The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-01
SKINNY is HERE
Shivery, JaZZy SyncOpated
Rage Hits Sedate Topeka.
Dance 1t on a Dime and Have
Nickel To Spare.
Ann INV unlMnV ITO DEAD
AND BOY, HOWDY-IT'S A BEAR
Like Standing in the Shade at
cole SWimmin' HOle.o
not Wrong if Done Properly,
Says "Charlie" Steinberg. -

Oooo-la-la-cOmeS now the Shin
my chi-wa-wa." It's the latest i'm
ported dance craze from the eastern
and southern states. where it has been
danced for several months. They say
that it has been danced in Topeka
among the best families, furtively and
steadily.
IT'S the dance you can dance on
dime and have five cents left. The
procedure is something similar, says
an eminent dance teacher, to standing
in the shade at the old swimming
hole. shaking and shiverin6 in the cool
evening breeze of early springtime.
And boy, howdy, if the local au-
thorities permit the dance-place
the stamp of approval upon the
shivering, ''jazzy" contortions of the
rib wiggle,' dancing will remain no
longer the occupation of the young and
the very young, dancing masters say.
Old time dancing hounds" Will fan
for the 'shimmy." Where the Shin
my" is in progress the moral upllft
members of the senate need fear no
longer for record attendances in the
front row of theatres on the opening
night of musical, patella shows
Scenery will cease to be a SenSat1 on.
Neither will the women of New York,
nor the staid, sober citizens of To-
pake, have occasion to resort to legis-
Iative acts or the strong arm of the
law to remove from downtown show
windows, the bits of dainty, exquisite,
Turing. soul vamping feminine
lingerie, from time to time daringly
displayed where the eyes of Topeka's
White Way moths may gaze and be
1ured to doom and certain destruction.
Unoccupied lingerie. and silken clad
limbs flashing in the glow behind
the foot-lights, to the tune of be-
wilderingly sensuous, syncopated JAZZ
music will hold no alluring charms.
The "chimmy' is the last word.
1t Exactly the Dancing.
It isn't that you dance. One doesn't
need to dance. Just stand still. When
the Jazz" music romps into action,
you shiver and sway ecstatically and
sway your arms and shoulders. When
your feet get tired step out a few
measures. Then "shimmy' some
more. Mostly more. But use your
own judgment.
~ Down in the southlands where the
weirdly syncopated Jazz music orig
mated among the negroes, whose sense
of rhythm is said to be more perfect
than that of any other race, the dance
originated. So when the Jazz" mu-
sic played-they just couldn't help it,
they swayed and shivered to the Iur-
lag strains of harmony and rhythm.
Now the "shimmy" has come to To-
peka. Will the legislator from Leot
find it necessary to frame up another
law?
1t has arrived and is coming strong.
The ''shimmy'' is best danced to the
fox-trot time.
Travelling Man Introduced 1t.
According to Charlie" Steinberg.
the operator of a local dance hall, the
dance was first brought here by
travelling man from the east. about
two weeks ago. Steinberg says the
dance is the latest thing in the east.
All the dancing teachers of the large
eastern and southern cities are teach
THE dance is all right says
Steinberg, when it is done right.
However, it is just like any other
dance. if not done right it is all wrong,
and we do not permit that style at
our hall. The trouble is people will
not dance it the way they are taught.
The same thing has been true of all
new dances that have come to Topeka.
The bunny hug the tango, and the
one-step, when they first came into
vogue there were always a bunch try
ing to make each of the dances as
extreme as possible, running it as a
public dance. Later when enthusiasm
cooled off, they used reason in the
execution of the dance, and they were
permissible and danced everywhere.
The same thing will be true of the
'shimmy.' Once it has passed the ex-
detrimental stage it will assume its
proper place in the dance world"
Barred in Some Cities.
AS novelty dance there can be no
question of the growing popularity of
the Skinny" On account of it's new
ness there is some variety of opinion
as to allowing it in some cities. while
others consider the ''shimmy'' in the
same class as all new dances.
Steinberg says the "shimmy'' is
danced to almost every sort of music
but the fox-trot is best adapted to
the style. The one-step is too fast.
while the waltz is a little too slow
leading to a style of dancing that is
Objectionable as there is too much
hesitation to it and not enough prog
ress.