Show pole dances stir indian braves of mexican towns of those age old rites which survive among the indians of remote villages in mexico one of the most interesting and spectacular is the strange dance of the flying pole in a symbolism centuries old the performers dance at the top of a tree trunk as tall as a ships mast then fly to earth on long unwinding ropes when the otomi indians performed the dance at says a correspondent in the detroit news they wore bright red costumes and two bandannas ban dannas crossed in the back gave vague resemblance to wings five were dressed as men and the sixth as a woman in the center of the bustling plaza towered the flying pole almost 70 feet high A thick vine had been twisted around the pole to afford a foothold one by one they climbed to the lofty height the woman somewhat hindered by the long skirts fluttering in the wind once on top they sat down in a frame and supported their bodies by thrusting their feet against the pole then one after another they danced on the platform one step misplaced one slight loss of balance and nothing could have saved them from plunging to sudden death after the pole top dances all tied the ends of the ropes around their waists and with a piercing cry launched into space for one breathless moment they hung along the pole five of them head down tor for only the woman flies with her head up then down they came in a steady crescendo of ever widening circles |