Lecture: Jacqui Dreessens
September 13, 2012
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Ga Hu – Ghana folk dance on Youtube
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Originated in
Ketornu, later being introduced to Nigeria and Ghana.
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Performed to celebrate
life at formal occasions.
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Has been adapted over time as Western
influence came into the country.
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Can also be seen as mocking the
traditions of Western Culture.
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Variations include musicians and
dancers wearing sunglasses, males wearing ties and female dancers wearing
stiletto shoes.
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The introduction of the identity
card into the social dance with a hand gesture and the words ‘Paper says’
demonstrate the Ghanaian reference to the African people having to carry
identity cards and the paper work introduced by Western society
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A white handkerchief may also be
used in the dance to symbolise the spirit world and traditions.
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Moon energy: rump
Sun energy: chest
Star energy: pelvis
Sun energy: chest
Star energy: pelvis
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Ancestors being one with the earth
Activity
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Individual movement patterns
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Stomping with a flat foot, ankles
and heels relaxed and knees bent.
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Whole group travelling by walking around
the space.
In the School Setting
Production question – ‘what on earth?’, how do you see
‘spirit in the land?’ ‘what does it look like, feel like, sound like (question
for children)
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Research in what in the topic, background,
influence,
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If students are informed about the theme and
background, they are able to develop movement ideas
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How to enter the space, travel and exit (good to
have same exit & entry point)
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Having someone that can bring the focus onto the
stage from the audience, someone with presence (Principal)
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Acknowledgement of all people involved
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What are they doing, why, who, when, how is it
connecting to the theme?
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Combination of back music and live performance
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Incorporating repetition, allows for confidence
to build, changes in spatial arrangement, groups, individuals
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Segway between items, keeping interest on stage
(keep music playing between items)
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Don’t allow time to fidget – choreographed
movements to keep student engagement
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Preps – don’t put masks on their faces, where
possible have it on top of their heads
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Music for lower grades to have same quality as
the movement, music to direct action, easy to recognise, consistent rhythm
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Juxtapose direction
The use of a cultural dance such as Gahu in the classroom is a great connection to teaching about western influence in other countries as well as in Australia. As VELS Level 4 in Humanities - History has a focus on European Settlement, this style of dance could be used to show how it has affected natives from other countries especially when the reasons for modification are explained to the students.
References:
Gahu- The traditional African Dance, 2012, YouTube, 10 March, retrieved 16 September 2012, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5SbyBAPlPk>
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2009, The Humanities; history, retrieved 16 September, 2012, <http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vels/history.html>
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