Welcome back to International Dance Week! Most of the dances I’ve collected videos of so far have been “pure” dance, in the sense that their only purpose is to be artistic and to entertain. However, entertainment is just one of many reasons that humans, singly or in groups, stop plodding around and start busting moves.
If you travel to Tanzania and visit the Masai, they won’t just say “howdy”, the whole village will welcome you with a dance!
If you go to a traditional Orthodox Jewish wedding, you may get to see a celebration with a traditional dance like the one featured in this amazing
wedding dance clip from the movie “Fiddler on the Roof”.
Feeling lonely and want to attract a mate? Be the center of attention and hit the dance floor at the local dance club like Tony Manero — the chicks will come running! (OK, perhaps this one is a teensy bit of a stretch, but I just couldn’t resist givng you a little John Travolta! Woo hoo!)
Are you in an arid area and need some liquid in your life? How about a traditional Hopi rain dance, to ask the Great Spirit to help bring some rain?
And of course, you know I saved the best for last…
If you and your buddies take on the New Zealand All-Blacks at rugby, be warned that before every match the entire team will face you and perform the Haka, a traditional Maori war dance, to psych themselves up and intimidate the hell out of you and your team! Yes, the All-Blacks are famous for doing this before every match, and no, don’t tell these guys that “dancing is for sissies”!
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January 20, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Connie
Holy Crow I have several going at the same time! for some reason a couple did not stop for me…we know how I am…technically challenged!
Yep Head is about to explode! I blame it on the “dusting” of snow we had today! Closed the whole state!!
jimsmuse sez: I had the same problem, but hopefully it’s fixed now! If your head does explode, please clean up the debris and leave this blog as clean (and silly) as you found it!
January 20, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Susan
So, my sister married a Kiwi. The ceremony was on a beach in Hawaii and in the middle, all the Kiwi men got out of their seats or left the front area where they were standing, went off to the side, and did the Haka. Funniest thing I have ever seen. Of course every American (including me) just went “huh?” It was brilliant and finally unfroze my sister and enabled her to enjoy her own wedding.
jimsmuse sez: I was first introduced to the Haka in Edinburgh, Scotland at the Military Tattoo when the New Zealand Army Marching Band dropped their instrumentson the ground and started slapping their thighs and yelling. The crowd went crazy laughing, and the locals were kind enough later to explain the “joke” to us ignorant non-rugby-watching Americans. I can’t even imagine how hilarious it must have been to see it happen at a wedding!