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Igbabonelimhin is an 
acrobatic
Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acro ...
, masquerade dance-theatre common with the Esan people
Esan people, or Esan, are an ethnic nation in Nigeria, primarily residing in Edo Central Senatorial District, a plateau region approximately 136 meters above sea level. The term Esan refers to both the people, their culture and their language.
...
of Edo State
Edo State, Edo, officially known as Edo State, is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South Geopolitical zones of Nigeria, geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As of 2024, the state was ranked as the List of Ni ...
of Nigeria
Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
. The word literally means “clapping for the spirit”. Igbabonelimhin is a compound word for 'Igbabo' which literary means to clap and 'Elimlin' which means Spirit. Conjuctively, it means to clap hands or commune with the spirit. Hence, the name is derived from the action of the dance or performance.
Background
The Igbabonelimhin dance is performed by masquerades with costumes made from hand-woven, multi-coloured fabrics called Igbuluododo. The Igbabonelimhin is performed by a group (sect) of young adults who must go through special training stages andinitiation rites
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
to be eligible. The training stages includes: the ''Ikhienlen Oto'' (ground dance)'','' ''Ogayikeken'' (summersaulting) and ''Iruen-Ebe'' (initiation rites) into the sect are performed by the elders of the sect
A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...
.
Igbabonelimhin is also seen as a social cult with its own regulations and taboos. Characters who perform are seen to have come from 'elimhin' (spirit world) and are revered as such, especially by non-initiates called 'ogbodu'. The structure of or seniority of the elimhins (spirit) is also hierarchical. In the context of performance, the smaller of the elimhins dance first, then the "Odion-elimhin" (senior spirit). The most senior of the elimhin which is the overall head of the cult controls the cult and the dancers. He makes sure that no one goes against the regulations of the organisation.
References