The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-24

"a r miles did you dance last
~ last night?" This curious
sslutat!on is heard everywhere in
Newport this season, for dancing
by the mile" Is the latest fad in the
Circus Set
The debutantes started II and now
everyone, from Elsie Stevens, the
youngest bud, to matrons Of Mrs.
Stuyvesant Fish's class, are wearing
pedometers on their left legs, thus
keeping careful record Of the miles
they dance day after day and night
after night Hearing of this new
fad. several Of the men of the col
ony. headed by Joseph Hartman,
have offered prize for the girl who
shows the greatest number Of miles
at the end of the season, the prize
to be jeweled pedometer.
And now Newport has discovered
another astonishing thing. In order
to make big records the feminine
dancers have what they call dancing
partners. They dance only with this
them O good salary for their labor.
In their craze for the Fish walk, the
'Trot" and the Dip" the girls soon
found that they must have most eff
Client partners. else dancing was no
Joy and their records small. There arc
always number Of masculine hang
ers-on IN the Newport colony, and
from this coterie were selected sew
eral who danced divinely. These
men make q fairly good living. And
why not? they say. The new dances
are really form Of athletics. 1t is
hard work TO kick and dip and throw
ones partner in the air hour after
hour, mile after mile. and they feel
perfectly justified in taking money
Tor their muscular labor.
We take the place of athletic in
structors," they say, land as we
really help the women to keep their
figures our services are we'll worth
what they cost"
In order to make decent records
the dancers steps must fit. There
fore when girl finds a man whose
ieet and knees and step fits here
she engages him as her dancing
partner for the season. The dance
is the thing, and these young women
OF gentle birth would dance with q
coal HEAVIER If his feet happened to
fit theirs.
Dancing by the mile" originated
early in the Newport season. 1t be-
gan as an amusing fad among a few
OF the younger girls whose dancing
aollltles place them in the near-pro.
fessional class They vbegan by
oanc!ng by the hour. Each girl
wore a wrist watch and counted the
number of minutes she kicked,
clipped or swirled. But this method
lacked finesse and did not give a fair
endurance test. Some girls could
dance longer than others and not
cover nearly so much ground. Rose
Dolan, the pretty debutante daugh.
Ter OF the Clarence Dolans. called a
council OF war at her home Just be.
fore Mrs. Fish's fairy ball.
with some Of us doing the one.
step ana practically standing on
one spot for minutes at a time, it
seems TO me our present plan is all
WRONG. Anybody can make a time
record by just standing still and
hoidins fast to her man, letting him
90 ali the work"
That's So Clipped In Mimi Scott,
the three million-dolar debutante
we must show that we really do
the work ourselves Just think of
the miles we must dance every
night On, dear, how tired 7 am
this morning"
Tired groaned Elsie Stevens.
i am dead. ! know that | danced
ten miles last night a: the Wilson's
racket. There, ] have it. Let's
wear pedometers on our legs and
: sncn We can tell how many miles we
cover each night. 1t will be lots
carer than counting the minutes, for
1hen we Will have TO work and not
oepend on the men to swing us
around"
And so IT happened that nearly
every young woman in the Circus
l. SCI danced by the mile" at Mrs.
f1sh's wonderful ball and now every
woman who dances wears the curl
Gus little instrument on her leg.
These pedometers are worn at
cached TO the garter. They look like
watch and are about the same size.
They register every move Of the
legs. Not to have one argues that
a girl or matron is not in the dane.
ing class. And today no woman is
too old TO "trot," dip" or hug"
AT present the girls compare notes
every morning, and the salutation
which opens this story is heard all
along Bellevue Avenue, from the
Casino 10 Bailey's Beach. Among
the debutantes Elsie Stevens is
ahead with score OF one hundred
and flfty-nine miles; Roberta Will
lard second with one hundred and
forty miles to her credit, and Mimi
Scott third, with score of one hun
dred and th!rtyfye miles. And
<iill there's more TO follow.
OF course. the girls could not keep
their secret. 1t was speedily discov-
cred. and the fad took like wildfre
With the matrons, who also wanted
TO know how much ground they COW
cred every time they "trotted" or