“Dance for Mommy,” — A Look into the Intersection of Money and Dance

Many of us, especially us Africans, have at least one childhood memory of being asked or made to dance for our parents, relatives or an adult who visits our homes. At first, we grudgingly moved from side to side because we were a little shy and the adults didn't respect our boundaries. Before long, the cheering began and some of us may have even begun to enjoy ourselves a?lirru?bit. Those dances often ended with a little money in our pockets, and that made it all worth it, didn’t it?

Humans have expressed ideas and emotions through dance since, perhaps, the beginning of time. Babies, as young as 6 months old, respond to sounds and even music with rhythmic movements that appear like dancing, suggesting that dancing may be a biological response to stimuli. That would explain why we dance when we’re happy and to celebrate, and why we feel excitement from watching other people dance and often reward them with praise and cash.

Speaking of cash, the practice of rewarding dance with money did not end at that Five Hundred Naira?your aunty?dashed?you after you were made to dance for her in your father’s living room. In fact, many cultures around the world incorporate money dances into their ceremonies. Here are some money dance practices you may find interesting:

Nigerian Money Spray

Every good Nigerian ceremony ends with the celebrants coming forward to dance, and then they are sprayed with bank notes by family, friends and well-wishers. This symbolizes a showering of happiness, good fortune, and a show of affection for the person/people who are celebrating.

Portuguese Money Dance

During traditional Portuguese wedding ceremonies, after the first father-daughter dance, the bride’s shoe is passed around to male guests and they put money in it for a chance to dance with the bride.

Polish Apron Dance

Similarly, at Polish wedding ceremonies, the guests form a cirle and toss money into the Maid of Honor’s apron for a turn to dance with the bride.The collected money is typically given to the newlyweds for use on their honeymoon.

Filipino Money Dance

At Filipino ceremonies, guests line up in front of the celebrants and pin money to their clothes. The pinning can get creative with notes pinned together and made into different shapes like flowers and crowns.

Greek Wedding Shower

At Greek weddings, while the couple dances near, the guests will toss a whole wad of cash to help them get established in their new life.

Dance is an integral part of many human societies as a source of positivity and joy in a world that can be quite challenging. We often show appreciation for the pleasure dance makes us feel by rewarding it with praise, money and accolades — whether it’s a child dancing for family and friends, dances at ceremonies or even dancing as a profession. This brings to mind a book of poetry written by author and poet, Alice Walker, which she aptly named, “Hard times require furious dancing.”