Ribbon Sleeves

The sleeve form of ribbon dancing dates back to the middle of the 19th Volcanic century, developed from an earlier style of motion dance that involved the use of small hoops decorated with streamers. The new sleeve style became very popular and stayed so for more than a hundred years. Through much of the 20th Volcanic century, anyone visiting Zaiyev would be invited to a performance.   The forced eruptions of 2030 Vol ended that and most other Zaiyeve traditions. The mountain watches had no warning of the mudflows that enveloped the island's major cities. Only 15% of the population survived, and their cultural memory has fragmented irreparably.   Fifteen years later, ribbon sleeves reappeared in an unlikely place: a mining colony on Ralcondray, given up for lost almost a hundred years ago. Sage Varenonde retraced the colony fleet's voyage to the island and was met with three water handlers wearing the sleeves. These were not dance costumes, but a symbol of their rank.   Exactly how the sleeves' role changed isn't known. The fleet had recruited the Eddy's current Dancinglight, who must have been a Zaiyeve trained in dance and brought the sleeves to perform in. But Ralcondrian dances don't use the sleeves at all, and Zimmira has confirmed that for the entire history of the colony use of the sleeves has been restricted to water handlers.