Zaouli is an astonishingly difficult traditional dance in which the dancer doesn't repeat steps, and in an unexpected twist, the drums follow the dancer. Notice that the dancer's top half is static, while his bottom half is moving furiously, creating the effect of floating in the air. In the Guro communities of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), each village has a Zaouli dancer who performs every few days. The tradition is not as old as you might think, having been codified in the 1950s. The dance incorporates older traditions into one performance.
Zaouli dancers are men, but wear a mask of a beautiful woman, inspired by Djela lou Zaouli (Zaouli, the daughter of Djela). Seven types of masks are used, each representing a different legend. Zaouli was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. -via Twisted Sifter
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