Evening star., 1915-03-24


one great advantage of the present
dance over the old is that it affords
greater vari-
1t Affords Greater city of exer-
Variety of Exercise. us1 e nhesrzsr nhe cas-
may feel at first that it taxes the body
more than the old waltz or schottische,
but q 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.
The variety of motions stimulates
and distributes the circulation of blood
BEAUTIFULLY throughout the body. When
properly danced the new movements
are graceful and beautiful. The COM
paratively, small number of dancers
who have made them appear sensual
aud vulgar are lessening all the time.
because the dictates of good taste are
gaining ascendancy.
The hygienic value of the present
mode of dancing is becoming well rec
ognized by physicians, and its popu-
larity with elderly people is partially
due TO this. Middle-aged men and
women are improving their health by
"A
New York physician sent woman of
NIFTY to an afternoon dancing class.
She was threatened with fatty degen-
GRAFTON of the heart, and had tried
many methods of reducing her flesh,
including the gymnasium. where she
had tainted while taking a really light
exercise. A month of daily attendance
upon q dancing class greatly improved
her condition. In six months she was
practically well woman.
b4 ,1n l,
continual keeping up to standard of
exertion which is so trying in the GYM
nasium. dance can be skipped when
one feels like 1t, but the exercise
body into play. and produces a blood
circulation that restores suppleness to
aSe-hardened arteries.
Dancing as a physical exercise was
introduced into the gymnasium of
Harvard University in 1908. Within a
few months its value was well proven.
IT was found that il raised and deyel-
oped the chest. reduced the waist, mar
rowed the hips aud developed the
thighs and calves OF the legs. This is
rcdiscovery of the knowledge pos
sessed by the Greeks $500 years ago,
and II IS the h3gienic principle upon
which the modern dance is based
Tic dance OF the present is the re-
suit of an evolution which has evoked
des rived
Present-Day Dances criticism IN
Result Of Evolution. some som stages.
and other dances, popular In society a
generation ago. were difficult to ac-
quire and not within the reach of every
one. They were little too formal for
popularity. The Dark Town cake walk
was one OF the first popular dance
crazes. IL was so easy that people who
had never danced before could pass
through its figures or originate new
ONES. IT was really an empha sized
Walk. TO which were introduced indi-
Nld1ai ecceutricities, artistic or gro
tcsque, according to the dancer. Like
all crszes, II quickly passed, but it
left behind a taste for less formal and
more easily acquired forms of social
dancing than those which had pre-
vailed
one eccentricity followed another.
The turkey trot,r the bunny hug
the "G1zzly bear" and the Argentine
tango each held a brief popularity and
each in turn contributed some eIeme Mt
10 The present style in dancing which
now combines grace. simplicity rhythm
and physical exercise, unattended bv
objectionable features If properly
dauced. The tango. with its daring
movements save freedom to the
muscular sweep of the dance which
- an infinite Improvement upon the
ola rigid method OF holding the body
The FISH walk the lame duck" aud
the "one-stcp' each has some especial
advantage, and a knowledge OF all
rivcs g 1.-THE. free, bodily development
loom.
Nothing 40 ynuch inipresses the on
.ooke- IN a modern ballroom as the
variety OF po-
Varied Positions sitions taken
Impress Onlookers. S.,c. a'nefsnt e
ecutinE the same dance. although
every one IS keeping excellent time to
tile same music Formerly each couple
had as nearly as possible the Same DO
sstion and raised or lowered tho body
10 the same musical note. Now the
music simply gives the time and the
dancers execute the figures according
10 their own fancy.
The contrast between the movements
Of large, portly woman who is be-
ing led around the room by a slender
youth, and her granddaughter. who
may be trying TO teach the step to ar
at times. but the elder dancers are
becoming 80 numerous that they nc
longer excite comment.
The great development of interpre
tative classic and folk dancing in al
parts of the country has had strons
Influence IN improving tho presen1
social dance. The tendency to execut.
individual and original figures upoi
the floor Of the ballroom is increasing
In tho older nations certain foll
dances have been preserved through
out generations. chiefly through thu
shiu of Individual dancers. This terp
sichorean skill has been inherited b.
many modern Americans. who are dem
oustrating il in the new dances
The educational value of dancing 1,
uow we'll established. and dancinf
teachers in the employ OF the board O.
education are found in most larg,
cities. In New York the school chill
dren are encouraged to dance in tn.
open air, and the municipal bands fur
nish music for many OF these gather
inEs. On May day thousands Of chill
dren ccrgregae in Central Park ant
unAer tAA AirsatteR af ooraps$ant taaah