The evening world., 1894-07-11
,AME As THE MIDWAY
lnss du Ventre Given at the
Imperial Music Hall
|,.ouIsed Under the Name Of the
"Honolulu."
hh. Too, in tho Heart Of the
Tenderloip District.

L.rh. Great Original Honolulu Dance"
h,ed as one Of the attractions at the
,ner,al Music Hall, and has become
nopuar number Of the programmes
persons not connoisseurs In the many
,uches OF terpsichorean art which have
lcent,y confused even those whose dis.
animation Is the result OF persistent
udy, there l.. a strange and particularly
ytd similarity In this dance OF alleged
|aeifc Island origin to the prescribed
dsnse du ventre."
OF course. the authority Of the man.
rement should be taken az nnal on the
uestion. and the line announcing the
hawaiian extraction Of the series of
aperings and contortions which make
up the act should be sufficient to allay
|ncipient comparison. Yet there is a
something. or rather, a whole lot of
Dome things. about 1t that Is distinctly
reminiscent of the Midway Plaisance,
1 tom. the first droning notes of the
eird pipe SO entirely identified with
/ And, again, there occurs to the average
ectator who is not thoroughly up-tO
/ Ute or the. subject Of National cos.
/ me that Sandwich Islanders are not
bwebby attire of the odalisque Of the
lent But perhaps this is only an.
her instance Of the license INDUCED in
+ dramatists and novelists. who some
4, .rizona dirk in lieu of a dagger and a
htive South African belle to sport pink
nd shell-like ears.
q However all these arguments may ar;
Of him who seeks vainly to classify and
define modern spectacular dances, there
|. definite, suspicion that Mile. cara
reproduces the danse du ventre in its
familiar phase. and also a dread lest
the surcingle, which alone seems TO con-
fine the major portion Of her raiment,
might give way under the contortions
10 which she subjects that portion of
her body Immediately n, a,Iainsy bsnsa. tn T.
an f Egyptian sfS named Hadj Gherifr a a ae,
eOrding 10 the bills: Hadj performs first
an .endurance aanse which. despite IT.
Is spinning about like an animated top.
lara is beating methodically upon an
instrument resembling a vase with a
tme ne, she sits stoiidly and imperturbed,
Is though rapid motion were an impossi-
= T6sn comes come i, her r., turn urn a. and Had.
Ks Cheeks sse Will. # walls a and surses
the woody notes Of the danse du ventre.
lara is clad in a costume which would
not need the doHlng OF many ounces to
transform her into living picture Of
Venus in her birthday dress. A pair Of
Persian trousers reach from her hips
to her ankles. their material being
Eirdle, which passes far below the waist
In front, sustains the bifurcated veil
Ing. The upper portion Of her body Is
!ncased In pink stockinet, fitting as
though moulded to her. About her
ihouiders Is the usual short Jacket
As the music begins her facial mus
ces twitch convulsively, her head be-
gins to sway, while her feet keep time
IN shifting motion. Gradually the
extends throughout her body
and the customary abdominal contor-
lions are gone through. The dance con-
Guides with q simulated abandon Of pas
sion as the dancer falls half-swooning
to the floor. An encore Is quite the
Usual thing.
Manager Kraus, of the Imperial, was
asked by an Evening World" reporter
Il the alleged Honolulu lance" was not
the danse du ventre.
Not at ALL" he replied. There Is alb
s'lute!y nothing Objectionable about the
dance. and Il Is a very popular part of
the programme. Why. cara Is completely
clothed from head to foot. She even
w.rs trousers that extend to her very
ankles"
He made no attempt to reconcile the
fact that the Hawaiian dance was per-
formed in Oriental costume. nor does he
say how an Egyptian happens to appear
with the danseuse.