Bwola. A dance with heart. True soul. A dance of pride, showcase, and just a little more pride. A leap here and there, but done with technique. Only for those with well-woven talents. Not just anyone, no! Bwola, the Acholi traditional dance for royalty.
Fun, entertaining, and brings with it cultural freshness. No wonder it was a preserve for entertaining traditional chiefs on the day they took their places. Also, specially preserved for other palace events among the Acholi. The dancers take this seriously, the look is as important as the skill, it must command attention.
Dancers adorn warriors’ worrisome traditional attire with feathers on their heads depicting nothing, but a strong cultural heritage. Feathers signify royalty. Voluptuous, traditional sounds sear through as dancers leap and jump and fashionably wobble on the ground like a well-choreographed dance troupe. They make a beeline and file and dance leaning towards the instrumentation usually played by someone in the middle.
They wiggle. They dance happily and proudly. The treat is as much in their faces as it is in the skill. A display of enjoyment and just reserve; as if they want to let go but must also control themselves. A tease of sorts, a bit of strength and radiance merged into a bowl of authentic Ugandan showcase. The spirit of the Acholi is in every move, their resilience ever does pronounce. Again, Bwola is a dance of pride!
What a traditional monument; a pillar of Acholi culture. It depicts strong warrior skills, how Africans are fierce and fearless, how Africans are brave and ready to attack, no matter the magnitude of the enemy. It may look strange, but it isn’t; it is a dance celebrated by the Acholi people. It shows nothing, but how people confronted their enemies – with unbridled brevity.
With quite the captivating routine, non-Acholi enjoy the Bwola dance as well. It is performed at weddings and parties. It is always performed by a bunch of traditional dancers who entertain guests leaping, wiggling, and pulling moves no ‘new school’s dancers will easily match. It is a unique dance. Traditional yet enjoyable and easy on the eye. It is a cultural practice that bonds people, strengthens marriages, and entertains guests.
The Bwola dance can only be required to Ankole’s Ekitaguriro and Bugisu’s Kadodi. It bonds people, strengthens marriages, and entertains guests, royal guests. Next time you’re at a wedding in Uganda, more especially in the Acholi region, look out for the Bwola dance. Should you spot it anywhere, then don’t miss it! The Bwola dance is en vogue. Call it the 21st Century break dance performed in Uganda where traditional meets are popular in dance matrimony.
