ABSTRACT
Commercialization of dance has become an integral part of the evolving creative industry in Africa. Commodification of African traditional dance as a “product” significantly needs to be branded and packaged in a manner that makes it a commercially viable venture. Framed within attractive quality and sociological aesthetic theories, this study seeks find out why African Dance industry has been unattractive and to explore how African traditional dances are branded and packaged by both professional and amateur dance companies and to highlight the commercial value of the Arts specifically dance. It mostly adopts a qualitative mode of investigation within a multidisciplinary framework that sees dance as both a cultural form and a stage art. The thesis recommends a frame work of the Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action model as a tool for commercialization and the adoption of vertical organizational structure alongside with some marketing activities that could enhance traditional dance brands to be more commercially viable.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
According Kariamu Welsh 2009, Dance is one of the world’s oldest art forms. It is a mercurial art form: It exists in the moment, and, while a dance can be performed repeatedly, each performance is distinct and unique. Because of its ephemeral nature in that it exists only in the moment–dance is cherished as it is performed. Dance is a robust art that transfers energy and engages space in a way that encompasses the imagination of the audience. Dance is exhilarating, it is somatic, and it is often complimentary with music (Imjai, Keeratiburana & Koseyayotin, 2014).
Dance is an effective means of communication throughout the world, and in Africa, it is not an exception. An individual being able to express him or herself without verbal language is cherished in most African traditional societies. Cogitation can be communicated in such a way that, the whole community can understand and appreciate dance as a tool which can maintain the community’s culture and history. Through dance, a group can regulate or monitor the social behaviour of individuals by expressing approval or disapproval. Dance is part of the cultural expression (Romain, 2002). Performance usually includes some type of dramatic presentation, music, costume, song, and mask.
The movement is central to the activity, but it is by no means the sum total of the event.
Dance can also be referred to as traditional a communal and social activity. Customary and ceremonial rites are usually concentrated on the dance, making dance more than merely entertainment and forms an integral part of a society’s worldview. A worldview is the way in which a person or group makes sense of its relationship with nature, God, or a supreme being. Dance is expressed using movements, accompanied by rhythm and the aesthetic values of a society. Aesthetic values are the facets of society that is considered to be beautiful within that society. The perception of one’s environs and relationship with nature is important considering beauty and attractiveness. Dance is also influenced by geographic location, religion, and gender as diverse cultures highlights specific parts of their bodies based on their belief systems, environment, and physical structures (Welsh, 2010).
Dancing developed as an essential and functional part of life in Africa. Events such as birth, death, harvest, and marriage are monumentalized by dance. Dancing is a major part of festivals to thank the deities for a bountiful harvest. Other African dances celebrate the passage from childhood to adulthood. These dances are mostly gender specific, with boys dancing with boys as well as the girls. There are, of course, social dances such as Kpatsa in which courtship, flirtation, and socializing are encouraged and enjoyed. Many dances e.g. Kpalogo that were originally performed for harvest or fertility have now turned to social dances as the society changes and the functions of those dances are no longer relevant to the people. The dance, however, survives and takes on new meaning. Africa is a composite unit of many different cultures. Almost every ethnic group in Africa has their own culture which includes; language, dance, music, fashion and food among many others. Dance as a cultural element is inevitable when it comes to festivals, durbars, welcoming and gathering of high profile personalities or important guests where we display our rich culture.
