Walo-Rano Kastom Dance Photo Gallery

After a nice welcome from Chief Emil, the drum band started up and the men's dancing began in the nasara. The first few dances were for ceremonies of pig kills and representations of stories

While the men were dancing young boys watched around the nasara and small children played with the bamboo drums used. The women, also dressed for the kastom dance, wasted no time and were working and coiling their pandanus between dance performances.

Village women making coils of pandanus between dance performances

Village children watching and playing during the kastom dance

After a couple of dances by the men, the women came out and did a dance that represented the yam picking season. The yam crop is extremely important to the Ni-Vanuatu, this is evidenced by many of the dances dedicated to it as well as the tabu of walking through the forest during yam season.

Women's yam dance represents the picking and collecting of the yams

Second dance performed by the women of the village

The final dance performed by the men was quite spectacular with elaborate head dresses and body paint. This dance was also a yam dance and is performed in the village during the yam harvest, which has an accompanying celebration. The man with black body paint across his shoulders represents the eagle in the dance.

Men's kastom yam dance

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