English | English In the centre of the dancing-place stand two drummers and the girls' chorus. The drums are cylindrical drums with double membrane attached by bracing cords. The girls clap their hands and sing songs in praise of prominent persons. The dancers, about twenty boys, move anti-clockwise around the girls' chorus and the drummers. They wear long turban scarves which they wave in the air when swinging their arms. There is a close connection between the girls'singing and the boys movements: the steps of the boys are directed by the songs. The first dance is followed by a passage showing only the chorus singing and the beating of the drums. Another "djele"-dance follows, accompanied too by singing, rhythmical hand-clapping and the beating of the drums. The dancers circle once more around the group of the girls and wave their turban scraves, but thei steps are modified. Shortly after the dance stops, the girls intone another song and the third "djele"-dance begins. The complicated complications of steps are performed by the dancers on the spot; they are evidently differing from those of the preceding dances. All "djele"-dances are presented at full length. |