Yapese Traditional Dance Essay

Americans have 4th of July parades and picnics. Americans also have country fairs and Mardi Gras. Japan has the Tea Ceremony. Spain has the Running of the Bulls. And the state of Yap, the most traditional group of islands in all of Micronesia, perhaps the whole Pacific, has the Gaselaew. Here is an expository paper, written by one of my best students from Yap, about a very important cultural dance they still perform today.

GASELAEW

In the Western Carolines, on the island of Yap, a dance known as the Gaselaew* is performed synchronously that even the inhaling and exhaling of the dancers are done simultaneously. This dance consists of a single line of men who move in perfect unison. The lineup encompasses all ages from young boys to old men who still have the capacity to stand on their own. The Gaselaew is performed in a Malal*, a dancing arena positioned in front of the Faluw* or men’s house. Accounting for the dance’s compelling oneness and for the sake of it’s preceding reputation, the Gaselaew Dancers or Towrug* sacrifice long hours of organizing themselves mentally and physically before the dance.

On the day of the Gaselaew, the Dancer rises from a long night sleep and gets ready to depart from home. Firstly, he begins his day with a verbal recitation of the Gaselaew chant, the Bugan* and practices the most difficult movements of the dance. This method notifies the dancer of the liability of his voice and informs him which flick of the hand or which turn of the head he should meticulously pay more attention to when dancing. Secondly, the Dancer will take a morning swim. This physical exercise stretches and loosens his muscles to preclude cramps and avoid spraining in the course of the Gaselaew’s strenuous movements. Then, he returns to his house and eats a simple meal. The Dancer must not eat fish and only consume fresh or recently cooked food to prevent his voice from faltering during the dance. After his light breakfast, the fully nurtured man gathers the materials required for the Gaselaew. Such Materials include a Thaway*, a necklace of polished stones and shells passed down in his family for generations and a Taliyaw*, a crown of red strings and yellow dried bark intertwined to form a crisscrossing pattern with a tail feather. He accumulates the necessary utensils in a freshly made basket woven from coconut leaves, which he will carry with him. Lastly, he takes a shower, wears his Thuw*, or loincloth attire, and proceeds to the Faluw.

As the Dancer approaches the Faluw, he will search for a quiet, comfortable place to sit where he could mentally rehearse the Gaselaew while he awaits his co-dancers and the audience to assemble. The Dancer seizes every opportunity to practice the dance by himself. Habitually, he does this to reassure himself that he remembers every line and the specific movements executed in correspondence with each one. As a Towrug’s code of conduct, he
must be chivalrous and must lend assistance if needed. However, most of the time, he dwells in silence and reflective thought running the Gaselaew back and forth through his mind. Furthermore, he tries to attain composure which will warrant an exemplary performance later on. During his meditative trance, the Dancer listens to his teacher’s voice which overtime has found a permanent place at the back of his head and is his inanimate guide through the duration of the dance. With his head held high and his chin in the wind, the Towrug suffuses himself in a mental world seeking perfection.

Once the dance hour draws near, the calm rested man transforms himself into a Gaselaew Dancer. First, he will complete his attire by adding to his Thuw, a Bagiy* and thin dried strips of white hibiscus fiber also known as Galq*. A Bagiy is another type of loincloth designed in the Neighboring Islands(Outer Islands) of Yap. The type of Bagiy used for the Gaselaew is the striped, black and white pattern. It is tied around the Thuw with the Galq, making the dancer look majestic. Secondly, the Dancer ties his Palug* or leg decorations made of thin strips of betelnut leaves* that covers the calves like long socks with bristles. After the Palug, he puts on his Tem*, arm bands knotted from dyed coconut leaves with the ends protruding at the sides. Red and yellow flowers, known as Hana*, are tied with the Tem. However, the quality that distinguishes a Towrug is his golden shine. Pounded ginger roots dissolved in coconut oil excretes this yellow shade which is called Rrang* on the island. Next, the Dancer puts on his lei, Thaway and Lubuw*. His lei is made of yellow, red and white flowers along with some green fabricating a colorful, pleasant smelling ornament which matches his golden skin and crimson Thuw. Besides, his lei and his Thaway, he wears a second necklace called the Lubuw, which is made from double strands of a single white coconut leaf. This Lubuw is believed to posses supernatural power such as the prevention of a downpour and said to hold the stability and durability of the Towrug’s composure. Afterwards, the Dancer sprinkles himself with temporary counter black magic to prevent jealous spectator from cursing him. Finally, after everything else, he puts on his Taliyaw and joins his fellow dancers.

Lastly, the final rituals are performed before the Gaselaew begins. After the dancers have erected a line and confirmed that all of them are present, and escort will lead them to the Malal. Traditionally, the escort’s role is to dispel demons or evil spirits by chanting and lashing about with a branch of Yabung* or the Holy Tree. However, the escorts’ purpose is not limited to only dispatching evil, but also to serve as attention grabbers. Therefore, most escorts are battle polished , muscular men. While the Gaselaew Dancers carry out after the escort, their heads are bent and faces avert to prevent recognition and interaction with the audience before the dance. When the dancers enter, unlike most audiences, the crowd remains silent, this atmosphere of serenity spares the Dancers time to empty their minds of all thought and gives the Master or Teacher of the Gaselaew the chance to address the people. After welcoming the spectators and paying homage and respect to the chiefs, the Master blesses his Dancers. He begins by touching each of them with valuable artifacts such as shell money and presenting them to the audience. This ritual is mainly done to banish any negative sentiments that the people might have towards the Dancers. By then, the Towrugs have formulated a perfect line with the tallest in the middle and the shortest at the ends. They all have their heads bowed empty of thought, waiting for the hour to literally hypnotize the crowd. Finally, after a few moments of silence, a battle cry splinters the tranquility. The Dancers raise their heads and look straight into the eyes of the spectators as the Gaselaew is commenced.

The Dancers, because of the synchronously performed dance, need both physical and mental rest before the Gaselaew. The whole day of preparation is meant to fulfill this need. Composure is crucial for the perfection of concurrent movements. To attain this virtue, one must practice frequently, reciting the Bugan or rehearsing the difficult strenuous movements of the Gaselaew. This dance is considered by most Yapese to be the most difficult to learn and arduous to master. Therefore, the Towrugs are honored in Yap as “gods among men”.