Shoulder Dancing of Eritrea & Ethiopia
Cultural Delight
I was first introduced to shoulder dancing more than 15 years ago during a trip to Ethiopia. During an epic night of carousing around Addis Ababa, my friends and I went in search of the iconic dance.
We were not disappointed. In bars across the city, beautiful women in flowing white dresses would stand before our table and perform the notorious dance, moving their heads side-to-side and bouncing their shoulders.
It is incredibly energetic and seductive at the same time.
Eritrea and Ethiopia, while two separate countries, share a cultural heritage. Both the Tigre and Tigrinya ethnic groups span Eritrea and Ethiopia, and the dance is central to their ethnic identity.
In Eritrea, the Bilen and Tigre tribes perform the dance, which they call golia or sisiit. In neighboring Ethiopia, the traditional dance is called eskista or quda.
Give it a watch and let me know what you think.
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Christened “Wander Woman” by National Geographic, Erin Michelson has traveled to 130+ countries & all 7 continents. She is a professional speaker and author of the Nomad Life™ series of curated trips and travel guides, including the #1-ranked Explore the World with Nomads.
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This was really cool Erin! I enjoyed the examples that utilize the more traditional instruments more than the jazzy soundtrack of the solo dancer. But that's just me, jazz music makes me feel unsettled. But they are all very joyful and I love the energy. Thanks for sharing this!