NIGERIAN 
THEATRE
JOURNAL

VOLUME 5, NO.1 		DECEMBER 1999

CONTENT

Dance in Nigerian Primary School: Approaches and concepts for the Next Millennium.
Felix Akinsipe, Department of Performing Arts, University of Ilorin, Ilorin. 									
Dance in Nigerian Primary Schools: Approaches and Concepts for the Next Millennium 

Felix A Akinsipe*

Introduction 
Dance can only be seen through the body of the dancer. This simply means that the dancer’s body is his most vital instrument for dance. This amount of physical and emotional manipulation of the dancer’s body speaks a lot about his dance. The ability to manipulate the body very well, however, depends largely on how “equipped” the body is That is, 

how it has – or has not – been trained. It is possible to devise very beautiful and striking ensemble works with dancers who had virtually no training… the trained body is, however, nearly always more eloquent and permits a much greater variety of steps, jumps, turns, lift and almost acrobatic feats.1

To be a very successful and great professional dance performing artist then, one must formally train his body. The capability of the formally trained dancer to switch from one form of dance to the other is far above that of his untrained counterparts. This is why

“Modern-dance” Choreographers can compose for ballet-trained professionals with few limitations, but ‘modern-dancers’ cannot slip from one technique to the other, because  they lack the academic classic training.2 (Emphasis mine).

	What is actually for flexibility and strength in the body are the muscles, tissues and the bone-connecting ligaments which are

not flexible, like muscles, but they can be lengthened by special training at an early age, before they have had time to harden. This is one reason the professional dancer must start training early.3 (Emphasis mine).

	In most Western countries, dance is taught in the primary/ elementary schools because of the above reason. Most of these dance schools therefore, admit pupils between the age of 7 and 11. The modern dancer, for example, begins training “aged eight or nine, which is (also) mandatory for ballet as for piano or violin virtusi.”4 This is the reason why 

The classical ballet dancer (who must start training from about the age of 11 to achieve full technical mastery) has a remarkable range of movement that cannot be a attempted by ordinary mortals.5

Also in the Western World many dance schools are established at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels to train the – would – be professional dance performing artist. In Russia, Valery Panov attended various ballet schools to become the famous ballet dancer he became. Starting at age of eight at (Vilnius) palace of pioneers, though to the summer classes in the palace of culture, and a stay at the opera theatre before ending up at Lennigrad Academy for his junior classes only.6
In London, a school from the beginning supported the Royal Ballet Company. The school became fully educational in 1947 and by 1951, it has become recognized by the ministry of education.7 This company operates both junior and upper schools of ballet. So, many programmes/curricular activities were designed for the training and development of dancers. One of them, the “Annual Royal Ballet Performance is said to be:

vital to the development of dancers who need to get the feel of a theatre, and they are of enormous interest to the ballet goer, who can trace the progress of pupils through the years.8

	In Nigeria, such schools do not exist. In fact, there are no single dance schools to date. This is why the primary school became the focus of attention in this paper. As a matter of policy, the primary education, in Nigeria, is the “education given in an institution for children aged normally 6 to 11+.”9
	This age bracket become significant, from the above discussion, because it is the right age to begin to train a future professional dance performing artist as it is done in the other part of the world. The concern of this paper is therefore, to examine how dance is being treated in the Nigerian Primary Schools – The only avenue, yet available, where the Nigerian child could be prepared towards becoming great performing dance artist (from the tender age) as applicable in the other parts of the world. The paper finds out that the national policy on education does not give adequate recognition to the potentials of dance not to talk of its future in Nigeria. Therefore, dance is lumped up with four other subjects as one curricular subject – “curricular Arts” and left like that. 
	The modules allocate only seven weeks of lecture to dance throughout the primary school education. Even then, dance does not feature in almost any timetable in the primary schools. Dance is only treated as an extra-curricular activity. The paper then suggests various approaches and concepts towards giving dance its rightful place on the school syllabus. Its appearance on the school timetable and its teaching and evaluation like other curriculum subject to enable it develop and grow come the next millennium. 

