IGBE-UMUADA DANCE COSTUME AS A SYMBOL OF COMMUNICATION AND IDENTITY IN AKPO COMMUNITY

The gradual neglect of important cultural symbols of communication that have significant impact on cultural identity in the contemporary era informed the problem of this study. Consequently, the study examined the Igbe- Umuada dance costume to evaluate how the dance costume communicates and reflects the identity of the Akpo people in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. Using ethnographic/sociological method of research with interviews as an instrument of data collection, the study applied George Herbert Mead's Symbolic Interactionism and Joshua Meyorowitz's Medium theory in the interpretation of the costumes. Findings in the study reveal that the Igbe- Umuada dance costume is a potent tool of communication and a major means of cultural identity in the community. Therefore, the study recommended that more studies should be conducted in the area of traditional practices that have significance on the culture of the people as it will lead to the preservation and promotion of cultural symbols that are essential parts of cultural identity