KLAMA THE PUBERTY DANCE

KLAMA DURING DIPO

Klama is the dance among the kobo’s of the eastern region of Ghana. It is a puberty dance learnt by the‟ dipo yo” (dipo woman) during the grooming session of the puberty rite. Dipo is a puberty rite that transits young women into womanhood. These  rites performed are believed to make young ladies very good wives once they come into contact with a man afterwards.

The movement made in this dance is aimed at bringing out the beauty of these young women. It also highlights the movement of the hands and feet to rhythm. The young women are dressed in beautiful ‟ agu” a special cloth or any other beautiful cloth coupled with beads.

KLAMA DURING NMAYEM.

 The young women normally do this dance when they are in their menstrual period and any girl who menstruates during this period will be given to the priest for marriage.

More so, at the end of the dance men who are potential for marriage and observed these young women as they danced will approach the young woman and the family for the necessary marriage rites.

However, today klama  is danced during the celebration of the Nmayem festival to thank the gods for a good harvest in millet. The festival is celebrated  yearly in the month of September. But here, the dancers are dressed in nice cloth including kente with nice beads around the neck, waist, arms and legs making the dance more entertaining and beautiful unlike during the dipo.