African dance incorporates a wider range of body parts --- not only utilizing the arms and legs, as is the case in more European-influenced American dance styles. This wider range includes the swiveling of the hips, bending of the back and shoulders, and more pronounced use of the torso. Such body movements are often asymmetrical as opposed to the more symmetrically coordinated movements found in European dance traditions.
African dance styles may also serve a narrative function by illustrating folk tales or creation myths. American styles of dance, on the other hand, often discard of a storytelling function in favor of pure rhythmic expression. African dance styles may also incorporate pantomime in an effort to better illustrate a story or myth. Additionally, African dance traditions may also utilize hand objects, masks or other costume elements to enhance a dance's expressive capacity.
One of the characteristics of many African dance techniques is poly-rhythmic movement. For instance, the legs may move at different rhythm from the arms. At any given time, various parts of the body may be moving to two or three different rhythms. This dance technique corresponds to the poly-rhythm found in African music, which later influenced jazz. European dances, such as the waltz, often require the entire body to maintain a uniform rhythm.
African dance styles may also involve more than two members in a communally oriented dance. Such dances incorporate a call and response element, in which individual dancers mimic the movements of other dancers in a group. After mirroring another dancer's movement, the dancer adds his own original dance step, which is then repeated by the next dancer in the group. Many African dances may also feature singing or hand-clapping by the dancers, as well.