Somali Traditional Dance 101
Want to learn how you can rock the cool Somali traditional dance moves? Mohamoud Osman, program director of youth & performance at the Somali Museum, teaches you three different types of Somali traditional dances.
Dhaanto, one of the most popular Somali dances, is played at nearly every Somali festive celebration. Dhaanto is inspired by the camel and also mimics the actions of the camel. The song to this dance was used to raise the spirit of soldiers and was often sung on horseback.
Jaandheer means big leap or a big step in Somali. It is a happy dance, played in most Somali weddings and festive occasions. It also features a complex spinning move, which can leave you dizzy after several tries!
Syalici originated from the town of Zeila in northern Somaliland. It began as a religious chant and slowly developed into a dance move later on. The lyrics remain as they were for hundreds of years and preserves its Islamic foundation.
The members of the Somali Museum Dance Troupe learn these three types of dances as well as many other variations of traditional Somali dances. Want to learn more about the Dance Troupe? Click here to see the stories of Tarax and Nimo, the youth members of the Dance Troupe.
This post is part of a Somali Community Digital Storytelling Project. To learn more about the project, view here.
