dance belt, dance belt, dance-belt

"The dances of the Balenge people are similar to those I have previously described from the people of Bangveolo, as is clear from the following description from my book From Cape to Alexandria: “During our stay in the village of Chirukutus, the full moon occurred. Already a few days before, when the moon rose in its red splendor over the forest, the drums began to beat and the dance to thread. We go to the huts, from where the sound is heard. Facing the radiant disk of the moon, two youngsters stand leaning forward, each with a cylindrical, meter-high drum between his knees. Rhythmically and with a never-failing technique, they strike with their hands on the drums, one of which sounds four whole tones louder than the other. The interplay is without hesitation and the dull, mysterious tones of the drums seem almost hypnotic even to us whites. To the left of the drums in a semicircle stand a flock of women, most with their children tucked between their coats and backs. The semicircle on the right consists of men and boys. So a man and a woman run towards each other during steps, which are reminiscent of stepping, although here also added strong movements with the hips. All the others clap their hands in time to the muted rhythm of the drums. The dance lasts only a few seconds, the woman runs back to the group of women, the man to the other men. A new couple then immediately dances out, and then one couple replaces the other throughout the night. Sometimes the musicians tune a monotonous, melancholy song, which in certain places is amplified by the chorus of the others. The dance is getting wilder and wilder. The little linden children's heads toss and nod in time with the movements of their dancing mothers, but not a sound is heard from the little vomits, who with a satisfied expression observe the strange spectacle. When we return to our tents, the drums sound just as loud, and when we are tired we fall asleep, the melancholy song still reaches our ears. " Ballet women sometimes wear dance belts. These consist of an ear part of fibrous yarn, from which a number of strings with threaded pipe or saw sticks hang down (Fig. 343)." (pp. 419-420, von Rosen, 1916, translated from Swedish).