How can repeated commercial performances affect dances such as the Igbo Atilogwu?

When dances such as the Igbo Atilogwu are subjected to continuous repetition for predominantly commercial motives, they can lose their original vitality and distinctiveness, eventually becoming hackneyed and faded.1

This decline occurs because the transition from a traditional social context to a commercial performance setting often necessitates significant alterations. When dances are removed from their original purpose—such as ritual or community celebration—and packaged for an audience that views them purely as entertainment, the motivation of the performers shifts toward financial gain and prestige. To accommodate these new settings, cultural organizers may rearrange performances by stipulating specific durations, concentrating only the most spectacular movements, and altering floor patterns or costumes to suit a modern stage. Over time, this process strips the dance of the social purpose that originally infused it with dramatic vitality, leading to the emergence of a neo-traditional style.1