#14 Prospects Of Dance Theatre In Enhancing Dance Pedagogy In Nigerian Educational System
UDC:
Received: Dec 22, 2025
Reviewed: Jan 29, 2026
Accepted: Feb 12, 2026
#14 Prospects Of Dance Theatre In Enhancing Dance Pedagogy In Nigerian Educational System
Citation: Lawal, Hameed Olutoba. 2026. "Prospects Of Dance Theatre In Enhancing Dance Pedagogy In Nigerian Educational System." Accelerando: Belgrade Journal of Music and Dance 11:14
Abstract
To upgrade the curriculum in theatre and creative arts to accommodate more dance courses, this paper advocates the inclusion of Dance Theatre or Drama to pave the way for lucid dance studies in theory and practice. This stems from the fact that, it has been observed that, the teaching and learning of dance in the Nigerian educational system has not been given the desired attention at all levels. The problem is compounded with the idea of subsuming dance studies under theatre and creative arts in the curriculum of tertiary, secondary and primary education. The implication of this marginalisation of dance in the curriculum is inadequacy of courses and time to hone talents and dance scholarship. In line with these findings, it is recommended that the pedagogical potential of dance theatre should be explored with more topics and courses in dance studies to give upcoming talents a rich background in theory and practice.
dance theatre, pedagogy, nigerian educational system
Introduction
Dance pedagogy which can be defined as the teaching and learning of dance dates back to the traditional societies before the advent of modern theories and practice in dance studies. What affirmed the inculcation of knowledge of dance steps in the traditional societies to the younger ones with flair for dancing is exemplified in masquerade festivals of the Yoruba, Igbo, Ibibio and Efik, In most of these masquerade festivals there is attempt to re-enact the mannerism of ancestral spirits in speech, gesture, posture and costuming. The dramatizations are mostly in dance, mime, songs and chants. Subsequently, for continuity, in families that are the custodians of these masquerades, the younger ones are groomed through active participation in the festivals, year in, year out.
In the same vein, Alarinjo, the traditional traveling theatre of the Yorubas exemplified this trend in honing talents in dance theatre. The theatre which transformed from a lineage profession to a commercial one emphasized dance in its presentations. The historical account of Adedeji (1978) identified two major types of dances: the ritual and social dance. The ritual dance spiced with the panegyric of the deity is to dramatise the mannerism. The social dance on the other hand was contemporary backed up with current beat in fashion and full of sex appeal.
A corroboration of this pedagogical relevance of the traditional theatre in grooming talents in dance and acting was this testimonial statement by Hubert Ogunde, as cited in Adedeji (ibid.), the first professional theatre artist in Nigeria:
I was playing drums with the masqueraders in my home town when I was young, and these Egungun people gave me the urge inside me to start a company of actors.
Subsequently, when Ogunde formed his African Music Research party in 1945, the mode of presentation was basically operatic. The emphasis at this time was on music and production that will give visual delight rather than plot (Clark 1979). It was therefore more of dance theatre which encompasses telling the story in songs and dances.
While these traditional methods of teaching and learning dance and drama are recalled in history and typology, they are hardly incorporated into curriculum and practice. The thrust of this discourse is therefore on the need to upgrade Theatre and Creative Arts curriculum at all levels of education to accommodate more courses in dance.
Dance and Curriculum in Nigerian Educational System
Tanner and Tanner (1975 cited in Solomon 2013) broadly defined the term curriculum as the planned and guided experiences and intended learning outcomes, formulated through the systematic reconstruction of knowledge and experiences under the auspices of the school for the learner's continuous and willful growth in personal and social competence. Curriculum development is a problem-solving process that involves the consideration of the needs and problems for improvement of the programmes and the implementation of the solution and alternative learners. Curriculum development involves activities such as conceptualising, planning, implementing, field testing and research that are intended to produce a new curriculum to improve the existing ones.
Curriculum development in Nigeria has undergone so many changes and these changes have posed problems for curriculum development. Curriculum existed with the advent of western civilization from the colonial administration of the country. In Nigeria, the school curriculum in the past was designed to train professionals in the field of medicine, engineering, law and accountancy. However, over the years, new occupations have emerged that have led to a broadening of the curriculum to provide for a wide range of abilities and interest, for instance, theatre arts, music, fine arts, etcetera.
