New-York tribune., 1907-04-16
FOLK DANCES GIVEN.
Girls Public Schools League in
animated Demonstration.

..,Fos, of the public school girls in New York.
..,d DR. Luther Halsey Gulick, in his word OF
,l,nation'' at the demonstrations Of folk dancing
sna athletics, given by the girls branch of the
publie Schools Athletic League al De Witt Cln-
ton High School yesterday afternoon. have two
,bings they choose between doing, after
school They help their mothers at home
~ thew can play on the crowded streets At
least that was true year ago. II is not quite so
srtle now that the girls branch of the Athletic
League is formed This branch is an attempt to
give the girls choice by having them play certain
boys games with notifications. and especially by
reaching them folk dances, To express the natural
happy eN'ihe.an every healthy child should
have"
The dances which the giIls gave yesterday adap-
cations Of Swedish, Russian, German and Irish Peas
ant dances were delightful 10 look at, and, Judging
from the cldldren's faces equally delightful 10 per
form. They were not much like the conventional
dances. These girls danced with their legs with
their arms. with motions of their heads with the
free and almost unconscious use of every muscle
OF their little bodies.
The smallest children led the way in the exhibit
tion. They were the kindergarten class of the
Tompkins Square school of the Chidrens Aid So
ciety. and they brought down the house with their
performance of "a version OF the Swedish 'Oxdans' &"
They were So extremely young that in their little
aprons they looked like round balls vet they vent
ing N doa1ie lnes. then skipping up and down.
iWirlins IN huge circle. bobbing at each other in
couples :,nd stamping Thythmically the floor
The "FTEkdalspuiska, two typical Swedish stems
were danced by grls from Public Schools 81 s.
and q IN these the girls performed a sort of rib
bon ngUre ln groups OF three, and then danced to
the rear of the hall in long lines TO The sound of
their OWL singing The ''COmaIinskaia.T a Russian
dance. given by the girls Of Public Schools IS So
and l5. was even more intricate Forming in lines
across the Eoor, they crossed aud recrossed in be-
T1der1ng fashion in their dresses. Of almost every
gay color. they had 4 Kaleidoscope effect.
The 'o2Ns polka tEenDaO1, danced by girls from
Public Schools IS, 80, 3 and ilq was a tTihe more
variations. After this the girls Of Public Schools
and ~ danced Irish liit.' holding their skirts
out between the tips ot their fingers and perform
lng an airy kind OF shuttle to the tune of The
Wearing of the Green The .sTrekarlspolslla -
given py nine girls Of The Washington Irving fIigh
School Athletic club. another "OXdans." hv the
girls Of Public Schools 35. 76 ll9 49, 10 and 100
o. U ana -. concluded the folk dances. The last
dance was performed in a huge circle. with a long
stamping step, which, as one observer said took
IN the whole floor
There Were several animated relay games in
cluding potato race by girls from Public School
.1&, and The girls from Public School III PLAYED
balloon goal the game invented by Max Ljeb-
baskethall, IN which both teams were from Wad-
leigh High School.
Miss Elizabeth Burcheual. who has taught the
girls the folk dances led in the exercises yester-
day.
in his Introductory talk DR.. Gulicl remarked that
The Fairgrounds of the city II present Will accom-
mO6ate only about per cent Of the public school
girls Controller Metz has made the girls branch
The gift OF a large open field but vet II has
not been able TO raise the necessary $500 to fence
and grade il. They are strainiug every nerve tow
ard that object now.