El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-12

has been provided, 10 escape valve.
Little children dance before they have
ever seen dancing; little Kittens. and
little puppies, and all small ANIMALS
dance with the Joy of existence.
The man and woman who have never
learned the Joy to be experienced IN
dancing have missed a great happiness:
And they have missed a means OF
physical grace.
The present renaissance Of the art OF
dancing is remarkable
For a decade, at least, before the tidal
wave rose. Young men fled from ball
rooms and left girls to find partners
among themselves.
Revival Causes Extremes; 10 Wonder!
The woman who had passed 30 apollo
glZed II she was seen dancing; and mar
RED people were afraid to express a
love for the diversion lest they be rldl-
culed
A beautiful and healthful and enjoy
able art seemed on the decline
Then suddenly q change; an awaken.
ing of dull minds; a limbering OF stltt
Joints, new life in bored faces; new
interest in the oldest of all arts.
The dance was reborn. And youth was
reborn in the hearts and bodies and
minds of men and women Of all ages.
GrOtesque, abnormal, unbeautlful and
even vicious were the early eontortlons
Of this reborn art. 1t seemed like some
strange creature which had been shut in
the dark so long that it became half
insane when let forth once more into the
full light of day.
So cramped had It been with its IN
generation that it flung itself about
IN curious cOntOTtiOns to make certain
of its freedom.
But those coHtortions are now be-
coming graceful movements; and the in
sane expressions of liberty are resolving
themselves once more into the primal
meaning of the dance-the iOY of life.
Nothing more absurd, nothing more
unreasonable, could be than the ban
placed by various individuals on dances
bearing certain names.
As reasonable would It be to brand
music as an agent of the devil because
music has been put to evil purposes by
the vicious minded. There were certain
curious dances, which sprung forth like
fungus growths. and lasted for a night
and dav, bearing unwhOlesOme names.
The Turkey trOts" deserved to be
tabOOed; more particularly because of
the suggestion of the barnyard, and the
most ungraceful of fowls, than for its
own inherent Wickedness. It was vulgar
rather than wicked.
Long ago, II. eastern lands, devOut
and Teverent souls danced songs to the
there are dancers IN the temples who
devote their lives to sacred rites, and
who live purely and sweetlY that they
may be worthy IN the eyes of their
creator to perform the religious dances.
There are moral minded men and wom-
en- who have associated every evil mean
ING with the word tango.
Yet the tango is graceful, artistic and
beautiful, as the minuet, when properly
danced
Learn New Dances, but Be Modest.
It is as innocent of anything injurious
to the morals Of the young as skipping
the rope.
Instead Of selecting some one or two
/ new dances to decry, our well meaning
moTalists should decry indecent atti-
tudes OF suggestive movements IN all
J dancing.
The same moralists make no protests
/ against the waltz and tWo-step.
Yet both of those dances can be made
/ quite as Objectionable as any of the
1 most modern inventions If the partici-
/ pants so wish.
When the waltz was first introduced
/ in the ballroom it created as great eX-
/ citement and as violent protests as the
/ modern dances are creating. Lord Byron.
who was debarred from the pleasure by
lameness, exhausted his vocabulary of
/ lnvectIve against the immoral waltz.
Let US be sensible and reasonable. The
1 dance is reborn; and it must live its
life. It must do its work 1t must be
met as a factor IN social life.
Dance only with your friends, and in
the environment which is respectable
and safe from intrusion of the unde-
! sirable, Show all observers how beauti-
ful thing dancing, may be.
And to our older people let US Offer
hearty congratulations that they ne
longer need apologize OF explain when
owning to q love Of the art of all arts
A healthier world, a happier world
and a more normal world will result
from the welcoming Of this art than
from its suppression.
And the world at large is to be con
graduated, that a recreation has come
into vogue which brings the sexes to-
gether
Dance Has Made Worzd More Wholesome
For many years there has been a ten.
dency. especially IN America, toward
separate pleasures for men and women
/ Men herded in clubs; women IN club,
of their own manless drawing rooms
where the eternal and brain-dwarfine
and body-stlffening bridge game wa!
pursued. Cards are excellent friends tt
the human race when INDUCED in Occa
siOnaLY. But nothing is more arrestine
to mental development. nothing is NOR,
unhealthful and unsOcial than a carr
mania such as the bridge fobia. which
has given place now to the dance ritis
Women who spent entire DAYS owe
the bridge table, beginning in the fore
noon and ending at midnight. now NEE
their men friends at musical dances Il
the afternoon, or balls in the evening
Men who were always in their clubs
whe mot IN their offices, drop in a
musical teas and enjoy dancing at thei
own homes or the homes of their friend
IN the evening. On with the dance. L
VIII make the world more wholesome
/ Copyright 1914, by Star Company.