Global InformationUkusina information
 People from Zulu performing Ukusina during a marriage ceremony | |
| Etymology | dance of the spirits |
|---|---|
| Genre | Traditional dace |
| Instrument(s) | Drum, beads, animal skin, whistle |
| Inventor | Zulu people |
| Origin | South Africa |
Ukusina is a type of traditional dance that has its roots in South Africa's coastal region.[1] For the Zulu people, it is an expressive and rhythmic dance form with deep cultural importance. The Ukusina[2] requires dancers to kick their legs in any direction up and out, and then stamp each foot into the ground. The majority of the time, this dance is performed for entertainment during social occasions such as wedding ceremony.[3] Ukusina dances, as a result, are socially created and center on the song leader singing interlocking word phrases.[4] Traditionally, it was thought that no religious event would be complete without at least one ukusina dance performance. Ukusina dance is a fundamental component of the social, religious, and cultural life of the Zulu people,[5] as evidenced by the descriptions of traditional dances in South Africa.[6] Everyone in attendance is drawn into a coherent action atmosphere by the intimate relationship between body movement and music.[7]
- ^ Laurie, Levine (2005). The Drumcafé's Traditional Music of South Africa. South Africa: Jacana Media. p. 45. ISBN 1770090460.
- ^ "South Africa". Commonwealth. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- ^ Ndlovu, Romeo (2021-12-22). "What is Umemulo? Understanding the Zulu Ceremony and the Traditional Attire Required". BuzzSouthAfrica.com. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
- ^ Avorgbedor, Daniel (2003). "Review of Rituals of Fertility and the Sacrifice of Desire: Nazarite Women's Performance in South Africa". Research in African Literatures. 34 (1): 192–198. ISSN 0034-5210. JSTOR 3821109.
- ^ "Zulu | History, Culture & Language | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2023-05-02. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ "South Africa". Commonwealth. Retrieved 2023-06-08.
- ^ Muller, Carol Ann (1999). Rituals of Fertility and the Sacrifice of Desire: Nazarite Women's Performance in South Africa. London: University of Chicago Press. pp. Chapter four. ISBN 0226548201.