The people dancing here are all men practicing the Dace of the Plume, but they are not wearing any feathers or other traditional clothing. Their dance teacher is directing them as a conductor would guide an orchestra. Girlfriends and wives and I sit on the stairs outside of Santo Domingo watching as best we can and listening to the music and oral cues they share with each other.
I think this is a brilliant way to practice. If they can maneuver around one another in the darkness, they surely can do this on a well-lit stage with enormous headdresses.
