The Washington herald., 1917-09-15
New York, Day BY Day
By o. o. MCINTYRE.

specaai Correspondent OF The Washington Herald
New York, Sept. 4-New York
has had q lot of fun laughing At
two dancing conventions that are
in session. G. Hepburn Wilson.
who runs to striped shirts and Jazz
stuff. is the leader OF what is called
the Inner Circle crowd of teachers
that meet at the McAlpin.
The other crowd is a shade more
dignified and runs to knickerbock-
ers. sport shirts and whiskers. The
visiting teachers had their choice
Of remaining with the Jazzettes or
becoming affiliated with the Anti
Jazzettes. The reporters saw the hu-
NOR of the situation and joshed both
sides In such a manner that a big
quarrel was started.
Both organizations forget the busi-
ness in hand and began to campaign
to deplete the organization of the
other. Each year these conventions
meet and the world hears of some
startling new dances that will be the
rage during the winter. And still
the public sticks to the one-step. fox
trot and waltz just as It will next
winter. The tango Is dead. II is not
danced any more in New York at the
select places.
The fox trot is the most popular
dance, then the waltz and lastly the
one-step. The dancing teachers now
hear talk OF a Chinese toddle, the
Jazz flop. the singing one-step, and
other dances. They will live just as
long as the convention is here and
the newspapers mention them. After
that they are never heard of again.
The real serious thinkers OF the
dance world do not hold their con-
vention until after the Jazz crowd
finishes. This organization include
the most famous interpretive and
aesthetic teachers. Louis H Chalif.
the Russian dancer. is the leader of
this flock. They rarely suggest a new
step but when they dot is accepted.
Last year Mr.. Chalif put some added
grace into the waltz. 1t Immediately
became popular. These teachers are
the ones who fight for the standard
izing Of the dance, and the elimina-
ton Of the Jazz and barnyard stuff.
The best Joke of the week is pulled
by Nat NJ. Wills in the new Hippo
drome production. Cheer Up" Says
Wills: Ford has shaken more hell
out OF people than Billy Sunday"
The dope raids on the tenderloin
are revealing a startling growth of
drug addictions among chorus girls
and other people of the stage. The
theatrical boarding houses are found
to be full of dope iends." Scores
of young girls are found to carry
Their hypodermic needles along with
their powder puff.
The habit Is an easy one to acquire
owing to the nature of their work.
The strain of long rehearsals demand
some form of stimulant. Unscrupulous
doctors give a drug prescription and
before long the patient is hopelessly
in the clutches.
The cheaper vaudeville actors are
said to be very heavy users of drugs
in many instances owing TO the heavy
drain on their vitality by appearing
four and five times a day. The dope
doctors" as a rule have their Offices
in the tenderIoin district and with a
druggist as an ally have little trouble
in carrying on their traffic.
And while on the subject of drug
addiction. The ethics of the medical
profession may be all right as TO the
prescribing of drugs, but I know many
bartenders along Broadway who re-
fuse to sell more whiskey to a drunk
en- man.
But there Is one mitigating circum
stance. The doctor charged with SELL
ing poisons to the underworld OF
Broadway do not call their offices
studios" There is at least sorne-
thing to be thankful for in the stu
alton. Nearly all the professional
rasals have studios in New York.