Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10
A PROFESSOR OF EXPRESSION.
How to Breathe Properly and Walk Grace
fully Taught in Easy Lessons

How to Breathe Properly and Walk Grace
fully Taught in Easy Lessons.
WHAT An EXPONENT AND TEACHER OF THE DEL
sARTIAS METHOD TELLS A STAR REPORTER
ABOUT HER WORK AND IFS BESEFITs-MANs
ADyASIAGE osER woMAS-THE LATEST FAD.
Do yOu know how to breathe and to walk
properly? OF course you think you do, but
are YOU sure of it? Why. you say, three
year-old child knows all that. True. but the
followers Of Delsarte and other advanced re-
formers are telling in these later days that
We older folks are wofully uncouth in these
two essentials. Can you so up three flights of
stairs without getting out Of breath? And can
Won 90 across room in such manner that
you viii at once be picked out as model of
grace and elegance? No? Then the proper
thing for you to do is to take course of
lessons in breathing and walking.
THE rREsEST FAD.
This il the caper nowadays, or rather il is the
latest fad with those who would do all things
well. There are those, and they not few in
number either. who go for their regular breath
ing and walking lessons just they join French
or literature classes. improving the body
well as the mind There not many teachers
OF tins new accomplishment. few of the e1-
ponents Of modern physical culture special
izing far to devote themselves entirely to
these two elementary features. The fad is new,
but it Is contagious
A STAR reporter recently called upon
teacher of the new school tn take a sort Of pre-
hminary lesson. Just tc find out how 1t all
works, Won know.
The teacher W.ss young and pretty woman.
whose appearance spoke well for the success of
this new departure She was clad in what
might be roughly termed dress-reform gown.
that was none the less attractive for being de-
signed upon hygienic principles. 1t was evil
IDENTIFY made IN one piece and fitted as snugly
around the shoulders il did about the waist.
The gown. perhaps. was typical of the wearer,
who was certainly not the sort of person who
Is obliged to call upon others for ideas, but was
able to originate them for herself.
A PROFESSOR OF EXPRESSION.
''Yes." said she. in answer to the inquisitive
reporter. ''You are right. do teach breath
ing and walking. but more properly am
professor of expression. for / hold that in
breathing and walking alone one can express
anythirg-any emotion or any idea. More
than that. proper breathing and proper walk
ing are essentials in many ways You cannot
tall well unless Won breathe well, nor can you
stand easily nor hold Yourself gracefully unless
Won understand how you should carry yourself
III Walking. Imagine woman expressing deep
emotion in shrill, piping voice, entirely
devOid o. volume. coming from somewhere up
in the neiShDOThOod of the shoulders. And
how can she walk with majestic stride when
she Has u DlluclDS Htlt anu carries all ner
weight on her heels; with the lower part of her
body thrown ont. her shoulders back and her
head necessarily leaning forward in order to
keep her balance And vet that Is the way al
most every woman walks Now | consider il
my work 10 remedy, far as 1 may. these de-
feJts. IL cannot be done in one lesson, nor
does person learn ii all simply by being told
once what to do Il requires a steady course
of training. with plenty Of exercise.
MEMS ADVANTAGE OVER WOMEN.
Il
but you are a man and men have a tremendous
advantage over women here. Almost all men
breathe about is ;hey should and the reason is
simple one. Young children breathe and
walk properly and boys a rule do not have i
Chance u Outsrow IL bet the case Is different
with girls and women As soon as they get old
enough they are put into cOrsets and their
lung. and other organs are forced anyWh here
but into the place where they belong. The lung
cells are compressed and it is impossible for
them To draw deep long breath. The
bes- they can do Is 20 scatter a little
fresh air over the top of their lungs. If they
60 up stairs they get ont Of breath and if they
stoOp over 1t must be admitted that their noses
will ge. red Who is not familiar with the old
story ~ backaches and how many women do
YOU know who can take any considerable walk
without feeling the effects of it? Women ought
to be able to do rs much men and il is their
own fault If they are not. Awoman cannot do
anything VEL IN corset A person should
air circulate freely all through them. Most of
the apparent expansion IL then down low in
stead of above. a. l. usually the case. The re-
suit of this method il TO increase the size of the
chest and to decrease the abdominal portion
Iou viii admit that this would be a decided i'm
Provement with most figures. But it does
come from proper training. 1t cannot be
done. however, if the body is compressed in
any way.
HOW TO STAND PROPERLY.
''Now. stand up, please. Straighten up; you
slOuehing. 1 see you rest your weight on
your heels instead of on the ball of the foot.
but could soon break you of that. You might
ind IT tiresOme at first. but you would soon get
used to II and YOU would be able to stand bet
ter and walk farther than you do now. Raise
your chest and throw your shoulders back.
The chest. hips and bail of the foot should be
in a straight line, though / see they are not
with YOU Still men, a rule, walk better
than women. but, as / said before, it is
the wOmens fault They have no one
else To blame for it. 1 have no doubt
easy and as graceful as Adam. and if YOU will
notice small girl does well as a small boy
IN tins line Now. teach ali this in classes.
showing just how IL ought to be done. and
makinS the class do it again and again, and
INSIST on practice at other times as well.
While the particular defects in each case are
noted II l. not a wise plan to call their atten-
ton to them. but all faults are remedied BIZ ges-
uhg Ne puplls down TO the very foundation of
IT all ard making them do the whole thing
breathe. walk and carry themselves-just as
they shoald- Ii Is an interesting study or exer-
else. call IT what you will. and is apparently
growing rapidly in general favor. 1t is IA great
deal more than DelHarteisnl, for il goes right
down TO the fundamentals and is not simply
yenecrlng.
THE CORSET MUST GO.
"From what have said you can easily be-
heve that when women are taking lessons they
mus: discard the corset, tight clothes and
heeled shoes. Yes. have good many pupils
Most OF them Just now are women, though
there are number of men as well. Women
come TO benefit their health. though. perhaps
desire 20 improve their figures and looks IL the
more general motive A course of ten OF a
dozen lessons Is usually sufficient. though of
course, If person wishes to become an artist a
year is none too much to devote to the work"
LIEUT.. GUYS CASE.