gestures of orixas

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.

FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS: ANNA.SCOTT@UCR.EDU