The women, two or three at a time, a little apart from the men, take part in the dancing, which is very well adapted to emphasize the curves of the flanks and the breasts, though at the same time the defects of their legs are exhibited in this series of rhythmic contortions which constitute a Nias dance.  The most graceful movement they execute is a lascivious undulation of the flanks while the face and breast are slowly wound round by the sarong [a sort of skirt] held in the hands, and then again revealed.  These movements are executed with jerks of the wrist and contortions of the flanks, not always graceful, but which excite the admiration of the spectators, even of the women, who form in groups to sing in chorus a compliment, more or less sincere, in which they say:  ’They dance with the grace of birds when they fly.  They dance as the hawk flies; it is lovely to see.’  They sing and dance both at weddings and at other festivals.” (Elio Modigliani, Un Viaggio a Nias, 1890, p. 549.)

In Sumatra Marsden states that chastity prevails more, perhaps, than among any other people:  “But little apparent courtship precedes their marriages.  Their manners do not admit of it, the boojong and geddas (youths of each sex) being carefully kept asunder and the latter seldom trusted from under the wings of their mothers....  The opportunities which the young people have of seeing and conversing with each other are at the birnbangs, or public festivals.  On these occasions the young people meet together and dance and sing in company.  The men, when determined in their regard, generally employ an old woman as their agent, by whom they make known their sentiments, and send presents to the female of their choice.  The parents then interfere, and the preliminaries being settled, a birnbang takes place.  The young women proceed in a body to the upper end of the balli (hall), where there is a part divided off for them by a curtain.  They do not always make their appearance before dinner, that time, previous to a second or third meal, being appropriated to cock-fighting or other diversions peculiar to men.  In the evening their other amusements take place, of which the dances are the principal.  These are performed either singly or by two women, two men, or with both mixed.  Their motions and attitudes are usually slow, approaching often to the lascivious.  They bend forward as they dance, and usually carry a fan, which they close and strike smartly against their elbows at particular cadences....  The assembly seldom breaks up before daylight and these birnbangs are often continued for several days together.  The young men frequent them in order to look out for wives, and the lasses of course set themselves off to the best advantage.  They wear their best silken dresses, of their own weaving, as many ornaments of filigree as they possess, silver rings upon their arms and legs, and ear-rings of a particular