Traditional Theatre
Prior to colonialism, the daily lives of each of Burkina Faso's different ethnic groups were infused with performative rituals. These rituals varied but often involved dance and the use of masks. For example, the Bwa and the Nuna people use tribal masks to represent the faces of spirits in dances on market days, at funerals and at initiation ceremonies, in order to better communicate with the protective spirits. The Dagari people, during funeral ceremonies, perform before the corpse, re-enacting important moments from his or her life. These practices, primarily of a religious nature, are gradually dying out but they still exert a significant influence on modern Burkinabè theatre.
Read more about this topic: Theatre Of Burkina Faso
Famous quotes containing the words traditional and/or theatre:
“There are two kinds of fathers in traditional households: the fathers of sons and the fathers of daughters. These two kinds of fathers sometimes co-exist in one and the same man. For instance, Daughter’s Father kisses his little girl goodnight, strokes her hair, hugs her warmly, then goes into the next room where he becomes Son’s Father, who says in a hearty voice, perhaps with a light punch on the boy’s shoulder: “Goodnight, Son, see ya in the morning.””
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin (20th century)
“The theatre is a gross art, built in sweeps and over-emphasis. Compromise is its second name.”
—Enid Bagnold (1889–1981)