How did dance performances demonstrate Yap's political authority over nearby islands?

In the context of the Yap empire, dance performances served as a symbolic demonstration of Yap’s political overlordship over surrounding islands.1

Rather than illustrating local stories or acknowledging a chief’s specific genealogy, these performances functioned as a form of tribute. Dancers from subordinate islands, such as Ulithi and Woleai, were required to perform and teach their choreography and texts to the Yapese. This practice reinforced Yap’s authority, as the Yapese dancers utilized these performances—often featuring texts in languages they did not understand—to decorate their own status and assert their dominance over the other islands. In this system, the movements were abstractly decorative rather than narrative, serving to solidify the hierarchical relationship between the central island of Yap and its surrounding territories.1