Present Policy on Dance in Nigerian Primary’
	In the Nigerian Primary Schools’ case (and as for all the educational institutions in the country), the Federal government is the policy designer of the school’s curriculum and these policies are contained in the National Policy on Education while the Primary School’ Curriculum Modules contain the breakdown and teaching guide to all the primary schools in the country. 
To composition and structure of the modules will enable all teachers to teach the same topics in detail while aiming at achieving the same objectives and practicing the same learning activities. This will in effect remove lack of uniform in educational practices in the different parts of the Federation.10

This paper will now take a look at the Nigerian National Policy on Education and the Primary School Curriculum Modules with the aid of analyzing how dance is being treated in the Nigerian Primary Schools. The Nigerian government policy on primary education is contained in section 3, of the National Policy on Education. According to paragraph 14, the general objectives of the primary education includes:

(a)	Character and moral training and the development of sound attitude; 

(b)	Development in the child the ability to adapt to his changing environment. 

(c)	Giving the child opportunities for developing manipulative skills that will enable him to function effectively in the society within the limits of his capacity. 11

To achieve these, the government therefore prescribe, aesthetic, creative and musical activities” as curricular activities for the primary school”12. Consequently the curriculum conference came up with “Cultural and Creative Arts” as a curriculum subject for the primary schools. 

Cultural and Creative Arts is defined as a combination or weaving together of Music, Dance, Drama, Fine Arts against the cultural background of the child”.13

This simply means that Cultural and Creative Arts is a combination of five other subjects. 
	It is therefore quite obvious that the Federal government’s policy is that dance is to be taught along with four other subjects under the same umbrella. This, in itself, is an unfortunate situation. However, we shall now examine the Primary School Curriculum Modules to see how it has allotted space and hour to dance among the cultural and creative arts subjects. This is because the modules is the guiding book which. 
breaks the content of the syllabus down into basics, they defines the objectives learner-performance terms and reduce both content and objective to classroom – learning experiences for pupils, thus making the achievement of the objectives of primary education possible though a series of classroom activities over a given period of time14.
A careful look at the modules from primaries one to six will show that specific mention and attention where made to dance under the Cultural Arts on the following occasions:

Primary one; second term-models (9) for two weeks and third term modules (16) for one week
	Primary two; second term-modules (9) for two weeks
Primary three; no specific mention of dance.
Primary four; second term-models (10) for two weeks
Primary five; no specific mention of dance.
Primary six; no specific mention of dance. 

One may not need to go to the primary schools to draw conclusions on the above because the modules are introduced to:

Enable all teachers to teach the same topic in detail while aiming at achieving the same objective, and practicing the same learning activities. This will in effect remove lack of uniformity in educational practices in the different parts of the Federation15.

