WEIRD DANCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21515, 12 June 1933, Page 15

WEIRD DANCES

NEW GUINEA " SING SING " STRANGE CEREMONIES To show the. "big white chief from Siteni" just how they can dance, 2000 natives, mostly Tolais, assembled recently at Mount Toina, 30 miles from Rabaul, New Guinea, and gave Mr. Marr, a member of the Australiap 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 two men beat a drum rapidly and from the bush came Tambuans, who were dancers, wearing huge billowing grass skirts, and a gaify-coroured 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 l)uc Dues, wearing a taller but Bimilar head-dress. Mose drums caine. more singers, and more dancers, till the large area was full of groups of dancers, men and women, and the air full of tho beating of drums, accompanied by weird and frenzied cries. Each group of dances had a ceremonial and religious significance. "The dance belong Tambaran," or "Dance of the Bad Spirits," was tho rarest as well as tho strangest and most impressive. Tho dancers woro pomted headdresses made from red, yellow and white feathers, beautifully designed, plain lava lavas and huge bunches of yellow nroton leaves on their backs. Their legs vore painted with rod, yellow and white ochre. Some rattled cowrie shells. All hold wands of red flowers. • An old man, bearded and similarly dressed, and wearing a collar 2in. wide, made from dogs' teeth, directed tho proceedings, which followed a long and ordered design, every movement of which had significance; while the "orchestra" of two dozen men boat drums and sang. Meanwhile more and vet moro dovils appeared from every direction, nil 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. Another group was from the wild jßainings, part of which is still uivnontrrtlled. The Bainings performed a snake dance. They woro a dress consisting of all leaves, a head-dress of yellow grass, pyramids and woven masks, like gasmasks,' with white shell at tho top, giving a gnome-like effect. In their own district the Bainings carry live pythons during the dance. In another part of tho ground hundreds of women danced and sang. ... 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 tho road there came tho sound of beating drums and singing across tho jungle.