The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-07
LoNDON's STYLE OF DANCING.
1t Is Decadent or Degenerate-An
English Observers Critical Re-
marks.

marks.
From the London News.
In spite of all that has been said and
sung in protest 1t must be obvious to any
spectator at a modern dance that dancing
as an art shows no signs of regeneration;
indeed, once it has departed from it's an
cient traditions, 1t appears to find "facile
est descensus." Even society leaders have
raised their voices in vain, and it cannot
be wondered at that Suburbia is not slow
to embrace what Mayfair and Belgravia
are forced to condone in fact, for the
most part encourage. Stin the question
forces itself upon the onlooker where is
1t to end? VIII the art Tor what is left of
it, eventually degenerate into a gloriied
foot ball scrimmage? Or shall we sud
denly revert to the stiff and stately"
dancing of the past?
We certainly erred on the side of stiff
ness at one time. Certain foreigners, who
have not revisited England since the cent
ury was middle-aged, stu picture to them
selves the English valse as a vista of
slowly revolving couples, stiff to wooden
ness. What g rude awakening they would
receive were they to see an English dance
of to-day! No foreigner ever "hop-valsed"
more vigorously than Young England does
now. STILL though he may regret the dis
appearance of the valse of few years
ago, which had attained absolute perfec-
ton of time and motion, the "hop-valse"
! does not come altogether under the ban
of the true lover of the art. More to be
| condemned is the style of valsing now
| prevalent Affectatlon is the keynote
| struck by both men and girls. Whereas
dancing should, above all, be natural,
since its origin was doubtless the outcome
| fz
all ages and all races, the aim of modern
ballroom dancers is to affect distorted
| and ctamped positions, which, ii is to be
presumed, they fondly believe possess
| style" They sink their necks into their
shoulders until they might well be mis-
taken for the strange creatures of Othel-
| los tales; they stick out their elbows, they
hang their heads on one side, some men
| even place the ladies' right hand on their
shoulder in fearful and wonderful posi-
tion-these be but a few of their fantastic
| devices; their name is legion.
Still the dance "a deux" is beautiful
! compared with the square dance-the lam
GERS, which is the only survivor of its
race. There are some hostesses and chap
erons Unfortunately a very small proper
/ tion) who object to the romp into which
certain figures of the s6-called kitchen
lancers degenerate; but their feeble pro-
| tests are drowned in the wild onrush of
| stalWart youths and frolicsome maidens.
Primarily, the lancers are no longer Ian
| GERS The charming second figure, with
| it's Old World grace of curtsey and bow,
is voted out of date, and waltzing is sub
stituted. The delightful grand chain"
is generally replaced by "gallop." and a
"Here-we-g o-round-the- mulberry bush"
| finale Naturally some innovations and
| notifications must creep into dance aft
er many years of popularity, but the pres
ent Interpretation of the third and fourth
figures should certainly call down the CEN
sure of all who give themselves credit for
the possession of good taste. 1t is scarcely
an edifying or pretty sight to see ladies'
| lifted off their feet as they swing round in
'Iadies to the center or visiting"
This is what usually occurs In these fig
ures, for the gentlemen form a circle, inside
which the ladies are swung round at light
ming speed. AS the ladies link their arms
In the gentlemens, the rapid movement
| lifts them off the ground, and they often
swing round in the air almost in horizon
| tai position. The disinterested spectator
can neither admire the latest de-
velopmeut of the last figure The
| sight of all the gentlemen of a "set"
| linked arm in arm, charging up and
| down the room like a troop of cavalry,
ana the ladies initiating them, is neither
| beautiful nor congruous with the sur
| rOun0inRS. NO one COuld De pruQlSh
enough to veto lively dances, but there
is point where fun ceases and vulgarty
| 20 cali 1t by a harsh world steps in. There
| Is a style Of dancing which one is quite
| prepared to see on the Crystal Palace
| lawns on a bank holiday, but which does
not appear in its place in West End
| drawing room.
| There is much moaning and grooming
at the decay OF chivalry, at the vanish
| ing of innocent Irritation, and those small
| attentions so dear to the feminine heart.
| But men are not wholly culpable. The
lions share of the blame rests with the
| girl of the so-called high and upper
classes She makes herself too Cheap"
as the expressive slang word has It; in her
| dancing, as in many other ways, she too
often gives herself away" Still, it does
not do TO make too sweeping condemna-
| ton, for there are without doubt many
| girls who only follow where others lead.
| or are carried away by the excitement Of
the moment and who, on reflection, would