The Legend of the Moko Jumbie
If you’re lucky, you have been welcomed at the airport or the cruise ship dock on St. Thomas by very colorful dancers on stilts. The moko jumbie is a cultural icon traced back to Africa more than 200 years ago and is now the official symbol of tourism for the Virgin Islands.
When the enslaved people worked on the islands’ plantations, they brought many traditions that live on today. Folklore varies from moko jumbies presence as seers, protectors, healers, as symbols of freedom, and as sacred guardians from the spirit world. They were part of African religious ceremonies and rites of passage for children as they grew into adulthood. Today’s moko jumbie wears brightly colored costumes, hats and face coverings with decorated stilts.
St. Thomas resident Yisrael Petersen, a self-taught stilt dancer, was recruited at age 9 to be a part of the first moko jumpie troupe in the 70s. He currently keeps the art alive by teaching the next generation and performing at events such as Carnival, weddings, at hotels and private parties. Yisrael has performed at a Superbowl game, on the Country Music Awards, for the U.S. Congress, on TV and even in a movie!
Want to give it a try? He conducts classes at the tennis courts on St. John every Thursday from 3:30 to 5pm for all ages 4 and up. With his current student at age 63, you’re never too old to play. Now there’s a vacation story!
