Why You Dance The Way You Do?

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%A man and a woman performing a modern dance.

Did you know that your dancing style is greatly dictated by your surroundings?

When you dance your body expresses your environment in its movement.

How do you dance?

Which dancing style comes natural to you?

I come from a society with extensive blends of cultures. Each with their own dominant dancing styles, that at a glance you can tell where they come from. You can easily tell how their surroundings influence their dance.

I will share with you, some of the different traditional Kenyan dances. Hope this will help you see how dancing reveals  much about a person’s environment.

The Maasai

Traditional Maasai Dance Kenya 2005
Traditional Maasai Dance Kenya 2005 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is probably the most famous community in Kenya. They are a pastoralistic warrior community with a very rich culture. When the Maasai dances, they jump high up in the air, ululating. Since they live in the savanna, and are always on the lookout for water and green pastures. This dance style results from the need to see far beyond the horizon.

The Baluhya

%luhya dances

This community is known for their love for chicken. The easiest way to charm a Baluhya is to prepare them a hearty chicken meal. You can never go wrong with this. This Baluhya dance is composed of vigorous shoulder movements. And flapping of the arms just like a chicken. It seems that their dance is an expression of their favorite delicacy.

The Kikuyu

%Kikuyu traditional dance.

This community was greatly affected by the colonists in the early 1900s. They felt that their culture was slowly being wiped away. This popular Kikuyu Dance, Mwoboko was a protest against foreigners. The dance is traditional with a hint of modernity in it. It’s like a traditional waltz. This dance is a way Kikuyus expressed their culture in the light of foreign influence.

…

I come from the Kikuyu community and if you are keen you can tell from the way I dance. Well, sometimes you can.

Due to the western influence the traditional dances are quickly taking a backseat. However, these moves still linger on since they are part of the surroundings. And they will for a long time to come, thanks to places like the Bomas of Kenya.

Which part of your body do you find easiest to move?

How has your surrounding affected how you dance?

 

41 thoughts on “Why You Dance The Way You Do?”

  1. Very interesting post darling!
    I don’t dance a lot…but the traditional Catalan dance is called ‘sardana’ and it’s a round of people holding hands and dancing with the feet. This is a complicated dance (you have to count and do calculations in order to finish the dance correctly). So, I think it shows the Catalan thoroughness and the strong links between our people.

    1. Thanks Nuresma…the Sardana seems like so much work but fun.
      You are differently a close knit people, even the proximity of two people when dancing does tell a lot. You should definitely teach yourself the Sardan 🙂

  2. Nice compilation,

    Mwomboko is wonderful. Not complicated, funny in a way and the accordion thing they do….haha..I love it.

    Regards

  5. Wow, this was very interesting and entertaining. I am Latin as you know have lived in the USA from the time I was a little girl so I am Americanized. My dance it’s a little bit with a Latin beat and American…I don’t dance much these days though. 🙂

    1. Dance is very fascinating. I love Latin dances the beats are awesome. I guess your American stay stole some of the Latin in you 🙂

  6. This is very informative, Veeh. Thanks for sharing

    God bless.

      2. Interesting question Noel. There are two famous Kenyattas,am not sure which one you mean. The first one is called Jomo Kenyatta, founding father of Kenya, he died in 1978. The other one is called Uhuru Kenyatta, his son who is still very much alive.

      3. I was talking Jomo but you answered the question.

  7. Vee, you remind me of our days from back in high school, we danced a lot! All those styles.. during praise and worship, during mass, during entertainment and funkiez..

    Btw I’m currently in your home area, but South Coast, Diani 🙂

    1. Yes Savvy, we really danced a lot, huh? Dancing is so much fun. Mmmmh, Diani you are already on Easter holiday? When are coming to the island. I am going to be away this Easter.I have to say,you are good are these coasto sniper missions lol

      1. I’m here for a conference, will be in Nairobi during Easter! Have little time and I didn’t know it would take 2 hours from the airport to the hotel! I have to plan to come see you… not that I come for an event and then I try to squeeze you in!

  8. This article makes me think a lot about how people dance. Sometimes when I go out, I like to watch people how they dance, and I see persons that can’t dance naturally, others who are so connected with music and everything. I believe than the way a person dance, tell us a lot about her personality. The way you dance reflects the way you see yourself! Furthermore, as you said, sometimes you can tell where people are from the way they dance; perhaps is hard to say but is possible.

    1. It’s actually a lot of fun watching people dance.
      You do notice so many styles and some are very hilarious.
      You have brought a very important point Daniela.
      The way someone dances tells a lot about their personality.
      A vigorous dancer is most probably very outgoing,huh?

      2. Music is beautiful. I feel so good when I dance…the beat of the music dictates the move for me.Do you know that extremely hilarious song from Madagascar the cartoon movie “Follow the leader.” We have our own version called mugithii means train…very enjoyable stuff. To die for lol

  9. I’m not exactly sure I can explain my dancing style… But I will say, I used to dance alone when I went to clubs for a couple years

    And often with my eyes closed

    DJ-

      1. Because The World in my Head, Created by the Music around me was Much More Appealing… And, I am a Very Internal Person, though I Like People very much…

        But I have to say, one time when I opened my eyes this lady was dancing with me “lol” and she said “You sure can move for a White Boy”, lol

        Of course, she was an Awesome Dancer, though I had no idea who she was, lol

        DJ-

      2. Now I get the picture…
        That’s funny how that lady was dancing with you, without you knowing.
        You can dance really well after all 🙂

      5. I really didn’t get into Dancing until I became Single at the age of 29 after an 8 1/2 year relationship… I had two friends (a couple), and they could really dance, and they took me to some Clubs with them…

        Later I went to a few other Clubs as well

        But you’re right, theater at Age 17-20, again at 28 and 29, and two bands, one at 30, one at 32

        DJ-

      6. Everything happens at it’s own perfect time…
        Your time to wear your dancing shoes is here and hopefully not going away anytime soon.

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  12. Wow this is a very insightful post! Thank you for posting this. I’m a contemporary dancer from the Philippines and our dancing here is also very much influenced by our Filipino culture. And even history. We were colonized though by western countries in the past and have acquired the western culture, so it had always been a mixture of many things for our dance styles. Thank you again for this post

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