BUTCHER DANCE

A YOUNG MAN HAS SPENT

FIVE YEARS TRAVELING THROUGHOUT

THE WORLD MAKING A DOCUMENTARY

ON NATIVE DANCES.

HE IS NEARING THE END OF HIS

PROJECT AND WINDS UP IN AUSTRALIA

IN ALICE SPRINGS.

HE BEGINS TO TALK TO AN ABORIGINE,

WHO ASKS THE RESEARCHER IF

HE EVER SAW THE "BUTCHER DANCE." 

"BUTCHER DANCE? WHAT'S THAT?"

HE ASKS. 

"WHAT? YOU NO SEE THE BUTCHER DANCE?" 

"NO, I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT." 

WELL, THE ABORIGINE CONVINCES

THE FELLOW THAT HE MUST SEE

THE "BUTCHER DANCE"

TO FINISH HIS PROJECT.

ONCE CONVINCED, THE MAN GETS

EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO

EXPERIENCE THIS VERY FAMOUS DANCE.

THEY BEGIN THEIR TREK OVER THE

OUTBACK TO A PLACE WHERE THE

BUTCHER DANCE IS OBSERVED.

THEY FOLLOW A DIRT TRACK FOR 200 MILES,

WALKING FOR THREE DAYS THROUGH

CREEKS AND VALLEYS.

IT TAKES THEM ANOTHER FOUR DAYS

TO GET OVER THE MOUNTAINS.

AND ALL THIS TIME THEY, OF COURSE,

ARE DRAGGING THEIR CAMERA EQUIPMENT

AND CREW WITH THEM. 

AFTER SEVEN LONG DAYS OF

GRUELING TRAVEL, THEY FINALLY

REACH THE VILLAGE OF

THE BUTCHER DANCE.

THEY FIND THE VILLAGE CHIEF AND

EXPLAIN TO HIM WHY THEY HAVE

TRAVELLED SO FAR AND SAY THEY

ARE ANXIOUS TO START FILMING

THIS EXOTIC DANCE. 

THEN THE BAD NEWS HITS THEM.

THE CHIEF EXPLAINS THAT

THE BUTCHER DANCE FESTIVAL

WAS THE PREVIOUS NIGHT.

THE CHIEF ADDS,

"MAYBE YOU CAN SEE IT THE NEXT TIME." 

"WELL, WHEN WILL YOU HOLD

THE NEXT DANCE?"

THE RESEARCHER ASKS. 

"NOT 'TIL NEXT YEAR." 

"COULDN'T YOU PLEASE HOLD IT

JUST ONE MORE TIME TONIGHT

SO WE COULD SEE IT AND FILM

IT FOR OUR DOCUMENTARY?" 

"NO," WAS THE REPLY.

"THE BUTCHER DANCE IS VERY HOLY

AND IS PERFORMED ONLY ONCE A YEAR." 

THE MAN IS DEVASTATED

BUT HAS NO OTHER OPTIONS THAN

TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR.

SO HE DECIDED TO STAY IN THE AREA

AND TRIED TO MAKE A GO OF IT

IN THE VILLAGE, EVEN THOUGH IT

WAS VERY DIFFICULT.

HE BECOMES ILL, COULD’T FIND WORK,

MISSED HIS FAMILY,

BUT ALAS, HE STUCKS IT OUT. 

A YEAR PASSES AND THE DAY OF

RECKONING COMES THE NEXT

FESTIVAL OF THE BUTCHER DANCE.

THE NATIVES FORM A CIRCLE

AROUND A HUGE ROARING FIRE.

A DEATHLY HUSH DESCENDS OVER

THE PERFORMERS AND SOME SORT

OF WITCH DOCTOR APPEARS

AND BEGINS THE RITUAL.

THE RESEARCHER IS GETTING CAUGHT

UP IN THE FERVOR OF THE EVENT.

WOW, HE THINKS, HERE I AM,

THE FIRST WHITE MAN TO SEE

THE FAMOUS BUTCHER DANCE.

HE STARTS FILMING.

THE CHIEF STRIDES TO HIS POSITION

IN THE CIRCLE AND IN A

BIG BOOMING VOICE,

STARTS TO SING. HE SINGS,

"YOU BUTCH YER RIGHT ARM IN.

YOU BUTCH YER RIGHT ARM OUT.

YOU BUTCH YER RIGHT ARM IN

AND YOU SHAKE IT ALL ABOUT!"