The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-09

should apprehend a deal of difficulty be-
fore we had passed that stage OF progress.
But suppose nv class were in front OF
me, in the long line familiar to dancing
pupils, and were telling them what to do.
] should say:
stXoung ladies', we Will first learn the
body balances. -
Then / should lean forward as far as
possible, standing only on one foot, and
should invite my young ladies to do the
same. One trial would convince them
that it is not an easy thing to do. But
we would persevere until we could all
balance nicely on either foot. Thus the
first step toward graceful dancing would
be taken. One learns the piano IN the
same way-by practicing arm and finger
movements first. One does not 'ttake
Places right away.
After that, by easy stages, we would
take up the arm movements and would
practice unil we were all able to sway our
arms gracefully, swing the body and turn
the head, so that there would be real
poetry in every motion.
In the pTacrcing we would exaggerate
all the motions.
Then we would begin dancing steps,
and would take up the waltz and all the
other conventional dances.
But in the beginning we should train as
If we were TO become athletes, or acrobat
dancing.
UNGRACEFUL AND STIFF WALKING.
have noticed that in a ball room the
young women hold themselves very
straight and dance entirely with the lower
limbs. Many OF them are so rigid that
they might easily carry a book on top O.
the head, without ever letting it slide OF
as they glide through the mazes of the
waltz. Their shoulders are held very
square, and so far as life and motion is
concerned, they might as well be made OF
sawdust above the waist. This is very
noticeable in the German, - which calls
for fancy figures and fancy motions.
Some do move about great deal, but
still are not graceful. And l attribute the
fault not so much 20 them as to the way
they arc taught. They are taught s'steps''
instead of principles.
In waltzlng. which is the simplest OF
the conventional round dances, the entire
body should move with the feet. The
step is a short, easy one, and it admits
beautifully of the most graceful OF body
movements. AS the foot trips forward,
the body should bead q little backwards
from the waist, while the shoulders should
give q slight turn in the direction of the
next step and the head take that lovely re-
'Terse motion which is considered the
browning touch to graceful dancing. The
Delsartisns call it s'the opposition Of mo-
tion." 1t is certainly very pretty.
DANCERS CORSET.
1t is said that corset makes the figure
stir and prevents the wearer from being
graceful.
But / have never found it so. A well
made corset fits the body exactly and sup
ports it instead of combining it. 1t is a
help rather than hindrance. ] do not
=. l. :.
e boned waist of some sort. And | am
quite sure that / could do all of my
dances in the suggest street gown that /
own. Ills nonsense to suppose that grace
and well-htting owns cannot go together.
1t is easier for q woman to be graceful, il
her dress fits her, ths i il she is wearing a
loose rag of a DRESS
DRESSING THE HAIR FOR DANCING.
1 think that the dressing of the hair
plays an important part in the dance. |
cannot fancy graceful dancer who does
not dress her hair gracefully. Prin1
braids, tower-like structures on the
top OF the head and, worst Of an.
the chignon, which threatens to come
In with the crinoline, are destructive to
graceful head movements. The hair musr
be dressed easily and lightly-if one may
so describe hair dressing. il should pre-
serve the shape of the head and be as
closely dressed to the head as can well be.
Little curls, fluffy bang and side waves
are all pretty when one is dressing the
hair for the dance.
THE MODEL DANCING SLIPPERS.
Shoes are much more important part
of the wardrobe than many imagine. loo
often the buying OF dancing shoes is left
until the very last moment and then the
shoes are selected, not because they fit
well, but because they match the dress.
The proper dancing shoe has sole Just
the size and shape OF the foot. It is
pointed at the toe and the sole is little
heavier than paper weight The heel is
high-irst as high as the wearer wishes.
Il may be that in past days women
eouad walk and dance better without