Railway workers, whose jobs meant they moved from place to place, put on their own dances. This film excerpt shows workers at Ōtira, on the West Coast, meeting for a Friday-night dance at a local hall. They are shown here dancing the maxina, with music provided by a piano player. Supper remained an important part of a dance. It was often provided by the women who attended, who brought plates of food to share.
Using this item
Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga
Reference:
Railway Worker. National Film Unit, 1948
This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence
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