The Rom dance is the signature ceremonial dance of central Malakula — a slow, hypnotic line dance performed in tall conical masks of painted bark cloth and palm fibre, with stylised black-and-red faces. The dance is part of the grade-taking system that orders male society on the island; each performance marks a man's promotion to a higher rank.
Witnessing a Rom dance is one of the genuine privileges of Vanuatu travel. They are not staged for tourists — visits to a village must be arranged in advance and the timing is dictated by the village, not the visitor.