The Washington herald., 1909-02-21
THE ART OF DANCING.
Bv MILE. GENEE-

Dancing develops the Imagination 70 8
greater extent than almost any other
art The painter or the sculptor can
exactly through the medium Of his art.
Modern music has become almost as &C
curate and realistic in describing every
thing from nature sounds TO the most
complicated emotions
But the dancer has only nimbIe toes
and a supple body 10 work with in de-
picting a scene or a feeling OF the heart.
and consequently has 20 put all her in
teIligence into her work in order 70 con-
vey her meaning TO the public
A good dancer must be a close observer
OF life. for one cannot draw on ones
imagination for the details which 90 70
show public exactly what Is passing in
the dancers mind IN the hunting dance.
in the last act OF The Soul Kiss try
to portray the chase after the fox. be-
ginning with the meet. the CaracOling
Of the horses. the start, jumping the
hedges. and finally the capture OF the
brush. have 10 dance as the horse and
the rider at the same tine and depict
the nimbieneSs OF the animal
The art Of descriptive dancing is not
minutely TO portray each occurrence OF
give what might be called en- imitation
Of the thing that is supposedly happen
ing but to create the illusion without
destroying Tire poetry Of the dance BY
too much realism. 4 Two-foOtsd mortal
trying accurately 10 describe the move
ment OF a fOur-footed horse would look
both ugly and ridiCuloI1S. and above all
things. the dancer must never be either
OF these.
In the hunting dance. therefore. # IS
necessary first 10 get the sensation Of the
horse cantering, and then 10 describe that
movement. transformed into a dance
movement and set 10 the rhythm OF the
accompanying music.
A dancer giving an accurate imitation
Of a horse and rider jumping hurdle
would be anything but graceful. and Vet
when seen the jumping horse and good
rider are grace personified. And nothing
IS so exhilsrating as TO sit on a good
hunter and take a hurdle in perfect uni
son with your mount. IN the dance I
try TO give the sensation OF the Jump.
and the only bit of realism IS the sway
ing Of the body into position after the
jump has been accomplished. which Is
what I have observed and felt when tax
ing the bar on horse
IT is the addition OF little bits Of OBJ
servation ike this. combined with the
vivid imagination, that makes up a de-
Scriptive dance IN other words, Il Is
realism cOnventiOnaIized 10 the dance
step and never going beyond the bounds
Of grace or beauty or oveTshadoVing the
personality OF the dancer.
The descriptive dance needs more con-
centration OF mind on the work than the
ordinary fancy step dancing. because not
only must all the details be remembered
and the various steps executed I'm time.
but the dancer must keep her mind on the
succession Of imaginary events she is try
ing TO describe through the medium Of the
dance, and her facial expression. which IS
one Of her greatest aids in acouaintinC
the public with the passing picture. must
vary as that does.
II she stops thinking OF her subject for
a moment the expression OF the face viii
die out and the public lose the thread
OF the story For, after al. the desc-iv-
tive dance is merely a story told BIZ
means Of the feet, the body, and the face.
and. Ike the story-teIier whose mind
wanders. she loses her point If she for
gets the subject OF her dance for an in
stant