Cymbal Dance
and I thought perhaps that he had noticed me and had reacted. It had been, perhaps, my
imagination. I sat on the tent carpet, poking at the small fire in the cooking hole. I could
hear from a tent nearby the sound of a flute, some soft drums, and the rhythmic jangle of
some tiny cymbals.
As I mused, Talena stepped forth from behind the silk curtain. I had thought she had retired.
Instead, she stood before me
in the diaphanous, scarlet dancing silks of Gor. She had rouged
her lips. My head swam at the
sudden intoxicating scent of a wild perfume. Her olive ankles
bore dancing bangles with tiny
bells. Attached to the thumb and index finger of each hand
were tiny finger cymbals. She
bent her knees ever so slightly and raised her arms gracefully
above her head.
There was a sudden bright clash
of the finger cymbals, and, to the music of the nearby tent,
Talena, daughter of the Ubar
of Ar, began to dance for me.
As she moved slowly before me,
she asked softly, "Do I please you, Master?" There had been
no scorn, no irony in her voice.
"Yes," I said, not thinking to repudiate the title by which she had addressed me.
She paused for a moment and walked
lightly to the side of the tent. She seemed to hesitate for
an instant, then quickly gathered
up the slave whip and a leading chain. She placed them
firmly in my hands and knelt
on the tent carpet before me, her eyes filled with a strange
light, her knees not in the
position of a Tower Slave but of a Pleasure Slave.
"If you wish," she said, "I will dance the Whip Dance for you, or the Chain Dance."
I threw the whip and chain to
the wall of the tent. "No," I said angrily. I would not have
Talena dance those cruel dances
of Gor, which so humbled a woman.
Tarnsman of Gor, Page 134-135
Tips for writing a Cymbal Dance
As other dances have seemd derived from the dances of earth so to does this one, bearing a great resemblance in the use of finger cymbals to the belly dances of the Middle East.
Here are a few things that may well help you in constructiong a cymbal dance.
1. Costume is important, not necessarily does the silk
have to be red, but it should be almost see through.
this girl would suggest something in a color that the
girls owner enjoys. Remember dancing silks are not your normal silks, they
are for special occasions. Each girl should make an effort to find out
which colors please the Men of Tyros.
2. Cymbals are not bells, they make a different sound, more of a clinking, or chiming rather than jingling or ringing.
3. Though this dance is not described in detail, use your imagination. We have all seen video or live performances of belly dancing. Use those images when writing this dance.
4. Do not forget that belly dancers use veils, halters and belts, often rimmed with coins or beads. Ask permission to make a costume to wear, and let it guide your thoughts while writing.
