Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-26
$4,000 Per M.
62. "
$500 "

by vivacious dancing during such move
ments, as balancing to corners, hands
all around, right and left or ladies
change. When skillfully performed,
this makes a square dance picturesque,
and the ladies used to lift their skirts
modestly and daihily while performing
these steps. Old prints reveal to us the
fact that women never looked Drettier
than when thus exhibiting the graces
of their drapery as we'll as of their feet.
But this custom will not be revived
here; not by the women of this genera
tion.
''The modern young lady is a very
prude in this matter of disclosing the
movements of her feet. Her mother
was so before her. But the difference,
in my Judgment, between this genera
ton and the last, is that the matrons
were consistent. The age they lived in
was modest in all things. Nowadays, it
is battling to man who deals with
ladies, as do, to determine what rule
governs their mOdesty. | have young
women come to me to learn to dance as
part of their preparation for the stage.
They expect to play Rosalind, or some
other part in which tights form pcon-
spicuous part of the costume, yet know
great deal better than to ask them to
lift their skirts to their shoe tops, or
even to their insteps, There would be
an outcry if | did, and my school would
suffer. For thirty years 1 have
taught ladies to dance by guess
work. l have seen the feet of
the little girls and my male pupils
only---never of my lady pupils. You
wonder how / teach such peculiar step
as the waltz, suppose. do it chiefly,
if they are adults, by obtaining cer-
~, ion >f bair fnrnS Tftbav rot
the waltz step correctly, it imparts
distinct and peculiar rise and dip to the
body, and that is what work and wait
for. 1t is just so with all the other
dance steps. My pupils would not show
me their toes If they could help it, not
even thOuse who are preparing, as one
private class is now, to play in short
trousers and skirts as pages and maids
in a comic opera. | suppose they are
right according to the code OF morals,
which an excellent lady once told me
should govern her sex: Whatever
seems proper it is right to do, but what
ever one is in doubt about is sure to be
improper"
In the way of dancing,
MAGGIE MITCHELL
did it in the Bowery this week for the
! first time in her life-and that is long
time. She had always steadfastly re-
fused to 60 there. She chose 'FanchOn"
for her debut on that cheap side of
! town. Her audience was enthusiastic,
and gave her several recalls, but the
applause came mostly from the higher
| priced parts of the house, the gallery
being rather undemonstrative. The
shadow dance was encored, but the gal
lery gods showed plainly that a clog or
shuttle, with some novelty of ''step,"
would have suited their fancy much
better. The May pole dance, with Fan
chon's lively tripping, was far closer to
their idea of good dancing, and when
the cornet player gave a triple-tOngne
solo, a medley of our national airs, he
was compelled to rise and bow his ac-
knOwledgement again again ,and finally
! to do it all over. The sentiments of the
gallery were voiced by the ragged youth
who nudged his companion and said
"That bloke down the Levy first rate,
! hey?"
An incident in the fourth act was typ
ical OF Bowery auditors, and funny at
the same time. Fanchon's sweetheart
has told his ''old, old story" and the
flow of soul is interrupted by the appear
ance of his father, and the father
of the bride, picked out for him
by his parents. Trouble follows. Then
the ardent lover, in ending brave
| speech. which expresses a whole plat
! form OF noble and virtuous pianks, an