NKPOKITI UNIQUE CULTURAL DANCE ANAMBRA, NIGERIA.

 

The Nkpokiti cultural dance group was  instituted in 1959 at Umunze, Anambra State, Nigeria, by Chief Festus Okoli (AKA Ojimgba) of the blessed memory (1927-2009).  This unique cultural group has continued to mesmerize their audience with their outlandish and unique dance steps cum stunts. Suffice it to say that they were and are still a joy to watch in and out of season. They rightfully conquered their local adversaries in dance competitions with their incredible stunts, acrobatic and electrifying dance steps, which have remained their trademark. 

When the states of the federation converged in Lagos in 1970, at Lagos to celebrate the end of the civil war, the Nkpokiti group, seized the opportunity to take their exploits to another level by clinching the first position and by extension, the 3,000 pounds and a gold gong set aside for the winners of the exhibition. They went on to repeat that feat for an umpteenth time in subsequent editions. Thereafter, the state government (Anambra) adopted the dance group as the state's representatives in cultural dance competitions.

 

Owing to their incessant triumphs in national competitions, the Nigerian government decided to make them the countries ambassadors at world level. In the year 1978, courtesy of The Satin Sheen Company, in the time of Franca Afebua, Nkpokiti competed at Wembley, England, where they successfully beat off competitions from other cultural dance groups of the globe and returned to Nigeria with the ''world cup''.That feat established them as the as  the greatest cultural dance group in the universe.

But for Australia, the Nkpokiti cultural dance group has been to all parts of the world. Notably, the back view of the 5 naira note, used in Nigeria is graced by a picture of the Nkpokiti dance group. The group is simply amazing! If you are yet to watch them perform, you are on a long thing!