Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-05-15
JAvANEsE DANCERS.
Simmons and Graceful Movements Of Java
nose Girls ut tho Parts Exposition.

In larger and more decorated In.
closure, rooted over, but open at the
sides, was a sort of theatre, where
troop of Javanese girls danced at in,
tervals all day. They were pretty,
diminutive creatures, like cross be.
tween babies and idols. wearing he'll
met-shaped hcad-dresses, heavy arm.
let's. brooches. and buckles, and
beautifully embroidered garments
which swathed the figure from the
armpts to the feet, leaving the
shoulders and arms bare. The dance
was n curious performance aud
puz2ling one, bisarre rather than bar
barous; as mouotonous as the devotion.
nj exercises OF the Shakers, hut grace
full and sinuous, II ran through series
of eyolutions, each dancer advancing.
retreating, siding, cirolng. without 0
partner and punctuating the time
slightly with the head. The clothes
hide the feet, but although there was
very little action from the waist down,
the movements indicated swift sue.
cession OF mincing steps. The arms aud
hands were necessarily In play, and were
extraordinarily 1.-THE aud flexible; each
finger moved Independently OF the rest,
like leaves on u twig, and the hand
turned on tho wrist like the twig on
branch, aud the arm on tho shoulder
like the branch on tree There were
many pairs OF slender arms, inviting,
rcpelling, interlacing, now arched like
bowers now stretched out like wings
for flight, more bewlldering than the
legs in ballet, for those ut least fol.
low the same step, while each of these
bayadorcs danced the pas ScM subser.
Went only to u common idea, What
that may have been nobody could
guess, even after watching them for
half an hour through different figures
In some Of which they whisked tho end
OF sash from one shoulder to the
other. The steps, ut times, became
moro rapid, complex, aud may, and
either tho dancers or the musicians, l
could not make out which, uttered
little cries like the NOW OF cat but
the dance did not become more excit.
ing nor apparently reach climax; u
seemed like an Oriental tale, full OF
trivial Incident, and ending without
crisis or conclusion. Tho part played
by the hands and arms is akin to the
manner OF Spanish gypsy dancing, but
'h' W. WV l'NNi iihibst WIN
u constant uso of the feet. recalled the
dancing of our Southern negroes,
which is strange rs tho Malay race has
nothing In common, and can hardly
have had communication, with tho
primitive tribes Of Africa, from whom
both the plantation and the Andalusian
dancing come The music was much
wilder and queerer even than the
dances; 1t was In "a time and had the
dotted notes which mark the double
shuttle Of tho bamboula but recalled no
other music ] ever heard, not even
Chinese, The instruments are all said
TO be made Of reeds, but included u
sort OF drum and several rude frames
like tho ancient Tyre and Irish harp.
from which tho players drew sounds
like the violin and viola and flute, ms
well as a ringing note, like musical
glasses. Tho strains were rapid, plain.
tive, monotonous, aud sweet, despite
dscords and insane intervals, which no
musician In his senses could catch;
there was less melody than rhythm,
aud a repetition which produced a not
unpoasing irritation OF tho nerves.
When musicians aud dancers both came
to n pause, tho wonder still remained
what IL was all about.--dtlaHttc Monthly.