Wodaabe Man at Geerewol Beauty Dance, Niger The week-long Geerewol celebration is highlighted by performances of the Geerewol dance itself, during which the most beautiful men are selected. Resplendent in red ocher face makeup, the contestants dress in uniform fashion, making it easier for judges to discern the truly beautiful. To bring out their beauty, some of the dancers drink a potion of bark and grasses mixed with milk. They stand shoulder to shoulder and chant in hypnotic harmony, "awakening the potions" and making them "rise to the heart and show themselves in the blood."
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