Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-23
EGYPT AT CHICAGO.
Eastern Dancers Contortions That Can
BE sees at tho Worlds Fair.
rGIoba Demo,rnt.l

The tall, dark young woman on the
stage. She shutled her feet languidly.
The movement Of her head and shoulders
was scarcely enough TO Jingle the bangles
in her hair. But midway OF heels and
head there were muscular twists and turns
and contort,ons whIcn were something
wonderful TO witness. Neither west nor
east of the Missouri did anybody ever see
upon Americnn soil the kinds Of dancing
tnat 90 on at the Midway Plaisance. These
shows are given under the sanction or the
World's-Fau management. They arc OF
the talr. fourth part OF every half
dollar paid 70 see them passes 10 the trea-
surY Of the directory. Visitors naturally
conclude. therefore. that the entertain
ments are. as the man from Myo-
ming said "all right" Beng desirOuS
of seeing tho manners aud customs
of these people they heed the voice
of the coucessiOnHdire crying from the
front balcony and pdss in. The stage and
the scenery. tho orchestra and the
dancers. are there. And such dancing
The manager claims that it is precisely the
kind OF dancing that can be teen In q real
street OF Cairo. That IS probably true,
but it doesn't make the performance any
the less startling TO Americans. Ladies 60
to this theatre. Some SIT the performance
through. either blushing furlousy or "a
summg with remarkable Selt-control an ar
of seeing nothing extraordinary. More.
however, get up aud fee IN the midst OF
the first dance.
The performers SIT crOss-legged on
wide. well-cushioned divan at the bsck of
the stage. They come forward one after
the other and do a turn The costume
il well adapted to this kind Of dancing.
There IS no high kicking, no unseemly dis
play OF limbs. The feet scarcely leave the
floor. and the voluminOus dress Is gath
cred tightly about the ankles But the cir
die rs low and the corset - absent. That
entlre freedom is given 10 the muscular
development about the lower part OF the
/ body which dress refOrmers ore always
| preaching to their benighte1 sisters With
/ the hips these girls do their dancing.
/ Slight swayIng motions OF the head and
. shoulders are accompanied by gentle
waving Of the hands. But the hips JOLT
up and down spasmOdicaliy, as II they
might disoint by little extra effort. The
body below the waist twists and writhes IN
perfect time with the orchestral thrum-
ming.
her own. She throws these in with the
nlp-wricgling, which is the main feature
OF the Oriental dancing. The performance
Is presented IN mechanical manner.
There "a little animation IN the faces OF the
dancers They DO not look rs If tnoy feel
they arc doing anything indecent. iue
hip movement 10 tue Egyptian i
as pure as the split" TO the high
ly-tra.ned French dancer. Most OF
these girls from the Orient are
fat Few Of them are comcly. They
do not throw any abandon INTO their
movements They do not make oyes 70
the loOKersOu. A. soon as one ot them
has completed her stint Of abdominal
gymnastics she goes back 20 the cushions,
tucks her feet up under her, and - quite
. we'll satisfied TO receive no encore.
Ono of The notable things about the
performance i8 the eject upon the
Attendance. Now aud then some one
breaks loose, as did the sun-buruei
man. But usually the program mo
runs its entire course without
single demonstration III the way OF ap-
p,ause. Men SIT II through. get up and 90
ont. And when their lady acquslntancci
ask them what sort OF q show II - they say
they don't think much ot It. This dancing
If gwen anywhere IN the Onlted S;a;c'
outside of the Worlds Far. would prooa-
bly be suppressed by the local authorh
tias OF the score of vulgarity. Out II
tn hia-s district Of New Orleans year.
ago shere was dance hall whore nogresses
10 whom had descended shadow recoIlec
tlou, Of life IN Africa, introduced some o
these barbarouS movements into tueA
quadrilles. Visiting statesmen, under th'
escort Of the police. were taken 10 TINS Ghi
10 see the performance as one OF the sight'
Of the citv. But IN the street OF Cairo. Oh
the Midway. there Is much more OF II.