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Description

One of the more popular styles of dance is “Sihvmityyrelyn,” which translates to “foot dancing.” In some ways, it is reminiscent of tap dancing.

Sihvmityyrelyn was first conceived in the later years of the Kiskxa’lak Emprie. More specifically, though, the earliest form of Sihvmityyrelyn originated on sailing vessels. Often, sailors would sing as they worked aboard the vessels, but without any instruments, the sailors could only sing. However, some sailors would rhythmically stamp their feet in lieu of any percussive instruments. Because the sailors would travel all over the peninsula, the dances of the sailors would follow, too, specifically in port cities. In port cities, it wasn’t uncommon to see sailors in the streets dance as they sang, and as time went on, Sihvmityyrelyn would go on to become one of the defining characteristics of Kiskxa’lak culture. One may find Sihvmityyrelyn in taverns, smokehouses, ships, and other places. While originally performed with just normal shoes, special shoes designed specifically for Sihvmityyrelyn would be made, akin to human tap shoes.

Most “professional” Sihvmityyrelyn dancers dress up in an outfit that consists of a red shirt with some “tassels” at the very end, bound to the shirt by a green strip of fabric buttoned to the shirt. Their boots are black, and around their ankles are cuffs that also feature “tassels.” In addition, the bottom of their boots are fixed with thin, gold plates. Some dancers will even wear head scarfs, but most prefer to dance without them.

Seeing as it is mostly the kithtakols that do the dance, those who wish to learn Sihvmityyrelyn must come to experienced dancers who charge a heavy price for lessons. The time it takes to learn the dance is dependent both on how much free time the “dance teacher” has and on how easily the new dancer learns.

Description

One of the more popular styles of dance is “Sihvmityyrelyn,” which translates to “foot dancing.” In some ways, it is reminiscent of tap dancing.

Sihvmityyrelyn was first conceived in the later years of the Kiskxa’lak Emprie. More specifically, though, the earliest form of Sihvmityyrelyn originated on sailing vessels. Often, sailors would sing as they worked aboard the vessels, but without any instruments, the sailors could only sing. However, some sailors would rhythmically stamp their feet in lieu of any percussive instruments. Because the sailors would travel all over the peninsula, the dances of the sailors would follow, too, specifically in port cities. In port cities, it wasn’t uncommon to see sailors in the streets dance as they sang, and as time went on, Sihvmityyrelyn would go on to become one of the defining characteristics of Kiskxa’lak culture. One may find Sihvmityyrelyn in taverns, smokehouses, ships, and other places. While originally performed with just normal shoes, special shoes designed specifically for Sihvmityyrelyn would be made, akin to human tap shoes.

Most “professional” Sihvmityyrelyn dancers dress up in an outfit that consists of a red shirt with some “tassels” at the very end, bound to the shirt by a green strip of fabric buttoned to the shirt. Their boots are black, and around their ankles are cuffs that also feature “tassels.” In addition, the bottom of their boots are fixed with thin, gold plates. Some dancers will even wear head scarfs, but most prefer to dance without them.

Seeing as it is mostly the kithtakols that do the dance, those who wish to learn Sihvmityyrelyn must come to experienced dancers who charge a heavy price for lessons. The time it takes to learn the dance is dependent both on how much free time the “dance teacher” has and on how easily the new dancer learns.