A dance expert, Mrs. Ifesinachi Nwagwu, on Tuesday advised the public to make dance a way of life in the country because of its physical and mental benefits to their health.
Nwagwu, the Director of “Nkwa nwa ite” Dance Troupe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Nigerians should also embrace dance because of its economic value, if supported.
She said, “Dance detoxifies the hearts and lungs, and helps to increase and maintain body fitness.”
According to the instructor, dance is very important to the public because it helps the citizens to relieve stress and tension from challenges.
Nwagwu with no less than 20 years of experience in the sector; noted that the profession could be of great benefit to the youth, being a major form of entertainment.
“Youths who have passion for dance do it at their leisure without realising the medical advantage.
“Even, the elderly should be aware that by dancing, they are extending their lifespan,” the dancer said.
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She also described dance as a strong tool that could promote unity among youths, and assist them to develop various skills.
“Dance benefits our country in different ways. It promotes peace among our diverse communities because we teach our various traditional dances.
“Currently, I have raised a group of dancers from across all tribes to be performing for different cultural shows, ranging from Ibo to Yoruba, Tiv, and others,” she said.
The dance instructor, popularly known as “Ego Oyibo”, due to her outstanding dance steps, noted that dance was a perfect way for cultural socialisation.
Nwagwu described the art as a unique way of presenting ones rich cultural values for others to see and appreciate.
“Dance gives a better understanding of our diverse cultures, especially, for our country that can boast of enormous cultures and rich traditions to the world.
“The costumes, choreography and beats attract beyond diversity, beyond divisions or rivalry.
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“When you watch a Tiv dance, you have a better appreciation of the people because their costumes, language and style will attract you to wanting to know more about them,” she said.
According to her, dance is an instrument of communication through the body, because it expresses emotions in a very unique way.
She noted that there was the need to encourage and promote cultural dance among the youth before they dumped it for foreign music.
According to her, youths currently prefer alien dances to the traditional ones; even contemporary musicians are not helping by drifting to non-cultural tunes and beats.
Nwagwu advised the youth to embrace cultural music just as the likes of Ebenezer Obey, Christy Esien, Evy Edna, and a host of other musicians did.
She advised the government to support the industry by investing in dance groups, to further develop Nigeria’s big tourism potential. (NAN)