25 October 2014 / leggypeggy

No skirting around the Goroka Show—it’s all upfront

dancers, dancing, Goroka Show, Papua New Guinea, skirts

Let’s see—where are we up to on the Goroka Show?

I’ve covered faces and headdresses, bums, bustles and backs, kids, masks and handicrafts, the snake dance, plants and boobs.

So what’s next?

I think the skirts are worthy of a post.

With the exception of the group doing the snake dance and the fellows wearing penis gourds (yes, I’ll get to them too) everyone—and I mean every performer—wore a skirt of some sort.

Some were quite simple—made of grass and reeds. Others were made of twisted cuscus (PNG possum) fur and still others were made of woven fabric. Of course, most were embellished with shells or dyes or other organic materials.

Notice the white guy in the middle

Goroka Show, hanging on to his skirt, 2014

I was especially intrigued by one group of men that included a very white guy. Chris, our tour leader, figured the guy had paid a princely sum to be included in the group. But he knew all the moves and the words to the songs, so I think he might have been a member of that tribe.

My theory got some support a couple of days later. We stayed for several nights in an Asaro village in the highlands, and one of the babies was completely white, but not albino. Gosh, genetics are interesting.

And don’t think we’re done with the Goroka Show and Papua New Guinea itself. There must be at least 10 or 12 more posts (still deciding on how to share them). Egads, I took 800+ photos in a couple of days and many more beyond. I’m overwhelmed as I look through all the pics, and reckon so many are worth sharing. Please let me know if you’re getting tired of the subject matter.

And speaking of skirts, I am reminded of my search to buy Libby, a daughter, a skirt in Peru. That was a challenge.