Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-10
DANCER DEFENDS
HER ART AS AID
TO ROBUST HEALTH
Violet Zell Argues in Behalf
of Exercise Which She
Says Has Tonic Effect if
/ Not Overdone.

IAN healthy people should dance the
modern dances. Dancing prolongs life;
Il cures nervousness, Il makes one grace
full and above all, It makes people nat =
ural. which in manyA cases counts far
more than beauty said Miss Violet zell.
who has delighted theatregoers with her
weird exhibition of modern dancing
burlesque" in "Chln- Chin" at the For
rest Theatre.
Miss zell is considered an authority on
dancing by members of the theatrical
profession She has danced virtually all
her life, and she has succeeded in maxi
ing a suitable partner for Fred Stone
and that is going some." as one OF the
profession put It.
Weighing only 95 pounds Miss zell
dances as IL her limbs were made of
India rubber. Fred Stone in the Dance
Poetique' throws her over his shoulder
and finally falls over her and people
wonder that she does not break in two.
She appears as Fan Tan and besides
many acrobatic Stunts" her perform
ance is wonderful in many respects.
Miss zell said yesterday that she had
never been sick day of her life and al
though she Knocked wood" as she said
It, che attributes her remarkably good
health to dancing.
DANCING AS A TONIC.
TN the first place" she said, dancing
keeps down the weight. OF course, every
one knows that, but I do not think that
II makes one thin. II may at first, but,
like any other healthful exercise, It acts
as a tonic and keeps one in fine condi-
tion, both mentally and physically, and
keeps the weight down to just where It
should be.
Dancing is a natural instinct. Some
of the modern dances are practically the
kind our primitive forefathers danced.
and after all they are natural, and being
natural, Il is only natural that they
should be beneficial.
THE modern dances make one graceful,
there is no doubt of that When you
think of 1t, all people should be grace
ful We all start with equal chances
and Is there anything more graceful than
an Infant? In youth we are all graceful,
30 to speak, and clumsiness is an ac-
quired habit that may come from many
sources. VIII power and determination
can make every one graceful and dane
Ing can be of the greatest help to the
will power in reaching the desired EoaL
Many people are ungraceful through
eelt-consciousness or nervousness. We all
know the pretty girl who looks like a |
doll, and we also know that there ia
nothing graceful about q doll The rood
dancer should relax and become nsr-
fectly natural and II the true spirit of the |
dance is reached any affectatIon will dis |
appear.
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING.
"All healthy people should danca-l
those with weak hearts and other af-
nlctions should see a doctor, but dane
Ing Is, without a doubt the best kind oP |
exercise that there is. OF course, like |
everything else, 1t can be overdone. So |
ciety girls and others who dance morn
Ing, noon and night. in other words. girls
who really have the craze to the extent
that they want to be dancing all the time,
are really doing a very foolish thing.
mat Is, II they dance TO excess.
Girls who dance continually run the
danger Of having their bunion Joints en-
iarged and you know how ugly swollen
Moderate dancing may enlarge the feet
slightly but that is quite natural
DANCERS LoNG-L1vED.
Dancers live longer than other peo-
Pile, think. I remember an old lady
who taught me. l have heard that she
was an old woman more than 20 years
ago. and she must he near 30. Even to-
day she can do tho most graceful steps,
Many famous dancers have lived to a
very old age
Society people who really have the
dance craze should take plenty OF sleep. |
Dancing puts one In such good physical
that we get TO the stage whore
We no longer feel tired. Nevertheless,
plenty OF sleep is absolutely necessary.
theatrical people seem to keep their
youth longer than others. That Is a
well-known fact, and goodness knows
they have to work hard enough at that.
MODERN DANCING