Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-10-23
HOME entertainment.
A Frank and Sensible Discussion of the
Part That Dancing Takes in 1t.

"a FRANK ana sensible DlSCuSSiOn of the
Part That Dancing Takes in 1t.
, My appeal is addressed to the upper
middle class, in whose hands the progress
of the community really lies. There is
good reason to believe that with this class
dancing has less firm hold thar would ap-
pear, and, indeed, that it only keeps its
place because no more reasonable form of
social intercourse has been devised. Ger
tainly, with them the practice is not
specially valued for the Objectionable fea-
lures which are peculiar to the modern
style, and no protest would be raised
against any change that would preserve
the social usefulness.
Two things are needed-the round dance
must give place either to the minuet and
other old dances, or, if possible, to new
forms where there is no greater familiarity
chan the touching of hands; and the total
amount of dancing must be brought into a
better proportion with other kinds of social
entertainment. The second of these de-
mands is, perhaps, the more serious, for it
involves the difficult question of what is to
fill up the blank spaces.
1t is so convenient when you get all your
friends together to set them dancing till it
is time for supper. You have not asked
them to meet each other because you
fancied that they had any ideas or tastes
IN common but simply because they lave
entertained you and you must repay them.
The only thing you know they can all do
and care to do is to dance. Now, why not
put an end to all this fictitious kind of en-
t~ertainment? To a large extent it is the
result of Incidence.
Parents lind it the easiest way to amuse
their daughters. 1t is too much trouble
and perhaps expense, to take them to
concerts, to the theater, to lectures. The
sons can find amusement for themselves,
but for the daughters-let us give a dancel
And then all the people we ask will ask
them back, and quite a number of evenings
will be disposed of. The dancing party at
present is largely usurping the place that
should be filled by the means of public
entertainment and culture. Let us mar.
row our circle of friends to the people
whom we really wish to see for their own
sakes, and we shall then not only have
more leisure for other pursuits, but find
less difficulty and more satisfaction in Civ
ing our guests q pleasant evening when we
do invite them.
What, then, is the ideal of an evening
party? Surely, if there has been even the
slightest selection of the guests on the
ground of common sympathies, CONVERSE
ton will fifty absorb a good deal of the
time. A certain amount of we'll chosen
music will be always acceptable, even il a
general company. Games will probably be
suitable entertainment to some, and dane
ing undoubtedly ought to have a place
wherever there are young people. The
pleasures of rhythmical motion give a
most desirable relief from the effort of
talking or listening, and a more decorous
style of dancing will offer little temptation
to crush out the quieter forms of inter
course.
If such a plan were to admit of more fire.
quent social gatherings where young and
old could meet together, that would be to
some an additional reason for seeking to
commend it to public Observation-Disclosures
Review