SYMBOLIC MOTIFS IN IGBO INDIGENOUS WAR DANCES: A SEMIOTIC READING OF EGWUIKE WAR DANCE

Abstract

Traditional African dances have symbolic signs inherent in the dances; as such, these signs form the ideas communicated through the dance and portray the cultural values of the community. This paper looks at the symbolic motifs in selected Igbo cultural dances. It also examines the communicative elements as symbols in the selected dance. This research, therefore, is anchored on semiotic theory and adopts a qualitative research design to investigate symbolic elements in the Egwuike war dance and their meanings within the cultural dance and to the indigenes of the community where the dance originates. The findings of this research show that symbols as used in these dances are catalysts that enable the understanding and interpretation of the underlying messages in the selected dances, thus making indigenous traditional dance a veritable tool for communication.