The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-09
VALUE OF DANCING.
An Accomplishment That should BE
Taught to All Young People.
New York Post.

New York Post.
There is a grave and very serious prob
lem m the development of many youthful
natures. especially for boys. OF which no
one who has not tried IL can realize the diff
ficulty OF solution. Inherent in an impor-
or twelve to their fifteenth or sixteenth
year, Is a self-conscious awkwardness.
sensitive doubt Of themselves, dread OF
being laughed at, which makes them shy
and shrinking, and oftentimes they will
only be induced to accept an invitation 10
any gathering Of young people by absolute
command, and the whole matter becomes a
very trying discipline to both child and
parent.
And the thinking looker-on marks with
regret the half-grown bright young fellows
who stand in the doorways. or sit awkward
ly In some out-of-the-way corner turning
over photographs or doing whatever kind
dance are gayly moving in full tide OF joy
The certainty of being conventionally
way. the knowing how" disarm all nerv-
GUS doubt, and the boy and girl who were
dull strangers are laughing friends after
ten minutes partnership in dance.
The average young man in the average
social life of our generation and period is
without question robbed OF great enjoyment
by being ignorant OF the simple art which
he can learn from a dancing master. De-
tached and apart from the general plan OF
everyday life among the young, the bowling
and courtesying and all the trifiing study OF
carriage and demeanor seem more than silly
but practically they are well worth knowing
The man Of twenty-five can find way 10
and claim his share of pretty girls atten-
ton; the unf1edged schoolboy finds converse
tion a terrible trial and. deprived Of any
mutual point Of approach, does not know
where to begin.
There are many truths more difficult Of
proof than the fact that dancing well in
social life of his neighborhood and acts as
a means of defense against the allurements
of those lowering public places and forms OF
amusement which draw such crowds to bill
lard rooms and their like Without this
bond between himself and his girl COM
panions he is often made gradually into
what is known as "a mans man," caring
little for what is purely social and devoid Of
the exciting Zest which accompanies a game
OF chance or skill.
feel, as 1 write these words that they
will seem trivial and based on unsound
promises, to many who, though deeply in
terested in education in it's strictly conven-
tional sense, lose sight Of character and
happiness as the highest result of train
ing, and think only OF degrees and college
honorS as the true ends to be attained. 1t
Is with the utmost gravity, and as the cor
clusion reached by very painful following
OF certain young lives through their prog
ress from the schoolroom to mans full es-
tate that l have become convinced that II
Is not only rational but worth a great ef-
fort to impart to our children those minor
graces and charms which fit them to mingle
with their kind easily, gracefully and joy
ously.
The testimony of the world of human ma
ture. from Cathay to Newport, from Null
berry Bend tC the Waldorf-Astoria, shows
us that only in exceptional cases are any
young people unmoved by the charm Of
music played in dance rhythm; II is as nat
half-clothed children Of a vile tenement
danced before me yesterday to the half
discordant sound Of ''piano-organ," with
grace and abandon so perfect and as
tonishing that a very observant woman ex-
claimed Where did they learn? They must
have been on the stage in some spectacle!'
Hunger, dirt, bruised feet, were forgotten
as they moved backward and forward in
eager delight.
To these starved lives, of course, this
rudimentary motion and unity in pleasure
might easily have larger comparative
from SO many sources knowledge and beau
ty and interest; but the human basis was
and ever will be the same, and Ii is not a
small thing when civilization and its at
tendant self-consciouSness have made I'M
taught and spontaneous dancing impossible
to leave young nature without the knowl-
edge of it as graceful art by which COM
partnership is made easy and merry conf
dence made sure among those who are
thrown together in the chance meetings of
the world.
There is something i'm the too long legs.
and hands of the undeveloped bodies that
requires definite aid to control, and this Is
nowhere found as easily and thoroughly as
at dancing school. And there is something
truly delightful in a general, simultaneous
movement to do the same pleasant thing,
can only be attained when youth forgets
all about itself and its embarrassments.
and, full of health-giving exhilaraIion,
moves in unison with guiding harmony.