Ge, formerly translated as "mask" or "masquerade, "appears among the Dan people of C te d'Ivoire as a dancing and musical embodimentof their social ideals and religious beliefs. In Dan Ge Performance, Daniel B. Reedsets out to discover what resides at the core of Ge. He finds that Ge is defined aspart of a religious system, a form of entertainment, an industry, a political tool, an instrument of justice, and a form of resistance -- and it can take on multipleroles simultaneously. He sees genu (pl.) dancing the latest dance steps, co-optingpopular music, and acting in concert with Ivorian authorities to combat sorcery. Notonly are the bounds of traditional performance stretched, but Ge performance becomesa strategy for helping the Dan to establish individual and community identity in aworld that is becoming more religiously and ethnically diverse. Readers interestedin all aspects of expressive culture in West Africa will find fascinating materialin this rich and penetrating book.