THE DIRECTOR'S EXPLORATION OF DANCE-IN-DRAMA IN THE NIGERIAN THEATRE

Abstract

Dance in the African Total Theatre Aesthetics

Tender steps-1 say!

Purposeful steps - I reiterate!

Ginger steps-ureverent to many but the matter is really beyond Good and Evil

Don't stop! Don't look back! Whoever puts his feet to the dance and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of Arts!

M-as in Movement

Mas in Motion

M as in Motivation

Who can stop movement?

Who could hold motion?

Who-1 saycan demotivate motivation?...

(Abodumrin, 2003x),

I In the above excerpt from the Preface' to The Dancing Masquerade, Femi Abodunrin describes the everlasting power of dance through movement, motion and motivation the 'three Ms', which he refers to as the 'hallmark of the masquerade's thythmic steps. The metaphor of the dancing masquerade celebrates the masquerade's dynamic prowess, highlighted by his ageless lowing costume, and provides the basic maxim on which this paper is anchored: for the masquerade to dance well, he needs to keep strictly to the rules and refrain from donning the proud togu of I know it all. As the excerpt warns, no dancer should look back while dancing, unless that head movement is part of his spatial-rhythmic pattern.