A lecturer at the Department of Dance Studies at the University of Ghana, Terry Bright Ofosu, has discounted the notion that traditional dances are for people who are not educated. 

The 1989 National Dance Champion has adduced brainwashing by the colonial masters of the country as a reason most people shy away from our indigenous culture.

“Where we learn the traditional dances are normally in the primary schools and once we get to the secondary school people begin to shy away from it. And that is because of the damage caused by colonialism. It has actually severed us from looking our traditional dances as heritages that we must protect with all our might and with all our individual selves but we look at them as if they are for the unschooled persons," he told Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM's Showbiz A-Z.

He added that is the reason some people do not allow their children to study theatre arts the university. 

He therefore called on the public to cherish Ghana’s traditional dances. 

Terry also bemoaned lack of teachers are teaching aids for creative arts subjects at the basic school level. 

According to him, although Creative Arts and Basic Design & Technology are taught at the basic school level, there are challenges. 

He explained that these hiccups are militating against the preservation and promotion of our arts forms. 

“Not until recently when we were tasked to look into the educational in the basic and senior high school, kindergarten, that we introduced the teaching of the arts. Performing arts, creative arts and design were put together as one that should be taught from kindergarten all the way. We’ve done that but it is not fully implemented because there is lack of teachers to do that at that level, so all the teachers have to do is to make do with what they have, the little knowledge they have in the arts to try and teach that and the books too are not ready yet. 

We are going through a system where we are trying to change that but it is very difficult trying to implement this. Because within like an hour or 40 minutes you have to be able to teach dance, music, drama, visual arts and design. Within 40 minutes. That is the period for teaching. How is this going to work?,” he said. 

Terry Bright Ofosu made the comment while discussing ways to preserve and promote Ghanaian traditional dance forms. 

Showbiz A-Z airs on Joy 99.7 FM every Saturday from 2pm to 6pm.