The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-05
DANCE AS YOU PLEASE NOW
Society Really Has Forsaken the
Dainty steps of Old.

society S62IAy 6aAS EOrSak9n the
Dainty Steps Of Old
Just about a year ago letter written
b. an English dancing master got into
one or two of the newspapers here and
caused a mild sensation for the tradi-
tional nine days The Englishman had
the temerity to declare that American
women were not graceful dancers, or at
least that they danced less gracefully
than English women
The uncomplimentary declaration pro-
volxed immediate and warm deniaSs
from indignant New Workers of both
sexes. Then the topic died a natural
death, and Americans went on dancing
as gayly as ever and precisely after the
fashion berated by the Londoner.
He must be chuckling now. though.
If he reads American neWspap ers. for
out Of Chicago comes d vigorous vail
from an erstwhile master Of dancing,
who declares he has gone out Of the
business solely because 1t has come to
pass that nowadays no one dances, that
the rising generation ronps and shut
f1es and runs, does everything, in fact
but glide Worse still. grace and dignity
N rle ballroom are out OF fashion ne
says Young women don't know how to
courtesy nor young men. how to bow.
And he says that the dainty finished
steps once associated with the art Of
dancing have all but disappeared, dating
from about the time when the two-step
sps'anS into being and made dancing
possible for the unframed
York. which prides Itself on knowing a
few polite accomplishments. It might be
expected that the dancing masters. 1t
least, would take issue with the Chi
; cagCan's description of later day dane
ins. Strange to say. though, some agree
with him. and the best Of them are al
most apathetic on the subject.
In some respects said enc Of them,
the Chicago teacher is right Where
he makes a mistake. though. is to say
that the rising generation doesn't know
how to do the dainty steps danced by
its grandmothers The very self same
steps taught then are taught TO chill
dren today by every first class teacher,
both privately and in class, and they are
+ thoroughly learned and practiced, too.
at every dancing school,
Then why IS this iconOciast right2 %
Society. when it grows up VIII have
none OF the dainty steps except on spe-
I ciaI occasions Tor the last five years,
at least the tyvO-step and waltz have
! aIternated on fashionable dance pro-
/ grammes as Well as on others not 50
fashionable, TO the exclusion almost OF
/ every hing else except an occasional
( lancers. It is quite true that the sehot-
tisehe, redOWa. varsOvienne, ulinuet, and
other dances which once had con-
spicuous place in the ballroom card are
seen no more. but not for the reason
that young people don't know how to
New York spends piles of money
every year on dancing lessons which in
clude all kinds OF fancy dances and the
most difficult steps. the children Of the
well-to-do. almost from their very
cradles. are rOted of to dancing school.
Yet in spite of it alb the richest SET
the smart set. as * Is oalie1--1ancas. II
anything. more careleSsly and with less
grace than any ether II can be aC-
counted for only by believing that il
wants to take its dancing ike every
thing else, with as little trouble as pos
sible.
Really. the best dancing in New Yor =
IS not seen II the ballrosms Of society.
but in the cosmopolitan dance halls. fur
ther down town patronfzed by the
plalneSt classes of every nationality III
the after on occasion one may see really
beautiful daneing-not romping; see the
lancers danced-not walked through.
As matter Of fact, the movements
IN the lancers are really very graceful
although Oftsntimes the truth would
never be suspected, judging from the
way IN which they are performed in this
average ballroom. As rule d such
times instead OF bowling low to his part
ner and turning gracefully with the
music TO repeat the ceremony to the
lady on the opposite corner. Young men
content themselves with bobbing their
headS and slightly twisting their bodies
And when the time comes for other very
pretty steps they simply shuttle their
feet Some young women are almost as
careless
Presumably they all know how il
ought to be done. for they went to dane
ing school when children But they pre-
fer TO do as they please
a dancing master, IN fact. has little
or nothing to do nowadays IN regulating
what and how society shall dance III
public. New Workers. are nothing II not
faddish All that is necessary is for
some one holder than the rest to start a
particular movement, and at once al
the rest follow suit, until a newer one
is introduced
Fer instance last season It was tbs
custom in many fashionabl bathrooms
for young men during the dance to hole
the right hand Of their partners pressed
against their necktie, 50 TO speak Oh
practically as high as that. Needless tt
say. no dancing master ever taught
anything so ridiculous. The custom wa
started solely by lot of college boys
on the alert for novelty II was prob
ably the outcome Of that other absurd
custom which was all the rage one
winter. OF shaking hands on level with
the nose
/ Last winter. TOO and. indeed. al
sumner long at the best known water
ing places. young women, especially the
more fashionable Of them. made a poin
? when dancing OF pulling their dresses
? around them SO tightly as to outline ths
whole figure and make 1t almost irnp0s
sible for the wearer TO take q long GID
ing step Does any one imagine that
= dancing teacher ever encouraged suci
{ folly2 Or thar he would for one insrani
s permit such an ungracefuI proceeding
: while giving a lesson2 Certainly not.
: New York sun