Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

Why not?' she demanded, petulantly
An 1 have TO do is to keep you from
stepping on me-
'It isn't that" he said. slowly "You
have the form, but you haven't the
spirit
Now, as a matter OF fact. she didn't
seem to have the form She weighed
close to $50 pounds and she wasn't tall.
Tangoing, to the esthetic, suggests the
trailing vine kind of beauty, and not the
robust hear:iness of the steam roller.
But a teacher of tangoing can't always
afford to be too truthful
The instructor tried to square himself
with his conscience.
BY FORM he continued. Il mean YOU
have the steps in their progress. But the
spirit, the lightness, the abandon-an this
is needed
< !:
How, demanded the young lady. Sc
verely, can you expect me to get light
ness and spirit into a dance when don't
know which way I'm going to turn next? ?
Suppose l tried lightness and abandon
and landed bump on the floor. I suppose
you'd be happy then,'
is 1T would give me no pleasure said
the PROFESSOR of tangoing, seriously. Il
must see more esprite."
Well, I've done my best" said the
young woman as she started for her
wraps. Anyhow, l guess l can escape
with credit at the next dance 1 attend
She paid the instructor of tangoing, and
he stood watching her with a panied ex-
pression as she wandered out of the door.
No hope, he murmured. NO hope.
She is OF the material. She will never
realize the spiritual possibilities of the
Tango
The observer, who had been hanging
around the doorway, wandered in at this
moment. 1t was one of a number of
small dancing schools which we mostly
remember for their monotonous polkas
and schottishes in the days when we
were young and had to be dragged there
in stiffly starched clothes every Saturday
afternoon.
What change has taken place,
In place of the kindly old lady who
used to mix department and dancing
and give them in allopathic doses, now
stood the professor aforementioned. The
chairs, which used to be ranged along the
wall We're grouped artistically, leaving a
small cleared space in the center. The
instructor of tangoing fixed his eye on
the observer and began to hum little
tune.
"Have you many pupils?' was the first
question, merely to get things started
right.
<
Heaps and heaps replied the in
structor, in a slightly foreign accent.
From all parts of the city they come
seeking the new dance. Some become
very proficient Somewhat shall We say?
they seek to dance the new dance as
they danced the two-step. It is SO differ
emit"
What do You mean. different" in
quired the investigator
Come cried the professor, enthusiast
tically. Il will show you-tunl. te tumm'
te tunlm.
He advanced lightly and continued tc
hum this syncopated tune.
The observer backed away. He felt
he was built physically for less esthetie
entertainment. Besides. II YOU knock
over a chair in those dancing schools
they make you pay for it.
Don't you go bothering about showing
me- urged the observer. You Just tel
me about it,.
1T is like this said the instructor.
I'm the old dance YOU used to go one-two-
one-two. And you knew automatically
Just what would happen next Turn, re-
verse. turn, advance. So on and SO on.
But in the new dance-ah! VINO can tell
what will happen next.'
All who, indeed?" echoed the observer
raptly.
IS Inspiration. / can but teach the little
ingenious steps. There are divertissa-
,aents which all may learn. But in the
dance you must feel the inspiration. The
music changes. Ah-you say VIII try
This new step. AS you start your partner
las already grasped the notion. You
turn, she turns. You bend, she bends.
it is like twin trees bowling before the
wind Never word is spoken. The
music changes. Again you return to the
old step AN is harmony and evenness
snd perfect time. 1t is beautiful dance.
NV prices for you will be dollar. The
may give a few private lessons in
homes"
Here the instructor OF tangoing put the
brakes on his conversation while he
bounded into his overcoat. Taking ad-
vantage of mis- struggles the observer
asked another question
al saw rather stout young woman
leave here when l came in he said.
s'Can you tell nee if there are many like
her who seek this new dance? And If so,
why2'
The instructor waved one arm. not as
yet entrapped in his overcoat sleeve.
They all COME he chortled. The
young, the old. the fat, the thin, the
spiritual and the earthly. 1t is universal.
1t is the elixir OF life"
The observer started downstairs.
Elixir OF life!' the instructor shouted
after him.
Now that statement sounds eNaSgerat-
cd But if you had gone with the OBJ
server that afternoon you would have
been convinced that tangoing and fish,
walking, and eel-wiggling and all the
other byproducts of the new dance era
had come to take the place of the old
fashioned stomach bitters as first aid
To health. The old man and the young
1lan. the bald man and the fat man are
enthusiasts. The girl with blond ha
and the girl with dark hair. the pretty
girl, the homely girl and the woman
whose hair is turning gray and whose
figure is mot what it was are devotees
at the snrines.
There are half a dozen big dance halls
scattered around the city where you pay
for your ticket of admission and dance
away to your hearts content. There
tango tea rooms in every big hotel
and tango teas are In the order of things
generally. There are tangos In theaters
before the northumberland you can
always tell the tangoists by the way
they glide and slide down to their seats.
\ certain church, not long ago. permitted