Liz Edouard-Danc 163- Yoruba and body language

This article describes the Yoruba, their body language and dance culture in general terms- in class we have seen it demonstrated in the context of Haiti and I have recently seen it in Brazil. While in Salvador de Bahia, I went to watch Candomblé, a religious practice that stems from Yoruba oshishas. The event was held in a tent known as the house of Candomblé, which was located in proximity to the houses of the orishas. In the tent, women sat on one side and men on the other, but tourists and locals were mixed. When we arrived, the dancers were already in a trance and in the process of becoming the physical representation of an orisha. We were told that it had already been 10 hours that they had been dancing and typically they would continue until the next morning. Those moving or dancing were wearing white and either held or wore costumes that represented their deity. Aides in the center wiped the sweat off the face of the dancers or arranged their costumes as they were so entranced by their movements that they were unaware of anything happening around them. At times the dancers would approach people touching their head to the floor or offering a hand as a symbol of respect, but otherwise each person moved in his or her own manner, without really interacting with the others that were dancing. Throughout the whole ritual, a group played the drums and the public clapped their hands keeping a continuous rhythm. At times members of the public would fall into a trance, begin shaking and join the dancers or remove themselves from the tent overpowered by the rhythm and the power of the orishas. Food, traditional of West Africa was served- a mix of rice, palm oil and fish. It was a powerful experience and after reading this article, I realize how much was being communicated across this form of dance and unfortunately I was not able to appreciate it all as I am not familiar with the Yoruba body language. 

The body is powerful tool for communication and one that adds complexity. In the United States, we talk about body language and in magazines all sorts of articles are written about what movements communicate what messages. Body language is universal, but in certain cultures it is better understood and more complex such is this case for the Yoruba. In the US, body language is not as emphasized and more importance is placed the verbal form of speech such as the nuances of words. In the text, it is explained that to be considered well-cultured in the Yoruba culture one must understand the intricacies of body attitude. This task seems daunting, especially as a foreigner, as I can’t even begin to imagine how much one would miss when communicating with a local and how easy it would be to be misinterpreted. I would be interested to know more about what we are saying through the dances, in a way it is as though we are learning a whole new language.