Traditional dances: intore and the drums

25 min

A Rwandan dance on a world list

In 2024 UNESCO inscribed Intore on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: the first Rwandan performance to be listed. UNESCO describes a troupe arranged in lines like the ranks of warriors on a battlefield, leaping and wielding spears and shields against an invisible enemy to the rhythm of drums and horns, supported by songs and poems of triumph. It is danced at weddings, at the reception of distinguished guests and at the harvest festival, and is taught today by troupes, schools and universities across the country.

In Senior 1 you learned the basic steps of intore and umushayayo. This lesson is about performing: dancing as a troupe, in time with the drums, with the fitness, spacing and safety that a real performance needs.

Definition

Intore: a Rwandan troupe dance of leaps, stamps and arm movements with replica spears and shields, representing warriors in battle; inscribed by UNESCO in 2024.

Itorero: the traditional school in which chosen young people learned cultural values, public speaking, traditional games and the performing arts, including intore.

Ingoma: the Rwandan drum. Drums of different sizes play together; the small ishakwe (about 47 cm tall) has a high, ringing sound and the larger inyahura (about 85 cm) a deep one.

Umukaraza (plural abakaraza): a drummer.

Tempo: the speed of the music, in beats per minute (bpm).

Troupe (itorero in its modern sense): a group that performs together.

The drum leads, the dancer answers

An intore performance is led by a drum ensemble of about seven to nine drums. The drummers set the tempo and signal changes; the dancers' stamps, leaps and the ringing of the bells on their ankles must land exactly on the beat. A dancer who rushes or drags breaks the line. To keep time, count the beats in groups of eight ("one" to "eight") and learn where each move begins in the count.

Counts	Movement (a school performance plan)	Key to quality
1–8	Entrance in two ranks, walking on the beat, shield held at chest height	Even spacing; ranks straight
9–16	Stamping on every second beat, knees bent, upper body proud and upright	Stamps exactly together; bells ring as one
17–24	Arm sequence: spear raised and lowered as if pointing at the enemy, shield turned	Arms fully extended; eyes follow the spear
25–32	Leaps on counts 28 and 32, landing softly on bent knees	Height and soft, controlled landings
Repeat	The lead dancer calls the next phrase; the drums change rhythm to signal the end	Watch the lead dancer and listen to the drums

The back rank stands in the gaps of the front rank (a "window" formation), so the audience can see every dancer, and 2 m between dancers leaves room for an extended arm and shield without touching a neighbour.

Worked example

Worked example 1: how hard is intore? In a 3-minute school performance the drums play at a tempo of 120 bpm, and the dancers stamp on every second beat. At the end, Gatete (aged 16, resting heart rate 64 bpm) counts 41 beats in 15 seconds.

Stamps per minute: $\frac{120}{2} = 60$ . In 3 minutes: $60 \times 3 = 180$ stamps.
Heart rate: $41 \times 4 = 164\,\text{bpm}$ .
Estimated maximum (Tanaka): $208 - 0.7 \times 16 = 196.8 \approx 197\,\text{bpm}$ .
Intensity as a fraction of heart-rate reserve: $\frac{HR - HR_{\text{rest}}}{HR_{\max} - HR_{\text{rest}}} = \frac{164 - 64}{197 - 64} = \frac{100}{133} = 0.75$

At 75% of heart-rate reserve, a full intore performance is vigorous exercise, in the same zone as hard training (Unit 1, Lesson 2). Add 180 stamps and several leaps, and it is clear why intore dancers need leg power, muscular endurance in the shoulders (holding a shield and spear up for minutes) and good aerobic fitness.

Dancing safely and assessing a performance

Feet and floor. Intore is danced barefoot: sweep the floor or check the grass for stones, thorns and glass first. Fasten ankle bells firmly so they cannot slip under the foot.
Replica props. Spears are blunt replicas, carried point-up when not dancing; keep 2 m between dancers.
Body. Warm up the legs and shoulders first; land leaps on bent knees; drink water between pieces; headdresses must not cover the eyes.

