Masquerade
Masquerade in St. Kitts can be described as an art form created by the syncretism of peoples of African and European descent over a period of 300 years. This is perhaps the most popular of the Carnival sports. The Masquerades who have maintained their prominence as being typically Kittitian are seen wearing tall peacock-feathered headdresses, masks, trousers and long-sleeved shirts; over the trousers are skirt-aprons which are completely fringed and reach just above the knees. The entire costume is decorated with bangles, mirrors and ribbons. Dance experts have identified elements of European and African genres, which include the “Wild Mas”, the Waltz, Quadrille, the Rhumba, the Fertility Dance, the Fine Dance, the Jig and the Boillola.

The “Quadrille” which has its roots in 17th-Century France is the first dance and danced by couples to a slow, structured pace defined by the country and elegance of the various dance figures.

The “Fine” which is the second dance is decidedly faster and demands greater skill as the dancers dance on one foot towards each other meeting in the centre of the ring and performs a Fertility Dance which is traceable to the mating dance of Africa.

The real spectacle in dance comes when the masquerades break into a frenzy of “Wild Mas” Throwing their tomahawks into the air much to the delight of onlookers. This dance is typical of the African war dance.

The “Jig” introduces a new dance position where the right foot hooked behind the left foot, the dancer displays his skill with the tomahawk. This dance follows right into the “Boillola” another dance movement where the tomahawk is held between their legs while the dancers jump and clap to the music, moving from side to side.

The mimicry of Europeans in dance is perhaps best reflected in the “Waltz” where the dancers pair off into couples and perform simple ballroom dance steps to a moderately fast triple meter.