Ogbongelenge
The name of this dance is called OGBONGELENGE
This dance started with our forefathers.
They started it.
We learnt it from them and continued with it.
It is what we were taught.
My community is known for this dance.
We use it to celebrate the birth of a newborn.
This is specifically during the time a woman brings a child into the world among the many things done as part of the rites for the celebration of the woman and child.
This is also used to celebrate in a special way a woman that have birthed 12 children.
In this instance, the dance is performed for both men and women to dance in celebration of her.
Aside from these celebrations, we also perform the dance during Christmas in December, Easter period and even the new yam festival in August.
There is a specific attire for Ogbongelenge.
This includes a T-shirt and a George wrapper tied on a t-shirt as well as waist wear
We constructed the xylophone ourselves
This is done with wood from trees.
This is mostly from forests with trees and use it for it.
We obtain the wood, cut into desired shape and tune it in a way to produce our preferred sounds.
We have varying instruments for performing the dance.
We have Tambourine (ọsha), wooden gong (ọkwa), base pot (udu), and xylophone (Ogbongelenge), which is the main instrument in playing the dance.
That is used in playing it.