Rom Dance of North Ambrym

The Rom is a masked dance of northern Ambrym in which dancers wear tall conical headdresses painted with clan designs and costumes of banana leaves that hide the body entirely, moving in a circle to drums and stamping. The right to make and wear a particular mask is bought within the grade system, and the mask must be destroyed after use. The Back to My Roots festival in July or August is when it is most reliably seen.

What you actually see

• The conical headdresses - tall painted masks carrying clan designs.
• The banana leaf costumes - the covering that hides the dancer entirely.
• The grade system - the customary rights that govern who may wear a mask.
• The destruction - masks broken up after the dance rather than kept.

When to go

July to August is when the Back to My Roots festival runs and the dance is most reliably seen. Other performances follow custom occasions. The dry season generally runs May to October.

Honest expectations

Performances outside festival time must be commissioned and are expensive. Photography is restricted and permission must be asked. Getting to northern Ambrym involves small flights and rough roads, both unreliable.

Nearby

The caldera is inland, and Malekula is west.