Upward Spirit XII (Tanzania, Zanzibar)

The Adumu , sometimes called the dance of the jumping warriors , is a ritual event reserved for the Moran , young Maasai men undergoing initiation. The more vertical and silent the jump, the more it demonstrates bodily control and bravery—two essential qualities before the transition to adulthood. This rite, once linked to a demonstration of strength in the face of a lion, has been transformed into a collective performance of cohesion and endurance. Beyond the tourist folklore to which it is sometimes reduced, the Adumu retains a profound initiatory value in the rural areas of northern Tanzania and southern Kenya , where it still marks major moments of transition in Maasai social life today.