Vimbuza dances are performed late at night and involve either the traditional healer and or a series of other former patients dancing on behalf of the patient. After which the patient begins to dance.
Both the drumming and the rhythm that is kept by the metal belt that the dancers wear are an integral part of the healing process. It is the music which allows the dancers to go into a trance and heal the patient.
If the illness is considered severe, or if it has persisted for a long time, the family of the patient may sponsor a "chilopa" which involves an entire night of dancing followed by an animal sacrifice at dawn. After the killing of the animal, the patient drinks some of the blood from the carcass and then begins to dance again. The larger the animal (usually either a chicken, a goat or a cow), the more effective the cure is expected to be.
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