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Nagila

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nagila 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.[1][2]

Nagila Traditional Dance

Movement

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A Nagila dancer who takes center bends his or her upper body forward such that his hips and thigh form a right angle. The dancer then holds his or her elbows in front or behind and stamps his or her feet on the ground in a rhythmic pattern. A dancer  usually dances for 30 seconds after which the musical instruments play for a while. To signal that a dancer is ready to resume dancing, the drums sounds louder.  The dance is resumed this way for about six times after which a new dancer takes the center.[3]

References

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  1. ^ MyNewsGH (2017-11-16). "Kassena People of Ghana and Burkina Faso". MyNewsGh. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  2. ^ "Nagila dance". music.africamuseum.be. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  3. ^ Powell, Azizi (2016-09-03). "pancocojams: Five Videos of Nagila Dancing (by the Kassena People of Ghana & Burkina Faso)". pancocojams. Retrieved 2020-05-06.