The "Hair Swinging Dance" is a kind of dance for Yamei women of the Gaoshan nationality, affected much by the sea.
In the past, the Yamei women did not dance in the day according to their customs, so they danced in the moon night. The Yamei people live on an island named Lanyu.
A warm and humid climate and sufficient sunshine give Yamei girls a vigorous and graceful body and pitch-black hair. They often walk bare-footed. In the bright moon night, they come to the tranquil seacoast and begin dancing on the beach filled with cobbles.
At first, they stand in a row, loosen their hair and begin singing while gently swaying themselves. The wonderful sound of gliding pebbles under their feet and songs mingle with each other and become fairly poetic.
Then they hold each other arm-in-arm, bow their body and swing their hair to the front. They do not stop until their hair touches the ground. At this point, they bend their knees lightly and swing their hair to the back violently.
Before the hair goes down onto their shoulders, the hair is vertical to the body. The girls dance like this over and over until they have enjoyed themselves to the full satisfaction.
Under difficult life conditions, they feel pleased and comfortable, for the simple but enthusiastic "Hair Swinging Dance" gives them youth and vigor. The long hair in the air looks like beating flames of their lives.
The "Hair Swinging Dance" is a kind of dance for Yamei women of the Gaoshan nationality, affected much by the sea.
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