Dance-A-Ganda Vol. 1, No.1, 2013 Conference Edition
Bejeweled Project 2dance or not 2dance Grease: The Naija Mix My Hero
Spirit of David’s
WWW World Wide Wonder
M A G A Z I N E
National Dance Championship
2013
Contemporary Hip-Hop Latin Musical Traditional C r e d i t s Publisher Fruities' Publications Executive Editor Mrs. Eno-Abasi Emah
Columnists/Contributors Mrs. Edima-Abasi Imara Mr. Dehniece Etukudo Mr. Victor Thompson Mrs. Esther Charles Miss Idongesit L. Udoh
C O N T E N T S From the Publisher's Desk
4
Dance-o-Gienic sweat deals
6
A Choreographers Diary: 2 dance or not 2 dance
7 8
Grease: The Naija Mix Economic Spectrum of Nigerian Dance Practice: An Appraisal
10
The Bejeweled Project
12
How to: Plan an event
14
Book review: Introduction to dance
16
Spirit of David's World Wide Wonder
18
Graphic Designer L'edima Productions Print@ Juliusconecptz Int’l 08023571747
From the
Publisher’s Desk
W
e bring you warm felicitations from Fruities'. At Fruities', deriving from victory or accomplishment, some of which include: we see a world you can impact and dominate by your Miriam and the debut of praise and worship after the deliverance from the enemy and the great feat at the Red Sea crossing (Exodus 15:25); fruits; and our mission is to produce, package and Jephthah's daughter after her father's victory (Judges 11:34); David's distribute inspirational products, strategies and events that promote thanksgiving for the return of the Ark of God (1 Samuel 6:14), etc. exceptional values and a Biblical Worldview with specific regard to It is along these lines that Fruities' presents the Dance-Afruitfulness, deriving from creativity. We see creativity as God's gift of Ganda Magazine, as a tool in the 21st Century to present and promote Himself to man, as He mandated man to be fruitful in Genesis 1:28. creativity in dance and dance-related activities. This debut is The Dance-A-Ganda Magazine, is an instrument to presented at the 1st Dance Ville International Conference. We have an present and promote creativity, specifically in the area of Dance and interesting package, which we believe should not only give you how to present and foster it. The name is derived from 'dance' and pleasure, but also give you information about dance as well as ignite 'propaganda'. some creative aspects lying dormant in you. Dance is a creative art that generally involves body Following our mandate therefore, we present as cover, the movement in rhythm to music. It means different things to different Spirit of David's WWW Show, which is coming up on the 1st of people, like: a way of life, an escape from life, a stress relief, a creative October, 2013. Our feature story is an appraisal of the economic outlet, a passion, an income, a hobby, a creative way of expressing spectrum of the Nigerian dance practice. On the Show Catalogue, we thoughts and feelings, beats and words that cannot be expressed in have a report of the Bejewelled Project, and lots more. spoken words. Dance is an art-form in which human movement is the This is the package we are offering at this time. We enjoin medium for sensing, understanding and communicating ideas, you to relax as we explore, in partnership, ways of fostering creativity feelings and experience. It provides a way of learning and and dominating our world with abundant fruits. development of communication abilities, problem solving God bless you. techniques, as well as creative and even critical thinking skills; involving the body, space, action and time. Propaganda is a form of communication which aims at influencing the attitude of a Professor Imelda Icheji Lawrence Udoh community towards a particular cause or position by deliberately Chairman creating a chosen result in their attitudes. The intention is therefore to Fruities' Publications propagate dance to the creative world. As stakeholders in the Kingdom Project, the Bible is our basis for dancing. It presents several instances of dancing as an expression of rejoicing,
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DANCE-O-GIENIC SWEAT DEALS. First of all, I couldn't really appreciate the art because, the wave of offensive breeze hit me so hard, I sneezed. The studio attendant approached me , to find out my class schedule and I hurriedly told him, I would watch that day. To cut my long story short, this inspired some dance hygiene tips to make dance a beautiful experience, both for the viewer and the dancer. ·
In as much as every Dance Studio should have
a shower room, dancers should take the initiative to either have a bath before/after rehearsals or use the Eno-Abasi Emah.
I
studio's shower. ·
Dancers should be more hygienic and wear
remember watching a dance movie with so much clean clothes to rehearsal. The fact that you are just
delight, wishing I could be a lot slimmer, so I could be flung up in the air, and caught without a fight.
