Bastion of Secular Gambia:Dry Dance and Gambia College/Armitage

Suntou Bolonba Touray

The birth of secular Gambia took different twist and turns...many individuals and institutions played significant roles in shaping our mindsets...Armitage High school and Gambia College are said to contribute immensely in promoting and solidifying the secular Gambia.

The regimental rules in the Gambia's only boarding school, is seen by outsiders as filtering grounds for  Gambians who will become career public servants, and innately secular in outlook, although the institution also encourages obedience to hierarchy, master-servant following, headman-ship and free spiritedness.

Head strong young Gambian men tasted the jewel of secular anointment 'alcohol'. The road to decommissioning one's inner spirit is through the consumption of liquor. Armirtage became a breeding ground for taking young impressionable minds down the road of becoming hardcore secular elite institutionalist. The Mansuwan Kunda wine brewing den played key role fermenting this culture.

The freedom young women gain in Armirtage also means, the body covenant was discarded through subtle mechanism-the carefree dressing and lax attitude towards the male sex. Once the head is de-spiritualised, the candle of liberal secularism became glowingly lit. A point of no turning back, similar to the liberal literature supplied to the women's bureau and elite women within the civil service.

The emphasis in hierarchy found in Armitage  also means, draconian seniors put new comers through paces which acts to formulate deconstructing the in-build discipline a young 'green leave' may have been brought up with.

Sons and daughters of Imams became so distance from the route of the parents, many live double lives. When in home environment, they are what their parents expect of them, but when they are in their convenient circles, they over indulge beyond recognition.

The Gambia college's training programs also accord it's pupil the  facility and privilege to be free, to be inquisitive. The regular entertainment program which acts to foster secular dance spirit was none other than 'dry dance'.

If you were not a student at the Gambia college, you will never have heard of dry dance. I will actually hope that, former students can indulge us into what dry dance was. From the information gathered, dry dance was a weekly dance program, where young men will gather and sit and watch female student compete in provocative dance...Some notable academics today, where said to be instrumental in making sure the dance takes place. A further detailed analysis of Armitage and Gambia College is in the offing.