Traditional African Influenced Dance Competition: What It Is, Where It's Run and How It's Judged

A team dance item in the Folk Dance part of a Trinidad and Tobago village competition, where a community group presents a traditional dance shaped by African heritage and is scored out of 100.

Traditional African Influenced Dance is the last of the Traditional Influenced categories listed for the Folk Dance part of a national village competition in Trinidad and Tobago. A village or community group brings a dance whose steps, rhythms and spirit come from African heritage, and presents it as a company rather than as a set of soloists.

The rules print a minimum of six dancers for every dance presentation, with no maximum. In eTalenter the item is one open team group, mixed gender, any language, marked out of 100. The template prints no time limit, so a team should confirm with the organiser how long the piece may run, how big the stage is, and whether drummers perform live or a recording is used.

On the day the group performs once while the panel marks five heads. Content is worth 30 of 100 and Presentation 25, so judges look first for movement that is clearly rooted in its tradition and for dancers who stay together with the drums or music, then for floor patterns, dress and the overall effect.

The item is separate from Traditional African Devotional Dance, which is listed earlier on the same template, so the choice of dance matters. Organisers run it to give African-rooted folk dance its own place in a programme that also has East Indian, French, Spanish, British and First People forms.

Where Traditional African Influenced Dance comes from

The competition rules list African influenced dance as one of the traditional forms in the Folk Dance part, alongside categories for East Indian, French, Spanish, British and First People influence. Which specific dances a group draws on is for the group and the organiser to confirm.

Where Traditional African Influenced Dance is run

In eTalenter's data this item appears in one template: the Folk Dance part of a national village competition in Trinidad and Tobago, listed after Traditional East Indian Influenced Dance and before Chutney Dance. This page makes no claim that it is judged the same way anywhere else.

• Trinidad and Tobago

Key facts

• Team entry by a village or community group; the rules print at least six dancers and no maximum.
• The category is defined by African heritage, so the group chooses the dance and should be able to say where it comes from.
• Marked out of 100: Choreography 20, Content 30, Presentation 25, Costume 20, Impact 5.
• The template prints no time limit; language is any. Confirm the time limit with the organiser.
• It is a different category from Traditional African Devotional Dance, so check which heading your dance belongs under.
• Idea starters, not rules: begin with the drummers alone before the dancers enter; let the pace rise in stages; end with a sharp, shared stop facing the panel.

On eTalenter, Traditional African Influenced Dance is filed under Dance and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.

Across the templates that use it, Traditional African Influenced Dance is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100.

What judges look at in Traditional African Influenced Dance

What a Traditional African Influenced Dance panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:

• Choreography (20): use of space, dynamics and creativity. Changing floor patterns and a clear build of energy earn marks; one formation at one tempo loses them.
• Content (30): dance vocabulary, authenticity of form and technique, and how well the tradition is communicated. Marks go when steps cannot be tied to their heritage or unrelated moves fill the time.
• Presentation (25): synchronisation, authenticity of accompaniment and execution. Dancers drifting off the beat or away from the drummers cost marks.
• Costume (20): authenticity, functionality and suitability. Dress that suits the tradition and lets the group move freely scores; restrictive or mismatched outfits lose marks.
• Impact (5): the overall effect, often settled by a strong entrance and a united ending.

Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Traditional African Influenced Dance under Scoring Setup, or start from how judge scoring and tabulation software works.

How to prepare for Traditional African Influenced Dance

How entrants and their teachers usually get Traditional African Influenced Dance right on the day:

• Ask the organiser for the time limit, stage size, prop rules and which dances belong here rather than under the devotional category.
• Enrol at least six dancers, since six is the printed minimum, and name a reserve.
• Learn the dance from an experienced elder, teacher or cultural group and keep a note of its source.
• Write the running order: entrance, each section, formation changes and closing image, then rehearse it exactly as written.
• Rehearse with the real drummers or the exact recording well before the day so every change of tempo is familiar.
• Run the piece in full costume at least twice and check footwear and fabric on the actual stage surface.
• Prepare one clear sentence on what the dance is and where it comes from, in case the panel asks.
• After a first-round loss, ask which head scored lowest and rework that part first.

Frequently asked questions

Is Traditional African Influenced Dance judged individually or as a team?

Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.

How many dancers are needed for Traditional African Influenced Dance?

The rules print a minimum of six dancers for dance presentations and no maximum. Check any extra limits with the organiser.

Is it the same as Traditional African Devotional Dance?

No. They are separate categories on the same template. Confirm with the organiser which one suits your dance.

Can we use live drummers?

The template prints nothing on accompaniment beyond marking its authenticity under Presentation, so ask the organiser what is allowed and who supplies it.

How is the dance marked?

Out of 100: Choreography 20, Content 30, Presentation 25, Costume 20 and Impact 5.

Want the full judging picture? Read how judge scoring and tabulation software works, or browse every dance competition item.

Try Traditional African Influenced Dance in eTalenter

See every ready-made template that runs Traditional African Influenced Dance, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.

See where Traditional African Influenced Dance is used