Telegram-herald., 1890-03-24


dance that Is devised In fact there =
no such Ehing as new dance And
there cannot De. ] here are a multitude
OF ne. combinations Every teacher
OF dancing dsvisss ne. CON binstions
snd freq uentiy you see them advertised
a. new dances baE they are not, and II
they were. society would not accept
them Changes In society dane
Ing come about very slowly ana
Indirectly. They originate with the
children, who, learning . new com bina-
tion-as the pupils in our school have
been learning the new York" and the
Cadet Polka This winter-go down 10
the seaside or up 10 the mountains in
Vie SUM ner, and dance their new
dances there. in the presence OF theis
elders. The new movements are noted
By the really good dancers. who are
quick TO adopt them, and thus gradu-
ally the new dance is introd uced into
society. But it Is usually at least two
years and frequently longer after a new
dance is devised before society adopts
II IL Indeed IL ceigns 20 notice IL =. all
Children should begin learning 10
dance not later than tho NTH year
The teacher should Do carefully So
lecIed by the parents, and when he is
once placed in charge OF the little one.
implicit confidence should be repossd
In him. IL Is . mistake 10 interfere
with him, and attempt to dictate how
he shall teach the child Some little
snes learn rapidly. and others seem 10
find il harder task; with some grace
ful motions apparently come naturally.
There are children. too, who show clev-
ernsss in ''picFing up" the motions,
ye, who cannot acquire tho ART OF max
Ing those motions gracefully. The finest
illustration OF true dancing is where
natural grace has been cultivated by
art A graceful motion produces gra-
this Is what the teacher strives 10 i'm
part TO every child under his care.
There arc many people who seem TO
think that 10 is a simple matter TO
teach q child TO dance, To such il does
not occur that this accomplishment is
really part OF the moral as we'll as the
physical education OF tho child. For
there are certainly moral and intellec-
tual qualities 10 be developed
by il. just =. there are in other
branches OF education. 1t infiu-
ences the character very largely.
There is certainly no prettier picture
than one sees on entering a room where
number of children are moving about
with educated gracefulness and with
that politeness toward each other that
is the mark OF true breeding. The
younger the children, the more pleas
ing; for when the art has been neg
lected until the growth is nearly com
pleted. there is almost always EN- bar
rassment and awkwardness in the pres
ence of strangers. hngularity, which
is habit moro than natural de-
formity, when neglected until the child
is about fourteen, may be overcome in
the case OF girls, but rarely where boys
are concerned. Even with the best ad-
vantages, girls can only accomplish i,
with great effort
When child Of five or six comes to
me TO be taught to dance, / begin by
teaching him the simple step. He is
then taught TO reverse, an accom- plish-
youngest beginner in a single season.
It takes child about three years to
learn TO dance well.
All dancing is founded on six radical
motions They are like the alphabet.
One must learn bis letters before he
can read or write. So in dancing one
must learn the radical movements,
and these learned, he can easily
acquire the different com binations
which are called dances, the
waltz the polka, the schottische. and
the rest being formed out OF these
radical motions, just as the English
language is form cd out OF the letters of
the alphabet.
What society should strive do do is
70 dance well the dance it does favor.
II is impossible TO dance well IL the
cadsnce OF the music is not followed
implicitly. and this man cannot do
who has no ear for music. In round
dances it is not sufficient merely to
follow the time correctly; there should
be complete surrender to the music.
II Is not only in the round dances that
this complete surrender and implicit
obedience 20 she music must be OBJ
served: there is not a step. nor a move
nent or . saiGtation in any square
dsnce that should bs executed other
wise than on the corresponding beat of
the music.
NJ pupils and. think, those OF every
accredited seacher in New York, are
taught TO dance by the music without
prompting the avkwsrdness OF un-
Simultaneous endings 10 square dances
and mechanical monotony in round
dances can be avoided in no other way.
There are several arbitrary rules FOR
round dancing. Always maintain a
proper attitude Disguise all effort
An extended leg must not be bent
BEND only the knee from which a no
ton ia made. when moving the fee,
let the leg, pass close togethsr. Keep
the heels about half an inch from she
foor. In rising. allow the heel 70 -
tbs last part OF the foot % leave the
foor. When descending allow IL 20 be
the frss % touch. Endeavor 20 keep
TIE fees a. right angles ali ths time
These are only suggestions. Grace
fitness must be Learned from example.