The Role of Traditional Dance in South African Society

Abstract

Traditional dance plays a special role in South African society and social life. People dance to express joy or sadness, and stories are often told through mime and dance to reinforce cultural beliefs and values. Dance has been part of South Africa’s history since the first nations’ (the Khoi and the San) inhabitance of South Africa. Today, South Africa is a myriad of different cultural groups, each expressing its cultural heritage and traditions through dance. The African Renaissance philosophy of South African President, Thabo Mbeki, emphasizes the rediscovery of Africa’s creative past as a possible way of creating a new national South African identity. This article attempts to identify generic roles of traditional dance as a reflection of Africa’s creative movement culture in the South African context. A perusal of the literature and personal interviews were used as a research methodology. The following generic roles were identified and are clarified: establishing and reinforcing social values role; cultural educative role; political supportive role; communicative role; cultural integration and the transitional role and an economic role.