Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Trini Tuesday-Snavy's Question

First of all, I want to thank each of you who commented yesterday and especially those who left poems. I was in and out all day and didn't have much chance to respond inthe comments. I just loved reading all the favorites as well as the ones people wrote themselves. I saw some old favorites, found some new poets to explore, and witnessed the talent of creative fellow bloggers. Thanks so much!


Now, onto a Trini Question...

snavylyn said...
I would love to learn about dance Trini style.


LIMBO
limbo

Yes, believe it or not the Limbo originated in Trinidad! The backwards bending movement is said to be reminiscent of the motions slaves had to make as they entered a ship's hold. No matter how they twisted or turned though, there was no escape from having to go under. As I was checking for information on the dance I also learned that it was originally performed at wakes and was named for the afterlife destination between heaven and hell. Doing the dance during a wake was considered a way to help the departed friend or family member escape limbo and enter heaven.

The version with flaming sticks emerged during the 50's and 60's as a means to entertain tourists and is not generally danced socially.



PARANG DANCE
parang

This is based on the Castillian Waltz style and is especially popular at Christmas time when Parang bands perform seasonal tunes. Non waltzing forms can also be seen when the livelier tunes are played but it is still firmly rooted in a Latin ballroom style.



CLASSICAL INDIAN DANCE
indian-dancers

Schools for this form are quite common in Trinidad since there is a large Indian population. There are apparently enough styles in this form to keep me blogging for weeks but the most often seen seems to be the style in which stories of the Hindu mythology are related via graceful, prescribed movements.


WINE
more-wining

No, this isn't something you drink in, except with your eyes perhaps. No words can adequately express what a good Trini wine is all about. Even the picture here leaves something to be desired. A wine is an emphatic pelvic gyration used when dancing to Calypso or Soca music. Imagine perhaps a belly dancer making very fast circles. Feet stay planted in one spot while hips bump and grind. It pulsates and throbs and gets various anatomical parts and physiological processes doing the same when well executed. You can solo wine, partner wine or group wine. When wining with another it can be face to face or front to back but it is always done grinding right up against your partner. The inability to wine well is what marks most foreigners, but if a visitor to the island gives an impressive wine they are immediately dubbed a Trini. And yes, in case you wondered, ah can get on bad when ah winin'!

Happy Trini Tuesday!

13 comments:

S said...

Cool post, Lime! I just love dances of the world.

lecram sinun said...

Another wonderful post, lime. Love your Trini Tuesdays. I would post Malaysian Mondays... but I've squandered all the good stuff with my stories. LOL!

lime said...

gloria, it's a deal! and that's how i like to travel too!

susie,thankS!

lecram, ooh starts the chant, malyasian monday...malyasian monday! i love your stories but i just KNOW there is even more fodder!

Breazy said...

I always love tuesdays because of your Trini posts . I love learning about other places . One day I am gonna get Ms. Logo going about her trip to Ireland ! Have a good day !

truckdriver_sefl said...

Wow another GREAT post where I can really learn something!!

Kelly said...

Thank you for all the information! Very cool!

DaMasta said...

I looooooooooove to dance! In Austin, I took Salsa and Swing classes and we'd go out and dance with live bands playing! It was soo much fun!

Here, I'm taking street and salsa dancing at the gym. :)

Stephanie said...

Thank you so much!! So very interesting - I want to learn more. Dance from different cultures is so fascinating. At the studio, we try to teach the students the origins of the different types of dance they perform. I had no idea Indian dance was popular in Trinidad. I did a lot of research on this type of dance and choreographed a routine - was so much fun.

LOL - I had no idea THAT dance was called a Wine - I love it!!

Happy Trini Tuesday!!

ttfootball said...

HAHAHAA..."The inability to wine well..." Your diction makes it sound SO funny hehehe. I really like how you covered different groups. I'm finally trying to get started on my blog but things kinda hectic. I never forget Tuesdays tho!

Phain said...

**checking yellow pages for wine lessons*** Sounds delicious!

Blueprincesa said...

Very interesting!

James Goodman said...

Wow, I need to go there. Trini looks like a lot of fun. I would be all over getting my wine down. :D

Moosekahl said...

Lime...you are awesome, I am about to smash my pager :) Do you think the clinic will accept the excuse of momentary insanity? Thanks for making me smile this morning.