the meaning of masabo    welcome to west africa    quick notes about côte d'ivoire    about fana soro   
about the senoufo people    about traditional music    about traditional dance    about masks   
about the balafon    about the instruments    about oral traditions    about textiles and costumes   
school performance repertoire    masks - music & dance    learning activities    learning links   

Dance is as varied in style and function as music. Dancing is associated with both sacred and secular events, and it plays a crucial role in education, work, entertainment, politics, and religious rites. Common dance patterns include team dances using formations; group dances that allow individuals to display their skills; solo dances, often performed by a professional entertainer. Body postures in Ivoirien dance are typically earth-oriented movements in which the performer bends the knees and inclines the torso forward from the hip.

Some of the well known dances include the N'Goron dance, a graceful initiation dance by young Senoufo girls wearing only grass skirts and a shell and feather headdresses; and the panther dance, which illustrates the courage, agility, and strength of the Senoufo peasant in mastering a hostile environment. It is usually performed when boys return from the Poro training sessions. Other dances are the Koutouba and Kouroubissi dances performed by Malinké women during the week before Ramadan.

                     (Dances performed in a Masabo school show and residency)

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