MENS SANA DANCE

Dancing is a joyful exercise. It is over 25 years I took interest to research and examine the importance of dancing particularly, African dance. And to my biggest surprise, MENS SANA DANCE, which I once ridiculed when I was a child caught my attention and interest from its historical point of view and importance.

800 years ago, some African natives from the then Oyo, Benin, Atta Kwame and Ewe empires developed and introduced a war dance known as ATRIKPUI. Its main aim and objective was to train, encourage and to strengthen them for their nomadic, conquest and occupational benefits and also for their wars.

Today, all these war dances are transformed and interpreted as cultural and social types of dances for gatherings and festivities. Making it easier for the natives to touch their historical past and culture of importance.

But MENS SANA DANCE has a hidden agenda and importance. It has extreme health benefits and as such, steps ahead of all other native and modern dances. For example, it stimulates good blood circulation, burns calories, helps weight loss and helps to release toxins from the body that can cause pain and ill-health (lymphatic drainage).

MENS SANA DANCE is addictive and urges everyone on to dance it. It is edifying, informative and entertaining which encourages the young, old and adults to becoming part of its benefiting culture. It is so well designed to help her dancers to further reinforce their social and cultural inheritance.

MENS SANA DANCE has no special platform and costume and it is not only an outdoor pursuit. It can be danced solo and in a group. The ritualistic sound of the music and drums come together to create a healthy synchronised soundness of both the mind and the body. Giving its name, Mens Sana in Corporo sano, meaning, A sound mind in a sound body.