The Washington herald., 1914-06-27
TANGO SHARES
FATE OF WALTZ
Century Ago ld-fashioned''
Dance Startled the
World.
AND THEN POLKA CRAZE
History Shows New Steps" Were
Greeted with Outcry of Disgust.
Yet They Lived.
AND THEN POLKA CRAZE

Just as the tango has now taken the
dancing world by storm. so did the waltz
century ago
There was the same outery about 1t.
too. Coming to Us from Berlin. by way
Of Paris, It was denounced as this imp
Of Germany brought up In France"
But the younger generation. both men
| and women, took to Il enthusia sticaIly,
! and In little while the waltz had prac-
tically ousted the older dances Its pop
ularity continued unabated for about
twenty years. when It was temporarily
eclipsed by the polka craze.
The polka came originally from Bo-
hemia. where il has been danced by the
peasants from time immemoriaL Its in
PRODUCTION into fashionable society was
due to Josef Neruda. who saw a girl
dancing IL one Sunday afternoon in the
market place Of Elbeleintz and noted
down the melody and steps.
First Seen I'm Prague.
The craze for the new dance broke
out first at Prague. and spread thence
to Vienna and Paris A French dane
ing master named Cellarius brought ii
to London, and reaped a fortune by his
enterprise.
In the anterooms OF his salon In Picca-
dilly. His terms were high, ranging from
to guineas for half an hours lesson.
Nevertheless, he was so greatly in re-
quest that II was said that he had only
one hour free. between and 3 a. m, and
that he selfishly insisted upon keeping
this hour for slumber.
The polka mania Of 1874 seems to have
exceeded even the tango craze OF 1913 in
n inf nd Vi V,rH.e
and spoke of little else. 30 that the Times
was Induced querulously 10 complain that
its news columns remained unread, "for
neither politics nor anything else inter
ests the public today-only this new and
al-absorbing pursuit, the polka"
Ten or twelve years later another new
dance, the now well-knCwn Iancers. took
the fashionable world by storm. although.
probably owing 10 the intricacy of its
very elaborate figures. II did not all at
once become so universally popular as
had been the case with the waltz and
polka
The lancers was introduced to London
society by four young ladies who were
popular at the time. They
were Lady Georgina Lygon, Lady Jane
Hon. Miss Berkeley. and Mile.
Olga de Lechner. daughter of the Rus
sian Ambassador.
II was danced IoF tne nrSt time IN
London ballroom by these ladies and four
young gentlemen whom they had initiated
into its mysteries at a grand ball given
at the Turkish Embassy, while the as
sembled company looked on.
Among the guests at that particular
ball were Queen Victoria and the Prince
Consort, and so delighted were they with
the new dance that they ordered II 20 |
be included in the program of the state /
balls at Buckingham Palace, where now |
II is never omitted
Besides the above. there has teen |
almost from the earliest beginning of |
English dancing. a more or less constant
succession Of what may very properly |
be termed freak Dances" among the !
very latest examples being the bunny
hug. the turkey trot and other similar
ralisthenic denominations, mostly of
American origin.
Long years ago. however. quite as
lueer-sounding dances. of purely English
'rigin. were popular over here. How
itrange II would sound in a modern
'allroom to hear the steward sayr Now,
take your partners for
Lumps Of Pudding" Or TO be told to
lance Under and Over" The Bath"
n ''Up Tails All