Orixá gestures up closea visual aid to kinetic conversing
Inside the choreostory
Each dance is a complete story- choreostory
However, to create the story, there are sets of gestures, rhythms, songs, shouts
In particular, the gestures alert people to the arrival of a specific orixá
the gestures are also symbols
Symbols in Motion
If each gesture is a symbol, then complete moves are mythos/recurrent themes or structures
a symbol is also a glyph, type of shorthand image
Like the alphabet, these kinesthetic glyphs can be accumulated to create larger meaning structures.
I call these glyphs, kinemes.
SOME KNOWN GLYPHS
The ferramentas = glyphs
DRAWINGS BY CARYBÉ. FROM HIS BOOK, ORIXÁ.LOCATED ON HTTP://OCANDOMBLE.WORDPRESS.COM, CC
OBA
EXÚ
IEMANJÁ
LOGUM EDE
OXALÁ
OXUM
THESE OBJECTS REPRESENT AND COMPLETETHE BODY USES GESTURES TO INDICATE HOW THEY ARE USED
OXOSSIOXUMARÉ
OYÁ/IANSÃ NANÃ
OMOLU
EWÁ
OSSAIM
XANGÓ
WWW.ILEAXE.COM/LOJA/DETALHES.ASP?THERE ARE FERRAMENTAS THAT ARE MADE TO BE STATIONARY ON SHRINES
OGUM
OGUM
EACH ORIXÁ HAS SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPESTHEY ARE TREATED AS SACRED ITEMS. THESE ARE JUST A FEW.
OSSAIN OXOSSI
IANSÃ
The gesture becomes symbolic/emblematic of the energy/object/image
Exúright thumb up, represents the phallus, also point of contact, crossroads
OUTER EDGE OF HAND HAND IS PALM UP
OGUMSABER, DAGGER, MACHETE
Oxossibow and arrow, right hand up with index finger pointing
LOGUM EDELEFT-HANDED BOW AND ARROW
OXUMARÉTHE HANDS AND ARMS TOGETHER BECOME THE SERPENT; THE FINGERS SHOW HIS REALM
OMOLUDEMONSTRATES HIS WOUNDS, LAST IMAGE SHOWS THE POX SPROUTING FROM FLESH
Ossainhands twist back and forth as fists, wringing juice from herbs, which he sometimes drinks, thumb to mouth
IEMANJÁ (YEMANJÁ)(YEMOJA)HAND AS FISH, FOAM ON WAVE & FAN. SHE ALSO SEWS AS BATTLE
OXUMTHE HAND IS A MIRROR AND A GOURD OF WATER OR WATER ROLLING OVER ROCKS
XangóHe carries two double-edged axes. Sometimes the dancer will open the hands, palms facing inward. Thus the arms are the handle and the hands the blade edge.
XANGÓ, RIDING INTO BATTLEPALMS ARE OPEN, ARMS ALTERNATE UP AND DOWN
Iansã/Oyaswats away death from life, maintaining the veil between the two; also is the wind/makes wind
ObáThe hand holds or hides the ear that she cut off to give as a gift to Xangó, her husband.
Nanãis stooped, swaying under Omulu’s weight. Hands swing by the knees
Oxaláaka Obatalá, though Oxalá is older. He carries a staff that supports his walking and the process of mass consciousness
WATER MIRROR BLADE, FOR CLEARING
BLADE ON ATTACK SERPENT CROSSROAD
MORTAR & PESTLE
REINS/HANDLESSHEILD & SWORDBOW & ARROW
WAVE FISH/FEATHERS
STAFF ORIENT/TIME
SWEEP/CLEARALIGN/READY
ORIENT/PLACE
POWER
Symbols & Signals
Gestures of Orixá:
identify the energy coming or being used
address group concerns in public performance like Carnaval
invigorate or analyze spoken discourse
embellish the archival act or just artifacts
provide context for orienting one’s self in the wider world
This has been a brief introduction to these beautiful and powerful ‘microchoreographies.’
To see some of them in action, look for the Balé Folclorico da Bahia
To learn how the process that each symbol reveals can be used choreographically, I highly recommend studying in Bahia with choreographer/technician, Rosangela Silvestre. She teaches a class that we named in a deep conversation one day, called “Symbols in Motion.”
This work is offered by Anna Beatrice Scott, PhD for share & share alike usage (cc). All photos are by/of the author. Other images are credited.
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