Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-03
DANCING NrEs.
A Bau .witaous proxavew - Or
cheeErEN
IL. ss..uA.s ssxes Presented ~ . 1>ssao
~ f.Sp-s rr2rs&as he hAsnf f>~-
s>ss4s xes wnases me As4
a. Nss4s@


A bah wssAset music Was enc O. TIE
events n ta4 city recently. says rhe In
daansPoiis Journal. In eecurrod 81 the
inssitats fer tie Deaf and f'aAla-
livery tAias had been attended to'--the
nersi dissertations. the dainty refresh
Esentss tase illumination q the buildings
and grounds, AID the waxing Of tie
dance hall The gussss were sttlred IN
fun evening aress. and early ia the
| evening many catered % ne hail room
proE@r, where already several oouples
were whirlinx around IN the waltz
/ And yet the uainslted. standing lust ont
side the door. would hardly have been
cognizant Of what was going ON. for
there were no strains Of me assured music,
no prompting fTom the caller" no
sounds except ths occasional shuttle on
the smooth floor as the dancers giided
by. On first thought IL might seem as
fitting to invite party Of blind to wit
ness an eclipse through = telescope as
To get up q dance for band Of deaf
mutes- But while the former Is impos-
sibie, the latter is not.
Probably some OF the most graceful
dancers of which Indianapolis can boast
are totally devoid of the sense of hear
ing. At the institution mentioned dances
are not infrequent occurrences, and
glance 1T the dancers as they 60 whirl-
ing across the foor Is sufficient TO con-
vince one that music Is not absolutely
necessary for the pleasures of the ball
room. "And how do these people learn
the step?" asked reporter Of one OF the
teachers at the institution.
Ask them," was the reply.
And ask them he did. BY means OF
an interpreter several personal expert
ences were related. II first learned 10
dance" said one, when / was twelve
years OF age, after | had been q mute
for three years. My two sisters could
both hear, and learned to dance early.
Although my parents were opposed
TO public balls, they encouraged parlor
dancing, and many times have l
sat and watched my sisters glide over
the floors ct home. They danced
then TO piano music, all of which could
not hear. / could only content myself
by seeing, but that grew monotonous.
asked myself why /, too, should not
dance, and / could see no reason for
answering the question in the negative.
Finally spoke of my desire to my sis
tiers, and they took it up at once. 1t
was a novelty TO them, and n pulling
one, too. but they worked and worked,
and finally came out victorious"
But how did you catch the step with
out the assistance of music?" the re-
porter asked, again calling upon his in
terpreter for aid.
ooh, easily enough" eame the reply
81 used my eyes instead of my ears. i
saw that there was certain regular
movement in the waltz step that was
similar to the beats in a measure of
music, for when / was nine years old,
before lost my hearing, / was quite a
musician for my age. Ny sisters showed
me the step by beating time with a
stick and Waiting at the same time. /
tried long time before could get over
the floor with any degree of satisfaction,
but finally / succeeded. 1t came to me
in an instant, just as one learns the
swimming stroke, but it came TO stay.
shall never forget it. And Go | miss
the muSlCT NOJ q DtC. IN l2cJ, tn,nh
if could hear to-day / should prefer TO
waltz without music. There Is strange
fascination in keeping time with ones
feet by thought alone"
a young lady was next questioned,
and her case was even more perplexing
She was born deaf-nute, but learned
TO dance at the age of sixteen. my
first lesson" she said, twas given TO me
by the aid of two chairs. My only SIS
ter was graceful dancer and, against
my own desires, insisted that | should
learn. Turning two chairs back 70
back, would rest a hand on each and
throw all of my weight on my arms. In
that way got that little hop that is the
secret OF the waltz step, but which is
hard to describe. / learned readily, and
was soon able to go on the floor with
gentlemen"
"And do you enjoy dancing now?" the
reporter asked.
do enjoy it now7 Well, should
say do. have more fun ont OF dane
ing now than / ever did. There's moth
ing nicer. TO my notion. than quadrille
or waltz. 1t lightens the pathway of
my life and makes me happy"