Professor Sheds Light on Twerking & African Dance Styles as She Shares Cute Video of Amazing Moves
- A college professor, Elizabeth Leiba, has educated social media users about the origin of Xibelani dance, also referred to as Southern African twerk
- Elizabeth said the dance has evolved just like other African dance styles which have been in existence for many centuries
- She shared an adorable video of some ladies doing the Xibelani dance and many people on social media have reacted
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A college professor identified as Elizabeth Leiba has taken to social media to discuss about the origin of a dance style called Xibelani which people also refer to as Southern African twerk.
Leiba, who shared a video of some ladies dancing and twisting their waists on her LinkedIn page, said the Xibelani dance is a native dance of the Tsonga women of the Limpopo Province in Southern Africa.
Source: UGC
Where does the dance name come from?
According to Elizabeth, the name of the dance comes from the Xitsonga language, and it can be translated to "hitting a rhythm".
In her words:
"African dance styles vary across tribes and nations, but all are deeply steeped in ritual and history.
"The drum is a crucial component of African tradition. It could be considered the heartbeat of the tribe.
"Apart from the drum, African dance is also characterized by the clapping of hands and stomping of feet."
The professor said Africans brought dance with them to North America during the slave era but they were not allowed to dance.
She said:
"However, they found ways to adapt their dancing and continue their traditions despite their circumstances."
According to Elizabeth, these African dances stayed with the people for many centuries and they have since evolved into some of the world's most popular dance styles. Some of them include the Charleston, tap dancing, the Lindy Hop, the Jitterbug, the twist, hip hop, crunking, and twerking.
Many react to this
Monique Y. said::
"I like the name “Xibelani” much more than “twerking”."
Martin Pratt commented:
"Kerryann I. A lot of dances we do here in US have it’s origins in Africa literally every hip movement matches sometimes you can tell what tribe a Black American or even which black community has roots to Africa by their local hood dance."
Aaron J Fulton wrote:
"Twerking is like the rebellious daughter of momma Xibelani. Lmao. Just kidding. It’s amazing to see how dances have evolved over the years. Thanks for sharing. Elizabeth Leiba I’m becoming one of your biggest fans. Thank you for sharing."
Dr. Tana M. Session said:
"Love my people! Can't wait for my trip to Africa in December!"
Lady wows many with amazing legwork in heels
In other news, a lady has got many people talking after displaying amazing dancing skills in a viral video that was shared on social media.
In the video, the lady was surrounded by a lot of people who were wowed as she did the legwork dance in heels.
The young lady wore a short gown and danced effortlessly to the excitement of her audience who kept screaming.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
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