New-York tribune., 1910-04-03
QUEER PEOPLE DESCRIBED
By A VETERAN Ora WELLER

their dignity 70 watch them These dances
usually take place on a platform raised
sometimes as high as ten feet from the
ground The girls, elabOrately tattooed
and a1tfred in short skirts OF string. may
be twenty in number. and make their ap-
pearance by racing through the village ana
swinging round their bodies string. ar
the end OF which IS attached a bell 1nelr
nrorress is accompanied by motions OF the
body backward and forward rather a1ler
the manner OF the coon dancers with whom
English people who go TO music ha--s ano
pantomimes are acquainted
With shouting and beating OF drums the
girls reach the platform There married
women anOiut them. Wills Others present
them with baskets Of yans and nuts Ine
girls continue their graceful gyrauors 70
the tune Of the noisy delight OF the crowds
OF women and children OnloOkers- sud
denly, however. the dancers stop 1ney
seize the baskets OF nuts and begin peIt-
ing the spectators. who thoroughly enjoy
the scramble for the fruit which ensres-
In Burrnah dancing is engaged In az great
religious festivals. at funerals. when a
Young man is about to enter q monastery
and IN village professions The OrO-n@Ey
dancers do not go through any speciai
training, but watch celebrated performers
and when they are dancing themselves
sdant their movements to the sound OF
the music Professional dancers. however
have TO undergo q rigorous training
Although there are q great many DIFF
sarent names for the dances. the actions
4, all ara ver- similar. consisting for the
most mart merely OF variations in the vav-
inr OF hands and unduIatiOns OF the body
from the waist upward The long skirts
are so narrow that the girls seem 70 %
sewn I'D IN a bag. and thus Jumping OF
anv rapid change OF position is out or rne
question What they lack in agility. row
ever. they make Up for with rhe grace anu
srupleness Of their movements II Is nol
ar all out OF the common 20 see girl bend
backward till she can pick Up with her
Iips coins thrown BY the spectators on 10
the mat on which she stands
The most interesting dances TO the for
eigner are the choral dances, which Re-
semble a European ballet These are or1en
carried out By amateurs, who spend much
time in practising beforehand the siris
and boys in the villages who show the
greatest aptitude for dancing are raAen
in hand by a skilfuI Instructor, who coacnes
them until perfect There IS, however no
mingIing OF the sexes IN any OF the cances-
The girls sit IN rows on the ground
let's and bright cOIored silk vests Or tight
6ttina, lace bodices. They often succeed
ons another in groups 1t IS considered q
grsat attraction by Burmese girls to have
their elbow joints so supple that they are
able 70 bend their forearm TIL It curves
outward. and this elegant accomplishments
thew lose no opportunity in showing or II
public
In Shorthand Island. belonging % tns
solomon r-ro1lp. one OF the chief features
4, TIE funeral ceremonies OF persons OF
tr,portance Is a dance engaged II oy a
number OF women The performers. VINO
number sometimes as many as fourscore,
are the wives OF the chief men OF the yL--
lagos
Besides the war, funeral and restai
dances. there are others OF less tnnoc-
nous kind-somewhat similar in nature %
the nautch dances OF India-which are per-
formed by bands OF young girls IN tHe
Florida Islands. also in the solomon group,
dancing IS more or less OF a profession
COMPANIES OF dancers go on tour through
the different islands OF the group
A great feast was IN progress on Treas
urv ISLAND. and IN the course OF Il dance
was given BY some thirty or FORTY women
and zirIs They stood In ring rounc
Dit in the ground. IN which was nxsd q
board. This took the place OF soGn1ins
board. Two women danced upon II. stamp
ing 10 make IL give out hollow sound
which served as the music 20 which the
other women timed their steps The dane-
ing consisted OF bending forward sWaSiAs
from side 20 side and raising eaeh ioot al
ternately. All the time the dance eoh'inuso
the performers sang hveN halNe A7-
Now and again couple of ths cancers
would go outside the ring. hoiains ouI II
front OF them the mats ec Iolaed p@la-n .
,,,tt.h each dancer earried--Joa1 EoossS
Frazer.
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