971. XIBELANI / South Africa
XIBELANI is an indigenous dance of the Tsonga women of the Limpopo province in northern South Africa. The name of the dance comes from the native Xitsonga language and it can translate to “hitting to the rhythm”. The name “xibelani” can refer both to the dance style and the skirt (commonly known as “tinguvu”) worn by the dancers. The dance style, in essence, requires the dancer to shake the hips in tune with the rhythm but the whole body should be used to guide the movements.