Do you know how much it costs to have the ‘dancing crown’ haircut of the Ashanti Queen Mother? Learn its name origin and more...

[By: George Awiadem Maclean, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]

The ‘Dancing Crown’ or “Dansikran (in the Twi dialect)” haircut which is commonly found amongst the royal women folk of the Asante/Ashanti Kingdom has been revealed to cost a whooping GHC60 to GHC100 per person (six-hundred-thousand to one million old Ghana Cedis or $15 to $25 equivalent) as compared with the regular street haircut which costs just GHC5 (a little over $1).

Speaking to the morning show host of Nhyira FM, Kofi Asante (Aduanaba), in a live report from the Manhyia Palace, the seat of the entire Asante Kindom (with its King, Otumfour Osei Tutu II) where the funeral rites of the late Asante Queen Mother, Afia Kobi is currently on-going, some Asante royals said it costs GHC100 to have the “dancing crown” haircut by professionals mainly stationed close to the Manhyia Palace.

“But if you want to have it by the road side, that will cost you just GHC 60”, said the Royals.

For the royal women folk to get close to the mortal remains of the late Queen Mother of Asanteman, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II, they must first go in for the ‘Dancing crown’ or “dansikran” haircut which distinguishes them from the regular subjects of the Golden Kingdom.

Customs and traditions demand that the royal women folk must have the ‘dancing crown’ haircut especially in such moments otherwise they dare not get close to the burial grounds of any Queen Mother of Asanteman.

The ‘Dancing Crown’ haircut originally known as “Kentenkyε (woven-basket-hat)” was first spotted by the late Queen Mother of Asanteman, Nana Kwaadu Yiadom II (1917 - 1945). (See her photo below)

asantehemaa nana afia kobi serwaa ampem II funeral rites 2Photo: Nana Kwaadu Yiadom, sister of Nana Agyemang Prempeh I, and successor to Nana Yaa Akyaa as Asantehemaa

It was her joyous ‘adowa’ dance --- of which she would always be remembered for --- during the restoration of the Asante Confederacy that the then Governor, Maxwell, alluded to her (Nana Kwaadu Yiadom II) haircut as the ‘Dancing Crown’ which later became known as “Dansikran” (the corrupt form of ‘dancing crown’ in the Twi dialect) because the inhabitants could not properly say it the Governor’s way.

Source: Bigtimerz.com