The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-11-11
AESTHETIC DANCING
The Art of Motion AS Interpreted by Calf and
One of His Pupils, Miss May Curtis.
Ella havro.e Rnhina

one of the teachers OF dancing at The
| Castle and at Mrs. Morgan's school
and HackIey Hall.
Miss Curtis loves the South, but
one can see, from her Frightening face
| when she speaks of it, that the charm
OF New York appeals to her strenu-
orsIy and that, were 1t not for our
| sunny skies and blue and gold days
perhaps the lure Of the great city
might be too strong 20 keep her here.
Miss Curtis has taught physical
culture as well as dancing and before
she, came South she gave much time
to settlement work in New York city.
She loves girls as weIl-alnost as
well-as little children, and she Is one
of the young women of Pensacola who
have done SO much for the Girls
Friendly movement here.
This is a wonderful work for girls
and 1t Is young women like Miss Cur
tbs who are making the movement the
success it is. At the meetings Of the
Senior Girls Friendly she teaches
them physical culture-and optimism
She didn't tell me that she teaches
them optimism and perhaps she
doesn't even know it, but none can be
associated with her Tor many minutes
and not become inbued to some es-
tent with that splendid spirit Of help
fuIness and radiant belief in the ul-
innate good that seem to he hers.
L told Miss Curtis that / wanted TO
talk about the new dances, and we
did. But every few minutes we seem
ed to be side-tracked by some train
of thought about social service and
physical culture for girls and the
splendid plans that are being made
for ale Girls Friendly this winter.
Afterward when I thought about it,
knew that this was because with
her these things are correlative. She
isn't interested in dancing only COM
mercially, she is also interested in it
because II is the outcome Of physical
culture-or an EXPRESSION OF it.
She is interested in it, much as DR.
Quick is interested in the Camp Fire
Girls DR.. Gulick thinks that folk
dancing and outdoor exercise are good
for growing girls He recognizes that
youth calls to youth-that 1t is just
as natural for young girls to want to
dance as 1t is for them to laugh and
roTnp and run. And he is not. trying
to kill the natural love and joy OF
life-he is trying to direct it into
it's proper channels.
dancing. She loves the legitimate
dancing and when she quotes Calf as
saying that the soul must win and
that the ugly dances are bound to
give way before the reaction against !
them and the beautiful and good in
the act will yet prevail" one realizes
that she believes that dancing is the
natural EXPRESSION of youth. and that
it can be properly directed and made
helpful instead of harmful
One reads so much about the renais- I
sance Of dancing, but young people
have danced since the beginning of
time. Our great sra ndInothers danced /
the sir Roger de Coverly'' and the |
Minuette. our grandmothers danced T.
the Virginia reel and our mothers the
schottische and the mazourka and
other graceful dances. The one step !
is lovely when properly danced The
tango is beautiful unless you pervert !
it. The hesitation waltz Is the most
graceful CT all the new dances.
Some afternoon when you are tired !
of life's routine and want some hing ,
to brush the cobwebs from your brain, !
drop in to see the children dance in I
Miss Curtis's afternoon class at the
San Carlos. You will not see any ,
ugly dancing there.
You viii see gladness dancing in .
the hapriness and innocence of "a dt-
ant chill dhood, and 1.-The fancies that /
hang grey and uncurled about mems !
eyes ind& Terently will be brushed !
away and youth will call to you again,
from out the past when you were a
little little boy, going stiff and /
straight to dancing school. with your
very best suit on, or a little, little girl
in your party dress, with your hair
cJrled, learning to be graceful as well
as gracious.