Off beat phrasing is very common in African rhythms. This is what we call syncopation or swing. These high-affect combinations are also seen in the characteristic of the dance. Dancers start out high, and gradually get closer to the ground, and then start over again. Multiple metering is the layering of more than one rhythm on top of each other.
African music has as many as four rhythms in command at once.
The dancer is expected to dance to each drum with a different part of the body. Moving with flair. It can basically be described as the kind of style a dancer brings to a dance. The soloist controls the song and has the power to end it properly. The dancer signals to the drummers, through dance, when to begin and when to end.