The beauty in the dancers' expression, the harmony in body movements… DANCE, such a nice art.
going for a rehearsal to sweat in it, doesn't mean you should come with sweaty clothes. ·
Be a bit sensitive to your bodies as, this is the
main tool used in dancing. ·
Depending on your perspiration level, find
Well, this fantasy came to an end , the day I went for my
the right deodorant to sustain your body and keep you
first dance rehearsal.
feeling confident and fresh.
I entered the studio that faithful morning , and I met
Until next edition, be dance-o-gienic.
about 7 couples doing one of those salsa-looking dances.
A Choreographers’ Diary:
2dance or not 2dance
I
still find it very amusing that people think dancing is a bad thing, (no thanks to all the booty shakers on MTV, Sound City, Channel O, etc). I think dance is one of the three best things in my life. Not only has it given me a means of livelihood, it has given me something to be relevant in. I organized a dance program in a public school and selected some very gifted children to participate in it. Some told me they had to tell lies to stay back for rehearsals. I asked why, and I spent the whole of the first rehearsal hearing from these kids that their parents thought the following about dance and dancers. (Now please bear in mind these aren't the exact words they used, but in every thing they said, this is what I understood): 1. if you dance you will go to hell for eternity; 2. dancing is for jobless people; 3. people who dance are usually possessed by demons; 4. dancing is not an option for intelligent people; 5. one should not dance when school fees have been paid for one to become a doctor; 6. if you dance, (females) you would most definitely get pregnant before you get married. 7. dancers don't get married. I was very hurt after that meeting, and so I told them to go home, I didn't want them to lie; after, all no one was paying me to do what I was doing. You have to understand that at the time I had never been paid to dance, it was just something I loved to do. I got home and gave it a lot of thought. These reasons were not far-fetched. A few dancers have been misbehaving in the last
decade, but that doesn't mean there aren't many good ones. So, I did a lot of 'research' (and by research I mean google by the way). And believe me, a dunce can't dance. Only intelligent people can pursue a career in dance. I was awed by everything I discovered. I realized we hadn't even scratched the surface of it. So, I went back to the school and schooled the principal on why it was good to dance and she in turn schooled some parents. And we continued our rehearsals. They had a fun outing, and I am glad I did it. Some weeks after, I got a call that some people wanted to shoot a video and someone gave them my number. He said he had dancers already, he just needed some one to show them what to dance. I said, 'cool, when do we start?' He said, 'tomorrow', then added 'how much will that cost?' And I thought ... Okayyyyyy! What are you offering? Thinking to myself 'finally I was going to be a millionaire like Flatley and Astaire, but he offered 2000 Naira. I was exited (and disappointed as well). That was actually my first 'pay check' from dance (and bear in mind that was ten years ago, no one should DARE offer me that today or tomorrow). I had fun, the only downside was all the English I had to speak to get them to exclude 'ass' shaking in the routine and cover some skin. I still see some of the girls from that school these days, none of them dances now, and I used to feel bad, that maybe I didn't impact their lives enough. However, few days ago, I realized that, that experience was rather meant to impact mine. By Gods grace I have tried hard not to be any of the things their parents said about dancers, and I am believing some day, the title DANCER will come with way more prestige than it does today. C'est moi L'Edima
Grease:
D
The Naija Mix
id you ever see the movie GREASE featuring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John? It was epic! Krump Studios brings the story back to you, Naija style as a Broadway production. With fresh routines, original soundtracks and loads of fun, Grease: The Naija Mix was definitely a must watch! The original movie is an American musical film based on Warren Casey's and Jim Jacobs's 1971 musical of the same name about two lovers in a 1950s high school. The film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, and Jeff Conaway who have been replaced by young Nigerian talents with Eno Ekpeyong and El Iwenjiora starring as Danny and Sandy respectively. Grease: The Naija Mix attempted to relive fond memories from the original movie, create new ones and give everyone a fantastic show all at once.
The production is an initiative of 'The Speaking Feet Project' the dance entertainment and theatre leg of Krump Dance Studios, an award winning dance institution in Abuja. The Speaking Feet Project aims to provide world class entertainment and abroad as well as produce exportable art provide dancers with a viable career path. The show hit the stage of NUC theatre, Abuja with enough Grease lightening to keep the audience glued to their seats. With two shows and an energetic 30man cast, Grease: The Naija Mix definitely set the standard as Abuja's first full length dance theatre production. The show was awarded by rave reviews and Abuja waits eagerly to see what next to come from The Krump Dance studios
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ECONOMIC SPECTRUM OF NIGERIAN DANCE PRACTICE:
AN APPRAISAL
“Dance is thinking with your body… not for survival, perhaps for a living (Ek:1)”.
