Dance as a Vital Part of Anlo-Ewe Traditional Media

Abstract

This paper discusses the artistic collaboration between the body and music in a holistic form called dance as a cultural heritage of the Anlo-Ewe of Ghana. It uses ethnographic fieldwork drawing on theories from anthropology, ethnomusicology, choreology, linguistics and cultural studies to articulate elements that constitute dance in African societies as opposed to the notion of dance in non-African cultures. Having demonstrated the close relationship between dance and life of the Anlo-Ewe, the paper goes on to discuss the vital elements that constitute this holistic art form showing how these vital elements collaborate as part of communication process in the life of the Anlo-Ewe. The paper provides a comprehensive discussion of vital elements including movement, sound, visual forms and multisensory modalities, focusing on the significant role this system plays among the Anlo-Ewe.