An African wedding is not complete until the dance floor is full. Across the continent, couples and guests move to traditional dances that carry centuries of history and to new viral moves that spread from city to city in weeks. Here is a tour of wedding dances across Africa.
Ethiopia: eskista
Eskista is a traditional Ethiopian dance known for its rapid shoulder and neck movements. At weddings, dancers face each other and shake their shoulders in time with the music, often in friendly competition. It is energetic, joyful and harder than it looks.
Uganda: the Kiganda dance
The traditional dance of the Baganda is performed with fast waist and hip movements, to the sound of drums. Women dancers often wear gomesi or skirts with fibre sashes. At a kwanjula, cultural troupes may perform, and guests join in.
Rwanda: intore and the women’s dance
Intore dancers, with their headdresses and spears, perform powerful leaps, while the women’s dance is graceful, with arms raised to mimic the horns of a cow. Both are favourites at gusaba ceremonies.
South Africa: indlamu, gwara gwara and amapiano
Zulu indlamu, with high kicks and stamping, is performed at traditional ceremonies. At receptions, the dance floor belongs to newer moves, from the gwara gwara to the latest amapiano steps. In 2020, Master KG’s “Jerusalema” set off a global dance challenge, and its routine became a wedding favourite far beyond South Africa.
Central Africa: ndombolo
Congolese music, from rumba to the fast, hip-swinging ndombolo, is heard at weddings across Africa. When the DJ plays it, guests who cannot dance anything else suddenly find their rhythm.
West Africa
Ghana’s adowa, agbadza and kpanlogo, Nigeria’s highlife, juju and Afrobeats, and Senegal’s sabar all keep receptions alive. Read our guide to Ghanaian wedding dances.
Tips for couples
- Book a cultural troupe for the traditional ceremony and a DJ who knows regional hits.
- Learn a few steps together for your entrance or first dance.
- Mix cultures if your families come from different places, and let each have a moment.
Wedding dances: common questions
What are popular wedding dances in Africa?
Popular wedding dances include the bride’s entrance dance, money spraying dances, and dances such as the Ghanaian adowa and the Zulu indlamu. Read about African dance.
What is money spraying?
Money spraying is the custom of showering the couple with banknotes while they dance, popular in Nigeria and Ghana.
Should couples practise their entrance dance?
Yes. A few rehearsals help with timing and confidence.
