The beat that moves us: From drums to TikTok trends

We have witnessed the evolution of dance from Kuku dance to Helicopter and Skamaress in the early 2000s to Miondoko and its variants in the recent past. It is an ever-changing world, one minute we are leaning to one side, arms in puppy paw position, slowly bopping our heads to the rhythm in what is famously called Anguka Nayo. The next we are 'chopping' our dance partners necks using our hands in Mapangale.

It is interesting, how these dance routines disappear as fast as they appeared. Almost like being thrown into a dance circle and just as soon as you have gathered enough courage to hit your best move, the crowd moves on. I find it quite telling of our nature of living in the moment.

These past few years have seen more evolution of the dances, with one dropping every few months or even weeks. It is probably due social media and especially TikTok that these moves spread so wide and so fast. Even then, there is noticeable influence from dance cultures from other parts of the world alongside our own cultural dances. Watching the younger generation incorporate the traditional songs into their dance routines or the vice versa shows a clear intertwinement between the two.

Unlike the modern moves, the traditional dances have been here for decades.

What is a Maasai celebration without a shuka and a few, well, a little more than a few jumps? The Isukuti? The Abaluhya will shake those shoulders any chance they get and in all occasions. It would not be surprising to see the same shoulders that were heaving up and down in tears, being vigorously moved in the same burial ceremony or at a wedding the following day.

You move lower down to the coast and find the chakacha which is truthfully the most trancing thing ever. The graceful sway of hips in short calculated steps is a sight to behold. Contrary to Chakacha, the Ohangla, from the lakeside, bears more energetic moves.Then comes the Eastern region with a little bit of everything. Single file, counting steps, swaying hips and we have the Mwomboko.

Dance in Kenya is not just the moves. It is a culture. The passion that goes into it, the unity it brings, the creativity and most important, the letting go. Even just for a few minutes or hours depending on how long you can go, dancing acts as an outlet.

While modern dances are about discovering who we are as a society through body movements, the same can be said for the cultural dances only that they have been here longer. There is a clear blend in both and the beauty of it all is that, even when some people might think you can't dance, you can never go wrong with a slight shoulder move at the club or a smooth Miondoko to Nyumba ya mwari witu regardless of where you come from.

Sometimes we move to the sound of drums, others to the carefully produced songs over the speakers, but both times we make sure to have fun. From traditional beats to viral TikTok trends, it is clear that Kenyan dance is a cultural powerhouse.