WEIRD DANCES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 211, 19 June 1933, Page 8

WEIRD DANCES

NEW GUINEA "SING SING."

STRANGE CEREMONIES. To show the "big white chief from Siteni" just how they can danco 2000 natives, mostly Tolais, assembled recently at Mount Toma, 30' miles from Rabaul, Sew Guinea, and gave Mr Marr, a member of the Australian Federal Ministry, an exhibition of picturesque dancing. On arrival .at the scene of the "sing sing" Mr Marr saw hundreds, of natives ordinarily attired but from the bush on all sides came weird singing. Suddenly men beat a drum rapidly and from the bush came Tambuans, who were dancers, wearing huge billowing grass skirts and a gaily-coloured conical head-dress covering the face with strange masks, and reaching to the shoulders.

A drum band and singers appeared, and the Tambuans danced around the ground in perfect time. They were followed by Due Dues, wearing a taller but similar head-dress. More drums came, more singers, and more dancers till the large area was full of groups of dancers, men and women, and the air full of the beating of drums, accompanied by weird and frenzied cries. Each group of dancers had a* ceremonial and religious significance. "The dance belong T'ambaran," or "Dance of the Bad Spirits," was the rarest as well as the strangest and most impressive. The dancers wore pointed headdresses made from red, yellow and white feathers, beautifully designed, plain, lava leaves and. huge branches of yellow croton leaves on their backs. Their logs were painted with red, yellow and white ochre. Some rattled cowrie shells. All held wands of red flowers.

An old man, bearded and similarly dressed, and wearing a collar 2in. wide, made from dogs' teeth, directed the proceedings, which followed a long and ordered design, every movement of which had significance, while the "orchestra" of two dozen men beat drums .and sang. Meanwhile, more and yet more devils appeared from every direction, all dressed differently and all wearing the most brilliant colours, each party bringing its own drummers and singers. One group consisted of masked men and appeared most hideous. Aiv other group was from the wild Bainings, part of which is still uncontrolled. The Bainings performed a snake dance. They wore a dress .consisting of all leaves, a head-dress of yellow grass, pyramids and woven masks, like gasmasks, with,white shell at the top, giving a gnome-like effect. In their own district the Bainings carry live pythons during the dance. In another part of the ground hundreds of women danced and sang. n Mr Marr left before .the "sing sing" was concluded, for,, if allowed, the dancers would continue all night. As the official party made its way down to the road there came the sound of beating drums and singing across the jungle.