The advent of contemporary dance in Nigeria

Abstract

Contemporary dance is a new genre of dance which emerged in America and Europe as a break away campaign from classical ballet. Whereas contemporary dance began in America and Europe as a revolution against convention, in Nigeria, its advent is not seen as a
rebellion against convention per se, but a redirection/reinvention of tradition based on current observations. Prominent Nigerian contemporary dance artistes such as Christopher Abdul, Dayo Liadi, Usman Abubakar, Qudus Onikeku, Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau
(popularly called Kaffy) and Becky Umeh have been popularising the dance genre by creating personalised contemporary dance steps under the influence of tradition. This study examined how contemporary dance emerged in Nigeria mainly through a method where various scholarly perceptions were analysed. The  discovery is that contemporary dance has been evolving in Nigeria from 1861 through the conflict of the Nigerian  and European cultures experienced during colonialism before the age of cultural consciousness in Nigeria influenced particularly by the Aladura church. Hubert Ogunde became the doyen of contemporary dance by fusing Nigerian and European dance steps. This was the dawn of dance commercialisation in Nigeria with Hubert Ogunde forming the first professional dance company in 1961 to package aesthetic dance presentations. Nigerian universities also contributed its quota towards the emergence of the dance genre, especially through the academic and practical foundations laid by Peggy Harper. Contemporary dance in Nigeria is continually being influenced by different shades of the indigenous culture in addition to application of imported materials, especially from America and Europe. In as much as contemporary dance in Nigeria is perceived to reflect traces of the Nigerian culture/attitude and perspectives exotic/imported cultures, it is never static. It evolves with time; and with each generation of dancerchorographers professing the trend of contemporary dance prevalent during that period.