Ten Sleepless Knights Folklife Festival Brings Culture to Life on St. Thomas

Over the weekend, the 2025 Ten Sleepless Knights Folklife Festival on St. Thomas thrilled attendees with scintillating cultural performances, featuring moko jumbies and dancers.  After a long day of workshops, Saturday's theme was Mokolution: The Evolution of the Moko Jumbies. Striding tall among the seated audience, the moko jumbies entertained with feats of dexterity and skill, dancing as they perched on their stilts.  On Sunday night, attendees were treated to performances of African dances, as well as Bambula and Bomba dancing by two groups – Caribbean Ritual Dancers from St. Thomas, and Majestad Negra from Puerto Rico. Accompanied by ancestral melodies and rhythmic drumming, the dancers showcased the beauty of the territory's cultural movements.  The celebration of the Virgin Islands rich culture and history came just ahead of Monday's 108th anniversary of the territory's transfer from Danish to American rule; a reminder of the territory's unique identity which exists – and thr...