African dancing - lesson plan

You can learn several different dances with VPWA:

1. Gota

2. Gundi

3. Gahu

4. Fume-fume

5. Anlokete

6. Kapalogo

7. Jobala

1. GOTA DANCE ( $40)

The Gota dance is performed by the people of the Volta region of Ghana when a battle is won or a hero or warrior dies. During the dance traditional magic tricks are performed which includes climbing up a bamboo pole, lying on top of the pole and chewing on broken glass, amongst others!

You will learn the various movements in this dance - the cripple walk, the chicken walk and the stage walk (4 hours). In one week you can perfect this dance.

2. GUNDI ($40)

This dance originates from fishing communities on the coast. Many of the people in the villages are old so the dance imitates their slow walking with sticks, however the dance shows that when the husbands return with fish the old ladies run like young women again.

You will learn the old people walk, running and targeting, poll and stamp, stage work. In one week you can perfect this dance.

3. GAHU DANCE ($70)

This dance is traditionally performed in Nigeria. Wealthy men in Nigeria wear enormous clothes which means they walk like a with their arms wide open. This dance imitates these men and the word 'gahu' in Ewe means 'riches'.

This dance has eight variations as follows;

1. Rich walk with merry making>2hr

2. Chicken left and right >1hr

3. Rich walk with flying hands>1hr

4. Buttocks soft hit>1hr

5. Chicken style in and out>1hr

6. Waist shaking>1hr

7. Solo out >1hr

8. Stage work>1hr

In two weeks you can perfect this dance.

4. FUME-FUME ($70)

People living in the coastal areas of Ghana (greater Accra region) worshiped different kinds of gods. These gods include one called tigali. Fume-fume derives from a dance which was preformed request the tigali gods bless them in abundance.

There are five variations in this dance as follows;

1. Lizard walks >1hr

2. Grasshopper movement>1hr

3. Side-fast walk>1hr

4. Cross leg shoot>1hr

5. No-hand chicken style>1hr

6. Stage work>2hrs

In two weeks you can perfect this dance.

5. ANLOKETE ($70)

Anlokete is a traditional dance performed by the youth of the Volta region when they are looking for their soulmate. Everybody used to marry within their community so when a parent sees that her daughter is ready for marriage they let them out at night to dance and find a soulmate. There are six variations in this dance, as follows;

1. Clap-chest hit>1hr

2. Gazo movement>1hr

3. Mosquito killing>1hr

4. Waist shaking>1hr

5. Kangorol movement>1hr

6. Horse- ridding>1hr

7. Stage work>2hr

In two weeks you can perfect this dance.

6. KPALOGO ($70)

This is the native dance of the people of the greater Accra region in Ghana. It tells the story of some hunters who enter into a thick forest in search of bushmeat but can't find their way home again. They come across a river and they decide to drink some of the water. There they see women from a nearby village fetching water. The ladies are shaking their buttocks and the men tell them to stop. When when they got home the men narrate the story in a form of a dance.

There are seven variations in this dance, as follows;

1. Hands within thighs >1hr

2. Hands turn around +cripple turn>1hr

3. Bend and pull>1hr

4. Hands outside thighs >1hr

5. Hands turn around+ palm stretched>1hr

6. Front crawl>1hr

7. Stage work>1hr

Nb. two week is the maximum to get perfect with the dance

7. JOBALA ($40)

The Jobala dance is from the Volta region of Ghana. The ladies show off themselves in order to attract a man. During this dance all the people in the community would meet in the community square and the ladies would dance to find a man.

There are several variations of this dance as follows;

1. Teapot>1hr

2. Clap and twist>1hr

3. Buttocks shacking>1hr

4. Right leg and body twist>1hr

5. Sweeping and back roll>1hr

In one week you can perfect this dance.