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After an exhausting day's work in harsh conditions in the coconut and spice plantations, or fishing under the hot sun, the slaves shared riddles to pass the time. They also shared their pain with one another through dancing and singing songs about their suffering. This dance was performed both by men and women. It is typically performed around a bonfire. Considered a sensual dance, it involves simple choreography and involves women and men sharing choreography together. The musical instrument used is a drum with a narrow rim made of goat hide that is mainly played by men. The other instruments include coconuts, metal triangles, cooking pots, and utensils. The dance begins by heating the drums over a bonfire. Once the drums have been heated, the drummers set the beat, and the crowd calls out topics usually related to social commentary. Female dancers respond in high-pitched tones to the men's. Women and men begin the dance at a moderate tempo, swaying their hips and shuffling their feet. They approach each other but do not touch, with men holding out their arms and women ruffling their skirts in response. The choreography is simple and sensual. | After an exhausting day's work in harsh conditions in the coconut and spice plantations, or fishing under the hot sun, the slaves shared riddles to pass the time. They also shared their pain with one another through dancing and singing songs about their suffering. This dance was performed both by men and women. It is typically performed around a bonfire. Considered a sensual dance, it involves simple choreography and involves women and men sharing choreography together. The musical instrument used is a drum with a narrow rim made of goat hide that is mainly played by men. The other instruments include coconuts, metal triangles, cooking pots, and utensils. The dance begins by heating the drums over a bonfire. Once the drums have been heated, the drummers set the beat, and the crowd calls out topics usually related to social commentary. Female dancers respond in high-pitched tones to the men's. Women and men begin the dance at a moderate tempo, swaying their hips and shuffling their feet. They approach each other but do not touch, with men holding out their arms and women ruffling their skirts in response. The choreography is simple and sensual. | ||
The Moutya is a form of expression of cultural identity and remains so today, retaining its traditional dance form. It's usually performed spontaneously around the community, at social gatherings, as well as at cultural events. It has been passed down through performance, observation, and imitation, as well as formally through research, documentation, and dissemination. It was considered risqué until the late 1970s and was largely shunned. | The Moutya is a form of expression of cultural identity and remains so today, retaining its traditional dance form. It's usually performed spontaneously around the community, at social gatherings, as well as at cultural events. It has been passed down through performance, observation, and imitation, as well as formally through research, documentation, and dissemination. It was considered risqué until the late 1970s and was largely shunned. Yet, as its improvisational nature gave way to more publicized tourist-oriented events over time, it has been given official status. Despite its recognition by UNESCO, the dance is not as well known by the youth of Seychelles. | ||
===References=== | ===References=== | ||
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|Subject=dance, Entertainment and Recreation | |Subject=dance, Entertainment and Recreation | ||
|Country=Seychelles | |Country=Seychelles | ||
|SDG=(04) Quality Education | |SDG=(04) Quality Education | ||
}} | }} | ||
Revision as of 18:39, 29 March 2022
The Moutya was first brought to Seychelles in the early eighteenth century by the enslaved Africans who arrived with the French settlers. These slaves practiced this dance at night in the forest, far from the plantation houses where their masters lived. When these slaves were taken from their villages, they left with nothing other than their memories, sorrows, voices, and bodies. Their only means of expressing themselves was through music, chants, songs, rhythm, and dance. It was in these circumstances that the Moutya dance was first created. Historically, Moutya was a psychological comfort against poverty and servitude, and a means of resistance against social injustice. According to the local anthropologists, the term ‘Moutya’ or ‘Moutia’ is derived from the Bantu word ’Mutcira’, which is a dance of the Nampula province of northeastern Mozambique.
After an exhausting day's work in harsh conditions in the coconut and spice plantations, or fishing under the hot sun, the slaves shared riddles to pass the time. They also shared their pain with one another through dancing and singing songs about their suffering. This dance was performed both by men and women. It is typically performed around a bonfire. Considered a sensual dance, it involves simple choreography and involves women and men sharing choreography together. The musical instrument used is a drum with a narrow rim made of goat hide that is mainly played by men. The other instruments include coconuts, metal triangles, cooking pots, and utensils. The dance begins by heating the drums over a bonfire. Once the drums have been heated, the drummers set the beat, and the crowd calls out topics usually related to social commentary. Female dancers respond in high-pitched tones to the men's. Women and men begin the dance at a moderate tempo, swaying their hips and shuffling their feet. They approach each other but do not touch, with men holding out their arms and women ruffling their skirts in response. The choreography is simple and sensual.
The Moutya is a form of expression of cultural identity and remains so today, retaining its traditional dance form. It's usually performed spontaneously around the community, at social gatherings, as well as at cultural events. It has been passed down through performance, observation, and imitation, as well as formally through research, documentation, and dissemination. It was considered risqué until the late 1970s and was largely shunned. Yet, as its improvisational nature gave way to more publicized tourist-oriented events over time, it has been given official status. Despite its recognition by UNESCO, the dance is not as well known by the youth of Seychelles.
References