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Show / 9 6 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [ BULL. 75 for the entrance of the dance circle. The drum, as already stated, is placed at the right of the entrance and the leader of the dancers sits at the left. In beginning the dance the leader rises and dances around the entire circle, the other dancers rising and following him. Having completed the round of the circle, he moves in an erratic manner, the dancers following close behind him ( fig. 3). The dancers imitate a turkey by thrusting their heads forward and wagging them from side to side, while their arms hang loosely from the shoulders. The Woman's dance is usually danced at the same time as the Turkey dance, these being the only two dances thus connected. CHARACTERISTICS OF SONGS An interrupted eighth- note drumbeat is the chief characteristic of these songs. This is transcribed with song No. 30 and was discernible in the phonograph records of the other songs. The rhythm of the voice shows a slight preference for 2- 4 time and for beginning on the accented part of the measure. Melodically the songs are characterized by wide compass and small intervals of progression. Thus the compass of the songs is from 9 to 13 tones, and 93 per cent of the intervals are thirds and seconds. The average interval contains 2.8 semitones, and therefore is smaller than a minor third. The average interval in the entire series of Ute songs contains 3.14 semitones. ( Table 13, p. 42.) |