Evening star., 1920-02-21
animal DANCES
Of ANCIENT ORIGIN
Steps of Indians and Prim.
tive Peoples Described in
Geographic Bulletin.

Whatever ones view concerning
the propriety of the fox trot,' tn,
liant duck and the grizzly bear one
fact about them may he of interest
animal dances are not new" saws
bulletin issued today by the National
Geographic Society from its Washing
ton headquarters.
These dances recall the steps long
nracticed by the American Indians
and also by some primitive peoples
of the present day.
The red men engaged in the buff
ialo, deer, bear and eagle dances with
true poetry of motion and religious
fervor. Modern ballroom artistry fire.
quentiy is crude, as compared with
the dances which long existed among
these earlier Americans.
How Dances Originated.
"Ethnologists say that the so-called
animal dances originated in the
stories which tribal braves told
around their campfireS to illustrate
their adventures and the actions of
their prey during the hunt.
travellers in the South seas found
the primitive peoples of the Society
Islands engaging in pastimes wh+h
they believe had a similar origin.
Among North American Indians
many o. these pageants were reli-
gious and ceremonial in character a
a result OF the red mans reverence
for nature in all its forms. Many still
are practiced today. Some Indian
tribes believed that all knowledge
was given to animals and that their
Supreme Being did not speak to man
but manifested Himself through dumb
creatures and through the sun. moon
and stars: Often an Indian who de-
sired to know how he should live
would go into solitude and wait until
some animal brought him vision.
consequently. when he interpreted
the movements of an animal he would
adhere closely to the truth. AS a result
of this quality in his dancing and his
sense of beauty, he has evolved pag-
eants worthy of preservation.
Buffalo Dance, Indian Art.
THE buffalo dance is one of the fin
est exhibitions of Indian art. When
the buffalo. in his eastward progress
across the plains, came upon the semi
civilized inhabitants of the Mississippi
valley the Indians were in dire need
of animal food. The buffalo afforded
material for tents. tools and even
fuel. Thus he won an especially re-
vered place in their lives and the pag-
cant symbolical of the buffalo chase
is one of the most picturesque and
highly developed of their art. 1t was
an eXhortation when food was scarce
1t still holds a high place in the life
of this tribe.
THE Sioux dancers do not hide
graceless movements among a whirl-
ing mob. They dare to silhouette
themselves in thousands of postures
against the clearly defining brilliance
of the setting sun.
"The cast for the buffalo dance is
usually composed of a group of five
dancers, two of whom represent the
buffalo. one the hunter and two
women the mother animal.
''The interpreters wear garments in
imitation of the colors of the animal.
This sobriety in tone is accentuated
on the lower portions of their bodies
by a few white marks. an occasional
bit of red at the waist and the soft
green of pine branches in their hands.
Imitation of Animals.
1.-The dancers representing the buff
falo wear long masks in imitation of
buffalo heads, the outlines of which
blend with the shades of their own
black stained bodies. They initiate as
nearly as possible the actions of the
animals. catch their solemnity and
endeavor to portray their power.
perhaps the most spectacular of
the animal dances still in existence is
the snake dance of the Hopi Indians,
founded on a fascinating legend with
regard to their origin. In this weird
and picturesque ceremony they dance
with live snakes. furnishing all the
thrills of the circus snake charmer.
THE Indians eagle dance holds the
highest place among those founded
upon their reverence for the bird
kingdom. The butterfly dance of In
dian youths and maidens has a mod
ern counterpart in one of the famed
successes of the Russian ballet"