In the case of dance which is the focus of this paper, as part of the schools' curriculum, it is subsumed under creative arts at the primary and secondary levels and theatre arts at the tertiary level. As dance is not recognised as a subject at the primary and secondary schools, it is more of extra-curricular activities only given prominence during the end of the year cultural activities. Drama which shares the same characteristics of performing arts with dance has the same status. There is therefore no teacher to identify, mold and hone talents in dance.
At the universities and colleges of education where dance is taught as a course in the departments of theatre arts, course contents and duration are too scanty for dance scholars and choreographers to make any meaningful impact in grooming and honing of talents in dance for national development. In the colleges, there is one course in dance for the three-year programme. This is the fundamentals of Dance and Music in year one. The only dance course can also be assigned to any lecturer regardless of his area of interest as specialisation is not emphasized in colleges. Some departments do not even have choreographers to choreograph dance steps. Dance is therefore taught without the foresight of producing dancers for the larger society.
At the universities, the status of dance courses are not much better with only two dance courses in the four-year programme of most of the departments of theatre arts. The introductory course in year one and the elective in year three. In the undergraduate programme at the University of Jos in 1990/1991 session, the elective in year three was once made compulsory. The logic was that, if we were derogatorily called dancers, we should not shy away from dance courses. Some of us with stiff bodies were thus compelled to dance.
The only exception to this marginalisation of dance courses is the department of Performing Arts, University of Ilorin where there is a separate unit for dance studies. This in turn makes room for a robust study of dance art and research on Nigerian dances. While some of the departments adjusted their curriculum and course contents to meet the need of emerging trends in film, media and cultural studies, dance which is an essential aesthetic and communication element of dramatic enactments on stage and screen is not accorded such recognition. This is typified in renaming of departments to Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Department of Theatre and Media Arts and Department of Theatre and Cultural Studies.
The problem with this kind of curricula structuration Onah (2015) observes is that a student interested in dance and choreography would have inconsequential knowledge of the academic area and may never be well trained to practice as a professional dance artiste, dance scholar or a practical choreographer. Closely aligned to these challenges of inadequacy of dance courses and subjects in the curriculum are the problems of inadequate facilities in terms of dance studio or theatre structure where dance rehearsals can take place, drums and relevant costumes.
Negative perception of dance as a course of study is another reason that could be adduced for scanty attention given to dance in the curriculum. Not until recently dancers and students with flair for dancing are always perceived as the intellectually lazy ones. A pertinent question that may be as it is whether people in this department have intellectually challenging courses aside from dance and drama? However, recent trends in dance studies and practice as exemplified in the creative use of dance as interlude, to advance plot, to communicate, to celebrate, to capture mood and emotion and as a metaphor on stage and screen productions have diminished this negative perception. Equally moral boosting to dance studies is the production of Ph.D. holders and professors in dance studies in Nigerian Universities.
Relevance of Dance Education
As we have identified relegation of dance studies to the background in the curriculum, it may not be out of place to explicate the relevance of dance education to foreground the advocacy for dance theatre or drama in dance courses. Dance studies in Nigeria are offered in the departments of Theatre Arts in Universities and Colleges of Education. Some Universities offer Bachelor of Arts and higher degrees in dance. A dance curriculum may encompass a diverse range of courses and topics including dance practice and performance, choreography, ethnochoreology, kinesiology, dance notation and dance therapy.
While it is not all these courses and topics that are offered in all the departments, dance education is now becoming more relevant because of its symbiotic relationship with drama on stage and screen, as a cultural identifier, as a means of preserving and promoting culture. Like music and drama, dance is an indispensable element in cultural studies. Beyond the entertainment value, there are other roles of dance education in national development.
To realise the total theatre aesthetic of drama music and dance, dance is incorporated on stage and screen production in many ways to tell a story, to reveal a character, to depict mood or emotion and as a metaphor. This communicative value of dance in movement and colour keeps the audience entertained without any dull movement. When Ogunde and his contemporaries transited from stage to screen, dance and music were retained as major means of advancing the plot and enhancing visual composition in the celluloid film format. The literary dramatists are equally not left out of this utilization of dance and songs to enrich characterisation, mood, tempo, and communication.
