Dance, Marriage and Culture: The Ososo Marriage Punitive Dance Paradigm

Abstract

Dance, culture and marriage have a tapestry of relationship and dependability. The inviolability in their relationships cannot be quantified. In culture, dance and marriage are provided with soothing environment to strive and survive and vice-versa. In other words, culture is the substratum for the survival of an African marriage.  The place of dance in marriage and culture has been a subject identifiable to the Africans. On like among the Westerners where dance is employed in marriage as an element of entertainment, the Africans use dance as a vital ingredient for the survival of marriage and, in particular the society.  This article takes a look at the cultural imperatives of dance in marriage and the way the Ososo people deploy it to maintain and sustain marriage culture and relationships. The methodology for data gathering includes; interviews, non-participant and observatory primary method and for the secondary; related books, journal and, magazines were used. Added to the above is the adoption of the theory, Socio-spatial Action Code System (SACS) of dance for the analysis of our findings. The results are that marriage among the Ososo people is held sacrosanct; the society is responsible for and to every marriage, thus the need to protect it from being abused with the use of dance. Dance here then becomes an antidote to reverse a curse in marriage and a reprimand to the individual defaulter, which is the husband.