Ikorodo
The name of the dance that I will be telling you the story about today is Ikorodo
This dance is native to the Nsukka people in Enugu State.
In Nsukka, the dance is indigenous to the People of Ezike Oba in Nsukka.
There is a strong story behind this'dance.Because in Igbo land, there is a particular adage that says that everything happens for a reason
There is no smoke without fire. Therefore, there's a reason why this dance began in the first instance. This is what I will explain now.
This dance started with young maidens
They perform this dance on a monthly basis.
They perform this dance on a Every month, they convene at the village square and dance to the song to theappeal of the audience for entertainment purposes.
The young men will watch in excitement from a corner
because of their interest in the activity of the maidens.
Maidens use this dance to attract the young men to prove that they are ripe for marriage.
That is what they perform this dance for.
This is a dance I grew up and joined.
I don't know the exact date this dance started.
I grew up with a keen interest in music and saw that this dance is performed by the maidens to appeal to the young men. This is why I joined to perform in the dance.
I also saw that the dance is not one that ruins people.
That it's what you use to prove that you are a beautiful maiden well'trained by your mother.
This motivated me to participate in the dance.
This is not a dance that is bad nor does it corrupt people who participate in it but one that encourages good relationships between people of the same kind or relation.
knowledge of when the dance started
The instrument used in performing this dance includes Ogene known in english as Metal Gong.
The metal gong is produced by local welders in the community.
There is another one called Udu/lt has the shape of a pot.
The Udu instrument, similar to the shape of a pot, is beautifully made with handles for carrying it and a foam.
Foam is what it's called in English language
'Foam is what it's called in the English language. This is used to produce sound from the pot-like instrument
There is also another one called flute.
FLUTE is used by the men to show that the dancejperformance is appealing to them, ensuring that they, produce adequate sound fromjt to support the music as well as the dance.
There is also the drum.
The drum is carved out from rot-free wood obtained from forest, and held together with animal skin in order to work effectively.
There is one called ichaka too.
The Ichaka is usually woven.
After weaving the Ichaka, there are certain things that are put inside the it.
For some, it is the seeds of local pear while for others, it is bottle caps that are put inside the Ichaka.
The Ichaka produces good sound as it is continuously shaked and this helps to add to the music.