March 22 - TRADITIONAL DANCE:
The day after arrival, we were invited to two traditional dance performances, both outdoors.
The first was in a grassy area between a Traditional Women’s House and a Men’s House, where we used the stone money as back rests! The audience was almost all local families; perhaps 2 percent visitors.
Singing, clapping, shouting, and full, colorful grass skirts swishing in unison. The dances and songs told stories, as all island dances do, and we wished that we knew the language but settled for soaking in the ambiance.
Women, men and children all participated; young and old alike.
The second dance performance, the next afternoon, was also at a traditional dancing ground and would be the “last chance” for the families to see those dances until next Spring, sort of a “hanging up of the costumes” ceremony.
We were lucky to have arrived in time
