The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-04-27
TRIBE DANCES ALL THE TIME.
Strange People Who Inhabit the In.
 terIor of Madagascar.


 A tribe that dances, and dances all the time except when sleeping or resting, is the Tanala, the forest people, of the north central part of Madagascar. They dance insted of walking, and instead of running they only dance faster; their re- ligious ceremonies are dances; their amusement Is dancing; they dance while hewing trees. erecting houses or gather ing rice. They have danoeed so long for many generatio that they have forgot ten other gaits and other motions and go through life in one long delirious whirl.
 Besides dancing in quantity it is de- elared that their dances or some of them. are the most expressive and meaningful, as well as the most beautifully and grace fully executed in the world
 Every emotion of the human race is expressed in their dances, and the forms of the dance are as numerous as the emo lions of the danceer, says the Chicago Tribune They dance with arms, with legs, with bodies and with faces. posing in every conceivable attitude, and doing steps and executing movements that would make the most skilful of stage dancers wild with envy.
 Every form of the dance, almost, is used among these forest people At the beginning of one of their dances the warriors, thrilling with pride and the lust of battle go forth to meet the foe. Then comes the conflict, the wild struggle, in which the dancers work themselves up to a pitch of frenzy, screaming rhythmically. while the musical instru- 1sients rise higher and higher, and the crowd of spectators, resting from their own efforts in other dances join in their cries, urging the dancers to wilder exer- tions The defeat, the rout, the capture must follow rapidly. made SD plain and so clear in meaning that any one of any land could understand. Then the torture in which the bodies of the dancers writhe and-tremble and their faces ex- press acute agony and fear, the awful supplcation and then woe and disgrace as they dance away into captivity.
 The musical instruments which are used in their ceremonial dances, such as the arrival of a distinguished visitor. the in- stalling of a new official or the burial of a great dancer, are of interest The greatest is a sort of zither, and next is A primitive form of the violin. with four strings, which is shaped like a huge mel on. Also they have a flute called valiha, which is made of bamboo. covered at both ends with hide. inside of which round stones are shaken rhythmically.
 Their chants and their wild weird mu- sic from the odd orchestra turniSh a remarkable accompaniment for the dances: but with or without music. these odd people dance.
 It is a common sight, according to the French explorers, to see scores of men working in the rice fields. shuffling their feet, swaying their bodies and chanting melodously while working. Tn Saha si- naka, the principal town of the Tanala, the men can be seen dancing along the streets in a sort of Swinging two-step, and the carriers when packing heavy loads throug great forests dance along under their burdens, for time swaying their bodies. then doing a little crow jig with their feet as they advance. and, although four men may be carrying a priest or an important man in a litter, they dance all the way, seeming never to tire.
 The children begin to dancee almost as soon as they can toddle, and literally dance to the grave. The explorers saw funeral. four men carrying the body of d petty chief on their shoulders with procession of mourners following. the entire crowd dancing toward the big bur iai pit. where the bodies of all who die in that village are thrown.