Kinetic Dialogues: The Choreomusicological Coexistence of Dance and Music in African Performance Traditions

Abstract

This study examines the interconnectedness of choreomusicology in dance and music movements as equally coexistent kinetico-aesthetic phenomena. Applying qualitative interpretive approaches such as textual analysis, performance analysis, and ethnomusicological research, the thesis examines the interdependence of rhythm, embodiment, kinesics, and spatial movement in African and Western contexts, as well as in liturgical practice and modern choreography. Dance and music are two of the earliest and most interconnected art forms in human history; however, the choreomusical relationship between them has been under-theorised in the study of African and world performance. Evidence supports the thesis that dance and music originated within communal ritual performance before separating into individual art forms, and the most holistic approach to the choreomusicological has been retained in the Nigerian dance traditions of the Yoruba, Igbo, and Ebira, which maintain spiritually derived, rhythmically driven communal performance practices. Furthermore, music's kinesthetic manifestation is evident in the rhythm, pace and flow of sound and dance. In contrast, the kinesthetic quality of sound becomes evident in the visualisation of sound through bodily movement and choreographed motion. There is also the coexistence of both phenomena in the contexts of therapy, education, and the digital domain. This study provides a choreomusicological interdependence model to explain the shared performance environments of both forms and how this concept should influence performance pedagogy, curricular design, and the study of African performance.