HISTORY OF MOKO JUMBIE/ STILT DANCING IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
First depicted in a line drawing in 1871, the mocko jumbie masquerade is well established in the US Virgin Islands. The Masquerade tradition that occurred in the second half of the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century was the Moko Jumbie. Moko Jumbies still flourish today and stands as virtually the sole survivor of the centuries old masquerade tradition. In the past, however, one individual, maybe two, would appear on stilts accompanied by a little band which normally consisted of a fife, a bass drum, a snare drum, and a triangle. Stilt Masqueraders appeared in Anguilla, Antigua, St. Vincent, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Lucia, and Trinidad. Moko Jumbies represent an authentic West African tradition. Names that can accompany the moko jumbie of west Africa include “Gle Gbee” of the Dan of Ivory Coast, “Laniboy” of the Kono of Guinea, “Ayoko” of the Yoruba of Nigeria, “Ebuwo” of the Igede of Nigeria, and “Sakrabudul” of the Fante of Ghana.
For over three quarters of a century, from the 1870’s and the 1950’s, the costume of Virgin Island Moko Jumbies remained surprisingly Euro-Woman’s dress with stockings and multiple petticoats. In the past performers were invariably male.
Magnus and Marshall
“Magnus,” John Farrell, and “Marshall,” Fritz Isaiah Sealey, both now deceased up until the 1950’s. Mr. Allen of Marshall on St. Croix called Willie Peep-Up who performed in St. Thomas before Magnus came from St. Croix. The earliest record of a Moko Jumbie in the US Virgin Islands consists of a line drawing of a masked stilt dancer in a women dress bearing the title “Mocha Jumpy Christmastime.” It is dated 1871 by the Danish National Museum.
Marshall Sealey performed on St. Croix during the first half of the twentieth century. Marshall an immigrant from Barbados and remembers him as “the greatest of them”
Magnus Farrell was born in St. Croix but moved to St. Thomas in the late 1930’s. He learned stilt dancing at the age of 9 by practicing two cans, then short sticks, then taller ones.
William Richardson a Mocko Jumbie performer from Anguilla, performed in St. Thomas Carnival in the mid- 1950’s. Richardson continued to preserve the flared skirt and petticoats of traditional Moko Jumbies until he stopped dancing in 1978. Magnus is remembered as someone who inspired many but taught few. It took Alli Paul, as innovator and teacher, to regenerate and revitalize the tradition. The 1960’s are generally remembered as a time of youthful creativity and a new vision. Alli Paul represented these qualities within the Virgin Islands and inspired a new crop of young and he accompanied William Richardson.
Alli Paul started troupes around 1968 with his younger siblings. Alli Paul was the first person not only to teach large groups but also the first to introduce women to the genre. Many of today’s senior performers of the craft learned directly or indirectly from Alli Paul. Hugo Moolenar was part of Alli’s Troupe, and over the years Moolenar taught John Mcleverty, and two students from mainland America Naomi Baylarian and Gerry Cockrell. John Mcleverty taught Willard John.
Willard John in turn taught former Lt. Governor Gerard Luz James.
In 1992 Willard John and Anna Thompson formed what is called today the Ricardo Richards Moko Jumbies, in the later years the young performers of the Ricardo Richards Moko Jumbies advance and reach a certain age that they then in turn have the opportunity to join what is known as the Guardians of Culture.
The Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies. Began in 1996 when the first dancers of the Ricardo Richards Moko Jumbies advanced in their cultural art form. Which then formed the Guardians of Culture.
From the Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies came Dr. Stilts and
Dr. Stilts in return instructs the Elena Christian Jr. High Moko Jumbies and the USVI Moko Jumbie Dancers.
