The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-07

ArEW YORK is reported to be max
In ing a great ado over young
woman who is called the "sprite from
Sweden" She is teaching Newport
and Long Branch society folk how
to an C e
Society is Being Taught the h a.
To Dance the Hula-Hula hula. 1t is
all men that society has taken up
Hawaiian dancing. The "sprite" ar
rived at the psychological moment,
presumably from Sweden and under
the patronage of Count Boris OF
Russia.
Heartless reporters have discovered
that the dancer is product OF CHI
cago, who has never been farther
west than Oak park and is said to
have learned her exotic art from the
Hawaiians of the City by the Lake.
But what does it matter? Newport
Is satisfied. 1t has an idea it is being
taught the hula-hula by an expert,
and there is no evidence to the con-
trary, even if the teacher has never
seen Honolulu, or Sweden or Count
Boris. She saw her chance to make
= little "easy money" out of the pre-
vailing fad and seized it. Paraphras-
ing the slogan of Mr.. Al Lewis, the
celebrated burlesque comedian, GIVE
her credit"
A LONG with civic orchestras and
N municipal bands in most cities
has come the community chorus. If
It is a fad it is a good one, for it has
it's cultural as well as it's social side.
AS it is in close
Community Singing touch with the
Widely in Vogue public schools
and theschurches
every village will eventually be en-
liyened with its community singing,
and that will mean more permanency
to the spread of musical knowledge.
Few branches of pedagogy have re-
ceived so much attention in recent
years as music. In the public schools
of the larger cities chorus singing has
long been a popular feature of the
daily exercise.
In Inc early days Of Birmingham's
school system the rudiments of music
were taught, and the high school
chorus has come to be not only a
source of pleasure to the boys and
girls participating, but credit to the
community. The growing interest in
music as spiritual influence is now
causing colleges and universities that
formerly treated the most universal
of the arts as something outside their
province to include harmony and must
cal analysis in their curricula.
But if America is to become mu-
steal nation to the extent that Italy,
France, Germany and Russia are
musical we must look to the ele-
mentary schools. When all the chill
dren in the rural schools as we'll as
the city schools are instructed in
sight reading and the formpart song
each succeeding generation will be
able to contribute its share to the de-
vclopment of an atmosphere which
will quicken every instinct in social
beings akin to the true and the beau
tiful.
It is encouraging to know that a
kystematic survey is being made OF
the rural school districts with view
81 arousing an intelligent interest in
/. music. OF southern states Tennessee
Ii leading the way. A competent
musician, after visiting many remote
localities, reported that without ex-
eaption the teachers and the children
were eager to take up in connection
with school work community singing
this new manifestation. of musical
activity which is extending to every
art Of the country.
II urban centers chorus of thirty
t sometimes a hundred
1nllsr director learns few patriotic
q 1870, ! few folk songs and > few