Experts in the arts and culture industry have extolled the role of dance as a tool for uniting the society as well as a means of livelihood.
The experts, who spoke on Tuesday at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub in Benin City, Edo State capital, during the celebration of this year’s World Dance Day put together by the Edo State Arts Council, said dancing should not just be seen as mere entertainment or exercise but as an art and should be appreciated as such.
Speaking on the role of dance in the present society, Edo State Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Prince Bamidele Obaitan, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Iryn Omorogiuwa, described dance as a universal language of art, a means of income generation, a medium for self-expression, stress relief, and an avenue for general body wellness. He said it was for this reason that the world has chosen a day to celebrate dance.
“It is also a time to appreciate its ability to connect people across all cultures, languages and bodies. Dance has been a part of human culture for centuries, and it continues to evolve and adapt to changing times,” Obaitan said.
“On the occasion of this 2023 edition, let us appreciate the incredible diversity and richness of dance around the world. We must endeavour to honour our countless dancers, or choreographers, our teachers and other artists who have dedicated their time and resources to this art form.
“We should also recognize the power of dance to inspire, to heal and to transform the world around us. The Ministry of Arts and Culture, as part of its mandate, has given us a platform for young dancers to operate. It is worthy to note that various programmes have already commenced to further promote arts and culture in the state,” he said.
Some dance enthusiasts at the occasion who spoke about dance in Nigeria said the current nudity being portrayed by dancers on social media and music videos in Nigeria would not bring out the beauty of dancing, but that only the skill and style of the dancer would.
To spice up the event, some of the dance groups present thrilled the audience with some scintillating dance performance and drama presentations.
The event also featured a talk show anchored by the Director of the Arts Council, Mrs Blessing Iyekekpolor, followed by questions and answers, and suggestions on how to improve on the awareness of the World Dance Day and get more people to begin to appreciate dance as a form of art.
Speaking to The Nigerian Observer after the event, Omorogiuwa of the Ministry of Arts and Culture stated that the occasion was to express dance as an art form and also to show awareness about the benefits of dance.
“What we’re doing as a state is to bring up different parts of art, both performing art, visual art, and draw attention to the fact that it is a veritable source of income. It is also a means of bringing people together,” Omorogiuwa said.
“Dance has an essence. It has the very essence of building nations and uniting people. So we’re seeing that at this point in time, as a nation and as a people, it’s quite important that we have incentives to be united,” she said.
Other dignitaries present at occasion include the Curator of the Benin National Museum, Mr Mark Olaitan; executives of the Edo State Professional Photographers Association, led by their president, Mr Iyamu Lovely Osaghae, and a host of others.
