The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-08
DANCES ON AND NEW.


To THE E.ptron OF THE SuN-Sfr. I
rise to protest against the remarks OF
Rabbi Wise on modern dancing as quoted
In THE SrN Of January i. 1t Is unjust
to call the new dances ungraceful In them
selves. when IT is the awkwardness OF the
dancers that in some cases makes them
appear So.
With tho great vogue Of apartment
houses as dwellings. private dancing has
become practically impossible to people
VI moderate means. and the old informal
dancing together of the members of II
family and their Intimate friends. as was
the custom when ! was "a girl. has of
necessity become obsolete. This has its
effect on those of us of maturer years
who find that after long disuse our mus
cles are not so supple as we could wish,
and consequently we are apt to impart TO
the dances of to-day an air Of awkward
ness they do not OF themselves deserve.
should like to take the dcnouncers
OF these dances back with ME In spirit
to the time when / was "a little girl and
ask them II they too remember the polka"
with its zone. two. three. hop" and the
more strenuous rocket" that consisted Of
Wild gallops the whole length of the room
and back. with Il pause devoted to a
vulgar aidewise rocking motion.
surely no dances to-day eQua! these In
awkwardness, boisterousness or v,igar,ty.
They went out long before I made my
debut. but I remember the young people
dancing them at my mothers parties and
do not think any one objected TO them.
Later on we had the "Yorke" and
Dancing IN the Earn" neither Of them
particularly graceful or attractive. except
In the occasional instance of q very ex-
pert dancer.
About twenty-five years ago q reaction
set In. the "twostep'' was introduced.
and up t. the present time dance pro-
granmes have included nothing besides II
hut the waltz. Even the graceful, sociabe
"Lancers" was eliminated. until now the
pendulum OF popularity has swung back
and the romp'ng dance come into its own
once more. Part OF the momentum that
has started the pendulum back. we may
lay, l think. to the long vogue OF bridge
and other card games that have finally
begun To bore people. and for relief they
have taken up an amusement entirely
different. The reaction was bound to
come, and for one welcome the change
Part also I lay to the financial and In
dustriai depression that has been growing
more acute ever since the beginning OF the
Wilson Administration due somewhat to
the anxiety that always accompanies DEM
ocratic rule, and somewhat to the dis
astrous climatic and weather conditions
that have prevailed the past year.
II is easier to forget your worries in
the eNhllaration Of the dance than In the
concentration OF the card game. and DO
not honestly think the new steps are as
demoralizfrg ~ the dreamy, sensuous
waltz steps and position change go often
the mind and feet are most engaged. not
the senses.
II .he people who spend so much time
and breath denouncing what they have
not experienced would only devote their
energies to execution rather than criti-
clsn, they would learn for themselves the
lIghiness Of hear, and toyousness OF spirit
that come from such exercise to music.
Calisthenics in a gymnasium has Its
uses, but cannot compare with the in
fectious gayety of the dance
FLORA c. g. HAsARD.
New YORK, January !.