Draft:Dingi Dingi dance

Dingi Dingi dance is a traditional children's dance of the Acholi people of northern Uganda. The name dingi dingi is derived from the sound made by the small drums beaten by the drummers. The dance is performed by young girls who display their physical well being, beauty, and sexuality through vigorous movements, while the boys provide the music and the songs.

History

Dingi Dingi dance originated from the games that young Acholi girls played in their leisure time. The dance was also a way for parents to assess the health and ability of their daughters, as the dances are complex and require a lot of energy. In Acholi, dingi dingi became more of a yardstick to understand this, because the dances are vigorous with very complex movements. Young girls would dance as their parents watched. The dance became popular among the Acholi people, who occupy Gulu, Kitgum, Lamwo, Pader, Nwoya districts, among others.

Composition

The dance is performed by an odd number of dancers, usually between five and nine, who are led by a captain. The captain is also the lead dancer and the whistle blower, who controls the flow of the performance. The movements of the dancers arise from everyday experiences of the Acholi girls, such as mimicking the antelope, the crested crane, or the soldiers, but still maintaining the signature of childishness and intrigue in the young mind. The girls dance in linear and circular formations, with their waists, hips, and chests swaying, while raising their hands slightly above their waists as they mildly move to the rhythm.

The boys provide the music, by beating two small drums, one large drum, and calabashes with wire brush beaters as an accompaniment, and the flute to bring out the rhythmic tempo. The drums are sounded frantically with a heavy and fast rhythm at some point, as the dancers also follow suit, which when the captain blows the whistle, immediately stops. Then a lazy, softer, and slower rhyme is given as the dancers move around as though to refresh and brace themselves for another session of vigorous dancing. The drums are accompanied by songs by singers who also cheer on the dancers and drummers.

One of the major traditional values of this dance is the portrayal of sexuality. The beauty of an African woman and feminine pride is expressed through shaking the waist, breasts, and hips. In the past, at the end of a dance, men would choose a wife among the best dancers.

Purpose

The dance is performed for the purpose of play and self-amusement for the children. The songs, combined with the dances, instill cultural and traditional values of unity, beauty, sexuality, and energy of the female sex, but also talk about the day-to-day life of people in society.

The dance is also performed in merrymaking functions to welcome people, such as weddings, introductions, and initiation ceremonies. Originally, the dancers would be young girls below 15 years, but with the numerous cultural groups, older females can be included in the dance since groups have permanent entertainers. Dingi dingi was also restricted to girls alone, but some cultural performers include male dancers.