Agwara (dance)

Agwara[1] is a royal dance of the Alur people of Northern Uganda and parts of the WestNile sub-region, performed in the presence of the king (Rwot).[2] It is performed by both women and men during social occasions. The dance is performed to drums, and uses linear and circular formations characterized by leg and waist twisting while wearing ankle bells to emphasize their footwork.[3][4][5] The dance is named after the sound of long trumpets also known as agwara horns.[6] The dance evolved during the process of Alur people mixing and smearing mud on their houses from which its movements later grown in to formal dance expression.[7]

Performance

In the past, Agwara was performed at rituals organized by communities in order to worship or appease the gods, in order to ask for a good harvest before sowing, at the occasion of midsummer or midwinter festival, or just on the occasion of entering a new lunar phase or if there was need of rain. Additionally, there are two types of agwara, "Kwaya" or "Mbaka" which are danced for two days especially for clan competitions and royal celebrations, and "Selewa" which is ordinarily for thanksgiving for good fortune such as successful harvests and communal success.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "2007 Kampala, Uganda". doi.org. 2016-09-01. doi:10.14217/776362ed-en (inactive 1 July 2025). Retrieved 2025-02-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
  2. ^ "Rwot Ubimi urges subjects on developing kingdom". New Vision. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  3. ^ Oneka, Dennis (2011-05-06). "Agwara dance". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ "Cultural Dances in Uganda". Waka Natures. Archived from the original on 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  5. ^ "Alur". 101 Last Tribes. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  6. ^ "Agwara dance -- [Digital Collection of East African Recordings]". diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  7. ^ Dennis, Oneka (2011-05-06). "Agwara dance". Archived from the original on 2024-01-09. Retrieved 2025-02-23. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "Celebrating the wealth of ethnicity". Monitor. 2021-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
  9. ^ "Background on the Music of Northern Uganda". Singing Wells. 2012-10-29. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
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