This is typified in Wole Soyinka's use of dance as a metaphor in his play written and first performed as part of the national celebrations for the Independence of Nigeria in 1960 (published in London and New York 1963), A Dance of the Forests, Osofisan's (1993) Yungba Yungba and the Dance Contest: A Parable for Our Times, and Agbeyegbe's (1990) The King Must Dance Naked. Furthermore, this marriage of dance and acting can be seen in most epic video films fused with dance and songs to reinforce the theme and enrich the cultural flavour.
As a cultural identifier, dance can be used to identify diverse ethnic tribes and groups in Nigeria. Through dance, a particular ethnic group can be identified and differentiated from another because of the resource material employed in creating the dance movements. Dance therefore portrays mannerisms, styles, attitudes, visual codes and other values and behaviours of the society in which it is created (Abimola 2006). The example is traditional fulani 'sharo' manhood dance that encompasses flogging with sticks and depicts the bravery of the fulani man.
In the same vein, dance is a veritable tool of promoting culture internationally. Participation of travelling dance troupes and National Troupe of Nigeria in International dance competitions and festivals has showcased Nigerian culture. Through these festivals, cultures are exchanged and negative impressions of Nigeria waned (ibid).
As a means of preserving culture, cultural practices and traditions that would have been forgotten are revived through dance movements and dance drama at yearly cultural festivals. In Nigeria such festivals include:
- Argungu fishing festival,
- Eyo festival,
- Sharo festival,
- Osun festival,
- Calabar carnival,
- Sango festival,
- Ojude Oba festival,
- Ofala festival and
- New yam festivals.
At these festivals, the ecstatic dance movements of numerous tribes, costuming and the beats from different musical instruments create a mental picture of the past in the minds of the audience.
Dance as part of curriculum can be an effective medium of acculturation without the risk of travelling from one part of Nigeria to another. For instance, a Yoruba dancer in training who performs the Igbo or Hausa dance would have an insight into the basic movements, music, costumes and the traditional values. As he or she progresses in his or her educational career the horizon of different cultures and traditions of the country would be widened.
Unlike in the past, dance art has transcended being a part time event to a profession to make a living. An affirmation of this status of dance is the establishment of dance troupes at the federal and state levels. There are also privately owned dance troupes competing with dancers in government establishments to earn a living with dance. There are therefore career opportunities awaiting upcoming dance scholars and practitioners. To fully explore and harness these potentials and outlets for dance art, there is the need to accommodate more dance courses and topics in the curriculum of Theatre and Creative arts. This will in turn equip the departments to groom and hone talents for educational institutions, culture and tourism industry.
Dance Theatre in Nigeria
Before the overview of dance theatre in Nigeria the difference between a freestyle dance and dance theatre or drama will be defined for conceptual clarification. Dance according to Fraleigh (1987), is a performance art form consisting of Purposefully selected sequences of human movement. The movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture. Dance can be categorized and described by its origin. Dance Theatre or drama also called performance or concert dance on the other hand is intended primarily as spectacle, usually a performance on stage or screen by virtuoso dancers. It often tells a story, perhaps using mime, costume and scenery, or else it may simply interpret the musical accompaniment, which is often specially composed. Examples of dance theatre include Ogunde’s African Music Research Party and Dance Troupe of Centre for Cultural Studies, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Dance theatre as said earlier in Nigeria dates back to the formation of Hubert Ogunde's African Music Research Party in 1945. At this infant stage of the Ogunde theatre company, dramatisation was basically in dance, music and pantomime. Dialogue was thus replaced with songs and dance movements as Clark (op.cit.) attests that; one of the main features of the Opera phase was the absence of dialogue. Another characteristic of this phase was the conscious use of Yoruba music, folklore, proverbs, chants, incantations and dances to retain the aim of African Music Research Party (Ibid.). Plays that exemplified this dance theatre include: Worse than Crime, Strike and Hunger, Tiger's Empire, Towards Liberty and Bread and Bullet.
