Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-16

| large tnInS. IT lHciuUeS physical
| literature, music. The dances are given to
| the accompaniment of a samisen, whose
| player chants weird and ancient poems that
| deal with the lore of Japan. The dance is
| a pantomme which is supposed to suit the
| action to the singers words.
I Before the little girl is permitted to learn
| the long and complex pantomimes, how
| ever, she must devote months and months
| to the slow training of her muscles. These
| muscles must be prepared for the thousand
difficult motions and poses which will occur
| in the dances. One old woman who taught
such a school told me that the moon had
| withered three times before one of her pu-
| pills, in spite of daily lessons, could repre-
| sent with her fingers the riot of the wind
| tossed maple leaves. By the time the fin
| gers had learned this movement they were
| all grace and deftEess.
Whirling and TYirling.
Various movements with the parasol are
common to many Of the dances, and para
sol lessons occur early In the course. Peep
ing into a class room one may see a great
whirling and twirling of the gay little
paper umbrellas. Beneath them the little
dancers are hard at work learning the
pretty tricks of their trade. First they
are taught to open and close the umbrella
with ease and auckness. There is a lesson
in this that we might as well take home
to ourselves. Any woman who can handle
+, her umbrella well Is pretty sure to be
graceful at everything she does.
Resting the weight of the body equally
upon both feet. the dancers stand with
| closed umbrellas pointed straight before
them. THE blast drives in your faces the
| teacher says. AT a given signal they open
| the umbrellas and stoop behind their shell
| ter. Over and over this movement is re-
| peated for the umbrellas must be opened
| noselessly. This point is of tremendous
| Importance to the japanese. Their ideal
| of womanhood demands gentleness, quiet
ness Japanese femininity is hushed from it's
1 F,.et 1,I 1r- ~.
| age.
| The crouching behind umbrellas must be
| accomplished with fawless grace. Often
! the teacher commands that the umbrellas
be laid aside while she drills her class in
the crouching alone. Down they go and
up they come, bending at the hips and the
knees until these Joints become thoroughly
supple. This is excellent training for the
| legs and develops their curves rapidly.
Next Ankles and Feet.
After the class has mastered this mo-
| ton it is taught to run forward against
the imaginary storm while retaining the
| crouching position. This is very difficult
| both as feat of strength and of balance.
Ankles and foot muscles come in for their
share of the profit Next the pupils must
run backwards still holding the same posi-
ton: and as final test of the ability of
! their tiny feet, they must run sideways
like SO many droll little crabs.
Dozens of variations of these exercises
are given. The umbrella is held at the
side. for instance. or low above the head
while the crouching running proceeds. One
| might expect the funny little kinked mus
Giles to remain permanently kinked But,
by way of reaction. they are presently
compelled to stretch their utmost.
High above the head the umbrella is held,
| first with one hand, then with the other
1t is waved In great circles above the head.
1t is twisted by the supple wrist as If it
were an Indian club Finally 1t learns to
twirl.
You know that there are many Jugglers
among the men of Japan. The women also
know trick or two. They are-taught to
balance the umbrella upon the outstretched
palm and to twirl it, first at an easy level,
gradually higher and higher, until it finally
spins far aloft. This whirling represents
the r1ischievous autumn winds in the story
dances.
Too Much for Ali of Us.
1t is almost impossible for American
trunks to bend as do the trunks of these
flexible little people. Our professional
dancers accomplish it, but rarely an anna
tuer. With the umbrella tilted alluringly
over the shoulder, the Japanese girl sways
far backward, then, in this position, moves
with slow, undulating step to the rhythm
of the samisen. The actual steps of these
dances are almost indescribable; but / cam
not conceive of any better grace training
for all of you than to go through some
Slulng waltz steps IN the position OF the
little Japanese dancer. Clasp your parasol
lightly, bend the body far backward, make
every line curve rather than an angle,
move without a jerk and move slowly
enough to make equilibrium hard propo-
sition. "a
The umbrella is held high above the head
with both hands during some of the stately
steps. This is an excellent stretching prac-
tice. Try holding it aloft, twrling its ham
die between the two palms, this Is Japan
csc movement and is combined with a step
something like what we call the English
waltz, in which you rise suddenly upon the
toe just before the third count
A Bewitching Motion.
Catching a butterfly" is the most be-
witching motion In all the parasol game
The teached blows thistledown or small
feather, starting 1t flying about the room.
The little girls all turn their umbrellas up
side down. holding them by the handles,
and scamper after the make-beEeve but
terfiy, each one tryingSto scoop II Win ner
umbrella The teacher keeps 1t flying with
gusts from her fan. If any pupil is rough
or ungraceful in a single motion she Is put
out of the game.
In another pantomime the umbrellas are
caught on each side by the edge. They
represent the upturned new moon which
rocks to sleep an infant star. Swaying,
grooming, the umbrella is rocked from side
to side. The dancer moves with SLOW step
taken in stockinged feet. The stocking
WORN Is compromise between hosiery as
we know 1t and cloth shoe. 1t yields to
every motion of the tiny flexible feet. At
first the pupils are taught an ODD little rum
ming STEP Keeping the feet tight together,
they run forward with short, rapid steps,
moving upon the balls of the feet After
this they are taught to run backward and
sideward, always keeping the feet close To-
gether.
~