The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-13

the Grace street Baptist Church The
Methodist sunday school Svcicts If
Richmond and Manchester.
The churches were al we'll at
tended yesterday morning but last
night on account. OF the storm they
were very SHINY attended. Al
the Bainbridgc.sfreet Baptist Church,
Manchester, last might, Rev. T.. w. Peter
son. Of the Central Methodist Church. by
equest. preached a sermon on Dane
ing taking for his text the Eta and sih
verses of the 18th chapter OF Isaiah.
We give below synopiical report OF
the sermon, which does not include All
the points brought ont by ihe speaker
Dancing can De traced back 90 very
remote ages u was originally pracilccd !
in religious worship Plato states that /
among the Egyptian 10 was never an I
amusement. but strictly q religious /
CEREMONY. The religions dances Of The /
,ncients were very simple and con- /
uctcd in the open air. the men and /
NOmen anart The first recorded cN- /
ample of dancing among the Jews was
on The occasion of The passage OBJ the hei
Soa. This dance was nothing more than "a
procession indicative Of sacred joy. the /
men and women apart-thc former icd /
biz Moses the latter by sister Miriam /
Another similar 90 ihai ai The Rci Sea /
occurred when Jcphtuh and his army de /
feated the AmmOniics. another when /
Nul and David returned from yict0- /
rious war with ihe Philisilnes. And
when David brought The ark of the Lord +
from the house of Abinadah. ai Giheah, /
on his way 20 Jerusalem. they instituted /
a Joyous procession, "and they set the
ark of God upon new cart and
David and al The house of Israel played
before the Lord on all manner of instru
ments, and David danced before
the Lord with ail his might From @
careful consideration Of those passagos
in the Bible where dancing is alluded 10 !
We find
/ That dancing was religious act I'm F..
true worship and in idol worship.
. That 10 was performed usually in The /
open air. in fields and groves and high /
WAYS.
3. That the men and women danced
apart. No instances of dancing afe
found in The Bible i'm which the two
sexes united I'm the exercise.
4 There are no instances upon record /
in the Bible Of social dancing for amuso /
ment. except that ola very cNceptionable T
character alluded TO By Michael. the ir- 7
religious families described by job, /
which produced increased impieiy and .
destruction and iici0iias that dancing
Jesebel. who went through with her per I
Torrance i'm the presence off llcr0d, /
which resulted in Tine murder of John
the Baptist
DANCING SIS AS AMUSEMENT.
In the primitive ages 30 was of thc 7
simplest character. Those dances of the /
pcasantry of Europe at the sunset hour, .
under wide spreading trees through /
which The setting sun was shooting DIS /
golden arrows simple Steps 20 simple 7.
music. i'm their ordinary dress. and aged 7
parents sitting round, are not urdcr dis /
cussiOn here But a- luxury began 90 /
make its approaches and 90 steal away /
the simplicity of ancient manners, F..
the dance began to assume 20 more F.
artificial and complicated form. ID /
finally grew into am art, pro- .
fessi0n, 10 which females were trained +
from their youth These dancing fee .
males were one of the principal sources .
relied ON by Tine wealthy t0 furnish /
entertainment for their guests ai their I
feasis. in word, ii WAS confined as an +
amusement 90 professional performers +
Among the Romans as profession dane t
inr was I'm bad odOr. fine Roman ora
tor. Cicero, In his defense of MuTeno, /
The consul elect. who bad been accused hy T
Cato of indulring In dancing. uses these /
words. "CatO calls Nurcn0a dancer If F
this reproach DE true, 10 is 20 Wcirhfy ace
cusatiOn: it false, 10 is an out
rageous calumny. Wherefore Cato.
as your authority carries $50 much inhu
ence, YOU ought not 90 call the consul of +
the Roman people o dancer Dancing is .
always the last act of gay places and pro-
fame pleasures As "a profession. in the /
most civilized States of Europe 10 was
not known for one thousand years The +
first place il assumed was that of thea
irical performance, in which the actors
were men only.
In 1851. i'm the frivolous and licontious
court of louis the NV of France.
female dancers for the ilst time. wore
added 10 the male performers. From The
theatre and opera house dancing was in-
troduced into private companies i'm
France Then the Hood gates were lifted t
and from the dead sea oi her denominations
England and America received copious
draughis. An array of frivolous, gay,
and goddess French dancngmasicrs Wis
tied our shores and sought 60
impregnatc the American mind with ihe
idea that dancing is the quintesconce of
all enjoyment and the very cream of
happiness Even during The late war
pumps and slippers, kip-skin and calf
skin must De sacrificed 10 the dance
when our fathers and brothers were
eating hard-tac with few ounces OF
meat and shivering with cold over their
camp fires. An April shower that would /.
not hurt an infant ten months old will
turn the dance devOtecs from the house
of PRAYER but frost and ice, mud and
rain, wind and thunder do not break
their hold on the dance
THE MODERN SOCIETY DANCE.
The advocates of the Modern Society
Dance" defend il ON several grounds.
First. They say IL is an accomplish
ment But Is 10 an accomplishment /
An accomplishment is defined hy Web
ster TO be can requirement which CON
stitutes excellence of mind on elegance
of manners" Now. what's there in This
dance that comes up 90 The terms OF this
definition What Is there In 10 that inn
proves the mind rctncs the scusi-
biliiies. or makes ihe dancers superior
10 what they were before they
acquired the art, We apply the term
dance at this day 10 the shutting and
bowing. and scraping. and stamping
and kicking, and whigling, and skipping
and hopping ana jumping, and backing
and Forwarding at balls by both scNcs-
their movements generally on such oc-
casions being regulated by some one
EMPLOYED 90 issue the command when
they must jump. go forward, or turn
which command lac must accompany
with a quick tune ON q fiddle or the
sound OF whistle Now, tell as what 8
there is refining or deserving ol The
name OF an accomplishment I'm all thisf &
Ii is urged I'm favor of this dance, that 4