Chapter XVI 



DANCING ON THE EQUATOR 



To the millions living on the Equator dancing is not 

 only a most important national pastime, but it should 

 be recognized by all those who seek to do constructive 

 work in Africa, that this ready exposition of rhythm is 

 an infallible indication of the thoughts and moods of the 

 people. 



The sense of rhythm so pulsates through the African 

 that he is incapable of effectively doing anything with- 

 out it. For example the simple act of picking up a weed 

 from the ground among certain tribesmen will call for 

 a little song and dance in preparation for the physical 

 effort. As in small things this rule applies also in the case 

 of movements of far reaching importance. The trend 

 of these rhythmic records of current actions are always 

 signs of the mental attitude of the actors in the drama 

 of everyday life, and are as easily read by one who 

 knows how to observe, as a fever chart would be by a 

 skilled physician. For instance, the dance which indicates 

 such a thing as an impending strike is very diflferent to 

 the dance that is performed before renewed or increased 

 effort, such as in a lion hunt, a tribal raid, or the initia- 



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