Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY BEAUTY
Charms Enhanced by Japanese
Fan Exercise.
SYSTEM DESCRIBED
ADVANCED LESSONS HAVE
PRETTY FLOWER NAMES.
Initiating Miladi's Little Brown Sisters
Of Nippon-Useful
Recipes.
SYSTEM DESCRIBED

The fan Is to the japanese woman what
1t is to the Spanish-her weapon. With
out it she would be warrior without
sword. The women of the tropics and the
women of Nippon are very different
specimens of femininity, but they are
alike somewhere beneath the mantilla
and the kimona. Their dainty weapons
effect the same deadly work-few come
away unscathed
Miss Spain handles her fan languidly,
dreamily. Miss Japans fan fits like the
gayest of summer butterflies alighting,
eluding. The tiniest girl in Japan handles
her fan with wonderful fascination. 1t
seems to grow alive in her hands 1t is
the most commonly used property in the
classical dances, and the little tots in the
dancing school are taught to handle 1t as
the various figures of the dances require.
This training gives them grace in using
the fan-a grace which never deserts
them even in the most commonplace
handling of it-a grace that would well
become the American girl.
1t is not permitted the beginning pupils
to work with it open. 1t is closed, and
cord bound around it. Each pupil chooses
her own fan and takes the same one at
every lesson, but she is not permitted to
unbind the cord until she has reached
proficiency with it in stick form. This
may be matter of weeks sometimes of
ihohthS. IHe WOTu pTOHcl0nCy pears TO
the Japanese far different significance
from that which it bears to Americans.
The clasping of the closed fan does not
appear graceful to us at first sight. 1t is
held with a certain stiffness, the fore
finger outstretched against it as a carv-
ers lies against his fork. 1t is handled
with wrist movement, which makes it
as flexible as an Indian club. Before the
girl is counted proficient she must ma
n1pulate it with the delicacy of fairy's
wand.
The First Movement,
First. the little wand is extended straight
forward to the full length of the arms
reach. Then 1t is taught to move slowly,
describing an arc from right to left from
left to right until 1t moves in fawless
curves, with never a jerk nor a pause. Dur
ing the first movement the edge of the fan
Is held up, the forefinger lying on top. Next
II IS turned over so that the hand moves in
a s1dewise direction. Finally, it is turned
SO that the forefnger lies underneath the
hand being upside down.
Inc slashng movements come next. With
the arm extended as before, the dancer
cuts the air in all directions as if she were
slashing with weapon. The closed fan
represents spring before the bursting of the
flowers. This slashing represents the sting
Ing weathers that occasionally interrupt
the progress of spring. After a blast fol-
lows warm and gentle zephyr; so after a
sharp slash of the fan comes one of its
ioh5 uIo CuINiiiS lHOllOnS. II Is a Qlf1CuIt
tElng to make the slash from far above
the head straight downward and blend 1t
INTO the pretty arc movement from side to
SIDE. Th1s feat must be accomplished with
out the slightest jerk, with as smooth a
blending as spring weather makes between
Two OF its moods.
Arm Stretching.
An excellent exercise to give grace and
strength to arms and shoulders consists of
OutStretChin0 first bep 9th
laterally. the second arm following after
the one that is outstretched The hand
holding the fan will be far out to the side
at one count, resting against the other
shoulder at the next count. After this drill
is perfected, the fan is passed from hand
10 hand so that it always rests in the out
stretched hand. Next it is passed in the
reverse fashion, so that it always rests
against the shoulder.
After these and many more similar ex-
ercises the day arrives when the little al
mond-eyed maiden is permitted to unbind
the cord that holds her fan closed The
sun mer exercises begin. The fan is spread
tc It's full extent, to represent the bursting
o, the blossoms. Then come the lessons in
the wonderful symbolic motions Their
significance is too occult for us to atch
many time, but the beauty and grace of
them appeal to every one of us.
,Clasping the open fan with both hands,
the little lady raises it far above her head
then lowers 1t behind. Here it rests a
floral background for her pretty face. slow
iy 1t Is raised again, then lowered in front,
all the time held upright. During this
movement the body is not allowed to bend
at all.
Another Gesture.
Clasped in the same way by both sides
the dancer holds 1t out fiat in front of her.
Keeping 1t nat, she must raise and lower it
as high and as low as possible. The body
must be perfectly erect during all this
Not until these exercises are learned is
the pupil permitted to take up those which
call for the bending of the trunk. They
are many and difficult They involve won
derful swayings backward, quite as won
derful bendngs forward
Holding the fan at the extreme point of
the handle with one hand only, 1t is lifted
high above the head Then with a great
sweeping bend of the body it Is brought for
ward and downward until it touches the
floor. At the same time the body comes
down to sauatting position and the fore
head Is bent nearly to the floor. After
three times repeating this the fan is
changed to the other hand. Three is the
magic number In Japan. Finally, it is
down as before. Then the fan Is waved
slowly from side to side before the body
muscles are permitted to straighten them
selves out again.
A Graceful Turn.
Many steps are executed with the fan
similar to those given with the umbrella
with the spread fan resting against the
breast, the little maiden runs lightly for
ward and backward on her crossed feet
To the accompanying of the same step
she carries 1t aloft, one corner of it point
ed upward, while she watts it lightly to
picture the falling blossoms of the plum
tree. Far back over her shoulder it droops
like the petals of the whiting iris while she
sways from side to side in rhythm with the
sad samisen music that tells of the fading
beauties of the year.
Takes Careful Training.
1t Is no easy matter to hold the open fan
fiat as If it were a tray and in this posi-
ton keep 1t moving in a circle about the
body. 1t must be passed from hand to
hand, of course. When it comes to the
rear. it is difficult not to spoil the circles
plane by dropping the arms so as to let the
fiat fan tip. The teacher frequently piles
flower petals on the fan and addresses a
sharp scolding to any unfortunate little
girl who is clumsy enough to spill them on
the floor. No girl In Japan ever cries at
l. Cl,1 to-