Criterion	4: excellent	2: developing
Timing	Every stamp and leap exactly on the drum beat	Often early or late; follows other dancers
Posture and footwork	Knees bent, back upright, sharp and powerful stamps	Straight legs; stamps weak or uneven
Formation	Ranks straight, spacing kept, windows open	Lines bend; dancers hide each other
Expression	Proud, confident face and eyes; dances the story	Looks at the floor; movements without meaning
Safety	Props controlled, soft landings, no contact	Props swung near others; heavy landings

Score each criterion from 1 to 4 (3 and 1 lie between the descriptions), giving a total out of 20.

Video: "Inganzo - 'Intore' (Warrior Dance)", Singing Wells. Watch how the drummers lead and the dancers answer: count the beats between stamps, and notice how the lines stay straight during the leaps.

Tip

Listen, count, then move. Before you dance a phrase, clap it with the drums and count it aloud in eights. If you can clap it in time, your feet will follow.

Warning

Common mistakes. Watching your own feet instead of the lead dancer. Landing leaps on straight legs. Dancing a whole programme with no warm-up and no water. Standing directly behind another dancer, so the audience sees only one. Treating intore as "just steps": UNESCO stresses the values and the story it carries.

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Practice

Summarise UNESCO's description of the intore dance in three sentences.
What was the itorero, and what did young people learn there?
Explain the role of the drummers in an intore performance.
Drums play at 132 bpm and dancers stamp on every second beat for 4 minutes. How many stamps is that?
A 17-year-old dancer with a resting heart rate of 70 bpm reaches 170 bpm. Using the Tanaka formula, calculate the intensity as a percentage of heart-rate reserve.
Why does the back rank stand in the gaps of the front rank?
Use the rubric to give feedback on a dancer whose stamps are powerful but early, who keeps his place in line, and who looks at the floor.
Evaluate the statement: "Intore is art, not sport, so it does not belong in PE."

Show answersHide answers

Intore is a Rwandan troupe dance in lines that represent the ranks of warriors, leaping and wielding spears and shields against an invisible enemy to drums and horns, with songs and poems. Dancers were traditionally trained in the itorero. It is performed today at weddings, receptions of guests and the harvest festival, taught by troupes, schools and universities, and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2024.
The traditional school where chosen young people learned cultural values, governance, public speaking, traditional games and the performing arts.
They set the tempo, lead the dancers and signal changes of phrase and the end of the piece; the dancers' movements must land on their beats.
132 ÷ 2 = 66 stamps per minute; 66 × 4 = 264 stamps.
HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × 17 = 196.1 ≈ 196; reserve = 196 − 70 = 126; (170 − 70) ÷ 126 = 0.794 ≈ 79%.
So that the audience can see every dancer (the window formation), and so there is room for arms and props.
For example: footwork 4 (powerful), timing 2 (early: listen to the drums and count), formation 4 (kept his place), expression 2 (lift the eyes and face to the audience).
Disagree: intore is vigorous exercise (about 75% of heart-rate reserve), trains power, endurance and coordination, and builds teamwork and discipline; PE also aims to pass on Rwanda's movement culture. It is both art and physical activity.

Quick check

Drums play at 110 bpm and dancers stamp on every second beat. How many stamps are there in a 4-minute performance?

Remember

Intore: a troupe dance of warriors in ranks, with leaps, stamps, replica spears and shields, to drums and horns; on UNESCO's list since 2024; traditionally taught in the itorero.
The drums set the tempo; count in eights and land every move on the beat.
A full performance is vigorous exercise: it needs power, endurance, a warm-up, water and safe props.
Assess a performance on timing, posture and footwork, formation, expression and safety.

1A Rwandan dance on a world list

2The drum leads, the dancer answers

3Dancing safely and assessing a performance

A Rwandan dance on a world list

The drum leads, the dancer answers

Dancing safely and assessing a performance