New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-03

cal devices are numerous in the Indian oance''
which occupy the position half way betwec" w
simple chorIc dance and the developed pan'o"'' ,
or drama. In the Mamaka dance OF the n~"N' ',
the dancer who has initiated the motions Oh a o"'"'
mer throws a magic stick among the iooNs'' , ~.
One falls and blood issues from MS heaa'
Marnaka then extracts the stick. when u no,''"
and made on the telescope principle so '""' -
lengthens out he seems to draw IL "o"' W.
wound. In the Toq'uit. woman's dance a" e' ,
Is supposed to be made to kill the dancer py INV
ing a wedge through her temples: but sne ua"ec
on with portion OF the wedge showing on eacn
side of her head. Then her head is ostehsioV
split with paddle, the paddle being cut out 10 III s
head sometimes" says DIR. Boas, she is pur"''
For this purpose a box, having a double bottom -
prepared She lies down and the box Is turnen
over 80 that her body may conveniently be pushed
into It, At the place where she lies down p''
Is dug in which she hides The box is turned up
again. closed and thrown into the fire. Before the
beginning of the ceremony corpse has been pu'
into the lower part OF the box. From the pit J"
which the dancer hides tube OF kelp has been aio
under ground 1t acts as a speaking-tube Inc
woman sings through 1t, and her voice apparently
comes out OF the fire. Afterward the bones are
found in the fire They are collected, laid on new
mat and for four days the people sing over the
bones while the woman remains hidden In bed
room. At last the bones are heard to sing (whch
Is done by placing the mat over the mouth OF the
spea king -tube) and the next morning the woman
Is seen to be once more alive" The graphic de-
scription of the Hopi Blacksnake dance given by
n writer in The Tribune a week or two ago shows
similar empoyment OF dramatic paraphernalia
(wooden snakes capable Of being made to conduct
themselves IL alive stage curtain, etc'l, ana
so do some OF the ceremonial dances OF the GUMS.
For all Of these dances prototypes might DC io"no
among the mystical ceremonies OF the ahciehts'
The neighhors OF the Kwakiut Indians on the FAIR
havo
which lasts nine days. and depicts series Oh
Incidents in the mythical history of the tribe says
Major Powell: This ceremony dramatizes the
myth with vigorously prescribed paraphernaia ana
formularies, with picturesque dances ana SHOWS
scenic effects and skilful thaumaturgic jugglery.
The Navahoes at the Fair are so few ana 80 htte
inclined to exhibit themselves that their dances are
not likelNo be seen. 1t was the purpose, however.
OF Mr. j. w. Sanborn who arranged the camp OF
Iroquois Indians from New-York, that they shouid
exhibit their ancient dances. These are much
nearer the primitive idea OF the rude dithyramDf
dances than anything described thus far. In all
the dances OF the Iroquols which have seen there
Is little variation from the hee-stampng 80 familiar
from the dances in the Wild West shows.
At the green corn festival, however, they have one
dance which suggests the old "Reigen, or Row
dances OF our own ancestors and the "Hormos
OF the Greeks. In this they take hold of hands
and chant antphonally with the leader as they
the sacred fire. In this dance the common
turtle rattles are not used but the leader carries
a rattle made of a section of COW horn. The round
dances Of Teutonic ancestors have. by nat
ura process of degeneration. become the sidewalk
plays of children. such as Oats, pease, Deans
Green Gravel" Here go round the mulberry
bush" etc. In the Khroyods of the Russian peas
antry they have remained adult dances, thougn
they have lost their religious character
All these dances uncompromisingly anu I'M
oualifedly religious at their inception
The extent to which the Kwakiutl uances have
lost in seriousness OF purpose has already been
suggested. DR.. Boas looks upon them as still
semi religious" The Dahomans also have their
fetch dances, but was not privileged to see one.
Those dances whose music | have discussed were
dances, their pan;omime consisting OF mita-
tons OF marching skirmishing and fighting. But
none the less did they illustrate the development
OF the drama out of the dance. IL one were TO
seek to adduce a measure OF Intellectual develop
ment from the dances Of the Kwakiutl, Moqui,
Navajo and Zuni ceremonies lin some OF the latter
We have the introduction of the fun maker-the
clown. 1t would be very high compared with the
achievements of classical antiquity. Their evolu-
tionary stage from artistic point of view Il am
not speaking of technical finish in perform
ance or beauty OF idea) is not far removed from
that exhibited in species of Roman drama which
existed two and half centuries b. c., and en-
dured in Italy down to the time when Italian opera
was invented. In this form of entertainment the
pantomimists, or dancers. acted prescribed scene.
while solo singers and choristers chanted the text.
The fact that after the development of the poly
we're sung by chors of six and eight voices sufices
to prove that there had been great degeneracy
the musical since the DAYS OF the Athenian drama.
A nearer approach to what we may imagine these
Roman plays to have been ia to be in the
Javancse Theatre in the Midway Plaisance The
performances here arc far and away the most In