music & dance

as part of the typical activities at the youth and community centre in ‘downtown’ tamale, we got to participate in a dance rehearsal of our friend’s traditional dance group.

what i found particularly fascinating was how the different dances are indicated by different drum patterns. as soon as the rhythm changes, every dancer seems to know immediately which dance comes next and which steps and choreography to follow. while i was still trying to figure out what was happening with the drummers on the stage, everyone else was already moving to the new rhythm.

everyone is free to participate (some of us non-ghanaians did, some not), so some of us found ourselves right in the middle of the dancing, trying to follow the steps, keep up with the rhythm and somehow coordinate our feet with what everyone else seemed to do so effortlessly. not always successfully, but definitely with a lot of fun. others preferred to watch (you know which fraction i belonged too). there is no entrance or club fee, only if you want to take actual dance lessons or a course in drumming will you be asked for a financial contribution.

coincidentally, we also met a dancer who knows a friend of ours in austria, who is also a dancer and choreographer. the world is such a small place sometimes.