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AESTHETICS AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF GIRINYA DANCE
ABSTRACT
Dance, as one of the major components of the traditional African theatre, is used as a means of expression by all African societies. Among the Tiv of central Nigeria, dance is so central that it is always employed in all spheres of Tiv life. Because of the functional relevance of dance and its overwhelming acceptability by the Tiv, different dances abound in the society. However, in as much as dances are highly appreciated for their functional values, not all of them are popular with the people. The reason for this is that, the structural configurations of some dances are complex and so not quite decipherable to the audience. This lack of understanding of the meaning of the dances is sometimes tied to lack of obvious aesthetic values that seem to envelop them. The point is however, not because they lack beauty, but because the beauty is hidden due to canons which inform their morphology. The recognition of this problem invariably calls for consideration and examination of the structural patterns of dance to expose their hidden functional and aesthetic relevance. This study therefore examines the structural configuration, aesthetic and socio-cultural values of the Girinya dance of the Tiv people, which is one of the dance forms that are at the verge of going extinct. Using the qualitative analytical design method, the examination shows that, the Girinya dance is shrouded in esoterism thereby only partially involving the ordinary audience. Thus as a ritualistic dance of valour which is devoid of song rendition, it becomes vague and nearly mundane to the ordinary observer. The study therefore concluded that, structural analysis of such dances is the surest way of exposing the socio-cultural and aesthetic values embedded in them. The study therefore recommends that scholars should concentrate on examining the aesthetics of dance as well, especially such dances that are purely traditional and therefore unbendable to modernization which therefore forces them into extinction
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Approval ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgements iv
Table of Contents vi
Abstract viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 6
1.3 Research Questions 7
1.4 Objectives of the Study 7
1.5 Significance of the Study 7
1.6 Scope of the Study 8
1.7 Research Methodology 8
1.8 Theoretical Framework 9
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF SCHOLARSHIP
2.1 The Tiv People 14
2.2 The Origin of Girinya 23
2.3 The Structure and Performance Style of Girinya Dance 25
2.3.1 The Social Formation and Pattern of Girinya Dance Performance 27
2.3.2 The Ritual Formation and Pattern of Girinya Dance Performance 28
2.3.2.1 A Girinya Ritual Performance as Presented at the Burial of a Deceased Hero 30
CHAPTER THREE: ARTISTIC RELEVANCE OF GIRINYA
3.1 The Concept of Dance 36
3.2 Dance and the Society 39
3.3 Concept of Aesthetics 43
3.4 The Concept of Performance 45
CHAPTER FOUR: CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF GIRINYA DANCE
4.1 The Aesthetic Values of Girinya Dance 48
4.2 The Cultural Values of Girinya Dance 54
4.3 The Social Relevance of Girinya Dance 56
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
5.1 Conclusion 58
Works Cited 60
AESTHETICS AND CULTURAL RELEVANCE OF GIRINYA DANCE
