Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-26
GRACEFUL WOMEN.
| Vonan's Opinien Of the Systems Of
Physical Culture.
an ACQUAINTANCE WITH ALL.
ohe Fin DE Steele Girl Awards the Palm
90 Outdoor Sports and the Mod
ern Dancing Lesson.
Ccorrespondence OF the pispatch.)

Correspondence OF the Dispatch)
NEW YORK. May i9.-There is
shrcwd few OF women who have ceased
10 pin their hopes to any one system OF
physical culture. Eccentricities and ao-
surdities OF bearing in other women warn
them of.
However. there IN generally something
20 be gained from a superficial acquaiht-
ance with each and every one of these
systems.
The IDEAL way TO go about ones train
ing for gracefuIness is TO take smat-
tering OF physical culture In all It's
forms. Then thorough courage could foi-
low In the one or two that seem most
fully to meet ones needs. After that
one is qualified TO decide on the rev
and special movements that are to be
,nos main dependence
1he most entirely graceful woman 1
know has compiled" for herself by just
these steps a series Of exercises for daily
practIce. without fair she goes
through her picked movements night and
morning: and she informs me that in the
morning the slow "rest" movements pre-
.ede the brisker exercising-as she be-
Heves the body should be walked up
gradually" while AT night the order Is
reyersed-the soothing motions coming
asst.
Each system Is emphasized on a rev
lines. Anyone up In the various sys-
TENS can Judge from a glance or TWO AT
her TO which one a physically traifeu
woman has given her allegiance.
The devotee of the REST system is
recognized wherever one sees her by
,onnIncss OF bearing not altogether UNI
aesthetic, a dolce-far- niente-ness III ga't
and an equabIe dreamy expression thal
carries one off In imagination 10 the
temules of the broOding Buddha.
Then there is the bigoted Delsartah-
she Is scarcely less pronounced.
Very pleasing she is in every attltuue
.be stri<es--in fact, a trhe too much so.
mere is far more OF sweetness than OF
strength In her bearing. THOSE ins
phrases-"the union Of the opposing ana
Inc reconciliation of opposites have got
her in a grip that has squeezed very
nearly all naturalness out Of her.
SUBJECTS THE EYE.
She surfcits the eye with her hexures
and sinuositics. We cry out Tor somethlhS
abrupt direct, and everyday In her at.l-
tudes and gestures. Her perpetual CIR
COMMUNICATIONS lend TO all she does an
artinciaIity that repels and pals she
cannot hand a book nor pick up pocket
handkerchief without an extra t"lst dt
the wrist. .,.
Her whole body and attention is taken
IN with the execution OF a De"IIueiHs
scheme of involutions. evolutions, ana
convOlutiOns, nave hediu S"''' Wv
assert of her.
"Her uliant arms are forever weaving
Imaginary wreaths of greater or less
diameter about her pretty and supple per
son" Is another censure that has peeh
passed upon her. 3.
Delightfully."- supple she does become II
is hut fair To state Moreover, the poise
ar equilibrium she often acquires and
which adjusts itself with astonishing ease
IN all her manOeuVres is so harmonious
and perfect that 1T seems lnDorh Inc
fencing lesson, however. gives this same
consummate polse, and does not encourage
artiicality.
The disciple of Lineism or any one OF /
the varieties of the Swedish movement
gymnastics bear markedly the stamp of I
her training. She becomes somewhat sol
diorlv in her bearing. While her move /
ments incline to angu,arlty there Is GER
tain sort of limberness or agility about
her She moves with jerky ease. Ihere /
is never anything flowing or lesato IN her
step. There is no sympathetic soithess
I'm her frame.
She is taught 70 DO her movements to |
staccato tempo. with head stiffy erect +
fcet planted. torso, arms ana hands riglu. !
Her practice-hablts fatally tincture her /
ordinary bearing. For one thing her poor /
hands are moulded on Egyptianesque |
Iines-thcy suggest the woodeny. squared
Il. to
n mummy. ono cannot but grieve over |
these hands especially If one views them |
I'm proximity to lovely hands moulded by |
Delsartian tral ming.
ON THE PIANO.
BY the way, better training for the !
hands there rs not than that which comes |
from lessons OH the pianoforte; the |
pianist however should be caTeful TO
give her hands a gentle shaking and iree-
ing at the end OF series of particularly |
str nuous chords.
PM the follower of the Swedish system
has her strong points. She is refreshingly |
wide awake and open-eyed. She never APP
pears to he doing off, nor going into an
aesthetic decline there is not suggestion |
or affccthtion about her; her cheeks glow |
with good circulation and her chest Is ad- |
mirably doveloped-usually she has
fuller and finer chest development than
her rhsartan friends.
Tho girl athlete" is unmistakable at all
times, She il a reproduction In pettcoats |
of tn. college sport" She runs her head |
forward. thrusts her elbows out, and car |
rios her head S>ubled in n fstbreastEWl |
ries her hand doubled into a iist. she is !
deAp lunecd and brdadshouldered, and /
soe swings along her legs with devil |
rfSy-care air.
AN wrong she certainly Is from an aes- |
thctic point OF view, yet she Is rather at |
fr.ctiye In her dashing outdoor rigs. |
There is certain wholesomcncss ana
plouancy about her Her vigor Is en-
ticing. Iier complexion Is glorious. But
I'm the conventional housc-frock or evening |
attire she Is n failure. Her magnificent |
physique Is a trine ovcr-brawny. We be |
hold bumps and Jumps where we should
like to see a graceful curve-her biceps |
are omlnous Her shoulders have lost
their allurirg slope, and certain lounge |
or sauntcr in her movements steals from |
her dignity.
Still. one Of the most up-to date girls |
know-who scents the coming OF a fad |
from afar. and whose frocks invariably |
herald fashions changes-teils me that |
all gymnastics are going out.
Fin de steele intelligence, she AYERS, has |
decided that sports and the dancing les |
son" will cover the ground in developing |
the physical
SHEER FOLLY.
You must see yourself" she explains. |
"that ii is sheer folly to coop ones self |
up In room. however spacious with |
lot OF tired-out women. horizontal bars, |
spring boards. and the like. TO exercise |
ON general principles. when the whole of |
outdoors awaits one. with its ineXhausti- |
ble supply Of ozone and royal chances |
for genuine sport. a game of quoits, a
scamper across country in 4 saddle a |
lope' on foot, or good kick at football |
are ten times as much fun and forty |
times better for ones body than the per-
functory gymnasium work.
"Of course. in stormy weather exercise
within doors must be made the h-st OF,
but the girl of the commencement de
steele VIII not so TO the big gymnasium
on nasty days. Instcad she will have
room set apart In her own home denud2d
OF carpets and all furnishings There she
can practice, foil in hand. various
thrusts with an imaginary adversary |
Or she can increase the sprlnginess of
her step by kicking At the suspendedltam-
BOURNE. Or she may prefer to shoot at
HI.