Kaisokah Moko Jumbie USA Inc., a stilt performance group founded in 2010, is marching to the beat of a tradition that stems back before anyone in the group was born.

“I see it as something that keeps our young generation off the street,” Jason Edwards, executive director of Kaisokah Moko Jumbie USA Inc., said.

Edwards works on the stilts that take each performer to new heights.

These performers are called moko jumbies, which are thought to have originated in African tradition and brought to the Caribbean.

“It’s centuries old. In Africa it’s normally used for protecting the villagers,” Edwards said.

Throughout the Caribbean, moko jumbies are icons that are integral to festivities. The group trains children as young as three years old.

“You don’t really see it a lot and I like to be different and I like doing it because I like to help people,” Christine Melville, a trainer, said.

She and other trainers, like Bishmii Sanchez, have been performing on stilts for over 10 years.

“We keep our balance by constantly moving, but keeping that same balance while performing a trick and moving can be difficult,” Sanchez said. “I was able to go to places like Trinidad & Tobago, St. Vincent, Miami.”

Next up on the group's performance agenda, the 55th Annual West Indian American Parade in Brooklyn, which is making a triumphant return for the first time since the pandemic.

The Brooklyn parade is a staple for this stilt group, and they’ve been practicing dance routines non-stop in preparation.

Parents at rehearsal couldn’t help but show their support.

“I think it’s important, we have to keep it going,” Tanya Folkes, whose 12-year-old daughter is a performer in the group, said.

Folkes credits the activity for teaching her daughter, Madison Jones, leadership skills.

“The hardest part is not looking down,” Jones said while balancing on stilts. “It keeps me out of trouble and makes me have something to do.”

Each dance move made by performers, from children to teenagers, is built on trust and communication.

The group hopes that one day they will have a building of their own for rehearsals and plans to continue to expand programming to bring the art of moko jumbie dancing to more audiences.

“When I’m performing, two things are going through my mind; making my performance good and showing people the culture is still living,” Melville said.