Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-07
ON WITH THE DANCE,
BUT CONFTNE YOUR
JOY TO FOX TROT
This Advice Is Intended for
Devotees of Terpsichore
Who Wish to Be Strictly
Up to Date.

| Nineteen-fourteen danced out and nine
teen-ffteen danced in.
There is no doubt about that. Nor is
there any doubt that while the old gen.
tleman may have excited tangoing, one
stepping and hesitatlng on his shaky old
pins, the infant in the family of years
kept time to his first lusty bawl with q
pair OF tiny feet that try as he might,
refused TO do other than fox-trot.
There has never been anything like It.
There was quite some enthusiasm ram
pant, you may remember n few short
years ago when all this new or modern
dancing came along, and the malady of
the primeval contortions of the bunny
hug, the turkey-trot and the grizzly bear
infected humanity throughout the whole
expanse of this terrestrial globe. There
was enthusiasm. too, when the barnyard
dances yielded In their turn and the one
step was the object OF labored concen-
tration. There was more yet over the
tango, and who will estimate the heights
1t reached when the hesitation made its
initial bow to an eager world.
But In the dying months of the recent
any one Of these but all three. 1t ceased
to be an enthusiasm and became state
or mind, for throughout the breadth and
thickness of old Noah Webster's favorlte
book there is not suitable adjective.
PRESTol THE FoX-TRoT
And now? Presto! The fox trot! How
ecstasy outdolng and surprising a dane
ing era which was of itself superative
and beggared descriptive words and
phrases?
Dancers, real dancers. everywhere
realized when this latest Of new dances
put in general appearance early in the
fall. that 1t was destined to stay and to
occupy a unique position in their hearts
But even the boldest prophets did not
dare predict that 1t would hold the ball
room boards to the exclusion of the older
favorites
Not meaning ut all to say by that,
that Jean, the leader of the orchestra,
never raps his fiddle bow on the music
rack as n signal to start up waltz for
Instance. You can still hear waltzes and |
one steps, and even tangoes now and |
again as of yorc But they hold their |
place on the programs out OF Difference |
lots Of him and her-who lacks that de-
gree OF proficiency which makes II pos
slble to determine without fear of chal-
lenGe just what is what.
why" says the expert to himself. |
"play music adapted to only one form of |
dancing expression. when foX-trot time
permits of all of them"
THE SECRET OUT.
There Is the secret with the fellow at
the traps beating out "ragplcker" rhythm
on the drums and cymbals, the world lies
before you, Is 1t favorltc open-step In
the hesitation? Is it a neat little cortez
from the tango2 Or Is 1t trim. snappy
reverse in your best one-step style? Stick
/ in. 1t will fit to time. And all without
he bother of changing the record on the
machine,
And be 1t whispered that is why all this
ak of standardizlng the fox-trot falls
latter than the Jersey lowlands. The JOY
" this dance of dances lies In the fact
hat it Is anything you care to make It,
nd then some. What matter 1t II because
here is an uncertainty now and again
IS to what is coming next Il favorite toe
'ets squashed from time to time? Isn't
he unexpected always the most fun9
limitations and overacquaintances TO the
0int of boredom are what have killed !
very superseded dance on the roster to
ate.
ANYWAY, the fox-trot Is here to stay.
md may be the feature of playing pris-
ner's base with ones partners feet is
ot the least of its fascination. From
resent Indications it will rule supreme, /
8 has done no other of its predecessors.