Therefore, through the modules the same thing is done throughout the Nigerian primary Schools. However, a visit to some primary schools across the country shows that dance feature at the end- of session activities tagged “entertainment” usually organized to send off the final year pupils. 
These dances take different forms form schools to schools as “cultural dances” or general dancing and singing. At the primary school level, the dancers are not rained on how to dance. They merely copy or reproduce what their teacher(s) show them which might not be the teacher too knows very much but what he has seen somewhere else before. 
At the end of the session’s activities, the group that performed is laid off until the end of another session when a new one (which may include part of the old ones) is formed. Thus dance is used as an extra-curricular activity and nothing more.
If the teacher of cultural and creative arts in the Nigerian primary schools is “in order to achieve all round development of the Nigerian Child”, the approach employed is misdirected. 
There is no doubt that the Cultural and Creative Arts is essential in the primary school. The “combination or weaving together” of these arts subjects is however a hindrance to any meaning achievement. The inherent and peculiar advances of each of the art subjects to the child will no doubt be lost. 
Dance alone, if well focused, can be used to realize all the government’s objectives of the primary education. This is because dance is both a physical and emotional activity, it therefore, influences the character. Plato in his ideal Republic  recognized this fact when he says it will help towards “acquiring noble, harmonious and graceful attitude.16
The teaching of dance at the primary school will, for example develop the pupils’ endurance, strength, flexibility, agility, balance and moral because of its “excellent opportunities for the rhythmic exercise of the muscles, increased respiration and circulation, development of organic vigour and numerous other desirable outcome of physical activity”17
Also, the national value can be taught to the pupils through the teaching of folk dances of the people. The child inevitably learns the history and dances of the people of his country, the differences in the dance steps of the different tribes/groups, and the factors responsible for these differences. Such a child will, no doubt, have respect for the cultural values of the other society and develop interest, tolerance interpersonal and human relation towards the people of the other tribe/groups. 
A sound knowledge of dance will also impact in the children a sense if rhythm, order, beauty and organization that is also necessary to cope with the other subjects, as well as, their own psyche. Dance will develop, therefore, the needed avenue of productive, expensive, and innovation creative that are inherent in them will be fully realized. All these will then manifest from childhood to adulthood. 
The Nigerian child misses all the above advantages. By the time many people discover and develop interest in the potentials of dance their bodies and bones are, most time already stiff and hardened. Therefore, we cannot continue treat dance with levity in Nigeria if we want the dance art to grow in the next millennium. The future dance artist has to be adequately trained from the young age and continuously thenceforth. This is the special demand and requirement of the dance art. We shall therefore proceed to suggest approaches and concept that can be adopted for teaching dance effectively in the Nigerian primary schools in the next millennium. 

Approaches And Concept for the Next Millennium 
For and success to be recorded, the national policy, philosophy and objectives for dance have to change. Dance has to be recognized as a full-fledged subject for the primary school pupils on its own. As soon as this is done, the conception will have to be refocused. The objectives have to include teaching the pupils the fundamentals of dance i.e. the dynamic, rhythmic and space patterns. 
The pupils must be taught fundamentals and rudiments to be able to dance rhythmically and accurately. They must be able to develop body alignment and balance. They must imbibe the spirit of group work and social interaction. The focus must be to give the pupils a sense or responsibility and confidence as a dancer. This being the focus, the modules shall therefore allocate sufficient time for dance in the primary schools. 
There should be, at least two double periods in the morning between 8am and 9.30am per week for practical on the timetable. For continuity, Thursday and Friday or Monday and Thursday will be most appropriate. These periods of practical training should focus on inculcating in the pupils flexibility, stamina and various techniques on the strategic use of the body. 
A separate period should also be set aside for theory. Where the pupils will be introduced to the meaning of dance types, functions, characteristics, etc. Although the pupils should also be introduced to the dancers of the Western world like ballet, modern dance etc. The emphasis should be on African dances, and Nigerian dance in particular. All the above should be examined like every other curricular subject at the end of each term. The continuous assessment can be in practice while the examination in theory will make up for the rest of the marks. Pupils should be marked and graded on their performances like: in English and Mathematics. 
To enhance all the above, qualified teachers should be employed to take charge. Those who themselves undergone training in dance should be made to handle things at this level so that the foundation can be solid. Moreover, dance studio, where the pupils can effectively trained and where they can go to at their leisure time to improve themselves should be provided at all primary schools. Finally, movements should not be forced on the pupils but they should be well equipped to be able to create their own movements because “the ideal dance education is that which trains the students to find his own types of movement”.8

Conclusion
This study, I hope, has made clear the present negative position of dance and the danger in the continual treatment of dance as an extra curricular activity in the primary schools in Nigeria. It is therefore necessary for urgent attention to be given to the approaches and concepts suggested in this paper and dance be taught singularly as a curriculum subject like music and fine arts to enable properly trained dance performing artists to evolve in Nigeria in the next millennium. 

References
2.	Lincoln Kristein “Dance Art, “The New Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol. 5, Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. , 977), p.453.