Dance and the Turning of the Wheel of Life Part 2

The rites of passage can mark stages in education, social status or spiritual knowledge.In Australia debutante balls are generally held in the eleventh year of the Australian school system. It is the girl who asks a boy to the ball. Boys cannot "do the deb" unless they are asked.

A cotillion or debutante ball in the United States of America is a formal presentation of young ladies to those who are considered to be the "cream of society". The girls are usually recommended by a distinguished commitee or sponsored by an established member of polite society. These balls are often charity affairs.

This is rather different to tribal society where all members will undergo the rites of passage. In the United States approach , selection, social status and finance are the qualifying factors.

Countries such as Australia and the U.S have been influenced by customs which originated in England. The debutante season and "coming out" originated in the eighteenth century when Kind George 111 held a ball for his wifes' birthday. The most important ball was Queen Charlottes'Ball where well-bred girls danced with eligible young men and hoped to find a suitable marriage partner. This rite of passage asured a girl of her position in society while also declaring her to be of marriagable age. Queen Elizabeth 11 abolished the ceremony of presentation at court in 1958.

In the United States, England and no doubt in other countries there has been a marked interest by parents, educators, the clergy and people of various spiritual orientations in arranging retreats for teen-agers which provide a rite of passage relevant to the youths and the position they will have to take in this increasingly complex world.

Marriage is a rite of passage that worldwide is associated with dancing so I'm not going to dwell on this subject. In Mexico while the bride and groom dance, guests gather around in the shape of a heart. The Cajuns of Louisianna are famous for their good food and life-style. They celebrate a wedding with a dance or reception. In french a wedding dance is called "la Bal de Noce " which is the term the Cajuns have adopted.

In death too, music and dance play a part. Farewells can take place to the throbbing of drums and much dancing or may be very staid and stiff affairs.

The New Orleans jazz funeral has its origins in the Dahomean and Yoruba cultures of West Africa. The joyful music and enthusiastic dancing which takes place after the funeral rites reflects the belief that death is a gateway to a better place where one is re-united with the ancestors. The band accompanies the mourners and the coffin from the deceased's home or the funeral parlour, to the church. then the party either march to the cemetery or they "cut the body lose" (send the hearse off to the cemetary). Until this point the procession is solomn and the band plays dirges adapted from French martial music. As soon as they "cut the body loose" or leave the cemetery, the band strikes up a joyous sound and everyone dances back to the lodge hall with others joining in along the way.

Death is the final and ultimate rite of passage!

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