The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-15
TRTBE DANCES ALE THE TIME.
strange People VINO Inhabit the interior
..t, II Madagascar.

. ~
A tribe that dances. and dances all the
time except. when sleeping or resting ~
the Tanala, the sforeAt people ofthe north
central part of Madagascar, 'Ihey oahoe
instead of walking, and instead OF run
ming they only dance faster; their reiigioue
ceremonies are dances; their amusement
IL dancing; they dance even while heWine
trees, erecting houses or gathering rice
They have danced 30 long for many gen
erations. that they have forgotten DINER
gaits and other motions and go through
life in one long delirious whirl,
Besides dancing in quantity 1t IL declareo
that their dances, or some OF Them are tue
most expressive and meaningrul, as wen
as the most beautifully and graoein'y
executed in the world.
Every emotion Of the human race 10 eX-
pressed in their dances, and the foTms Oh
the dance are as numerous as the emotions
OF the dancer, says, the Chicago 1r'ouhe'
They dance with arms, with legs, WIN
bodies and with faces, posing in every
conceivable attitude, and doing steps ana
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 be-
ginning of ono Of their dances the warriors,
thrilling with pride and the lust OF battle,
60 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 Instruments rise higher anu
higher, and the crowd Of spectators, rest
ing from their own efforts in other dances
join in the cries, urging the dancers TO
wilder exertions. The defeat. the rout
the capture, follow rapidly made 30 plain
and go clear in meaning that any one OF
any land could understand. Then the
torture, in which the bodies of the dancers
writhe aud tremble, and their faces express
acute agony and fear, the awful supplica-
ton, and then woe and diagrace as they
dance, awav into captivity. .''' =.
The musical Instruments which are. used
In their ceremonial dances, such as'the ar
rival of a distinguished visitor, the installing
Of a new official OF the burial OF asgreat
dancer. are of interest. The greatest Is
a sort OF either. and next Is a primitive form
Of the violin, with -four Strings. which IL
shaped like a huge melon. Also they have a
flute called vahha, which is made of bamboo.
They have II bamboo drum, the head OF
which ia a hide, and also n bamboo, covered
at both ends with hide. inside of which
round stones are shaker Tllythmieally.
ltitt cav ff'i' "ANs' 'O'
from the odd orchestra furnish n remarkable
accompaniment for the dances; but with
OF without music, these odd people dance;
1t il a common sight, according to the
French explorers, to see scores OF men
working In the rice fields, siuffing their
feet. swaying their bodies and chanting
melodiously while working. In Sahasinaka,
| the principal town of the Tanala, the men
can be seen dancing along the streets IN IL
sort of swinging two step; and the carriers
when packing, heavy loads through the
! dens, for a 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 dance almost as soon
as they can toddle, and literally dance to the
grave. The explorers saw a funeral, four
men carrying the body Of a petty chief ON
their shoulders, with a procession OF mourn
, ers following, the entire crowd dane
ing toward the big burial pit, where the
bodies of all who die in that village are
thrDwp.