The sun., 1910-01-30
RIVAL APACHE DANCERS
THREE TROUPEs GIVING THE
PARIS CRAZE HERE.

4 Product % the French Underw Orld
-DlmerenOes Between the Apache
and the New York Tough -PlayIets
Built Around q vigorous Dance.
Not all OF the dancing that has travelled
20 the American stage within the last two
years could by any definition OF the word
be described a. classic. Last week three
music halls were Offering specialties that
derived their chief interest from dance
which seems to be for the present at least
aoolimRted In their atmosphere.
This product Of the underworld OF
Paris came 70 New York last winter. II
amused. but that enjoyment Of this exotic
had gone 90 deep az TO create demand
for more OF the same was not at that
time expected. The dance had much
more significance to Partisan audiences
than to New Yorkers and that It contained
sufficient interest to be entertaining to
people 90 far from the Folies BergAres
was not generally supposed until the 60
called booking agents of this or that
vaudeville wheel decided that there was
enough demand for the Apache dance TO
make Il worth while to bring over some
Oh tB nAVlVe exponenB.
The soundness OF their Judgment was
shown by the success OF this acrobatic
display, and the Apache dancers are still
coming. and what is more their services
are still in demand. In two recent In
stances these dancers found their engage
msnts doubled. 80 successful with the
Manhattan public was their speciality.
The Apaches OF the present day are a
result OF the French peoples acquaint-
ance with the works OF Fenimore Cooper
and the recent lawlessness that has shown
itself In Paris. An Apache is a French
strongarm man who holds up and robs
the unfortunates who may fnd them
selves on the outer boulevards at night
or even in some Of the moro frequented
quarters.
The Apache came TO the Partisan stage,
and IL was OF course impossible for him
to get there alone. His companion OF
the opposite sex came along with him.
and their dance was q feature OF more
than ono revue last winter. But the
Apache was more than a figure OF the
footlights by this time. There came Into
existence an Apache cult, which was
chiefly intended to amuse the devotees
Of society who were wearied OF conven-
tional amusements That resulted in an
Apache ball.
There were numbers OF these in Paris.
Men and women Of wealth and refinement
suddenly began to take pleasure in going
to dances dressed In the guise OF these
criminals Of boulevards. The men rugged
themselves out in the inevitable black
shirt OF the men-all Apaches are sup
posed TO wear eight day shlrts-And with
their inevitable caps. The women laid
aside their diamonds and laces and We'd
with the mon in the cheap dncry OF their
attire and in the ugliness OF dress with
which they tried TO provide q contrast
to their usual appearance.
That this craze was not wholly confined
to Paris, Berlin society. with Gesindel
BAlleu. soon showed. ~Gesindel" means
the rabhle or the scuh OF humanity.
These dances are just now quite a. popu-
lar in Berlin society as they ever were,
and they differ there In tho character
OF their enjoyment from the Paris Apache
hall. The French society a. their balls
included dukes and marqu'sss and the
srnartest Of the old regime. Berhn's
adoption OF the Apache craze h1d more
OF the intellectual elemen', since the
pubic OF thai city had become used to
seeing such forms OF life on their stage
not only in the Tingle-tanglea but e lso in
the "Nachtasyl- Of Gorky and other
frank revelations OF the underworld In
the great capitals.
Just how much the Apache's pleasures
RESEMBLE those OF the New York toughs
will be recogni sed by anybody who goes
to see one OF the current vaudeville acts
that depend for their popularity on this
lance. The same s'mian movements
that are found In tbs Chinatown citizen
as Chuck Conners used to illustrate him
and in the coster a. Albert Chevalier
still shows him are a part OF the physical
equipment OF the Apache, but the re-
semblance ends there. In all the dances
that were shown In the music halls by the
New York tough dancers or by the London
there was not the sinister
that cannot be eliminated
from the performance OF tn ose French
dancers.
When Chevaliea Q costsrs or Chuck
Conners's imitators danced In their own
fashion Il was 'Arriet or Name who was
referred to and there was no necessity
for any further thought in the matter.
The relations Of the Apache and his woman
are marked by q brutality
not shown in the case OF the others.
Usually there has been q row between
th Q woman and the Apache. Usually he
b az Just won his girl or he 10 trying to
prove by his brutality in his treatment OF
her how worthy he Is OF her affection and
respect. Or he wants to show to her by
brutal handling that he is a much more
noble associate for her than timid lover.
It is In this insistence on this brutal way
of m ana ging his girl that the most sinister
ntimation OF his dance lies.
Two Of th ese pieces struck town on the
same afternoon and settled In adjacent
music halls after the manner OF all popular
acts in these days; Eaoh OF the rival
syndicates OF music halls knows Just
when the other has something that 10
sure 70 be q success, and IL can without
dificulty find something so like It as to
produce almost the same effect, Some
times It 10 one Of these vaudeville wheels
that has the original act and sometimes
lt is another. Both playlets which were
built about an Apache dance pleased 90