This post is about the famous traditional masked Stilt Dance in C么te d’Ivoire. It’s said to be the must see “site” in CI. You can find the guide via fb West Africa group. I don’t think there’s any public transport to go to the village. Maybe you can try with your own transport. CI tribes are quite traditional though, probably better to go with a local and remember bring some tips in change, and maybe some candies for the kids.
Here I selected some pictures I took that day, hope they can present a better picture of the dance and the masks for you guys!
The dance has 4 parts: the first part being the grown up guys dancing; the second, the most beautiful women dancing; the third, the superior mask that above all the masks; the fourth is the stilt high mask.
Preparation
Chief and some important guys of the village.
Drummers and local women getting ready for men’s performance.
Grown up men dancing
Had to pour some water on the ground, otherwise it can get so dusty when they dance.
The most beautiful woman in the village
The Superior Mask
The superior mask represent stability. C么te d’Ivoire is famous for its mask making, in many tribes, they make their special mask. Here you can find all kinds of traditional masked dances theoughout CI.
The High Mask
The last one is also the most important one, symbol of the village and a very famous mask in CI: the High Mask on Stilt.
Masks can’t communicate directly with people, so they need a special “translator” with them to talk to people.
The dance is performed by the whole village, pretty awesome, everyone was so excited.
I recommended you to visit one of those traditional villages in West Africa, they are cool and authentic, wonderful experiences.
