Traditional Music and Dance as Dramatic Elements in Tiv Performance Culture in Benue State

This study investigates the functions of traditional music and dance as dramatic elements within Tiv performance culture in Benue State, North Central Nigeria. Tiv performance traditions, which include the Swange dance drama, harvest festival performances, and communal storytelling events, integrate music and movement as inseparable components of dramatic expression. The research documents the structural relationship between musical composition, choreographic patterns, and narrative content in Tiv performances, examining how these elements work together to create theatrical meaning. Ethnographic fieldwork was conducted across four communities in Gboko, Katsina-Ala, and Makurdi local government areas, involving observation of live performances, interviews with master performers and cultural custodians, and recordings of traditional repertoire. The study finds that Tiv music and dance function simultaneously as aesthetic expression, social commentary, and spiritual invocation within performance contexts. The rhythmic interplay between percussion and movement serves as a primary storytelling device, conveying emotion and meaning beyond verbal language. The research concludes that Tiv performance culture represents a sophisticated theatrical tradition that merits sustained documentation and scholarly engagement. Keywords: Tiv culture, traditional music, dance drama, performance, Benue State.