Nigerians adore dancing; it is ingrained in our genetic makeup. Many Nigerian musicians are aware of this, so they constantly write songs for the newest dances or, in the case of the more inventive ones, come up with brand-new dance moves that their fans can rock to and extend the life of their songs.
Numerous dance moves have been introduced by various artists over the years, but only a select few have become popular and rocked dance floors. Some of these dance moves were not created by Nigerian artists; however, as soon as they entered our airwaves, we adopted them as our own and made crazy jams out of them.
Makossa Dance.
The Makossa Dance is a vibrant and sensual dance form that has become very popular in Nigeria despite its Cameroonian origins. It combines quick footwork, hip rotations, and waist movements. Makossa, which in the language of Douala, Cameroon, means “dance,” was probably the first dance craze of the new millennium. With it, musicians like Awilo Longomba and Koffi Olamide went on tours throughout Africa, and Makossa quickly caught on like wildfire and is still one of the most well-known Nigerian dances today. Numerous Nigerian music videos have included the Makossa Dance, showcasing the love of the country for this dance.
Azonto Dance
In 2011, this shook the dance floor. The Ghanaian dance quickly gained popularity throughout the entire world. Asamoah Gyan, a former striker for Ghana, helped make the dance even more well-known by making it his trademark whenever he scored, primarily during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Galala Dance.
This dance move is related to Ajegunle, or “the ghetto,” in Lagos. It was inspired by the pseudo-reggae sound that artists like Ras Kimono, Blacky, Fada U Turn, etc. made popular. When Nigerian music legend Daddy Showkey was active, the Galala Dance was a popular dance form. This fast-paced dance incorporates arm movements, waist rotations, and quick footwork. The Galala Dance served as a metaphor for independent thought and street culture.
Kukere’
Iyanya, a Nigerian singer and Project Fame winner, released the song in 2012, along with a dance move, and it quickly became popular. It is firmly believed that it is a modification of the well-known traditional dance known as “Etighi.” To start the traditional shaking of the backside, the dancers lean forward while lifting each leg up and down. 2012 also saw the release of P-Square’s”Alingo,”though music fans widely criticized it for being too similar to “Azonto.”
Skelewu’
After being released by Davido, this was the first song to rock the dance floor. The dance involves moving left, right, front, and back while holding the waist with one hand and the front with the other.
Sekem Dance
Nigerian artist Mc Galaxy made this dance movement popular, and it quickly went viral. Rhythmic body motions, such as twisting, swaying, and shaking, are used in the Sekem Dance. It is a popular choice for parties and celebrations due to its catchy music and simple instructions.
Shoki’
Following its release, it was widely embraced by Nigerian youth and became an instant hit on the streets. Shoki relies on your capacity for adaptability. Shoki entails twisting your shoulder while standing with one hand extended. You jump a little and cover one of your eyes with your hand as you twist.
Shakiti Bobo
Although there were disputes regarding who owned the dance’s original rights, this was generally accepted in 2015. Shakiti Bobo involves swinging your leg from side to side while raising your leg until your knee points forward.
Make sure both hands and your shoulders move up and down as you swing your leg front and back. Depending on how flexible you are, you can switch legs.
Shaku Shaku’
Late in 2017, this blew up the dance floor, and its popularity can be attributed to Mr. Real’s smash street anthem Legbegbe, which features Idowest, Obadice, and Kelvin Chucks. Additionally, songs released in 2017 included “Shepeteri,” “Oshozondi,” and “Shaku Shaku,” among others, continued the trend to further popularize the dance. A graceful half-gallop is started after crossing your arms in front of each other at the wrists and opening up your legs slightly.
Zanku Legwork
Since dance steps are frequently adapted from popular moves or dances from the past, it can be challenging to determine their true origins. When your feet touch the ground while dancing in “Zanku,” the dance becomes more intense.
Soapy
Dance Queen Kaffy, who called the song “immoral and disgusting” in an Instagram post, was the most vocal critic of the dance and the cause of much controversy.
Tesumole
Then he added another dance move called “Tesumole,” which received no criticism but was viewed as being much trickier to learn. Tesumole is a complex dance form that includes movements like closing both legs and turning right and left before opening the legs and jumping. The phrase can be rendered as “step on the devil.”
Focus Dance
This was created by Street Pop Producer Ajinomoix Beat, who also created the popular instrumental beat “Focus.” Dancers made the dance popular, particularly on the social media site Instagram.
The song has been widely acclaimed, entered the top 100 trends on TikTok, and received support from celebrities including Michael Blackson, Davido, Pogba, Burna Boy, and many more. Over 500k people have viewed the song’s remix featuring Dice Ailes on YouTube. One of the most popular dance genres to emerge from Nigeria this year is still the focus dance.
ANOTI DANCE
In August 2021, Wizkid released the deluxe edition of his widely praised Made in Lagos album. The Afrobeats song and P-prime produced single “Anoti,” which also came with a new dance step, stands out from the deluxe album. Nearly two months before the deluxe release, Wizkid teased the dance step on his Instagram, and it quickly gained popularity after its release, inspiring anoti dance competitions on Instagram and TikTok.
AMAPIANO/ HAPPY FEET
A few dance styles gained popularity along with the South African music genre “Amapiano.” This year, the Happy Feet dance as well as other dance moves typically connected to the Amapiano style also enjoyed considerable popularity.