BY VICTOR THOMPSON
This statement by Mats Ek, an esteemed Swedish Choreographer and dance scholar encapsulates, for me, the confusion and concerns over the essence of dance practice in Nigeria. Is it for survival or for a living? Ek's submission above stresses that being viewed as a profession, Dance is capable of providing a meaningful life for the practitioner. In other words, the dance artiste should, at least, be able to settle his immediate bills with proceeds from dancing. Taking Nigeria dance culture and practice into cognizance, how realistic is the above statement? It seems as if the Nigerian Dancer is merely surviving. I say this with all sense of responsibility. Whether in government or the private sector, the Nigerian Dance Artiste is highly creative, disciplined and extraordinarily diligent, but I am afraid of his future. His remuneration is always a paltry sum. Arguably, his takehome pay may not actually take him home; put food on his table and clothes on his wardrobe. Can his five years' savings as a Dancer send him through school, secure him mobility, an average descent accommodation or pay a bride price? Against all socio-professional pretensions, when placed against the larger economic spectrum, an average Nigerian dance artiste is rarely significant. In a sincere attempt to appraise the economic status quo of the Nigerian Dance Practice, a brief historical overview is pertinent. Every dance is a product of culture. And Nigerian culture (like any African culture), is formidably rooted in traditional religion. What is practiced today in our society as indigenous dance culture, took its origin from the multi-farious primitive rituals of traditional religion. These dances which evolved as highly sacred movements, turbo-charged with metaphysical energies, served as man's elements of worship and celebration to gods and deities. Traditional dance experience of this age also functioned as the ultimate medium for supernatural interactions between man and the unseen powers. It was paramount in the consummation of such activities like birth, funeral, festival, etc. Traditional dances of this period had two significant
values: the identity and mystical values, while the identity values; stirred up sense of collectively, the mystical, aimed at placating the gods and liberating man from the influence of the cosmos (Udoka 5). One can quickly glean from the foregoing that primitive indigenous dance experience viewed, either as machinery for sacred communication, or means of cultural identity, was exclusively devoid of economic values. In other words, traditional dances in the olden days were not practiced for money. Performers derived their satisfaction from a sense of cultural fulfillment, not economic maximization. NIGERIAN DANCE CULTURE METAMORPHOSIS Since dance originally belonged to culture, the society still sees dance as a mere cultural activity that should not be enlisted on the tabloid of professionalism and meaningful economic standard. As a dance Advocate, my greatest challenge is that of convincing the public that dance has shifted emphasis from its former status as a cultural routine to its new role as a professional performing art.
The evidence of Nigerian dances metamorphosis is readily visible. Within the volume of its transformation, the diverse indigenous dances are trado-theatrically refined and developed. In its current shell, our dances have become indispensable as public enlightenment initiatives. They have been incorporated into modern advertising. They have become a tangible instrument for political re-engineering and special crusades. In the tertiary academic curriculum, dance is being offered as a para-theatre discipline. In the Government, dance troupes are set up at the Federal and State levels, (though fundamentally, to entertain Guests at State functions). Dance in many ways has been implored to celebrate the past, interpret the present and foretell the future. They have also been used to inculcate values and communicate ideas, as well as core elements for national unity. With all these significant roles, why is dance not accorded its rightful place in the socio-professional or economic scheme of things either by government or the public? I have pondered over this issue for many years, and I am engulfed with wild answers that strip me naked before the very mirror of reality. Perhaps the Nigerian Dancer should stop bemoaning his poor economic status and begin to re-evaluate his socio-professional livingness with sober reflections. Has he positioned his Art well enough to attract reasonable economic maximization? Has he created some level of dignity for the dance practice that will compel even government and the multi-nationals to take him seriously? Has he considered bold attempt towards rejecting "pea nuts" as performance fees or toilets as changing rooms at performances or at Airports, hopping under the scotching sun in the name of dancing or at AGM of failed Banks and then scramble for food at gala nights? Has he considered academic empowerment which will enlighten him on the demands of his profession and the challenges of the dynamic society? I presume (and I stand to be corrected), that the average Nigerian Dancer is limited on the foregoing, and until the frontier of these limitations is demolished, he will continue to merely
survive instead of earning a reasonable living. The Nigerian dance profession must embrace the use of technology. For instance, e-dance should be employed to improve creativity and preservation of choreography and dance materials. Intercultural choreography as a means of globalized art should be encouraged. Concerted effort should be put in place to extend our performance venues from live-stage to the electronic media (film and television) precisely. The Nigerian Dance Practitioner, like his counterpart in other parts of the world, must subscribe to personal and professional branding, paying strict attention to product packaging, positioning and pricing if he must make a living out of dancing. WORKS CITED Ek, Mats. Int'l Dance Day Message Published on International Dance Council Website, 2003. Udoka, Arnold. Dance in Contemporary Nigeria: Change, Continuity and Relevance, being a paper presented at Dance Conference, Lagos, 1996.
