Feminisation of Tiv dance: a study of changing gender dynamics in Mammy Wata and Tsue Tsere dances

This paper explores the evolving dynamics of gender roles in Tiv cultural performances, focusing on the feminization of the Mammy Wata and Tsue Tsere dances. Traditionally dominated by male performers, these dance forms have seen an increasing presence and leadership of women since the late 20th century but the 21st century has seen an increase in women participation. Drawing on historical accounts, performance analysis, oral testimonies, and relevant scholarly literature, the study examines how women have navigated cultural boundaries to assert agency within social and communal spaces. The research highlights how changes in religious practices, urbanization, and cultural hybridity have reshaped performance aesthetics and gendered participation in Tivland. While Mammy Wata dance reflects a syncretic social performance rooted in southern Nigerian cosmology, Tsue Tsere—a local caricature on the cat and its perceived mystical attributes—illustrates the ambivalent representation of cultural dynamics in Tiv worldview. Women’s increasing visibility in these performances not only challenges patriarchal constraints but also signals broader shifts in cultural identity and social values. The study contributes to discourses on gender, performance, and cultural transformation in Nigeria, suggesting new directions for research into women’s roles in indigenous performance traditions across the country.