| The Dances |
Teachers Program Guide -
African Heritage Dancers & Drummers |
KOU-KOU (Dance of Initiation Celebration)
(Sou-Sou & Malinke Peoples, Guinea, West Africa)
Among the Sou-Sou and Malinke peoples of Guinea, West Africa, Harvest
time is used to display the youths who have passed their ordeals
and rituals to
become young adults in the family and community.
Taken away from the village by the Elders
and Priest, the
young people are taught to be more responsible, in taking care to be more
respectful, industrious and in learning manners and social graces.
They return to the village, If, they pass their ordeals and rituals
and dance an energetic dance of celebration in honor of passing their Initiation.
|
EYE-SEE-SAY-YANGO (A Festival
Celebration Dance)(I See You Dancing)
(Mandingo People, Senegal, West Africa)
When festivals are held in the village or at the end of the day when
people want to have fun, they will gather and dance their feelings of Joy
and Happiness, to the rhythm of the drums. On occasions like this,
everyone in the village participates.
(AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION REQUESTED)
Students and Teachers will be picked from the audience to participate.
LYRICS TO THE SONG
EYE-SEE-SAY-YANGO
(I See You Dancing)
Lead Singer:
Eye-See-Say-Yango (I see you dancing)
Eye-See-Say-Yango (I see you dancing)
Audience Chorus:
Eye-Eye-Eye-See-Say-Yango ( I, I, I see you dancing)
Lead Singer:
Eye-See-Say-Yango (I see you dancing)
Eye-See-Say-Yango, Eh! ( I see you dancing, Yes!)
Audience Chorus:
Eye-Eye-Eye-See-Say-Yango (I, I, I see you dancing)
Continue throughout the Dance with hand clapping in
tempo with the rhythm.
|
LAMBA - (Dance of Spirit Appreciation)
(The word Lamba
means Spirit)
(Sou-Sou, Malinke and Mandingo peoples, Guinea and
Senegal, West Africa)
(Also a Griot Dance)
When the chief of the village, or important elders or priest come before
the people on important occasions such as at harvest or planting time or
ceremonies celebrating births, marriages or death, the people dance
the Lamba, in
honor of God and their Ancestors. Giving thanks for good fortune
and asking for wisdom and knowledge to live a good life, they sing a song
entitled, Ko-sa-yom-bey
(What Shall My Life Be?). The answer is (De-De-Oh/De-Oh) What God
Wills It To Be, It Will Be.
|
MANDIANI (Initiation Celebration Dance)
(Mandingo People, Senagal, West Africa)
Initiation rituals are very important in the life of African peoples.
It is that time when the transformation from Childhood
to Young Adulthood
takes place. The Mandiani is also danced as a communal
recreational dance, by youths to pass the time of afternoon
fun. Introduced to the African-American community more than twenty-five
years ago, the Mandiani has become a celebratory
standard when African dance is performed. The Mandiani
song says, The Time has Come, The Time has come For the Crossing Over
of Someone.
Key Words |
|