In the educational sector, the golden era of dance theatre in Nigeria was the captivating performance of the dance troupe of the centre for cultural studies, ABU in Zaria, Nigeria, in the mid-70s and early 80s. In some of the episodes watched by this writer on the then, Nigerian Television (NTV) Sokoto, the dramatisation in well-choreographed dance steps, movement, gesture, posture and facial expression with musical accompaniment was comprehensive to decode the thematic preoccupation. Though one cannot lay hand on any written or video documentation of these theatrical dances during this research, the leading dancers in the troupe then include veteran Peter Badejo, Richard Tsevende and his wife, Bose Tsevende.
In recent times, the act of dramatising stories in dance movements and steps have been sustained in Nigerian Universities by dance scholars and choreographers. These dance performances were either for dance practical, command performance and private initiatives.
These enactments in dance and music include Bakare Ojo Rasaki's Many Colors (1986), Sekai Aiki (1996), Gaskia (1997) and Picnic (2004). Equally worth recalling are Chris Ugolo's Festival of Power (1990), Rituals of Live (1995), Cross road (19998) and Better Days Ahead (2004). At the Arts Theatre, University of Ibadan, the titles choreographed by Chukwuma Okoye are still memorable, such as Under African Skies (2000), based on Odia Ofeimun's book of poetry of the same title, Love song for my Wasteland (2001), based on Remi Raji's poetry of the same title, Speaking Back (2002), based on selected poems by Tony Marinho, and Dream of Sweetness (2004), based on Femi Osofisan's Yungba Yungba and the Dance Contest. At the University of Ilorin, to sustain the emphasis on performing Arts, Felix Akinsipe, a choreographer and librettist, have kept the flag flying with these titles: Adesewa: The King's Daughter (2013), a dance theatre by Ojuade Jeleel, and Old Wines in New Bottles (2014). Other dance dramas choreographed by Akinsipe are United We Stand (2008), Husband of the Nation (2009), and Love and Hatred (2009) produced for ABU, Zaria.
It is pertinent however, to note that there is no consistency in performance of dance drama like practical theatre or workshop where theories and elements of drama and theatre are partialized. This is therefore the need to give dance theatre or drama the same status as practical theatre in duration and allocation per session. This would give room for teaching and learning rudiments of dance.
Suggestions to improve Dance Theatre or Drama Option in Pedagogy
The communicative value of dance theatre and its demand for dexterity in dance steps, movement, posture, gesture and facial expression underscores its relevance in dance pedagogy. If emphasized in dance studies of tertiary institutions Nigeria, it would pave for rigorous training and honing of talents in dance. To fully explore the potentials of dance theatre, the services of resourceful choreographers, composers and drummers are inevitable in Theatre and creative arts departments.
To facilitate the work of these experts, the departments should be well equipped with spacious dance studios, musical equipment and costumes. This enabling environment will bring out the best in dance scholars, choreographers and composers. In the spirit of catching the young talents, there is the need to give drama and dance the same curricular status as fine art and music at the primary and secondary levels Dance drama can also be introduced at this elementary and secondary levels for proper grooming The argument here is that, ‘if a subject must have pedagogical potential, then it must have adequate topics worth of intellectual attention’ (Umukoro 2002).
In line with this thought, to fully harness the pedagogical potential of dance theatre, it should be backed up with more topics in dance studies to give upcoming talents rich background in theory and practice as they advance in their career. These topics could include but are not limited to History of world dances, popular dances that are dictated by new trends in musical composition and African dances. It is pertinent to note that, while some of these dances are performed as part of the practicals of dance studies, the course duration for theories and practice of dance are too short for sound footing. To make up for this shortfall in time, there should be dance practices in each session of Three- and Four-year programmes with emphasis on dance theatre.
Conclusion
This paper explores inadequacies of topics and time for dance courses in the Curriculum of our educational system. Among the reasons adduced for this marginalisation of dance courses are the negative perception of dance studies as an intellectually engaging discipline and the attendant emphasis on media studies by some of the departments. The implication of this scanty attention to dance studies is to make an impact in the cultural and tourism industry.
To justify our advocacy for more courses and time in dance studies, the relevance of dance education in national development was expounded. It is therefore suggested that dance theatre should be emphasized with the addition of more courses and time for meaningful impartation of knowledge of dance theory and practice. We are also of the conviction that making dance a subject of study at the primary and secondary level of education will enhance the background knowledge of potential dancers.
References
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