Cultures and TraditionsNigerian Festivals

Top 5 Traditional Dances in Nigeria

Nigeria is made up of over 350 tribes and ethnic groups with different cultures and traditions, one of which is dance. The cultural or traditional dances in Nigeria serve different purposes which include unifying the members of a tribe, telling folktales, history and traditions of a community, showcasing the wealth and strength of a tribe, celebrating, performing religious duties, entertaining and more.

Below is OldNaija’s compilation of probably the best and most entertaining traditional dances in Nigeria.

Top Five Traditional Dances In Nigeria

Ekombi Dancers - Traditional Dances In Nigeria
Ekombi Dancers | Global Peace Production

1. The Ekombi Dance

The Ekombi dance is peculiar to the Efik people of Calabar, Cross River State. It is a beautiful and entertaining dance in which maidens are dressed in multi-coloured attires sewn in a mini skirt and blouse form which exposes their tummy.

The maidens are also decorated with beads of different colours and sizes. The Ekombi dancers whine gracefully to the rhythmical beats of the Efik drummers in the movement of ocean tides. The Ekombi dance of the Efik people shows the beauty and maturity of a woman.

Nkwa-Umu_Agbogho Dancers - Traditional Dances In Nigeria
Nkwa-Umu_Agbogho Dancers | Imo Online

2. The Nkwa-Umu-Agbogho Dance

This dance has its origin among the people of Ebonyi State. The Nkwa-Umu-Agbogho dance is also known as ‘maidens dance‘ because it is specifically meant for ladies who have just become ripe for marriage.

This dance involves vigorous twisting of the chest and waist in a seductive way so as to attract suitors. The ‘maiden dance’ also help younger girls to abstain from pre-marital sex.

Bata Dancers by Jeremy Varner - Traditional Dances In Nigeria
Bata Dancers by Jeremy Varner

3. The Bata Dance

The Bata dance is one of the cultural/traditional dances of the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. This dance is associated with Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder who was said to be athletic during his days.

However, the bata dance remains incomplete without beats from the bata drum- a set of three drums namely Iya-Ilu, Itotele and Okokonlo.

Bata dance is really entertaining for it encompasses different moves and stunts. Bata dance is for both male and female in Yoruba land.

Koroso Dancers by Kannywood - Traditional Dances In Nigeria
Koroso Dancers by Kannywood

4. The Koroso Dance

The Koroso dance originated among the Fulani and Kano people of Kano State, Nigeria. The Kosoro dance, a name derived from the rattle fastened to the legs of Koroso dancers, is a mixture of movements from the traditional dances of the Fulanis and Hausa people of Kano.

Usually, the Koroso dancers perform in pairs, sometimes assisting each other to achieve impossible shapes, sometimes striving individually to outdo the other. It is such a beautiful and entertaining dance!

Swange Dancers by Scan News Nigeria
Swange Dancers | Scan News Nigeria

5. The Swange Dance

The Swange dance is a recreational and entertaining dance performed together by Tiv men and women of Benue State, Nigeria.

This dance is performed in important gatherings or during festivals. The movement of the Swange dance can be slow, fast or rhythmic all rendering the dancers shaking vigorously; this thus make the Tiv people call the Swange dance “boneless dance”.

Swange dance is accompanied by beats with beautiful rhythm and a traditional horn called ‘Al-Gaita‘ which is blown throughout the dance session.

These are the top five traditional dances in Nigeria.

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Cite this article as: Teslim Omipidan. (April 12, 2019). Top 5 Traditional Dances in Nigeria. OldNaija. Retrieved from https://oldnaija.com/2019/04/12/top-5-traditional-dances-in-nigeria/

18 Comments

  1. This is sweet! I love the write up. Could it be fuller d’you think? So you can drive traffic from students writing projects and such. . Just my thots. . Good work tho

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