Foreward

Kaleidoscope of Butterflies: Studies in African Studies

I feel immensely blessed and humbled to be requested to write this forward to scholarly works
written on Professor Christopher Edhedhe Ugolo, a scholar par excellence and Professor of
theatre and Dance Studies, being a Festschrift in his honour. I am aware of the seminal nature of
the dance art from cradle as much as it is in the present. Hence, my reputation for mastery and
expertise of dance over the years, gave me an opportunity to know and interact extensively with
the vibrant scholar, Professor C. E. Ugolo. Undoubtedly, his remarkable prowess in African
dance, unwavering professionalism and effervescent vitality have bestowed upon me the courage
and motivation to write this foreword with utmost reverence and profound esteem. I therefore,
relish on the fact there are several submissions from dance scholars and practitioners of National
and International repute who have done justice to their contributions on the critical, astute
analytical and experimental Professor Christopher Edhedhe Ugolo on theatre and dance
scholarship in general.

Inherently, Kaleidoscope of Butterflies: Studies in African Studies is yet, another contribution

to the ever dynamic discourses within the symbiotic gulfs of theatre, African Dance,
Performance and Culture, which were carefully assembled and edited by three vivacious and
intellectually energized scholars: Prof. Jeleel O. Ojuade, Associate Prof. Josephine Abbe, and Dr.
Victor Ihidero. Indeed, this bold step of theirs cannot be divorced from the obviously
commendable efforts that have been invested in the work, considering the intellectual sagacity
and artistic depth of Ugolo’s erudity, proficiency and theatrical acumen which is reflected both
in writing and practice.

Consequently, this book has a good spread of contributors from the major theatre schools in
Africa. These include gifted scholars and researchers such as: Dr. Victor Ihidero, Dr. Josephine
Abbe, Dr. Gladys Ijeoma Akunna, Dr. Adeleke Emmanuel, Dr. Itsewah Steve James, Dr. Yeside
Dosunmu, Dr. Sylvanus Kwashie Kuwor, Dr. Jennies Darko and many other promising dance
and theatre scholars. While recognizing all contributors, I must specially acknowledge the
contributors from outside of Nigeria because the interest and contributions of these global egg-
heads to this book is for me, the beginning of great cross-cultural literary appreciation set to
blossom.
The publication is a work of about 500 pages, and (it) is made up of 22 Chapters. Notably, the
book is divided into five (5) organic sections. Section One contains a wide array of well-
articulated discourses within the critical reflections of Prof. Chris Ugolo’s scholarship.
Undoubtedly, the contributors of the Chapters in this part explore textual, sub-textual and inter-
textual concepts such as the portrait of an African dance lepidopterist and his indigenous dance
poetics, theories on inventing a national choreographic tradition for Nigeria, vision and re-vision
of Nigerian dance poetics: the question of a national dance style and its dis/content, all within the
nexus of Christopher Ugolo’s performative and theoretical wheels. The discourses in the Section
Two of the book are geared towards the need to contextualise African dance poetics,
interrogating African contemporary dance in Nigeria, dance therapy as harmony tool for stress
management of the physically challenged, and so on. The Third Section is the outline of African
dance choreography which includes; dance and social media content creation and techniques for
educating choreographers while Section Four and Five parades relevant essays on African dance
pedagogy and African dance history.

Indeed, all the chapters in the book are convincing enough for us to assume that this critical work
is part of the growing trends of scholarly explorations that are artistically cradled to address
socio-political, socio-economic and socio-cultural challenges that are confronting African Dance
and its teachings within the expanding scope of religion, ritual, culture and dance education. In
my candid opinion, this book can be considered as a ready source for consultation by dance
scholars, researchers and definitely a coursebook for students in the expansive field of African
theatre and dance scholarship as well as its other related disciplines. Due to its centrality to
African dance practice, the functionality and competitiveness of books of this nature is a
welcome addition to the corpus of dance literature. I therefore, invite you to a robust academic
discourse leading to a cross-fertilisation of knowledge and experience.

Professor Jeleel O. Ojuade

Vice-Chancellor Crown-Hill University,
Ilorin, Eyenkorin,
Kwara State, Nigeria.