The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-02-02
DelshIte md linnnets.

1
School Hall, on Thursday, January 81, 1889
az p. IN, on The Delsarte Art of Express
SION A couple Of hundred invitations haC
been issued to as many ladies and gentle
men, and at the appointed hour tie High
School Chapel was crowded with femnity
and be nnets.
Mrs. Bishop is dress reformer-if moi
wholly at least partially. The fact is although
she did not say so, Mrs. Bishop is perhaps Q
member of one Of the rapidly growing socie-
ties known as Dress Reform and Physical
Culture Clubs" aud individually practice.
and breaches aesthetic physical culture, OF
''rhe Delsarte Art of Expression"
The Delsarte Art of Expression is the
compiled formulate of this most aesthetic
Frenchman's life work, and the Delsarte
philosophy as published by his students Che
published nothing HIMSELF is the enuncia'
ton of the principles of expression in every
form of laboratory, acting, painting and
sculpture.
Mrs. Bishops lecture of course was but a
presentation Of certain primary facts of this
philosophy in their application to the physi.
cal culture-the training of the body in mo-
ton and at rest; the primary principles of
gesture, of facial expression, showing how
every movement of the body has its base in
condition of the mind how that movement
expresses character or mental condition;
that every gesture has meaning. and that a
meaning can be read in every sture, Some
Of Mrs Bishops illustrations will perhaps
express part of the thought:-A boy or
girl, and many grown persons, hardly know
what to do with their hands. They place
them in their pockets: fold them under their
arms, and seem to think them an encum-
brance. They should be allowed to take
care of themselves, and not bother their
owners. Hands, with proper training should
be ornamental. even though they be ugly in
shape and large. To sit down gracefully
and arise gracefully is not difficult, but how
many stop to do go, or think they can do 40,
or can do so? A boy usually let's himself
down about half way, and then falls down.
(She illustrated this with a realistic drop
which was audible to ally. A girl will let
herself down part way and then poke her.
self upon the chair. This ungraceful way
may be remedied by teaching the person to
bend the knees, bending both knees at one
time, and she suited the action to the word
and sat down gracefully, showing the differ.
enCe
Rarely is public speaker or a pulpit or
ator graceful in his gestures. The common
fault is stiffness and too much force. Some
will attempt to pound their argument into
one head, Another shows hand. What
does it express? Nothing but hand; that is
all This can be overcome by doing nothing
with the hands. This may seem like an
Irish bull, bat there is something behind it.
Many Irish bulls are so deep that even the
lrishman h,mselfbacomes lost in them This
one is not so deep; it simply consists in put
ting away the wrong way in which one has
been going and taking up the correct way.
To learn the correct art of expression one
must forget that he or she ever knew or had
a fixed style, and begin again. The muscles
must be limbered and made to respond to the
will until they become so accustomed to cor
rect expression that they automatically as,
sumo it. An instance: if the hand is in
clined to move improperly, make it move
properly by continued practice. Not only is
gracefullness acquired, but also a correct ex
preston of feeling or thought. Every move
ment of the human body expresses some
thing, and by understanding the language of
motion we would thus be able 10 divine what
was passing in the mind of another by his
or her attitude and expression.
But despite these two very important cures,
one for awkwardness and the other for a
hayward observation, a third and more i'm.
portant faction of Delsarte's art is the trans
formation, evolution and transportation Of the
mind and the man himself. Example: let
one assume serious expression and by con
tinual practice we become serious. Assume
a humorous expression and we become hum
Orous; assume sad expression and we are
etc, Physical force is vital en-
ergy, and every expenditure Of physical
force, being waste of vital energy, is a loss
Of nerve power. The restless energy-tne
high tension-under which Americans
work is becoming ruinous to the nerve
power. What we need most is not to CULTS
vate energy, but to cultivate repose. By the
adoption of Desarte's system no more vital
force is used than is absolutely necessary.
There should be an effort to do things in the
easiest manner, without exerting great en-,
ergy, but yet retaining all the strength nee
essary. The violin should be unstrung when
it is idle
The lecture, of which this is hardly
J