The Mami Wata dance is one of the cultural dances that has been practised by the Tiv of central Nigeria for a long time. From time immemorial, the Mami Wata dance has been known as a dance with different inovations and it has continued to change over time. While I am a lover of positive change, I find it hard to appreciate the gradual introduction of multiple dancers to perform in a synchronous manner.
Mami wata as I knew it, was an individual dance which drew on individual dancing talent rather than practice. Even at competitions, dancers took turns to showcase their skills and each dancer tried to bring out something different every time. This creates suspense as no one knew what the next dancers had in their kitty.
Today, the situation has significantly changed and I am not sure if it is for better. Two or more Dancers are made to come out and perform in a synchronous manner. This approach requires practicing specific dance steps prepared by a dance director. The introduction of a uniform costume has worsened the matter for me as the dancers appear too regimented. The variety and individuality that gave each dancer a unique signature is also lost.
As a former dancer myself, I find the synchronous performance boring. I also imagine the frustration the dancers face in trying to copy dance steps introduced by someone else with little or no room for individual creativity.
I therefore enjoin our entertainers to rethink this attempt to modernize Mami wata dance. Let’s preserve much of its original form for our continuous enjoyment.
Dr Terngu Anule, a lecturer with the Benue State University Makurdi, writes as a former Mami wata dancer.
