Introduction

Western perspectives of dance in Africa frequently focus on spectacle and ritual. Contemporary dance in East Africa challenges such perceptions. This article discusses the emerging dance practices, specifically in Kenya, which offer insights into the art form. Many contemporary dance works in Nairobi exemplify dance engaging communities without spectacle, focusing on the embodied experience of the dance practice. Lailah Masiga, one of the few female performers in an art form dominated by men in East Africa, created a solo, Within Between, which addresses issues of female genital mutilation (FGM). Masiga performed the work in Nairobi, Kenya and Canberra, Australia receiving very different responses to the solo in each location. Whereas in Nairobi the audience positively responded to the work, in Canberra the African officials in the audience were concerned about any negative portrayal of African culture as this has been a continuing legacy of the colonial heritage. She also toured the work to rural areas in Kenya where it was met with both gratitude and hostility. This article locates Within Between in the specific contexts for contemporary dance in East Africa and the wider context of dance studies.

African dance/contexts/performances

For western audiences and performance students, notions of dance in Africa are formulated through a range of sources including watching national dance companies, participating in classes and written texts. Within both dance and performance scholarship and in critical responses to African dance, there has been a tendency to equate artistic practices from the continent with spectacle.