WOMEN UNDER POLYGAMY
houses of Turkish aristocrats is furnished in modern European style, the fittings and furniture tending to lose their Eastern character. English pianos are to be seen.
The ladies of the haremlik can gaze upon the outer world through apertures in the darkened windows, but they are not seen from without. They go out at will, like the women of the Imperial Harem, but always veiled.
Dancing is one of the accomplishments of the women of the seraglio. The Turkish dancers sway the upper part of the body from the hips, and often writhe with snake-like motions. The feet play a subordinate part in most Oriental dances; but the arms are in constant waving motion, sometimes extended on either side, or raised above the head.
Among the troupe of Turkish dancers who appeared in London a few years ago, many of the performers were very proficient in a peculiar movement of the head from side to side without any motion of the neck. This is an important feature of dancing in Turkey, and the movement is strangely suggestive of dislocation of the neck. It appears to be extremely difficult, but a Spanish professional dancer, with whom I am acquainted, tells me that she learned the head movement in about a week by practising in front of a mirror.
The dances are often protracted, and very exhausting to the artists. Whirling round at a great rate is
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