Dance of the

Grace Maribu has a front-row seat at a jaw-dropping performance in the hinterland of Morobe Province.

Many visitors to Papua New Guinea come to see the country’s traditional dancing at provincial cultural shows. Few, however, have witnessed the jawdropping performance in the hinterland of Morobe Province that is traditionally called munduap and is colloquially known as the kumul dance.

It would almost seem this time-honoured dance of the Boana area could have been specially choreographed for World Environment Day.

It involves precision dancing up and down a 30-metre structure, with some men wearing headdresses as high as seven metres and as heavy as five kilograms.

In essence, munduap portrays the wonder, peace and completeness of the natural tropical rainforest environment – from the awe-inspiring branch hopping of the beloved bird of paradise to the slow meandering of the river perch.

Preparation for the dance is done days before the show. Men chop down young trees and build the structure. It looks like a giant ladder. This is for the “sky show” where the birds of paradise – the kumul – will do their branch-hopping precision dancing. Meanwhile, other men who will be imitating trees of the forest prepare by completing and painting their five-metre high headdresses, made from the bark of the tall munduap tree.

On the day of the performance, people gather at the foot of the structure – the stage – and launch into a monosyllabic chant accompanied by kundu drums. Women are covered primarily in leaves, depicting the bush. Men take up various dancing roles – some as boars, others fish, wallaby and any animal the dancer chooses to imitate. Children are always encouraged to take part.