Mendiani comes from the Malinke people in the area between the Mendiana regions in Guinea, and the Kayes region in Mali. Every village within these regions will have a Mendiani or pre-adolescent virgin girl (age 7-14) who has mastered this very acrobatic dance. The girls wear traditional Mendiani costumes and are brought to the village on the shoulders of young men while drummers play the rhythm Denadon . When the dance is about to begin the drummers switch to Mendiani.