New-York tribune., 1908-05-24
FOLK DANCES FOR
FIFTH AVE. GIRLS
PUBLIC SCHOOL PASTIUE
MEETS FAVOR.
Mrs. Clarence III. Mackay Leads
Movement for adoption of Health
and Grace Citing Exercise.

| A group OF well known women IN New v,-.
have engaged dancing Instructor In the n,hr
schools to teach their children the folk dare.
| which long have been taught without charv. :.
the children Of the tenement houses in the F,-.
Side public schools IL has been found that ,b-.
| dances appeal as much 10 the future eebu.a,.
who lifts a skirt OF silk sheer eInbrofdAr,, -. -
! Sadie or Maggie or Rsbecca. who lifts a patcbs1
| calico dress fresh from mothers tub and iron1
board.
| Folk dancing for che children OF the wealth. -
| been taken Up largely through the agency OF NJ,
Clarence H Mackay. For several years she -
| been active member Of the Girls Branch -, -
Public Schools Athletic League and more rs.s,-1
| has become interested in the work OF +,s. rs
! ground Association OF America which IS strfzf,
to induce every city in the United States tn -
vide adequate Fairgrounds and play instructors f,-
the children Mrs. Mackay visited man --,,r1,
schools. and found that girl pupils were rsf1l-.
grace, strength. health and happiness from +baa
folk dances. which illustrate the national ~, :.
many European peoples. II occurred 70 bar -
her own daughters would benefit from s,cb -
ing. and, Joined by the Vanderoits and ths Io-,I
Iards she induced Miss Elizabeth Bl.rchena1 ,h
teaches the public school children, to form ,-t
vate class. AS result the Mackay children uttl,
Muriel and ConsueIo Vanderbilt. and a number ~
other children OF their class now fouou+,~ .,
their homes the same dancing course that IN.
public school pupils follow
Moreover, these class days ths r,st,,n.
gather to their daughters practics tbs a.,
tricacies OF Bohemian. Swedish, Danish German,
and American folk dances with much pieas,-.
the tenement house mothers feel IN seeing thsir
little folks enact the pantomnnes OF national chnd
hood As play expert put IT, The sane thing,
will make all children happy II you can put your
finger the right activities. Children's happiness
is frequently quite apart from money matters"
This play movement has recently received an
other advocate In the person OF the Duchess %
Marlborough, who IN public address indorse,i tbs
programme OF ths Playground Association OF
America Her advocacy Of more Fairgrounds FOR
children carries with IT the support OF May par
well known IN social life
From present indications IL would seem that fok
dancing, which IS becoming so popular among pub
lie school children and is being added 10 pubna
school courses OF study as rapidly teachers Of
it be obtained. Will be more than passing
whtrr, with the well do. So great has the de-
Inand for teachers fo- private classes becous that
New York University at its coming summer ses-
sion will devote entire department TO training
teachers FOR this work
Miss BurchenaI, who will conduct the sumner
course IN folk dancing the university says tha.
the great value Of these dances for children les n
the fact that the Old World rhythns give q senss
Of freedom and entirely obvate the self-conscous-
ness which is the main fault OF the so-calIet
fancy dancing modelled stage performances.
The folk dances. she says. represent IN panto-
mimic form little dramas typifyins national char~
ecterstics. sentiment and occupations. easily porn
rdEed perleclly ureIlSlOle 10 tHe cd1C- TneT
crafty the childs natural love OF play actinzs
and at the time call into action means &C
expression. poses and gestures repreent vhas
the child ordinarily tells only in words Teachers
therefore finding them valuable merely
q delightful and interesting form OF gymnastics.
but adding, 70 speak. language OF gesturs
and posture to the cniIis vocabulary.
Nine out Of ten children who dance fancy
dances continued Miss Burchenal. think
of their audiences than the dance itself That Ia
II TaT-0 -oT 4-
thing TO train child to acquire sslf-conscouress.
and yet that Is what most fancy dances accom-
plsh- In the folk dances. however. there Is Iitts
opportunity for child to give herself airs-that IS
unless the dances are performed IN costume. 4
thing which am opposed TO, especially IN tbs
public schools.
Folk dancing introduced into the schools
not for show purposes but TO give the girls an op-
portuntty 70 enjoy real recreattve exercises II
has accomplished this. and is really the ideal way
of giving athletics public school girls.
dances require neither special costume nor ap-
paratus- Just as soon as you have these dances
performed in costume however you defeat one Of
their chief ans-that of fnstiIing spirit Of free
dom and denaocracy-for II IS only natural for
children. when dressed for exhibition purposes.
to show off,
There is still another merit TO folk dancing
which fancy dancing does not possess That is It
takes a group Of children to perform folk dance.
This brings a social element into the pastirle.
which is not always possible with fancy dances.
which are largely for individual presentation
Folk dances. however. require crowd and tia
more children IN the dance the better"
Among the folk dances which are popular with
the school children of this city are Russian Co
the Italian taranteIIa. Hungarian
csardas. Bohemian strasak ard komarno. Scotch
fling. and a number OF Norwegian. Swedish and
Danish dances
New York University Will this summer have
department Of physical training made up entirely
OF courses in dancing y number OF public school
teachers from all parts Of the country have al
ready enrolled for these courses. and they. il -
believed. will quickly spread these dances through
put the United States The children OF New York
who are being taught them Will also help 10 pass
them on 70 children OF ether cities, for chiIdrens
games and plays in some mysterious way spread
rapidly Let the children OF New York play a
certain game OF their own invention in the streets
II New York and in way that game Will
urn up in San Francisco New Orleans Chicago
md Boston. sent on It's way by the Children's own
secret means Of communication. a matter almost
Is tneSplcabe as the sixth sense, By which al
children suddenly know that on a certain day
marble season or top season Is at hand.