RANDOM REMINDER

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 21

RANDOM REMINDER

M ’ BONGO IN THE SHOWER

There were some most interesting observations in an article published recently on the women's page, ’ discussing the popularity of America's new dance craze, the Twist. It was explained that the dance consists of swinging the arms and knees in opposite directions, while the feet remain more or less on the same spot At the same time, the body sways forward over the left foot, then backwards over the right foot. It is. it is claimed, rather like the motions of a man giving himself a brisk rub-down with a towel; another school of thought likens it to the writhings of a rock’n’roll crooner in his more frenzied moments. Further, students of anthropology claim to be able to detect in it some links with primi-

tive tribal dances. The popularity of the Twist is attributed to it being an effective way of abandoning inhibitions and releasing tensions caused by anything from business worries to the hydrogen bomb. All this is most interesting. And if the Twist does for its adherents what it is claimed to do, we are all going to regain our youthful contours. For instance, it will not be long before letter-boxes will be receiving envelopes marked “Inland Revenue Department.” Taxpayers are advised to start twisting immediately. Just to relieve the nervous tension of course. And when motorists are pulled in to the side of the road by traffic officers for doing 56 miles an hour, what more reasonable than to alie-

viate the strain by per-; forming like a rock’n’roll singer in his more frenzied moments? The officer may regard his customer as a gibbering idiot: unless he is a ner-; vous type too. and feels the same need to let off; steam.

But it is disturbing to have the serenity of the shower-room shattered by references to primitive tribal dances. This column has been in the habit, during the brisk rubbing - down process, to hum softly to himself just something simple from the works of one or two of the lesser-known composers —but the enjoyment of it all is lessened consid-' erably by mental images of obscure jungle rites. No. When the Twist comes to Christchurch.

this column will be no Oliver.