Traditional Yapese dances are performed in colourful grass skirts and flower garlands. The patterns of the dances have been passed down for generations - each movement has a specific meaning. Some dances tell stories about the sea, about voyages, or about the island's history. Watching a Yapese dance is like reading a story written in movement.
Stick dancing involves dancers holding long bamboo or wooden sticks and moving in closely coordinated patterns, sometimes striking the sticks together rhythmically. The timing has to be precise - everyone must move at exactly the same moment. Practising stick dances as a group builds trust and teamwork.
The sitting dances of Chuuk, another island in Micronesia, are different. Performers sit in rows and use their arms, hands and upper bodies to tell stories through flowing, careful gestures. Even seated, the coordination across the whole group is impressive - like a wave of movement passing from one person to the next.
Traditional Micronesian dances are kept alive at festivals like Yap Day, where communities from across the islands gather to perform and share their different traditions. Children learn the dances from an early age, and performing at a festival for the first time is a proud moment for young Micronesians.