Masquerade dancers

Masquerade dancers are a feature of religious societies

in many areas. Four main types of masquerader are
identified by the roles they play: those who embody
deities or nature spirits and to whom sacrifice is made to
assure the fertility of land and people, those who
embody the ancestral spirits, those who placate the
spirits through their dance, and those who perform
principally as entertainers.

Mask representing the mwanapwo, a mythical figure of a

Gerhard Kubik Animal masks are a common feature of

masking societies throughout Africa. In Mali the Tyiwara
spirit masqueraders of the Bambara people carry
formalized carvings of antelopes and other wild animals,
dancing in imitation of their movements to promote the
fertility of land and community.The Isinyaso masked
dancers of the Yao and Maku peoples of Tanzania carry
elaborate bamboo structures covered with cloth and
raffia, which sway rhythmically while their Nteepana
mask elongates to great heights as the embodiment of a
powerful animal spirit.

Aduma (Kenya)
john Willis
This is one of the most famous traditional dances of
the Massa performed during Eunoto, the coming of age
ceremony of warriors. It is also know as the '"jumping
dance" with each of the young warriors trying to jump
higher then the previous one. Members of the group
may raise the pitch of their voices based on how high
one jumps.