The sun., 1894-03-11
rSvENTIYa PhRLOR DANCEs.
A D.neirg Master Describes How Dnncs'
are Thought Out, Partly with Ones Feet.

| A D.peirg Master Describes How Dances
are Thought Out, Partly with Ones Feet.
It may be that. in some minds. this old opin-
| lon remains that q dancing master is man
| who dsyotes his life to trivial purpose. But
| the dancing masters themselves do not think
| so. Read this which one Of them prints In his
| circular: The coming reaction from tho
| modern scientific era must be steadily toward
time when there will be better cnte for our
| bodies and truer appreciation OF the arts.
| Graceful movements. accompanied by music.
| not only 10 spire the poetic sentiment. but the
| dance teaches time. rhythm. afable man
| ners and cultivates the psthetic taste" Be-
| lieving that a man who could take his profess
sion 80 seriously must have much ot interest
| to tell about a reporter called upon the teach-
| or and talked with him.
He was as serious as his circular aud as In
| teresting He said that In order to teach the
| young and old to be graceful. anable and
polite, the master OF dancing must possess
the spirit OF grace in his soul" and must be
| so sym pathetic as to blend the sympathies OF
| ali the pupils In tho class he is teaching To
make the most awkward feel as graceful as
| the least awkward. aud after that to make the
awkward ones actually graceful. that is part
ofthe dancing masters task. His whole mis-
sion may be summed UP thus To make the
heart glad and pure by the rhythmical move
nents oil the uouy, 10 please tne eSe anu W
ennobe the mind"
The tendency OF the present time" the
Professor continued. lis toward more grace
than has characterized the dances OF the rast
few years and boisterousness is being tabooed.
The grace and courtiiness OF the minuet. its
exquisite bowing ana courtesyinG. are being
copied in the dances OF to-day. although the
slowness OF the old -fas hioned dances is re-
placed by more spriGhtliness and vigor. The
disappearance OF roughness has also the good
effect OF dispelling the remaining puritanical
objections to dancing. and to win for 1t again
much OF tho favor that 1t had lost"
This teacher has invented some OF the most
popular dances Of the past and present, and on
the subject Of inventing dances he had much
to say that was practical and new to the
general public. He is q member OF the Society
Of Ameri, an Dancing Masters. the object OF
sion. ren Only 3 as teachers q approved character
and ability are admitted 70 membership; u
yentor OF dances can secure general recognition
for his efforts only through this Organization,
thHrouGhly tested before verdict is endered;
The member who invents dance. said
soes1S at its annual sprns T meeting. ] b but t Il
takes . year before the SOCIETY decides whether
w a9 ,rs n no claim m %
have them ready y spring The, The ioilP,ySing Icy
them and ii they lind that their pupils like
them they will vote IN favor Of them at the
them he will vote to drop them, The. pupils
are always the actual Iudges The professors
may ores
dance;, II must Re acceptSble to the publio
play or % opera. per- The critics may ali Unite IN its
praise and yet = may be Ssad tagr t.ipIs Ths
will be attached to It, and that will increase his
reputation. lie receives NO financial reward.
OF course, no member OF the society is pre-
vented from launching as many dances ms he
pleases without the sanction OF the society. hut
The Invention and writing ot dance is
very similar to the composition OF music, Ny
on paper. Sometimes get up and execute the
movements before putting them on paper.
company % the mind in the plan ming OF a dance.
anyhow. Sometimes II is Irresistible and then
lust have to get cut on the Moor and let my
feet start inyountarily every few minutes, as
though they were INPATIENT to have 1t all done.
and even those are mainly OF slight import
ance. Al the possible graceful figures were
mains but to utthem together in new forms.
We have written signs which indicate tho ilg-
others dances. One OF the difficulties 10 com
posing dance Is to get the music TO ht II. A
there Is so much waltz and polka music that
Is alwaSs KS, easy & to- ma some piece to suit the
dance. Win otnoT unnceB that 10 not true.
however and with many it is necessary TO have
music especially composed. am getting up
q Spanish dance now for which the music is
being composed especially. The composer
and work together. More frequentlya dance
l. composed to fit a certain piece OF music tut
II often happens that when the dance Is tin-
ished it Is found to III another piece OF music
better than the one foy which II was intended.
When Am fairly satisfied with dance try
the effects OF 1t on my pupils | can tell by
watching their feet whether they like II not.
taneously There will be no tagging no ar
tiheiAl movements. by the manner in which
they carry their bodies can see whether the
dance produces grace or stiffness"