The independent., 1907-04-25
SIDEITGHTS

Isl EOPLE do not dance now with any
q "a vim. The mammoth is no more.
The buffalo is nearly extinct We are
after the mosquito and consumption.
Perhaps even the fool will one day be
abolished But shall we tamely sit by
while dancing and the very household
fly are menaced, asks the Boston Tram
script. Rise, sturdy citizens of this
soulless age, and hurl back these i'm
pending outrages of an Improvements
mad new time Will ye meekly stand
still and suffer this privilege of your
manhood to be wrest from your grasp?
M. Desrats, dean of the Paris academy
of choregraphy-for such is his impos-
ing title-hear his lamentations on the
disappearance of all grace from man
kind-along with the evanishment of
his bread and butter
"One dances no more" sadly says
M. Desrats, who, though getting on
Tor Seyenty-seven, still, like young Sir
Willoughby Patterne, ''has a leg," and
one of which many junior might be
Justifiably proud. Dancing, which he
has practiced and taught for fifty
seven years, has kept his limbs 1.-THE,
MS cheeks rosy and his mind fresh.
His enthusiasm for his art is as warm
as 1t was when he was twenty, and
when. after liberal education. he
gave up thoughts of the legal or medi-
cal profession and preferred ito con-
secrate himself to the cult of Terpsi-
chore'-in his own language. which is
as HoWery as his manners. Though he
mas always had and still has plenty of
pupils, ne mas come to the tragic con-
clusion that dancing is dying out.
"Oh, monsieur" says he, "under the
empire how beautifully the women
danced, and what beautiful women
they Were." In a year 122 official balls
were glven-that is, ole every three
nights. He dates the downfall of dane
ing from the introduction into France
of the Boston" which he assumes TO
have come from America. What ca
lamity was there, for the slipshod two
step has killed the waltz, while out
o1.door sports have buried it, 1.-THE
arlstocracy dances no more Only the
small bourgeois now and then sacri-
nces to Terpsichore." When the cake
walk. the mattchiche. the krauuette
and liguette were mentioned to M. Des-
rats he sWooned, and had to be re-
ylved with scented salts, such as early
victorian ladies inhaled when emotions
Overcame them
Only a visit from Queen Wilhelmina
and her consort, Prince Henry. who
played SO notable a part in the rescue
OF the Berlin survivors, is necessary
70 give the finishing touch to the
Doom IN all things Dutch which is
growing in London -.1aA
A visit from the young Dutch queen.
who has never paid a state visit to
London, is within the bounds of prob
ability this year, and London seems to
be unconsciously preparing itself for
such an event.
Dutch art, Dutch songs-or songs
ABOUT Holland-and Dutch shoes are
becoming more and more popular A
few years ago Mr.. Nico Juneman,s
Dutch pictures began to take the pub
lie fancy.
year or two ago the print-shop
windows began to be filled with Dutch
hgure sketches-rows of little Dutch
boys in baggy trousers and sabots and
Dutch girls in little round bonnets.
plgtails and sabots, and old Dutch
fishermen and fishwives in the quaint
costume of the low country-includine
sabots.
Inc pictures of quaint Dutch clothes
ana especially the sabots struc. the
popular taste. and now the real sabot
mas invaded London. 1t hangs in the
shop windows in the West End and
the suburbs, tied up with ribbons and
lapelied: Dutch sabots for English
feet"
pair of sabots has become the
latest fancy with the girl with a trim
pair OF ankles and "sabot tea. parties, ;,
with Dutch costume and Dutch songs
are beginning to enliven the suburban
home.
Tha theater and the muslc-hall have
taken up the Dutch boom. Miss Hool.
OF Holland is enjoying success at the
Appoiio. and at half a dozen halls In
London and dozens throughout tho
country Dutch songs are the order
OF the day.
Miss Annie Purcell and Miss Madge
Lessing were both singing them at the
flvoii last week. and the oxford
has "the eight stars of Hol-
and, who sing and dance In national
iress, amid Dutch scenery.