5.7 Male Gebusi dancer in standard spirit costume. The upper body decorations are those of upper world spirits, especially birds and the possum (which lives in trees). Lower world spirits are indicated on the lower body by the crocodile-mouth drum and crayfish claw rattle at the rear of the costume. During the dance, the crayfish rattle clacks and bounces; this is said to be like the tail of a fish as it cascades over rapids in the river. In all, the dancer symbolizes the totality and harmony of the Gebusi spirit world. |
5.8 Standard male dance costume, showing dance step and drumming |
6.14 Initiation dance, with selected young women dancing in costume opposite male dancers. In the photograph, note that the man on the right wearing blue shorts is smiling and joking with the women standing to the left of the dancer along the sago thatch wall. Joking between Gebusi men and women parallels the dance of seduction between the male and female costumed performers and between men and women in the spirit world |
6.15 In a rare display, a line of three women dance during the night of the main initiation ceremonies. Each holds a rattle which she thrusts up and down in front of her, symbolizing the action of sexual intercourse. |
6.32 The night after: an initiate in full costume dons a white feather “halo” and drum-dances for the first time – opposite a female Gebusi dancer. Within a few months of the ceremonies, all the surviving initiates had gotten married. |
11.11 Sayu dances in traditional costume at Kotie Masam, 1998 |
11.32 Male initiation at Yulabi, 1998: traditional dancing |
11.67 Neo-traditional and modern dancing at Nomad on Independence Day, 1998: Bare-breasted, middle-aged woman with a flower headdress and body paint dances to disco music from a boombox in the performance competition. The man from her village explained to the crowd, "We have nothing developed in our village, so we can only present you our women for your entertainment." |
11.69 Neo-traditional and modern dancing at Nomad on Independence Day, 1998: Two men dance disco. One is in neo-traditional costume, the other wears modern clothes. |
12.6 Traditional dancing in full costume at the final feast |
12.7 A woman and her son from Gasumi Corners watch traditional dancing at the final feast |
12.9 Disco dancing in Gasumi Corners at the final feast |
