The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-24
TIH e /, {
3 S. = HAS 81 En- IE Ell
The Development Of the New Dances
81 Al s. N.

The p lop111ents
|It 81 Frederic
On with the Dance seems to ex-
press a growing sentiment in every
part Of the United States at this time.
AT first the new dances were decried
as being both ungraceful and In bad
taste. and 1t was widely predicted
that they would soon be tabooed in
tsociety- To-Day they have fairly won
lover many Of their critics, and have
proven the prophecy OF their speedy
disappearance altogether wrong.
For these have developed O degree
TOT lntricacy and variety which makes
them far more OF an art and a means
4 OF self-expression than were the old
waltz and tWo-step; while their pop
Iularity grows by leaps and bounds.
fStout ladies have found ia these
dances a new and delightful method
iof reducing; business men who
Thought their dancing days we're over.
/ have given up the highball and the
lbar-room lunch fora cup OF tea and a.
ifox trot; and women bridge tends
thave left the nerye-racking card ta--
ifbles for the new and al1u1ing steps
Hundreds nave danced where one
Idanced before, and to most OF these
dancing has been needed and pleas
ant relaxation from the strain and
rush Of American business and social
Ilite. From the sociological point OF
view, there is striking evidence of our
great national need to relax and for
get in the unaninity with which old
and young, serious ard frivolous.
n tS,va< a .t<~% IL
amusement.
one who observes and analyses the1
modern dance today will see that it'll
embodfes many elem nts. 1t is COM
Ebtnationso of what was most attractive
III the old Greek dances and what was
most effective in the folk dances or
civilized nations. 1t borrows a few;
wIerd attributes from semi civiliza-
ton and adds a daring adoption Of
certain rythnlic movements which
haVe5 heretofore Deen confined to
deml-monde circles in other land 8.
The result is a syncopation character
Istlcally American, because America
IS q blending and interming Cling OF all
other nations
One great advantage Of the present
dance over the old is that it affords
greater variety of8exercfse. The casual
observer may feel at ii rst that lit taxes
the body more than the old waltz or
schottische, but a careful study
proves this to be untrue The old
dances kept the upper part OF the
BODY almost motionless, while the
new dances employ the whole body.
| Inc variety OF motions stimulates and
distributes the circulation Of blood
! neal g. thtully throughout the body. When
1aAF y
are graceful and beautiful. The com
paratively small number OF dancers
| who have made them appear sensual
and vulgar are lessening all the time.
because the dictates of good taste are
4 gaining ascendancy
i ne hygienic value OF the present
4 mode OF dancing is lbecoming well
recognized by physicians. and its 8pop-
!; lular1ty with elderly people is partial
due to this. Middle aged men and
q women are improving their health nv
exercising ere upon the dancing floor. A
\ New York physician sent a woman of
Y i1ity TO an afternoon dancing class.
4 she was threatened with fatty degen-
Y e1 1;s1ttll'oln OF the heart and had tried
many methods of reducing her flesh.
Including the gymnasium. where She
had tainted while taking a really light
Ie8erclse: month Of daily attendance
i upon al dancing class greatly improved
4 hefS condition. In six months she was
4 practlcally q well women Dancing
docs not have the strain of continual
keeping up to a standard Of exertions
which is SO trying in the gynlna SUM.
I e dance can be skipped when one
\ feels like at, but the exercise brings
H p l'a tically every muscle of the body
II INTO play and PRODUCES a blood circu-
\ it that torres suppleness to age
Hardened arteries st
introduced INTO the gymnasium az
Harvard university in 1903: Within
lew months its value was we'll prov
en- IL was found that It raised andl
developed the chest, reduced the waist
marrow ed the hips and developed the
thighs and calves Of the legs. This
lsBa rediscoyery of the knowledge pos
sessed 10y the Greeks 1900 years ago, il
ana a. Its the hygienic principle upon
" hich the modern dance is has ed.
Ihe dance Of the present Is the re-
suit OF an evolution which has eyok-
ed deserved criticism IN some stages
The waltz and other dances. nnnnla
IN society generation ago, were diff
hcult to acquire, and not within thea
reach Of everyone. They were a lfttlef
100 formal for popularity. The Dark |
Town Cake Walk was: one OF the first
popular BOP dance crazes. twas SO easyI
that people who had never danced
before could pass through It's figures
or@orlglnate new ones It. was really |;
an emphasized walk, to which were
introduced individual eccentricities.
artistic or grotesque according to the
dancer. Like all crazes. It quickly
passed, but It left behind taste for
less formal and more easily acquired
forms OF social dancing than those
which had prevail ed
One eccentricity followed: ann+ i, al