Good day to all the great minds on Steem traveler, I am really glad to host you right here on my blog. And I wish to make the few moments you spend reading my blog worth your while. Today, I will be aquenting you with the Ekombi dance which is part of my culture.
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Ekombi is a traditional dance popular among the Ibibio people who live in the riverine and costal areas. The beauty of the dance is seen in the perfect sync in the choreography among the dancers.
Dancers which are mostly female are selected among the most beautiful damsels in the community.

The Crew / Cast

The whole team is made up primarily of the dancers and the drummers. A vocalist may be added to the crew and he will compliment the dance with some "spoken word music" Most of our traditional music are spoken word music where emphasis is placed on what said by the musician.

The talking drum

While the music is playing, in the midst of the drumming, the Ekombe dancers focuses their attention on the drumming and their ears are tuned to the sound of the talking drum. This is a special drum design to produce a distinct pitch. They pay attention so as to know when and how to adjust the choreography based on the cue sound produced by the talking drum. This dancers also have a lead dancer whose steps are closely followed by the rest. At some points the lead dancer breaks away from the choreography, displaying some additional stunts then returning to synchronize with the rest.
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The other instruments

The other drums made of hollow wood and goat skin alongside various gongs team up together to produce music for the audience.

The dance steps

The dancers try to mimic the ocean waves. The wave is generated from the neck and shoulders and it moves down through the body to the feet, and as the wave moves down, the knee is bent and then released for the next wave. This motion continues through out the dance The head, hands and legs can add colour and style to the dance move. Every spin, twist and turn must be synchronized, with an elegant display of flexibility, female charm and character on an ever smiling face.

dressing / costume

The dancers have their hair traditionally made and adorned with wooden combs like a bride prepares for his groom, their faces are designed with chalk.
Puting on a shot sleeve blouse that stops immediately after the rib cage and a wrapper/skirt tied to stop above the knee.
The Ekombi dancers dance bare footed with decorative materials around their wrist, elbows and ankle. Their looks have resulted in a large number of men selecting their wife from this dancers. And once married, they are out of the team.

Conclusion

Words can only at best pent a mental picture of the Ekombi dance, you really have to be present at the scenes when an Ekombe group is performing. That is when you may really appreciate the Ekombe dance which is native to the Ibibio people of Akwa Ibom state