The Bejeweled Project
By Mrs. Esther Charles
G
To encourage positive Parental involvement. one are the days when dance was downplayed and labeled as a distraction for children in schools and even beyond the school We had a 104 kids from 4 schools that participated in the competition. walls. They were all involved in a 2weeks training, where they were not just After football, dance is the most popular physical activity among young taught how to dance but how to create dances of their own and then people. It is a distinct art form and an integral part of culture. It is inherently collaborative and creates connections across art forms, began preparation for their presentation assisted by a dance instructor. subjects, organizations and generations. We believe that dance is an avenue for communicating core life values such as: discipline & commitment, dependability and honesty, creativity and team work. We have seen the power of transformation through the art of dance and its ability to boost self esteem and confidence in not just children but anyone who embraces the art. Everyone at some point engages in some level or form of dance and children in particular exhibit a love for dancing. Some of them even at very tender ages have a talent for dance and Ainesis believes this talent should be recognised, developed and harnessed.
The attendance of the event was amazing, even though it was gated, parents came in with their families just to watch their kids perform, students of the respective schools, teachers and lovers of dance also were in attendance. The event began with a short talk on “THE CHILD,THE HOME, THE SCHOOL & THE TALENT by Jesse Agede (A teacher at HILLCREST HIGH, EKORINIM, CALABAR).
THE BEJEWELLED PROJECT is her maiden edition of Dance Training and Competition for Primary School kids which was successfully launched on the 24th of November 2012 in the city of Calabar with 26 kids each, aged 4-10yrs from the following schools: Bridge-End Int'l School, Palm Court Crèche & Schools, Lourdes Academy and Tender Hearts schools. Its theme was 'Unlocking Treasures' and we sure did!! Some of the goals of the competition amongst others were: To provide a wholesome environment and medium for students in school to showcase their talent through team dance. To stress the importance of competition as a means of motivation to excellence and not as an end in itself. To instill an appreciation of dance as an art and encourage students to recognize and appreciate the originality, creativity, and variety of movement associated with dance.
He explained the significance of recognizing the talent in a child because therein lies their greatest potential and not letting our plans for them keep their talents in the dark and encouraged the audience to support projects like this that helps build and explore the talents of our children.
Another talk was given by Aniekan Umoh (Pastor of Children's Church arm of Calabar City Church). He believes that God put in every single child an answer to the world's questions and this can be seen through their natural given ability. He also stressed that as much as parents expose their kids to the best schools and pay attention to their academic excellence, there is also the need to expose them to other forms of intelligence (talent) , affirm them and support them. Two Guest dance groups graced the stage with a mind blowing performance: NuVessels (a dance group of Calabar City Church) and MAD-X (Winners of ASFAC 2012). The first school to present her dance was LOURDES ACADEMY, followed by TENDER HEARTS SCHOOLS, BRIDGE END INT'L SCHOOL & lastly PALM COURT CRECHE & SCHOOLS. Each school was to provide two (2) representatives for a QUIZ which covered all the lessons in their two weeks training and the quiz also carried marks as well as their dance presentation. The dances were analysed by three (3) judges: Edet Iso (Dance Instructor, Spirit od David Gospel Dance Club),Blessing Akombi (Founder of Veiled Dance Company Lagos, 2nd Runner up of Celebrity Takes 2 Dance Competition), Mrs Valerie O'neal Brown (Designer & Event Planner (Trinidad), Organizer of ASFAC, Calabar) Tender Hearts School emerged Winners of 'The Bejewelled Trophy' and the Cash price with 250 points while BridgeEnd Int'l School was 1st Runner-up with 228 points-they also got cash prize. The event was proudly supported by MACBITE CALABAR,ODGS LAGOS, SLASH CONCEPTS CALABAR,CALABAR CITY CHURCH & DANCEVILLE UYO, amongst others. The event was anchored by Goodluck Opue.
