Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-09-09
The Waltz.
From the Chicago Times.

dancing-school at Tenth and Chestnut
streets, Is about TO begin d crusade
against the waltz as at present danced,
which he ~proiiounccs to be immodest,
vulgar, and generally demoralizing. He
said yesterday: II have been a dancing
master for the past ten years, and have
made it a practice throughout that
period to observe carefully all the
changes in the public taste, and TO note
the changes for better or worse in my
profession. / have watched closely and
thought deeply on the subject, and now
| have no hesitation in saving that the
waltz, under whatsoever name it may go
for the time being, is immoral. 1t is
the only dance that decent people pro-
test against, and | am happy to say
there are numbers Of careful fathers
who will not allow their daughters to
dance 1t, although a vast proportion Of
the fashionable, and a majority of the
middle and lower classes do not seem as
yet awakened 10 its iniquity. I have
recently been in consultation with the
Rev. Mr.. WaylanA, ofthe Baptist church
at Broad and Arch streets, and with
others Of the clergy, and they agree
with me that the dancing of the waltz
has fully rs demoralizing an effect in its
way as have acohol anu tobacco in
theirs"
"Do you hear many objections to
Waiting n~owadaysw
oh, yes, any quantity ofthem-and |
think the time is ripe to begin IA crusade.
! don't think my efforts or those Of the
ciergymen who will take part in the
good work will have any immediate
effect, bat wien the people begin to
Think, which they will do when the sub
ject has had a little agitation, they will
40 act, and the voluptuous waltz will
gradually disappear. Ten or fifteen
years ago the waltz was not SO objection
able AZ at present. Dancers OF to-day
come into altogether too close contact,
In the Oh time a gentleman merely
touched a lady's waist, at The same time
holding her right hand in his left. Now
he throws his arm clear around her
form, pulls her closely to him, as though
fearful Of losing her, brings his face in
ht,nal contact with her soft cheek, and,
in a word, hugs her. Such action is al
together too familiar, but still custom
and society sanction il. and, instead Of
Improvement for the better, we see,
year after year, a marked advance in the
improprietie> Of the dance. In the old
DAYS the waltz was comparatively
modest Low it is just the reverse, and
the waltz is calculated to do more injury
10 the young than many Of the vices
that are preached against from the pull
pit and deeply deplored in private life"
"Yol speak with much force, profes-
sor, with regard to the morality of the
waltz. Do YOU speak from personal ob-
hervation or from hcarsay 7"
From personal observation. ! have
made it my practice f"r years to attend
balls ana parties, in ecder to keep pace
IN my teaching with the popular dc
n.and. | have no hesitation in saying
that ! attribute much Of the vice and
iuorality noY prevailing to the inside
ous influence Of the waltz. This may
seem an overstraining OF TIE point, Lut
it i my Homes: conviction. / tell you
HAT in the h.Ghc: circles yonng ladies
at parties and balls are absolutely hug
eed-en.braced would be too weak to
express my m~eaning-by men who were
altogether unknown to them before tho
music for the waltz began to inspire the
toes OF the dancers.