| caption: |
the Ouliengbu or spring festival |
| caption: |
a brilliant morning, putting on ornaments |
| caption: |
the rhythms and tunes of the dance |
| text: |
One would have to have choreographic training to distinguish steps and rhythm, but even the amateur notices several phases of the dance. The first phase is that the dancers go around the circle with light swaying steps, rhythmically brandishing their daos, and answering the lead singer, while the smallest boys usually only enter shouting the last words of the verse. It is up to the liking of the individual how long he will bend his knees and whether he only lightly emphasises the dao waving or does it emphatically. (This dance is called Dzingteiheam-en-bue. See Notebook 12 p. 178). Some of the men carry spears, the older ones in particular so they can lean on them. Shields on the other hand (88) are only carried by some small boys. These are plaited bamboo shields. |
