Transcending Boundaries: Wole Soyinka’s Fusion of African and Western Dramatic Traditions in A Dance of the Forests

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Author: Asit Panda

Keywords: A Dance of the Forests, Wole Soyinka, tragedy, African drama, Yoruba.

Abstract: The objective of this research article is to investigate the innovative fusion of Western and indigenous performance traditions that Wole Soyinka employs in his celebrated tragedy, A Dance of the Forests. This study identifies specific indigenous and European forms and performance idioms that contribute to Soyinka's tragedy through an in-depth analysis of the play's structure, themes, and performance techniques. This article emphasises Soyinka's incorporation of Western theatrical devices and traditions, as well as Yoruba mythology and traditional performance elements such as percussion, dance, music, and song. The reclamation and affirmation of precolonial indigenous theatrical forms and performance idioms make a substantial contribution to the assertion of indigenous identity. Soyinka's use of dramaturgy in A Dance of the Forests exemplifies the theatre's capacity to transcend artistic and cultural limitations. This article positions Soyinka's dramatic work as a response to the asserted dominance of Western modernity, reflecting a post-colonial society's endeavour to establish a legacy of alternative modernity in the artistic sphere.

DOI: 10.22161/ijeel.3.1.5

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Page No: 37-40