Young man dancing - Maewo island

This young man was one of a troupe who performed at the opening ceremony for the Vanuatu Rural Development and Training Centres Association annual general meeting on Maewo island.

Their performance began the night before the actual opening ceremony. We were informed that we'd hear singing and dancing all night and into the early morning. We were warned in the strongest terms that we were not under any circumstance to so much as look at any of the dancers as they proceeded through the village.

The villagers were too polite to mention to me that the standard punishment for breaking such a tabu is a savage beating that sometimes results in serious injury.

November, 2005

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