of distress, selection of chiefs, and much more.
Everyone in the community know what the language that the drums plays. So without any words, they can know what the drum is talking about. The drum has a very important function and has many levels of this form of communication in every aspect of one's life from birth.
African dance is seen as very inclusive in the life of each community as anyone can dance no matter their physical makeup and there are different avenues of expression usually drawing from nature, inspirations from within community living, or communicating with there deities and ancestors.
