The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-20
The ReDiDal Of Dancing
By Frederic J. Eia.kin.

U4zl1 &9A 4tlH <3N A <in 1N'E
 The art of dancing is experiencing a great awakening. There Is marking hack to the forms of the olden days In the revival of the wonderful danees of the ancientE. In the long ago the
 dancer was an important figure in th q
 merriment of court life, and perhaps we shall again see, khe nimbie-footed coryphee, the favorite of kings and the. pet of nations. It is prophesied mat
 the graceful craft of Terpachpre, af-s ter ages of varying popuiaritys will take a place with the line arts. almost equal to that occupied by music paint
 ing and sculpture.
 Aside from the pleasure derived from
 the diversion, or it's appeal 10 the ap-
 preciation Of the beautiful dancing Is
 now considered a most successful form
 of athletics for girls and young Wo-
 men. Public interest is aroused in a
 movement, made within the last three
 or four years. to have dancing taught
 the girls in the schools and playgrourds
 of some of the larger cities-Quite 8
 dsparture from the curriculum of the
 orthodok school room. It Is thought
 by the leaders of the experiment.
 among whom ls Dg. Luther Gulick.
 head of the piaygrounds of New York; to be . most important step in the physical education of girls. pr. Gu- lick aayn that play. k rightly directed, is of more sbeHeft than muscular exer-' lacise.
 Tha hoya of New York had their
 Rymnasiums. which are of dnestimable
 value, but uutil recently no provision
 was made for the girls. Noting this
 oversight, the wise heads in. commend
 set about to devise some way of help-
 ing the situation. Finally the Idea ot
 dancing occurred to them and it was put to- the test National dances were
 selected aa having the greatest posai-
 6iIities for benadt, and now there are
 3, 00D children and N5's teaohers, com- sprising sixty schools, who daily
 have this hour of helpful play often
 clad in the gay costumes of the for1
 eign' nations whose dances they are
 Not only is this joy and delight
 to the young participants. but trains the eye and the sear to rhythm,
 sensitavNness to which. Is more notice7 able in children than in adults. It. also stimulates the imagination and IS
 Is e general uplift to the child. In the
 New York classes the Russian and swedish folk dances seem to appeal most to the little foiks. Thta Is bee cause they have more dash and viril- itv. and are thus better outlet for the tremendous exhuherance of Young America, The same system of folk
 dances Is employed in Chicago. and m
 both cities is upheld and supported by women Of wealth and innuenee
 Akin to the folk dance almost bear ing its hall mark. ae the barn dance, which has taken with such a rush In the last two years. At every festiytty where dancing forms 2 part Of the chs, ferta lnFnent the barn dance is sure to
 rornp In and is froliclEed through with great zest by the younger dancers. The present fashion of trailing gar menta and dlrectoire costumes ls a. hindranee to the convenient perform ance of the barn dance and will likely
 be the cause of its failing ln popular ity.
 The new school Of dancing now be- ing examplifed on the stage, takes the Rrandest music of the old masters and interprsts 1t by the most, exquisite movements. not SO much by distinct
 steps as a Swaying and undulation of
 the whole body. Although this Is new to America it has, in way. long been
 known across the water. As early as the seventeenth century there were dances to the suites of Bach, Handel
 and others, although at that time the
 physical expression was endured lsole- ly for the sake of the music. It re- matned for this generation to make the dance the think of wonderful beau ty into which 1t has developed.
 The famous Emma, Lady Hamilton,
 was a pioneer in this form of dancing. From studying the mural paintings un- earthed in Italy by her renowned hus- bandJ Sir William Hamilton, she in- vented an unusual and beautiful dance. The same plan has been followed by the successful American sculptress- l dancer, Mrs. Lou Wall Moore, who n1a VI stat l ues, taking from them poses which she weaves Into a dance. She has re-cre- ated the old Greek drama dances, and in her research she has been aided by notable students of Greek lore. Ben Greet Is one of her patrons.
 ] The Danish dancer. Mlle. Genee. who began her career of dancing at the 1 tender age of g, invented what she 1 called the classical ballet She ex- l pressed through rhythm all she would have her audience feel. The soul KISS l is probably her most remarkable pro- l ductIon. Hers is very different style l from that of Isadora Duncan, the Cali
 fornia girl. who is' doing some peauti- full work. Miss Duncan, like the Eng ush SaIome, .Maude Allan, dances be- | reft of shoes. and none too warmly | clad as to the rest of her. She inter- l prets the glorious music of Chopin, | Besthoven and others, with a graceful I Abandon and an uplift of spirit which | carries her audience where she wills. When she first appeared in her own country she was not a success, but on returning after a hatterlng stay in
 Europe. she was received with warm
 Another disciple of this new cult, with a style distinctly her own. "a
 Ruth St. Denis. who speciaiizes re-
 iigious. aescriptlve ane symoeilm oolaa