Every middle/high school in Benin has an annual multi-day party ("Cultural Days") to celebrate the end of the school year, Beninese culture, and just the school in general. My school decided to do this party before the actual end of school for some reason*, which means that my students' exam grades will probably be lower than usual. Bleh.
Anyway, so this fete. The first day involved a student-professor soccer game, which was surprisingly close (and the announcers were hilarious, making fun of the profs for everything they couldn't do). The second day was a series of theater skits and dances performed by some fantastically animated kids -- some of the dances involved the boys playing traditional drums and girls' choreography, and that was awesome. My kids can dance!
The third day, the big day, featured a class-by-class "pique-nique", meme tissu by class, and more performances. The older boys did some hilarious raps and some very uncomfortable dances that involved a lot of hip thrusting and gyrating, and sometimes just straight-up sexy-faced grinding with skimpily clad girls from their classes. At one point, three boys, flies unzipped to show shiny boxers, were grinding on three girls in matching miniskirts and belly shirts (with their SUPER sexual belly beads actually showing**). On cue, the boys turned toward the audience, put their fingers in their mouths, and slid down the girl's butts to the floor. That was the end of the dance.
The day ended with a Beninese artist and his backup dancers performing, kids singing and dancing along, and me ALMOST making it the whole three days without having to dance in front of the school. Almost. But then the artist called me out and the assistant vice principal dragged me up front, and there I was, booty popping and salsa stepping to the very best of my white-girl ability. I got a lot of cheering, and a lot of my favorite compliment: "Congratulations! You tried!"
All-in-all, not my favorite party. But hey, I went, I saw, I danced, and I never have to go again.
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*Actually, I know the reason: it's because last year they had it after all the grades, including the behavior grade, were officially recorded, and the students got really drunk and crazy. School property was apparently destroyed.
**Belly beads, or strings of tiny beads worn around the hips, are worn by babies and women after puberty. For babies, they're just to be pretty and hold medicinal charms and amulets or help keep diapers up. For older girls and women, though, the beads are to be seen ONLY by your lover or husband... Flashing them around is like sitting wide-legged and panty-less in a miniskirt. Again, I was very uncomfortable, particularly because the male professors and administration definitely noticed.
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