The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-04
DANSE DU vENTRE.
Chicago Midway Dancers Exhibiting
In the New York Bowery.


the persistence OF deeply rooted institu-
tion. is again seen in its native form in
the Bowcry. New York. The Iolics OPP
position TO this style OF entertainment
did not rio the city of IL, and not many
variety shows In the Bowery are Tree
from these dances. Sometimes they are
sscoutchee- -coutchee. 1" at Others they are
"houla- houla," bat they are always the
same, depending for their effect on the
acton OF the stomach muscles. The pres
ent interpreters of this Oriental habit are
encamped now In al unrented store. Inc
wallis are hung with drapcries, paiVted
jn Egyptian iigures, ana from quarter
OF an nour preceding every one el tne
frequent performances the company Is
shown in front of the entrance. while
vcciferous "barker'' cslls attention TO the
entertainment. The dancers are undoupI-
edly native Aigcrians. There are three wo.
men, and they include as mater OF
course, the inevitable Sultana and tatima
without which no troupe would tempt
fortune. One of the women Is stout ana
old and her performance receives always
the qualified commendation which ex-
presses itself in such words as very
good for an old lady" or "Not bad Tor
her age. She is quite the most decorous
dancer that New York ever saw associated
with one OF the troupes of women tnat
dance only from the waist up. She rises
slowly when her turn comes, Walks into
the middle of the platform at one end OF
the stage, and slowly turns from side 10
side, holding her hands in the air and
clapping them together from time to
time. This Is accompanied by an un-
changing expression of solid indifference,
which varies only at the conclusion OF
her dance. Then she does look slightly
relieved as she drops into her seat.0 The
other two women are younger. All OF
them are swaddled in draperIss, and hung
over with cheap brass charms OF coins
and beads. They indicate very little OF
the character of the dance, and maybe
this comes from q realization of the fact
that police headquarters is only block
and q half away. Under any circum-
stances there would not be much that
was objectional suggestive In dance OF
this kind zone by "a woman FULLY dressed,
and the costumes of the Bowery wrigglers
protect their audiences form any undue
revelations. Occasionally the dancec re-
spending to the property name OF
"Fatima" seems to be overcome by
sense OF reality of the dance itself, and
few convulsive contractions indicate
that the real spirit of the diversion is
something with which she is familiar. But
these features of her performance come
rarely, and evdfntly only In those
moments in which her mind Is far away
from the little audience gathered In the
'stuffy hall and the sound of the elevated
railroad rushing along outside the
windows. The women who do this dance
In Paris, AZ well as those who tried two
years ago to do IT here, wore only thin
SILK shirt, fitting like skin over their
.stomachs, and the full Turkish silk
trousers. The latter reformed dance,
which IL prospering on the Bowery has
its participants covered with skirts and
gay silk waists.
The company now in the Bowery Is one
tha, danced on the Midway I'm Chicago,
and since the Fair It has travelled over
the country, usually appearing, as 1t does
in New York. In stores that are found
temporarily vacant. One o. its chief fig
ures Is the fat man who became familiar
TO almost every body who visited the Mid
way. He long ago gained the title Uncle
Grover" and he Ia not unlike the mors
distinguished bearer OF the same name. A
residence of four years in this country
has broadened his abilities as linguist
to such an extent that he can now beg for
ctgtrs and cigarettes In English. Beyond
the words necessary to these requests, he
is confined to Arabic. There are ten or
twelve men in the troupe. and the most
objectionable OF these is one who does,
what his manager calls ''torture dance" F"
He Is lanky. emaciated man, wearing
Only q hong white gown, which is short
enough to- exhibit his thin, long legs.
His ARDS. too. are bare, and into his fore
arm, SO thin that the skin seems to be
covering only the bones, he sticks five
long nesdles, pushing them into the flesh
will great deliberation, nut with force
enough to keep them standing upright for
i've minutes, while the points are seen pro-
truding from the other side Of his arm
red hot iron plate Is brought onand,
to the intense amusement of his associ-
ates who arc seated about the stage, he
dances on the iron for the amusement of
the spectators. The whole exhibition is in
tensely painful, and perhaps its most Oh.
icctionable feature Is the needle which he
sticks into the skin Of his face within a
half inch OF the left eye. This perform
ance Is repeated dozen times every day,
and, in view OF that, there seems no occa-
sion for wonder at the mans distressing
physical appearances. There is nothing
more characteristic of ali these Oriental
performers than their complete indiffer-
ence to the audience that happens to be
witnessing them. They rarely ever exhib-
1t interest enough to speak with one an
other, but lounge about, awaiting for the
time when they will be called out by the
manager and made to do their share. That
rarely awakens any interest in them. The
torture man looked rather bored while he
was sticking pins into himself, and his an
imation over the hot iron looked as
though II might be assumed. The only
person who gave any spirit TO the enter
fainment were two "brothers," VINO real
ly looked as though they might be. They
fenced with Turkish swords, and slashed
sway with SO much clatter and din that
the rest OF the people on the stage would
have looked interested IL it had been In
their power.