The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-08-31
THE WALTZ,
It's immortality Denounced by One Who
Earns His Living by Teaching It-His
heasons for Isis Change of Faith.

Earns His Living by Teaching It'll,
heasons for ilis Change of Faith.
Professor James i. Welch, who keep.
dancing school at Tenth and Chestpu,
streets, is about TO begin n crusade
against the waltz rs at present danced
which he pronounces TO be immodest
vulgar and generally demoralizing. Ie
said yesterday: II have been dancing
master for the past ten years, and have
made 1t practice throughout that period
to observe carefully all the changes in
the public taste, and to note the changes
ior better or worse in my profession.
have watched closely and thought deeply
on the subject, and now | have no hesi.
tatlon in saying the waltz, under whatso.
ever name it may go for the time being
Is immoral. 1t is the only dance that
decent people protest against, and am
nappy to say there are numbers of care.
iul fathers who will not allow their
daughters to dance il, although a vast
proportion Of the fnshionabeand a ma.
Jority of the middle and lower classes do
not seem rs yet awakened to its iniouity
have recently been i'm consultation
with the Rev. Mr.. Wayland of the Bab.
list Church at Broad and Arch streets,
and with others of the clergy, aud they
agree with me that the dancing of the
waltz has fully as demoralizing an effect
IN It's way rs have alcohol and tobacco in
theirs"
do you hear many objections TO
waltzing nowadays ?"
"Oh, yes, any quantity Of them-and |
ihink the time is right to begin crusade.
don't think my efforts or those of the
clergymen who will take part in the good
WORK will have any immediate effect, but
when the people begin to think, which
they will do when the subject has had q
little agitation, they will soon ACT, and
the voluptuous waltz will gradually dis.
appear. Ten or fifteen years ago the
waltz was not 30 Objectionable rs at pres.
cnt. Dancers Of to-day ccme into alto
gether too close contact. In the old time
gentleman merely touched a lady's
waist, at the same time holding her right
hand i'll 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 actual contact with her
soft cheek, and in word, hugs her.
Such action is altogether too familiar, but
still custom and society sanction it, and
instead of Improvement for the better we
see year after year marked advance
IN the improprieties Of the dance. In
the old days the waltz was comparatively
modest now it is just the reverse, and
the waltz is calculated to do more injury
to the young than many Of the vices that
are preached against from the pulpit and
deeply deplored in private life"
But suppose you succeed in abolish
ing the waltz, Professor, where will you
find any dance to take its place?"
well, when the necessity arises q
new dance will be invented that will have
all the gliding grace and the glorious ex-
hilaration Of the waltz without it's deli
rlous voluptuousness. My own inten-
tion is to substitute the 'Alinuet de Ia
Cour,' n dance introduced by Louis XIV
of France, which kept its place in public
esteem for centuries, but has of late years
gone completely out of use. 1t was par
TALLY revived in this city in 1876, but
was allowed to drop out Of fashion again,
principally for the reason that the ladies
and gentlemen who danced it were COM
pelled by the dictates Of fashion to dress
in court costume, which is very expen-
sive, and is at the same time repugnant
to the rcpublicanism of Americans. The
dance consists of marching, bowling and
turning, and develops all the grace that
the dancers possess. Its great recommen-
dation is that it is perfectly modest and
admits VI no siugging, such ss we see
nightly in the waltz"
"You speak with much force, Professor,
with regard to the morality of the waltz.
DO you speak from personal observation
or from hearsay?"
From personal observation. l have
made it my practice for years to attend
balls and parties in order to keep pace in
my teaching with the popular demand.
have no hesitation in saying that l at
tribute much of the vice and immortality
now prevailing to the insidious influence
of the waltz. This may seem an over
straining OF the point, but it is my honest
conviction. tell you that in the higher
circles young ladies at parties and balls
are absolutely hugged-embraced would
be too weak 10 express my meaning-by
men who were altogether unknown to
them before the music for the waltz be-
gan to inspire the toes of the dancers.
Is this pleasant sight to contemplate ?
"Then in the lower classes the license
of the dance is much more shocking. l
have seen couples so closely interlocked
that the face Of the man was actually in
contact with that oi the psipitating girl
in his arms. l have seen kisses inter
changed amid the whirl of the maddening
waltz.
"The persons interested in this crusade
intend to send circulars to the leading
clergymen and heads of the great ecclesi
astical organs and institutions of the
United States and ask them to aid in the
great work. DR.. Wayland said he would
help us in any way he could, and promised
TO write to Mrs. General Sherman, the
authoress of book in opposition to
waltzing, asking her assistance. I also
wrote to that lady requesting her advice
as to the conduct of the crusade. Mrs
Sherman's book takes the ground that
the waltz is immodest that it detrscts
from the purity of young ladies' who in.
dulge in it; that it gives to the young
men opportunities for !amiliarities thai
should never be allowed, and that it is, il
fact, demoralizing in the extreme. She
holds that no young lady should be EN-.
braced save by the man she proposes to
marry, and that the close contact Of the
waltz is dangerous and injurious to the
modesty and purity of womankind.
There are six dances now in vogue
that involve the hugging principle of the
waltz. They are the plain waltz, which
was introduced by the Germans (who sci
dom, by the way, take part in square
dances(; the glide, very fashionable
and pretty dance the redowa, which has
held its own for many generations O
dancers. the Doniah {hpJf rporoh opc