Free Short Notes on the Dance forms of Ghana for exam purpose only

1) The traditional wood is tenebrous, a hard wood for the drums that is termed to be termite proof.

2) Adowa Ensemble Apentemma, Atumpan (male and female), Petia Donno (hourglass drum), Dawuro (single bell), Torowa (Rattle).

3) Fontomfrom Astrama Bommaa, Atumpan (male and female),Bomma, Apentemma, Donno (hourglass drum), Gankogui (double bell), Petia

4) Atumpan, the talking drums

5) Kete EnsembleApentemma, Aburukuwa I, Aburukuwa II, Kwadum ,Torowa (rattle), Donno, Dawuro (single bell)

6) Bawa’s development owes much to Polkuu Paul, who was from the house of the Nandom chief (Naa). ---upper west, Dagare.

7) The Dagombas, (Dagbani is the language group), live in the upper west region. They speak the Dagare and Sisal. Koran and traditional belief.

8) Dagomba membranophone ensembles have two distinct types of drums. Luna or donno: Hour glass shaped, pressure sensitive squeeze drum, Gungon or brekete: Low pitched drum with snare

9) Bamaya is a dance performed on the way to the shrine. Belt tassels and ornaments. Ankle, smocks worn are called Batakari. Bamaya means All the place is wet

10) Damba is the dance of the Damba Festival which celebrates the birth of the Holy Prophet Mohammed. So Damba, Na Damba. Damba was danced at a religious festival

11) Takai is a Dagomba area war dance.

12) Ewe drums are constructed like barrels with wooden staves and metal rings.

13) The child or baby brother drum, kagan, usually plays on the weak beats in a repeated pattern that links directly with the bell and shaker ostinatos. The mother drum, kidi, responds to the larger sogo, or father, drum. The entire ensemble is lead by the largest drum, atsimevu, or grandfather drum.

14) Adevu (Ade - hunting, Vu - dance)

15) Agbadza Kaganu, Kidi, Sogo Gankogui (double bell), Axatse (rattle)

16) Agbadza is traditionally a war dance but is now used in social and recreational situations

17) Atsiagbekor Atsimevu (tall drum), Kroboto, Sogo, Kidi, Kanganu Gankogui (double bell), Axatse (rattle)

18) Akpese later developed into Borborbor

19) Borborbor might have originated in the Kpando area and is said to have been created by the late Mr. Francis Kojo Nuadro This is a social dance

20) Gabada The dance was originally juju and not a social dance. In the old days men were more abundant than women so the men used juju to charm the women to attract them.

21) Dance Clubs---Gadzok, Takada, and Atsiagbeko

22) Gota uses the mystical calabash drum of Benin. It was originally called "drum of the dead" and was played only at funerals. It is now performed for social entertainment

23) Fume, Fume is a contemporary recreational dance of the Ga people

24) Kpanlogo drums (three), Atenteben (bamboo flute), Medium Tamalin (frame drum), Axatse (rattle), Donno (hourglass drum), Axatse, Gankogui (double bell), large Tamalin

25) Kpanlogo was originally called "Lolo"

26) Gome Large Tamalin (frame drum), Gome drum, Bamboo clappers, Apentemma drum Small Tamalin (frame drum), Frikyiwa (metal castanet bell), Axatse (two), Donno (hourglass drum).

27) Kpatcha is a dance used in Puberty Rituals of the Ga-Adangbe people.

28) Membonophous----animal skin, atumpan,atsimeva, kidi,sogo

29) Chordophones------sepewa, ganje

30) Aerophones-----flute

31) Props aid visual effects.

32) Costumes help to enhance certain movement, impersonate, Tells the mood, extend the movements, For aesthetic purposes, It gives the theme of the dance, For identification, Costumes dictate the flow of movements

33) Dance Clubs, How are they formed,Names of Some Dances Club, Who are patrons, What does it take to have a dance group---costumes, drummer, dances, instruments, instructors, patrons.

34) Recreational Dances -----Kpanlogo, Bobobo, Atsiagbekor, Gome, Nama, Gida, Bawa, Agbadza, Adowa, Adenkum, Nagla.

35) Cult Dances ----Husogo, Koku, Soho

36) Social Dances -----Adowa, Kete, Klama, Takai

37) Occasional Dances----Adowa, Kete, Ohuesabe, Damba, Fontomfrom, Bamaya, Aksia

38) Religious Dances----- Kple, Nadu

39) Adowa has the famine factor whiles Fontomfrom has the masculine factor and Atsiagbekor has the monkey factor since it was said to have been performed by monkeys first.

40) Fontomfrom is for the royal it shows power and authority. Adowa is mostly performed by women.