The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-30
DANCE WTHTHE|R ARMS.
Tho fern-Crowned Bellies Of Samoa
in Their National Dance.
the silva
Sharply Shoulders and Swinging
Arms in Curvss Both Graceful
and Expressive
The Evolutions Performed While Sitting
Fiat ON the Fl~oor-Thirteen Bellies
Quite Dusky.

The samosps are great people for dane.
ING. They'take TO it as naturally 40 they
do to .swimminR, and they learn to swim
whom they are small children. ! was sur
rrised to find at several dances in Apia that
the young people. particularly the girls,
could dance the waltz, polka and schot-
tisshs and walk through the figures of the
lsnesrs with q grace and dignity quite equal
to that Of their more enlightened sisters,
ssys. q correspondent Of the New York Her
aid. All dancing they call in the native
tongue s'siva.n When you visit Apia and
attend one. OF their dances don't be sur
prissd to have a charming young Samoan
miss come up and ask you to ''siva." You
can dance whatever the music indicates.
Tho music 10 generally squeezed from an
accordion.
By far the most interesting dancing
among these people is the silva proper, a ma
tive dance. 1t is performed in q sitting po-
sition. I had an opportunity to witness
this dance one evening when a fine exhibi-
ton Of it was given to the officers Of a man
of-war then lying in the harbor. One of
the largest houses OF the natives of the viii
lage was secured for the purpose. The
uOOF Oh Q6OOl66 W6b tulCAly COSCAOA ApA
hard, smooth mats, and at ons n OF the
house chairs were arranged for the guests,
while at the other end a space was reserved
for the dancers and their friends.
When the hour arrived thirte en- girls led
by Fanua, the ''maid OF the village"
marched in and sat down cross legged in a
semi-circle, the leader being in the center.
They were all dressed in purely native cos
1880 ra-nA orl MT rocrtNA koNh rfr1
wore q diminutiye ''lava-lava' overhung
with strips of variously colored bark. A
silk handkerchief rolled into q narrow band
was laid across the chest and tied behind.
tantalizingly concealing the well-shaped
breasts.
The white stamens of some flower, fash
Toned on q thread of grass, made a neck
lace. The long. jet black hair was tied in
q close coil and the head YVES crowned with
q wreath of delicate ferns. A coil OF green
leaves about the wrists and ankles COM
pleted the dress. In addition to this every
one was profusely anointed with cocoanut
oil, SO much SO that their bare legs, arms
ana shoulders fairly glistened. Fanua. the
maid OF the village" was distinguished
frorn tho others by the greater number of
colors and also by a large silver bracelet.
When everybody was ready an old woman
sitting behind them began beating on the
mat with a stick. In an instant the girls
became all animation and the dancing be-
gan. FanuR, with two or three others. led
off ina strange n while the rest joined
in. as song progressed. {
1t would be difficult to describe the music.
and l even question if it could be expressed
in ordinary musical notation. Sometimes
it was in the minor and sometimes IN the
major key. Parts OF it were wild and bar
barors, while there we're other strains that
reminded one of passage from some of out
hyIaIs, or popular songs. The leaders
started OFF with the air. and. as the others
joined, they sang an octave below, or a..
alto, a kind of tenor. At the end of the
ciGflses al were singing loudly, and when
thp last note was reached all sang in uni
son, holding on for a moment, then letting
it go suddenly with ii grunt. as If the breath
was exhausted.
While singing. various graceful move
ments were made with the arms, head and
shoulders. The arms We're extended first
one way. then another, the head inclined
this side and that. and the shoulders gently
dropping and head erect in conformity WITH
tae movements OF the head. All the move
nients we're made IN unison and In full
keeping with the music and the time kept
By the cid woIaall.
Ead they stood up and moved their legs
with the gaze they did their arms it would
have maze an excellent ballet.
Ihe burden of the song was the recital of
traditions and the great deeds of ancient
Samoans, and the movements OF the body
were the pOetlCal representation Or THESE.
= Ihe girls were fine featured and comely.
Their round arms and shapely shoulders
shining with oil and swaying in graceful
curves TO the accompaniment of the strange
music made a very pretty picture.
When fhe dance was over then the guests
were treated with kava. This is anothel
interesting feature of Samoan life. Kava
is II drink prepared from the root of a plan.
The habit of drinking it is common
throughout nearly all the islands of the Pa
cific. 1t is not intoxicating, as al.
coholic drinks are, but in mod
crate quantities it produces a milo
exhilaration: the drinking of excessive
quantities is followed by partial paralyz
ing of the voluntary muscles, so that one i.
indisposed to move about. In some of thu
Hawaiian islands its use amounts almost tt
intemperance-so much SO that in Homo
lulu laws have been enacted limiting it
consumption and permitting but one licens
ed person to sell it.
Formerly the ~favorite maidens of the vii
lage chewed quantities of the root and spa
it into a large wooden bowl. This chewe
root was then mixed with water and strain
ed. and the liquor was drank at once witt
ont going through any further process;
Since the advent of white people the chew
ing part has been omitted and the drie
root is simply grated into a powder an
allowed to stand covered with water a fe
minutes.