The atmosphere was agog with excitement as the crowd surged into the hall. When it was time for the show to begin, there were many people who could not hold back their joy and enthusiasm to be part of the euphoria. This was last week when the first event to kick-start the University of Ilorin 40th anniversary celebrations started. The venue was the imposing new Multipurpose Hall of the university.

In the beginning, the National Troupe of Nigeria and the National Troupe of Ghana were billed to perform to usher in the one-week event. However, when the programme was later altered, the National Troupe of Nigeria was given the go-ahead to showcase its own series of dances to pave way for other events. The show however seemed to serve as an eye-opener as the 2,000 capacity hall was filled to the brim. And the National Troupe dancers were equal to the task. As the talking drummer appeared on stage to herald the performances, the crowd cheered and jeered, giving him rousing acclaim.

The drums beat to the rhythmic tempo of the moment, telling the audience to get ready for the real dances. The dances were arranged to suit the spur of the moment. Titled Iba - homage, the dances came in three stages, anchored around the traditional dances of the three major tribes in Nigeria. Although Iba was done and produced a few years ago, Akin Adejuwon, the Artistic Director of the Troupe said it was performed for the purpose of re-echoing change in the society.

With the sudden appearance of the priestess of Yemoja in glittering and shimmering white costumes, it was indeed time to look at the peculiarity of the roles of the gods and goddesses that have been holding forte for the society over the years. Played by Ayo Ewebiyi, a renowned artiste, singer and chanter, she tried to appease the traditional deities in order to register for peace and change amid suffering and hardship.

It was when the other dancers joined on stage that the crowd went wild with ecstasy. The dance patterns did not only synchronize, it was time to use the symbol of white costumes to curry for purity. And since the gods in the persons of Yemoja, Obatala, Sango and Orunmila were meant to liberate the people from the clutches of undue impediment, the sequences of the dances were used to register the message in the minds of the people. From stage to stage, from phase one to phase two, the instruments sounded clearly for the dancers to stampede problems out of the lives of the people. And then Ewebiyi's voice rose to a mad frenzy, pitching high into the hall. She was troubled in the spirit, begging and cajoling that the gods and goddesses square themselves up for this much orchestrated change.

Yet the dances did not stop there. When the war dance of the Ohawfia people of Abia State took the stage, the stampeding feet of the warriors immediately changed and charged the rhythm of the renditions. The war dance was both for peace and liberation. How can the people wriggle themselves free from the socio-political issues at hand? Who can be there to rescue them when their enemies come charging at their door steps?

But Arnold Udoka, who choreographed the show opined that it was time to pay homage to the ancestral spirits; time to ask them to come to the aid of the people. For this, a cock was used to appease the land and ensure that success and progress became the lot of everybody. "As we transit to the other level, we have to call on the powers that be to accept what we have to offer to them," Udoka, the director of dance of the Troupe, explained.

This dance was always used to test the prowess of the youths and their readiness to wrestle power from their enemies. The strength of the dance, the heavy percussive nature of the drums and other local instruments used to celebrate it, all pointed to the fact that this was not for the lazy youths in the community. As their whole bodies shook to the sounds of the drums, their eyes and attention were promptly focused on the need to give psychological succor to the people. The dance steps were forceful and urgent, signaling an era when people have to be on their toes for concerted change, the type of change that must permeate the inner psyche of everyone.

The last dance showed moments of transition, moments of healing, deep-rooted and evocative healing meant to encourage both the leader and the led to sit up or be swept away by this momentous urgency. As the crowd screamed for more, the farmers who tried to outsmart one another in their dance patterns, displayed the type of acrimony that often play itself out in most communities.

Here, it was Dayo Liadi of the Olorioko fame who played into the hands of his foes. They hounded him and soon he succumbed to their whims and caprices. Having been carried off the stage, it was time to give him his strength and courage and healing back. A sorcerer was sought, a very potent and powerful one who immediately began to invoke her inner power. A moment of struggle ensued between her and Liadi who now was not in control of his own senses.

But a clear and long-lasting healing must be accomplished if there was to be peace and harmony in the land. To this end, Adejuwon said: "Yes, this dance shows the processes of healing in the country. The processes seem to be slow, but you can see that the moment of change is here. President Muhammadu Buhari is for change and that dance shows that after much hatred and backbiting, change becomes the answer; the ultimate for everyone."

And so, it was truly time for change. People who lost their values; who thought that their whole essences in life had been totally debased were restored to life. Vou Bala who played the role of a sorcerer is widely known for her full interpretation of this message. A widely travelled artiste, Bala came in from Jos, Plateau State, to give that role its maximum touch. Bala bestrode the stage like an unseen spirit. Her presence indeed filled a lot of people with awe. For here was an actress who could not hide her natural penchant to infect people with her stage mesmerisation. Hers was a role that stirred people into unbridled consciousness, a resonating fact that theatre or dance is for change. Indeed, it showed that dance is a potent vehicle for meaningful and progressive nuances in the society.

Professor Gabriel Olatunji, the deputy vice-chancellor in-charge of research who stood in for the Vice-chancellor of the University, Professor Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali told guests that it was time to use the occasion of the double celebrations to bring out the best in the university. He said; "the National Troupe has both national and international status as they usually showcase the best for the country. You will never regret you came here to watch them give you series of the traditions of the people in form of dances. Indeed this evening is important to the university community, for it is a rare occasion for us all to see these stimulating dances anchored on the Nigerian people."

The crowd equally reciprocated, for even when the occasion began later than the scheduled time, people still waited. And it was time to savour the aura and profundity of the dances, the crowd showed their full appreciation and gratitude. They acknowledged the fact that this is an era of change. Ismaila, a 200 level student of the university who said he just strolled in to watch the show, said "oh, for me, each dance here was Nigerian. They all showed how we can use culture to preach love, togetherness and unity. You could see how the people reacted to every movement the artistes made on stage. I was so thrilled I even forgot it was getting late to go back to town."

Thanking both the university and the National Troupe for the rare privilege to see some of the big artistes live on stage, Osondu, a first year student of the school opined that dance has been a better tool for national consciousness and cohesion. "You could see the crowd of people that turned up for this. It was unprecedented and that shows that we can always use what we have as our traditions and customs to cement love."

In it all, the National Troupe artistes proved that they are truly national; ever ready to exploit and explore the myriad of Nigerian cultures. With the assortment of costumes assembled and put to use by Winifred Akunne, no one was finally left in doubt whether the Troupe has everything going for it. The costumes did not only bring out the scenes properly with well-orchestrated stage directing and lighting, they all highlighted the real epitome of theatre.