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03 Mar 08 - 03:36 AM (#2278005) Subject: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: mouldy I've just got back from a holiday in Sri Lanka, and was fortunate enough to see the big parade in Colombo to celebrate the February full moon. This comprised dance groups from various regions, and Buddhist groups, interspersed with decorated elephants. Most colourful. Towards the end of the parade, a group came along, in the centre of which was a guy carrying a maypole. Around him, dancers were doing the standard under and over plaiting, whilst carrying a clacker in their free hand. this they used to emphasise the beat of the dance. I am only assuming that this is a vestige of the British colonial days that has been absorbed into the culture. Anybody else ever seen it? At least I had my camcorder with me. Andrea |
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03 Mar 08 - 10:15 AM (#2278229) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: AllisonA(Animaterra) Wonderful- any photos? |
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03 Mar 08 - 02:03 PM (#2278431) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: McGrath of Harlow Here is a set of pictures I found on flickr of the Perahera procession in SriLanka. And here is a bit from Wikipedia: In the 2005 Perahera (procession) at Kataragama in Sri Lanka; children in local dress, plaited tapes and clashed sticks as they danced around a moving, portable "Maypole." They then reversed direction to un-plait the tapes around the moving maypole. It was not clear whether they were portraying a period of English or general European influence on Ceylon or whether this is an older, local tradition. |
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04 Mar 08 - 01:47 PM (#2279414) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: McGrath of Harlow I came across this page, by someone who was in Sri Lanka during a festival in August, which seems pretty similar to what mouldy saw in February. It has a picture of some Sri Lanka Maypole Dancers and also of what is referred to as Morris Dancing. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and have a look for yourself. I don't suppose there are any Sri Lankans out there to tell us more? |
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04 Mar 08 - 06:51 PM (#2279713) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: GUEST,Granny in Wales I've only seen old black and white photos of the painted elephants in and around Colombo, Kandy, etc., which my parents took during wartime service...and one photo of my late father sitting on an elephant which had killed its keeper the previous day..... |
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04 Mar 08 - 09:27 PM (#2279789) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: Fortunato I've emailed my SriLankan friend, news at 11:00. |
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04 Mar 08 - 10:40 PM (#2279828) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: katlaughing Andrea! What fun. Any chance you'll put a snippet up on youtube? |
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05 Mar 08 - 05:23 AM (#2279963) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: mouldy If I can ever get to learn how to do it, yes. I'm afraid I am not very technically minded, and the camcorder is very new! It's a pity the camera battery went down about half an hour before the event, or else I would have some stills. Andrea |
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05 Mar 08 - 05:26 AM (#2279967) Subject: RE: Maypole dancing in Sri Lanka! From: mouldy By the way, i have looked at the pics McGrath has found, and that is exactly what I saw, except the pole was not in a base - it appeared to be turned at the bottom to form a grip for the guy who was actually holding it, and moving along at the same time. Andrea |