SIGNIFICATION IN CONTEMPORARY DANCE: AN INTERCULTURAL ANALYSIS OF IJODEE REPERTOIRE

Abstract

For over three decades, contemporary dance in Nigeria, rich as it is in fostering exchange, artistic innovation, and the preservation of traditional heritage, has sadly been misinterpreted by scholars and practitioners. This is against the unfortunate dispositions of some practitioners and scholars, who contend that contemporary dance in Nigeria is either a pure imposition of Western standards or are devoid of any national or African identity. This study challenges that notion by interrogating the cultural elements embedded in Ijodee Dance Company’s repertoire, with specific focus on Possession and In Imagination. Employing Interculturalism as its theoretical framework, the research adopts a qualitative methodology, using content analysis of recorded performances available online in carrying out investigation. Its primary data is drawn from audio-visual recordings of these dances, while secondary data includes interviews, scholarly texts, journal, internet sources, and media articles. Findings reveal that Ijodee’s dances are deeply rooted in traditional Nigerian dance forms, enriched by diverse movement vocabularies and influences. As such, elements like costumes, movements, themes, motifs, cultural symbols and philosophies, and stylized improvisation, distinctly assert a Nigerian identity within the contemporary expression. This study concludes that it is crucial we recognize contemporary dance, especially the ones that resonate our African life to reassert and affirm cultural ownership, thereby resisting the appropriation and misrepresentation of African art in Western contexts.