Isitshikitsha is a Ndebele traditional ceremonial dance, historically performed for the King’s pleasure. It is a dance routine that employs a unique brand of rhythm and style. It would be correct to claim Isitshikitsha is in fact a composite of the rhythms, one always coming in to break the other before it became monotonous, thereby creating a rare harmonious, continuous patten as a result of these two rhythms. This is Isitshikitsha the rhythm created from the clapping that accompanies the Isitshikitsha song.
Isitshikitsha is a dance as well as a song. A male dance as well as a female dance, but women do not lift their feet high to reveal the area above their knees, even then this is avoided skillfully in a dance, that is all powerful and display of energy.
Isitshikitsha is one dance I would recommend to a traditional dance connoisseur. Why? Because it does not rely on any suggestive or clever use of the pelvic girdle to draw interest.
Most dances derive mileage from extensive use of sexual connotations, making one wonder whether these same dances would be able to generate similar audiences without lurid sexual references.
But isitshikitsha is a dance above all dances. It has the ability to keep audiences spellbound for very long periods. This is a fact I know it.
Isitshikitsha emphasizes, not only the skillful use of limbs for dramatizations, but artistic representations of all dramatized actions and situations, together with the powerful stopping of feet on the ground.
The dance emphasizes skillful use of power for survival, is a dance as well as sport, created for the king’s enjoyment as warriors reenacted stories on the dance flow during festivals serving also as a gauge for the soldiers’ morale.
Nowadays there are not so many opportunities for Isitshikitsha dance, but the dance is still performed at many low profile gatherings. Judge for yourself. If you are decent, not too fussy, respectful then Isitshikitsha is your show.
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©Bekezela Dube 2009
Greetings
ReplyDeleteThere are people who always claim whoso/ambhiza to be Ndebele,my question is could this dance be always one of those.
Looking forward to your response as it would be highly appreciated for my studies.
Thank you.