The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-25
FOLKDGECES ON THV GREEN
MAY DAY on ANY DAY ~ MAR
rs EARLY ENOUGH THIS YEAR.

TIVE ThousAna Latte Schoolgirls Caper
IN Prospect PARK IN Dances Done b
Thelr Aneeatora m the Old Countries
Then The star apangied Hammer. a"
Probably the largest assembly Of May
poles ever gathered together under a
single sky waved Ia Wisps Of many cOloFed
ohseseclOth in the breeze that blew over
the Long Meadow in Prospect PARK.
Brooklyn. yesterday afternoon. There
were something like two thousand little
girls prancing around these pOles with
marvellous hair ribbons wound about
their pigtAils and with stockings and
ahppers that had been laid away in bureau
drawers for many a day over against
the coming of yesterdays fAte.
From all Of Brooklyn and some Of
Queens they come explained Miss
EliRabeth Burchsnal. who has been the
leader Of these occasions.
She held In her hand very small re-
volvsr 10 be used in starting two trials Of
speed and agility in which each school
had two teams matched one against the
other And that pistol was capable 81
making just about enough noise to be
heard family az the far reaches of the
meadow. She handled u with perfect
iearlessneas all the same.
This IL the third year that the girls
branch Of the Pubic Schools Athletic
League has been giving outdoor dancing
parties where they do the sort Of dances
that Oan he brought into this country free
Of duty.
They may he learned only from the
folks in the old countries and are known
a. fOlkdances. Mss Burohenal went
about over there and learned 10 do them,
every one and then she came hack and
taught the youngsters who were living
examples that in one generation in this
country the dances of their fathers and
mothers are forgotten.
There isn't time for Miss Burchenal 10
"a around 10 all the elementary schools
and show the little girls in Brooklyn. and
the rest u the city for that matter. how
they can be graceful. So the teachers
come % her and ,she inatruCts them and
then they 90 back a. their clCssroOms and
organize miniature athletic clubs The
Rnnes and dances are taught ~ the after
school meetings % the clubs.
That was why Miss burchenal was not
the only c,ach yesterday. All over the
place. around every uspering group,
were a couple Of proud teachers. And
the distance Ia the sidelines. whore the
mothers and grOwnUp sisters end friends
had 70 stand behind the ropes. was too
treat for their murmured instructions
to carry and spoil the stage mana ing.
II was over the pass ball relay race
that the teachers became the most
enthusiastic. Two rows d little girls
lined up. each pigtAil brushing the nose
Of the little girl behind and all facing
two more little girls who stood few yards
away and acted a. human goal posts.
The first girl in the line grHzped a basket
hall When that diminutive revolver
shot Was heard they thrust their hands
high above their hecds. Backward over
the line u clutching fingers the hall
rolled leslurely and when u came into
the hands Of the little girl az the end
she grabbed Il and ran past the line and
around the little girl who WAS the goal
poet and then back % the head Of the
hne After that the ball he'd % be
nnssed back again and the one on the
end had 10 run for all shs was worth
until every little girl had sprinted
whose hat was over one eaF 80 she pushed
slow starter into her stride And Nil
dred went Il 40 fast that she rounded
the goal girl on one ankle and two
very much EYass stained knees had 70
be rubbed hard when Mildred picked
herself up
in on the hand stand Prof p J A.
Zeiner WIS having the Ime Il hi, lie
with the thirty boys from the Commercial
Il aahHIHH Il
boys we're concealed behind very large
horns IN many instances, but they we're
right there with the oOIn-pah oOm-pah
and the hang bang boom, aud no one
except the favored was close enough n
hear whether there was IN OCCASIONAL
false note Prof Zeiuer gave ~ sign u
there was and the others would never tell
The ps-tv serted WITH -T0-dsy's the
First Oi May which e wasn't. a.
mstter of fact but it didnt make the
slightest difference because the 1.OOo little
girls Cpudu have bowed more rhythm
inauy II n had been And then came a
tautntellA. IN which the little Nlariuccls
and Giuseppinas from Fast New Hork
made the rcd handannAs about their nCCks
hutter AfterVard we're the ~ lay uGCez
aud then they -rsaped the FAX ln which
they made their roles a. CLEANERS appear
~ hfeiike that you we're convinced that
they were finding something % piok up
from the grqss Then there was e Russir n
dance end o Clrouzel and a shepherds
Hey. and after that n" MHypoles were
twisted no properly while the hand
doomed Bluff King Hal
When the music started again every
little white. dressed girl on the meadow
made a break for the stand. and you had
n back up until your ear was against the
sliding trombone ~ keep from being run
down You didn't know exactly what
was happening till they started The
Star spangled Banner After that there
wasn't any doubt These children whose
parents owned allegiance 20 many cgun-
tries purposed ~ sing thefsOng " their
owu costntrv And they cert tinlv did IL