Reed Dance

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Reed Dance

Late August or early September

The Reed Dance is the culmination of a week-long coming-of-age ceremony for young girls in Swaziland. They gather in the royal city of Lobamba and spend several days along the riverbank gathering reeds for the Queen Mother. They use the reeds to rebuild the screens that surround the Queen Mother's kraal, or enclosure. The Reed Dance is performed for the Queen Mother near the end of the ceremony, when the girls, dressed in bead skirts and beautiful jewelry, perform complicated steps done in perfect time, tossing reeds high into the air. Since the Reed Dance, also known as Umhlanga, is not a sacred ceremony, visitors are welcome to watch.

CONTACTS:
Swaziland Ministry of Tourism
Income Tax Bldg., 2nd Fl.
P.O. Box 2652
Mbabane, Swaziland
268-404-4556; fax: 268-404-5415
www.gov.sz

SOURCES:
BkHolWrld-1986, Aug 21
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 501

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No references found			Eleven Zulu maidens were hurt in a stampede Saturday as thousands arrived for an annual reed dance where girls celebrate purity by performing for the Zulu king, the national news agency reported. Eleven Zulu maidens hurt during traditional dance by AFP / AFP Global Edition Mswati, 41 today, often picks wives at the annual Reed Dance where 50,000 bare breasted virgins dance in honour of the Queen Mother, or Great She Elephant. It is such a beautiful country and the people are so warm.. but death ... by Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mthethwa's previous projects, including his Maidens (2006) series, have tracked this same process in seemingly more benign circumstances, such as the annual bussing of thousands of young Zulu girls to the Reed Dance in Kwanongoma, Zimbabwe. Zwelethu Mthethwa by Davis, Jacquelyn / ArtUS			redundant code redundant digit redundant equation redundant number redundant system reduplicate Reduplication Reduviidae Reduvioidea redux reduzate redwood redwood bark Redwood City Redwood County Redwood National and State Parks Redwood National Park Redwood viscometer redwoods Reece, Brazilla Carroll Reed Reed Bingham State Park reed bird Reed Board Reed College Reed Dance reed frequency meter reed horn reed house reed instrument reed mace reed organ reed pen reed relay reed switch Reed, David Aiken Reed, Ishmael Reed, James Alexander Reed, John Reed, John Shepard Reed, Joseph Reed, Luman Reed, Sir Carol Reed, Stanley Forman Reed, Thomas Reed, Thomas B Reed, Thomas Brackett Reed, Walter Reed, Willis Reed-Solomon code Reed-Sternberg cell			reed before the wind lives on, while mighty oaks do fall Reed Bingham Reed Bingham State Park Reed bird Reed bird Reed Board Reed Brennan Media Associates reed bunting reed buntings Reed Business Information Reed canary Reed canary reed canary grass reed canary grass reed canary grass Reed Canary-grass Reed Canary-grass Reed canarygrass Reed canarygrass Reed Cat Reed Cat Reed cells Reed cells Reed cells Reed cells Reed City Church of the Nazarene Reed City Fire Department Reed City Power Line Supply Reed College Reed Construction Data Reed Dance Reed Electronics Group Reed Electronics Research Reed Elsevier Technology Group Reed fields reed frequency meter reed grass Reed Hannebaum Engineering Services Reed Hoisington Publishing, Inc. reed horn reed house Reed instrument Reed instrument Reed Irvine News Analysis Task Force reed mace reed mace reed maces reed maces reed meadow grass reed organ reed organ Reed Organ Society reed organs reed organs Reed pen reed pipe reed pipes Reed relay Reed Relays and Electronics reed rhapis

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