How 2: Plan an event -First of all identify what type of event/activity you would like to do. -Then decide what you would like to accomplish. -Fix a date, time and location for the event or activity (considering the amount and kind of people you will like to attend). -Create a budget and time line for the event. -Document who is responsible for each function and communicate the timeline to everyone involved in the planning or fulfillment of the event. -Draw up an order of activities that will take place during the event and who will be performing them. -Determine if a published program is necessary. If so decide who will create and print the program. -Determine if presenters/speakers are needed. If so identify potential presenters or speakers to invite to participate. -Decide on the time frame for each presentation or speech.
-Identify what equipment is necessary for the event or activity and potential sources. -Decide who will be responsible for the pick up and return of the equipment. -Determine what materials are needed, and -identify potential sources to purchase them. -Select an MC or moderator for the event. -Consider and make arrangement for the following items if they are needed: food, music, decorations, flowers, photography/video, clean up. If this article gives you a headache.... hire an event planner/consultant :)
Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria
Book Review
Introduction to Dance
Introduction to Dance, is the title of the book written by Edima-Abasi Udoh Imara. It is a beautifully packaged 61-page book published in Uyo, by Fruities' Publications, 2011. The book is written in six chapters of large font. As the name suggests, it is an introduction to the very basic principles of dance and it attempts to answer questions that dancers ask at the beginning of their careers. It also helps to sharpen their focus as well as provide tips on safety. The first section, the 'Introduction', establishes the case to be addressed in the book. Chapter two deals with Dance and it is defined on pages 1, 2 as: …a series of movements and steps, usually performed to rhythm. It is the oldest form of expression which absorbs culture and location of a people. The easiest way to package a lifestyle is by performing a dance. It inculcates the movement, music, attire, language and history of any given culture. Chapter two explores the human body in order to provide body awareness, for the body is the main instrument of dance. Chapter three presents dance techniques, bearing in mind that movement is an important part of human activity. Chapter four deals with production and performance. These two aspects of creativity cover both imagination and improvisation. They are very important for choreography and indeed they underlie most dance cultures. Chapter five deals with dance education. It is important to children learn many ways to through space, like: hopping, turning, wiggling, etc.; and they use this ability to control their movements as well as express ideas. Dance can therefore be used as a very important tool in learning. Chapter six concludes with dance strands, involving the different parts that come together in dance like artistic perception, development of motor skills, creative expression and how these are connected and applied to other subjects and learning conditions. The book ends with a glossary of dance terms. The language is simple and the concepts are presented in a manner that the student can understand easily, and at the same time, its simplicity is also appealing to the instructor. This book is simply a 'must-have' for everyone interested is dancing. It was written by one who loves dancing, and that passion is gradually driving a foundation in an area that is evolving and only recently trying to gain acceptance. It is obvious that the author has good communication skills and is very interested in her pupils. In fact she enjoys helping the Citizens of Dance Ville learn about Dance.
GAP Records Ltd.
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Spirit of David’s World Wide Wonder pirit of David's Gospel Dance Club is a vision from God to introduce dynamic and daring expressions of worship through dance, while redefining dance in our generation. Popularly known as SOD, they have been walking with this vision for over 15 years.
S
ministered through dance. The Gospel Dance Club ministers at the different Projects Celebrity Takes 2
During this period, they have hosted over 80 dance shows and they are known all over the country for excellence, creativity and depth, and there are branches all over Nigeria and Europe. This club has been known for several dance projects. Such projects have particular themes which address particular areas in advocacy. Most of them can be replicated in the branches, except the Celebrity Takes 2, which take place in Lagos.
This is a reality TV show, which takes place in Lagos. It has done two seasons already, featuring Star musicians, dancers and actors. The latest feat is the upcoming show the World Wide Wonder also known as W3. This event is the latest of the October 1st shows which started with the show Exodus 1 in 1999. There have been other October 1st shows like Martyr, The Gathering, 15, to mention but a few.
Explode This is a Friday evening dance evangelism on the streets of Nigeria. This started long before flash mobs became popular. Fresh from the Oven This is a dance worship service where every part of the service is
The World Wide Wonder is a 35-minuite live online show for over a million viewers. Like all SOD shows, it is intended to give life, hope and meaning to people. Join the SOD on www.3dancingmen.com for a life changing experience.
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