Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1915-01-29


day dances, widespread interest has
been awakened in the art and history
Of dancing. And there must certainly
be some good reason for the great
movement and thought that is being
given the dance question. 1t has been
discovered that II the younug people
are not to take up with the "trots"
and raging" something else must
ne given them. Hence the reason that
thinkers have had to turn their
thoughts to the dancing question.
The lower world was handing out
those awful "turkey-trots" and "rags,"
and because Of the newness of it and
the facination of a change, our young
were taking up with it. They were
secretly dancing them in spite Of us.
Even after beautiful dances were
given US, TO take the place Of the
lower class Of dances, we were so
fearful of it all that we were reluct-
ant to accept them, fearing that they
were all classed with the "rags."
think we as parents fail to make
the study that we should Of such
things. We must know what is good
for our young, and then encourage
them to accept the good, so that they
will not want the lower kind. I think
good example Of how we sit back
and often take decided stand against
what our young think they want is
shown in what the University of Utah
did along that line. One of the jun
ior classes of that school petitioned
the faculty that they be allowed to
take up certain new dances in their
class parties for the winter. The
faculty's just decision was, Decided
ly mol" The young folks felt that
justice had not been done them. They
petitioned again that the faculty Sc
lect committee from among their
number to go out and investigate
these new dances. They did so, and
finally the decision was reached that
they might dance certain ones Of the
new dances. One lady of this commit
tee afterwards wrote an article on the
way the new dances appealed to her
after she had made this study Of them,
She discovered that in dancing most
any Of the new dances they were SO
much easier on the body that one
could dance them by the hour and not
tire as they would in most any Of the
other dances.
The big aim in the modern dance is
to develop grace, agility, refinement
and a high ideal of pleasure. There
is no other exercise which brings into
play all parts of the human body as
dancing does, so there is no other ex-
ercise which keeps the limbs from be-
coming stiff and rheumatic as does
dancing. In the new dances, (the
one-step, the hesitation waltz, the
Quaker waltz, etc., the movements
are moderately rapid, the head is
erect, the shoulders back, the chest
up; the weight is on the balls of the
feet and the feet close together. In
every movement, if danced correctly,
there is grace and dignity, while in
the dances that We wish to get rid of
the feet are far apart, the dancers
move fiat-footed, the shoulders are
dropped, likewise every muscle Is al
lowed to take an incorrect position.
In order to dance the rags the dancers
are compelled to dance close, for thev
are succession of minute muscular
body movements, and as we know,
such as are lust-inspiring dances
While in the dances that are now be-
ing introduced by the Mutual I'm
provement workers and others who
love the art, the dancers must stand
a good distance apart, for where there
is no freedom there is no grace.
By the introduction of our new
lances we are Kidding ourselves of
the foundation of bad dancing-bad
music-and in its place introducing
high class dance music, or return to
the old classic music.
Now, of course, with some of the
new dances we know there are ex-
tremes, but there are many Of them
that are beautiful and will do old and
Young more good than harm 10 learn
20 dance them. Dancing is almost the
only recreation and amusement at
forded, therefore the best possible
use should be made of it, that will be
productive Of good.
1t is but natural that new dances
will constantly be introduced-it is
only progression along that line. We
cannot expect them to be content with |
the same old dances all the time, and
if we are going to keep apace and in
touch with our boys and girls, we
must keep the cob-webs swept from
our minds and not grow rusty along |