October 19, 2006

Olaudah Equiano on the Place of Dance

In "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or, Gustavus Vassa, the African," the first of the classic slave narratives, Equiano writes:

We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians, and poets. Thus every great event, such as a triumphant return from battle, or other cause of public rejoicing, is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first division contains the married men, who, in their dances frequently exhibit feats of arms, and the representation of a battle. To these succeed the married women, who dance in the second division. The young men occupy the third; and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some interesting scene of real life, such as a great achievement, domestic employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport; and, as the subject is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. This gives our dances a spirit and variety which I have scarcely seen elsewhere.

While this passage is very conservative in some ways (separation of sexes, separation by marital status), it captures a time when movement was the essence of communications; a daily 3D, breathing and dancing newspaper through which the community shared the important events of the day and reflected upon consequential happenings and daily routines.

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