The Communicative Indices of Dance in Drama Productions: A Choreographic Approach to Olu Obafemi's Plays

Abstract

Although dance and drama are two separate and independent media of communication in the theatre, they have both been used very often together as supportive of one another to enhance the communication process of a performance in the theatre. It should be noted that dance need not be used within a dramatic work at all. There are straight plays and pure drama where dance/music does not feature. Therefore, if dance is to be used in a dramatic production, there are three fundamental levels in which it can be used. These include using it along with drama and music as a total theatre on one level where dance shares equal usage and space as drama and other arts of the theatre employed.