The Bata Dance
My Favorite Hobby
The Bata dance is a prominent traditional dance among the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria. It is a very entertaining performance done by professionals usually accompanied by music, songs, and chants. The dance is not just related to body movements, it is an expressive dance and rhythm relationship. In certain accounts, the Bata dance is attributed to Sango, the god of thunder and lightning, an extraordinarily strong, powerful, and athletic deity. Prehistorically, the dance is believed to be a communication channel between Sango and his worshippers. It is therefore not surprising that the dancers try to emulate his character by using their feet, hands, and shoulders to do the dance. The gymnastic energy of the dance; its flashes and dashes complimented by the thundering, rattling, and piercing sounds of Bata drums play tribute to Sango, the flaming god.