Dance serves diverse functions in the society, also as a satirical tool. Economic hardship in Nigeria has left Nigerians lamenting. Unfortunately, freedom of speech in Nigeria has become a mirage. Nigerians cannot speak freely for fear of being gagged. Fortunately, the recent upsurge of new dance trends observed on social media have seen Nigerians use these dances to embellish skits, in an attempt to create humour, and also ridicule Nigerian political leaders. It is on this premise that Dance-based Video Skits (DVS) is conceptualised, in order to explore its compositional element as a pilot of humour and satire. There is God O (2014) DVS as published on YouTube by Hala Naija Vlog has been selected for this study. The background behind the creation of the DVS will be supplied and elucidated. While responses of Nigerians to the DVS in the digital space is also examined. Using qualitative research method, netnography will be employed as research instrument. The dance movements, speech-errors, and musical content of the skit will undergo narrative and contextual analysis, in order to identify the elements of comedy and political satire in them. Hinged on Frye’s (1944) satirical, and Tume’s (2019) modified danceturgy theories, this research discovers speech error of a Nigerian political leader, simulated Afrobeats music, and cut-and-join dance movements as components of the DVS. The study concludes by recommending the usage of dance in the new media as crucial, and can serve as tool to conscientise the society, thereby dance should be deployed for social change.
Speech errors, Satire, Afrobeats, Cut-and-join, New media, Dance-based Video Skits (DVS).
