The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-26
MORE ON THE "Two-sTEP. +"

To The Salt Lake Herald:
That is a timely talk of "A Parent" on
day There is no other place in this coun-
try where dancing is such a popular pas
time as in Utah. and it used to be true
that in no other place could be found
so many real good dancers But this is
now a thing of the past and if NAV be
1ruthfully said that nowhere in the world
can so many bad dancers be found as in
oaIt Lake CITY. Inc cause of this may
or may not be hard to find but at Salt
air in the summer it IS an everyday occur
renee to hear the question: What is it?
What are they dancing? While looking
at the antics of some hundreds of cou-
PIES on the floor who are doing every
lnlng except dance-that Is, IL dancing is
keeping time with the music. as it used
70 be and is Yet in many places outside
OF Salt Lake City. And yet we are told
mat many. in fact, most. of these per
formers have learned to dance in the
dancing academies here in town 1t NAV
be true that no dancing MASTER here
toned by "A Parent" but as YOU can
see it at their halls at all kinds of dances
schools, so-ealled, or balls given there
II IS sale TO say that they permit it. The
pace seems to be set by those long on
activity but snort on decency: good on
speed, but bad on time" elevator
boys, messenger boys, and the class of
| boys generally who don't stay around
home, but are a source of trouble and
anxiety to their parents, are much in evil
dence as artists in this particular line
and help to teach dancing for free adj
mittance. 1t goes without saying that no
/ decent girl will allow boy to hold and
| hug her as described by "A Parent" also
| that no decent young man will attempt
| IL The main trouble seems to be the
| 'two-step." Since this dance become
/ popular all other round dances have been
! relegated to the rear. 1t is to the dances
| what the English sparrow is to the ma
I tive SongsterS of this cOuntry-it has driV-
! en- them all out. To dance round dances
( properly requires some skill besides the
/ power to use the legs, 1t calls for time
and tune, as singing does. The result is.
many people really can never learn to
! dance, no more than they can learn to
l sing. But all people with two legs can
/ wallS-walk 10 music when a march is
pIayed-and when the genius. whoever he
J was. conceived the idea of dancing to a
/ let down the bars and let the whole horde
/ in the ball room who had two legs and
/ d wish that they could dance. and that
! includes practically all boys. especially
1 the classes referred 10. What they lack
/ in skill they make up-any old way-and
they are often daring. gOod-looking fell
| lows. They run down the weaker and
| more sl<ilful. and are initiated BY their
/ admirers. among whom are often some
| nice looking but silly girls. who think
/ whatever John does or how he does it
i must be the proper thing. and so they
] get up on the floor and do things that
| should make them blush. All dances that
require skill are rarely ever danced now,
| and If they are attempted they are danced
| as two-steps. AS they have no ear for
music. il matters not to them what is
/ of a horn would answer every purpose
| as well as a tune. 1 fear there is no hope
! for dancing till the two-step is barred.
| and by barring this you would bar about
! one-half the dancers from round dan
! cling They really don't enjoy it. They
/ can't. But il would enable the other half
to feel the glory there IS in true dan
! cling. WALLFLOWER.
| Salt Lake