DANCE AS THERAPY IN AFRICAN MUSIC

Abstract

The paper is a discourse on Dance as therapy in African Music. In African society, Music is not only performed or appreciated as a creative artwork. The roles, functions, and features of music give it meaning in Africa. Recently, scholars and researchers in African Music have been making references to the therapeutic function of African Music. Music and Dance are interwoven in Africa. Eurhythmics is a system of rhythmical physical movements to music used to teach musical understanding or for therapeutic purposes. This qualitative research is carried out through descriptive approach with a combination of several methods to source for its data, which include participant observation, and bibliographic methods. The paper concludes that, African Dance as an exercise describes the psychology and physiology having to do with movement or sensation, especially within the body which is stimulated by music rhythm. Dance in Africa is an experience that requires the combination of skills, energy, sensibility, emotion and the materialization of thought and musical/rhythmic idea. Thus, the tool of Music and Dance should be well utilized to the benefit of man and well-being.