The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-08-24
CLASSIC DANCING BENEFITS
How This Art Of Poetic Motion
Brings Grace of Carriage and
Health to the User.

and at the same time appear graceful.
Just what sort of attire you will Sc
lect for the dance is a matter that is
best decided by your own taste. If
gym" ploomers, a MILDLY blouse and
soft shoes do not, in your estimation,
detract from the beauty of appear
ance that usually accompanies beauty
Of pose, why, well and good. On the
other hand, If clothes affect your
noods-and what woman doesn't feel
better" in becoming clothes?-and
you would feel more like sprite in
the curtailed costume seen IN classic
mural decorations. then wear a dress
like the one pictured. Its simplicity Of
design End material places it readily
within the capabilities of deft fingers
Now that the all-important clothes
question has been settled. let us con
slider the when. where and low Of the
poetry of motion" for amateurs
When? Just whenever you are so in
Clined The inclination Is best taken
advantage Of in the early morning
Physical or mental fatigue IS not con-
duCive to any form Of exercise, you
know. Where? Preferably on a
smooth broad surface. Carpet IS no
objection. And how?
Begin by letting the whole BODY
from head to toes relax utterly. Let
the head drOop slowly until 1t falls
quite limp on the chest. Let the arms
hang Imply at your sides. Then re-
lax the whole body. waist, hips, legs,
feet and all, until you all all in a
heap. Repeat this preliminary exer-
else for several days. or until you are
quite supple. Then you might begin
llmbeTing up your arms and wrists.
Swing the arms backward and for
ward and from side to side. letting the
wrists take care of themselves If they
show any signs of stubbornness, then
they require individual attention. This
attention Is best administered BY
wrlngtng the hands. Rigid wrists can
not remain thus after such vigorous
treatment Now you are ready for
the actual dance poses.
In "Bacchanale" the waist is slightly
bent, the weight of the BODY rests
on the forward foot, the head Is
thrown back and the arms complete
circle above the head You will no
tice that the wrists are quite linn.
Practice the pose as often as you care
to-; Of course. not to the point C ex-
haustion.
Almost curtsy," excepting the DO
sitton Of the arms, is really nothlng
more than crrtsy. The bend comes
directly from the waist. and the bal
ance is on the backward foot.
4 "CoQuette" demands a slightly curry
. ed torso. a coquettishly poised head
and the uplifted leg at right angles to
the body.
Breath of Spring" is best interpret.
ed by a stretching of the whole hody
from head to toe. The weight ia car.
rted by either the right or the left foot
The other leg is raised from the hin
bending at the knee, with the cal
swinging quite limp.
You will note that Butterfly. I.
composed Of curves From the un,ift
ed arm to the corr -pondingIv unI,fte,
leg Is described a half circle. From
the slightly bent head to the SUPPORT
ing foot there is just the suggestion q
curve. sufficient to establish balance
and harmony.
Practice the poses in the order II
which 1 have described them. You
mirror is perhaps the best critic. A
the beginning you will doubtless bav
difficulty in rounding out the angles
Despite the wholly ungraceful asDec
that you present, the muscular actiy
ity will do you an untold amount O
good. Practice each pose severa
times, relax and go to the next.
But last word Of caution: If vo
would benefit mentally as well a
physically by the esthetic dance. max
play Of It, So many of us are in nee
se of diversion from our everyday actfy
tiles. Yet when we play, we do IT wit
n so vigorous a will and way that
or really isn't playing at all. Remembe1
if you would acquire grace, that grac
no OF mind accompanies grace of body
squared Jaw and an I'm-bound-TlI-get
nd it-right expression cannot be condu
Give to timber joints, responsive mus
by cles and true grace.
ny. Play more.
re- -