South Sudan is a country located in Central Africa, defined by its immense natural beauty, nature and game reserves, and vast savannas. It is a natural country covered in luscious green as the sun smiles down upon the wildlife and all who inhabit it, also containing a major part of the Nile River.

One thing that compliments the natural beauty of South Sudan are the tribes that inhabit it. These tribes are the heart and soul of the people of South Sudan; they bear the culture of Sudan through health and hardship, standing as a testament of identity. And one great way to express identity is through art.

Now, what else do we cover here at Dance US other than dance? The next paragraphs will explore the culture of the Dinka, Nuer (or Naath), and Shilluk people and the purpose of their dance.

The Dinka Tribe: Löör Ë Jïëng

The first dance up for analysis is the dance of the Dinka tribe: Löör Ë Jïëng (Luh-ur eh Yee-eng), or translated in layman's terms, The Dinka Jump.

• The Structure: A series of small repeated jumps in rapid fashion, performed for about two minutes at a time.

• Physicality: An important fact about the Dinka tribe is that they are noted for their height; the tribe has some of the tallest people in Africa, averaging out around 6 feet per person.

• The Belief: One belief that has kept this dance alive—other than the preservation of culture and celebration—is the thought that doing this dance every day strengthens the muscles in the legs and allows one to become taller.

This practice is embedded into the culture so much so that to see a member of the Dinka tribe performing it is commonplace at home or at a celebration. The Dinka gracefully carry their culture with them through the modern day, even through all the peril that the Dinka people have gone through. It is a beautiful story of perseverance and love for all the rest of us to see.

The Nuer (Naath) People: Bul Thor and Jikul

The Nuer people are a pastoralist tribe, primarily recognized for their cattle. Cattle is used as a rite of passage, and a social and economic currency. The Nuer people have two types of dances:

1. Bul Thor: A cultural dance that revolves around backward and forward movement of the hips with light hops for movement.

2. Jikul: A dance that makes rhythmic mock battles, often involving many villages that "fight" each other. These dances are performed in courting and war play.

Cultural Significance

Dance holds heavy cultural significance in Naath culture. Music was the primary way of preserving history and tradition; the Nuer people revered the arts as a core part of their identity.

The Bul Thor dance performed at ceremonies was one of the best opportunities for young boys to court and interact with other people. Not to mention the mock battles performed during Jikul, adding more opportunities to prove themselves to the village or a possible mate. It is a steady celebration of culture, even among nomadic tribes.

The Shilluk (Chollo) People: The Rhythm of the Nile

The Shilluk (Chollo) people are the third largest tribe in all of South Sudan. They live among both sides of the Nile River, having authority over that part of it. The tribe lives off the river and the bounty that it provides via vegetation and fishing.

• The Dance: The Shilluk dance itself is quite interesting, as it mimics the motion of the river on which the tribe was built.

• Performance: It involves multiple people falling into a line behind someone holding a special wooden scepter. They follow along and roll their bodies to the waves of the music, mimicking the form of a calm river flowing down the Nile—lifting their legs and rolling their arms as they progress down the "riverbed" of dance.

A Legacy of Wisdom

The history of the Shilluk tribe is vast, including a long list of monarchies and kingdoms. They have a well-documented past, including records of them having a navy, trading iron, and splitting the tribe into subsections.

The Shilluk have devoted an enormous amount of time to the arts over the years, creating stories, riddles, and dance. Hundreds of years building upon itself to make a stream of wisdom and knowledge. When a story gets told, or a dance is performed, it hails the culture built up to that point and allows new faces to experience it—to live it with their own two eyeballs.

Conclusion: The Universal Language

One common denominator that dance shares with all of its cousins all around the world is that dance is inherently a celebration. Whether it be a celebration of a person, an event, or even a thing, its purpose stands the same.

That is why everyone around the world does it, no matter the time period. As long as people exist on this earth, and there are still stories to be told and relived, or feelings to be felt, or good times to be had, dance will always exist. And that is what makes dance wonderful.