Varna Marianne Nielsen Apaloo was born in Greenland. In her art she is inspired by the old traditions of east Greenlandic drum dancing. She stems from a long ancestral line of known drum dancers, tracing back to the legendary shaman and drum dancer Maratse. Today she is the only one left of her family who carries on the cultural heritage and history. She is dedicated to spread knowledge, uphold and further develop the rare cultural treasure of drum dancing.