Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19

The Madras correspondent of the London
Standard writes TO that journal on Decern Der
l.: The plat dance, except in the difference
Oi costumes and In the fact that the perform
CTS did not, in one sense OF the word, dance,
Icscmbled strongly what is called a rustic or
May pole dance IL European bdlletS. Sixteen
cancers advanced 10 the center OF the plat
form, where number of cOlOred ropes hung
from point in the roof. These dancers
were tie picked dancers of TanjOre, cele-
Erated through India for It's NautCh girls.
All were good looking, some very pretty, al
though much spoiled by immense nose OInt-
mt ntS of precious stones. Their dresses Il =
I'd TO the figure, to the waist, and over the
hips, ana tie robe or skirt was lOOped mp in
front and behind. They wore CDlOred trO1s-
tTs 10 the feet. The dresses and skirts were
studded with Jewels, and the skirts adorned
with sp' eudid lace. There was no theatrical
w SCI about them; each girl wore jewels
VIiCI would excite the admiration OF AN
Eng li>n bal room. the dancing consisted If
tine girls standing in a circle, s. aying their
bodies tO and from, sometimes toward the
center, sometimes toward each other, doug
"a chain in and out. Then fresh swayings and
another round until the ropes were wound
INFO plat. A reverse OF the movements
until The ropes are again undOne AfJeTWard
the girls take each other, two and two, and
stili holding the ropes, perform movement
like an English waltz. All this is done TO the
sound OF music, and the movement and steps
are strictly in tine and ry thmical; but IL is
not CaIciug, for the feet are perfectly Hat.
tie movement is shuttle, the lower limbs
appear TO take no share in the affair. the
arms, shoU ldeTS, breast and hips move auG
culver, the light flashes from the jewels, and
there il certainly grace in the swayIngs aud
beLd.Hgs. The dance was performed To
version, or rather peTverslOD, OF Bonnie
Dundee, upon five or x native instruments.
Guyaua next advanced for her pas seui.
She is accompanied by six players. They
siI & as well ss play, and sing with great
es freshness. They appear to relate a nara
tive tO her. and this narrative urges her 20
various gestures. Sometimes IL is 10 and
quiet, and tnen she stands almost immov3-
Die, quite immovable indeed, save for a slight
qGIvt Iirg of the fiugCrs OF her outstreiched
arms, and a twitching of the shoulders.
- metimes they Iise loud and boisterous.
The singers stir her to rage-they nod their
seaCs, they excite her 10 action. Then she
moves with rapid agi tated steps; she bounds,
her AIMS wave over her head; she Is passion
az in her anger, furious In her tlsdain ut
s'kh mat have been passed upon her. Then
again the music dies away, and the anger
sol ems down; her gestures express grief, and
She apparently duplicates for the return of
her lover. This continued, and was repeated
with variations for q long time. until the
patience Of the English portion OF the audi
ence was fairly worn out. Natives will sit
for many hours absorbed In delight at these
dances, but little oft goes long way with
the English, especially after II O'Clock at
night. in vain did the native manager OF
this entertainment go mp to the singers and
request them 10 stop; IL needed no less than
four requests before they would break Off
their singing.
aTFrederick Douglass was lately refused