New-York tribune., 1919-08-26
Sllinlmy Barred;
Dancing Masters
Say 1t Is Vulgar
National Convention De.
clarcs War ON New York
Theatres; Are Blamed
For 'Dcsrading Their Art

Goodbv. shimmy!
Five hundred dancing masters from
all over the Union broke the first lance
in the opening of their fight against
"shimmying" and all forms Of modern
''wig&ling" at tho opening sessions of
their thirty-siNth annual convention
in the Hotel Astor yesterday. For the
rest of this week members Of the
American National Association Of
Masters Of Dancing and the American
Society of Professors Of Dancing will
put their heads together in the framing
OF a programme for the standardization
of the fox trot and ono step. the abso-
lutte elimination OF the shmmy and the
Introduction Of new dances that will
be snappy without being vulgar. Bali
room classic dancing and children's
dances are to receive a good deal of
attention.
Reform Convention"
The dancing masters are calling it
their "rcform convention. To quote
one of their NUMBER:
"Tblngs have become SO bad that We
fec! the need Of drastic reform before
they can go any further. We are go
ING 70 Go our best TO force the theatres
TO drop 'shimmyinG.' Dancing masters
may talk all they like. but as long as
theatrical producers persist in civiny-
the public the shimmy our art will con
tlnue to be degraded. The shimmy Of
iends both morally and artistically.
New York theatres are the worst Of
tenders, and we are going to put up
fight against this kind Of dancing"
Another of the reforms planned is
to keep the girl from constantly back
ing and make it tifty-fifty for both man
and girl. This backing was introduced
under the Castle regime, and the dane.
ing masters have decided that it. must
take modified form. and that the man
must back as much as the girl
committee was yesterday an
pointed to draw up a set OF rules for
correct dancing which will be SET IN
IN chart form and hung in every dane
ing school in the country. The cid
fashioned waltz is to be revived Init
not the minuet and its sister dances.
because, according TO one Of the dele
gates. they are not "peppy" enough for
the twentieth century American.
Heads Together Barred
The fox trot and onc-step arc 10
be standardized and dancing with heads
together is TO be severely frowned
upon. Position while dancing is to bc
carefully analyzed and standardized In
short, the dancing masters arc in for
'noroughco'ng reform and a genera,
cleanup.
HraS haired. bearded men in trim
nose and knee breeches veterans Of
another generation of dancing -ioined
with the youthful protagonists Of the
more modern steps in the Astor vester-
DAY Expert dancers of all ages tripped
the light. fantastic toe with an essa
holders. - D'-
The day was partly devoted tn the
practise of baby dances" for children.
where illustrative music, action and
dance were happily combined-)ieht
pretty things, such as "Twinkle. Twin,
kle. Little Star" "Mary Had I;tt]e
Lamb" and The Cuckoo Clock" War
names were given to some cf the newar
steps. steps such as The Spirit of Today"
-Victory Fox Trot" and "Victory
Waltz 0'o'S
Dr- Elmer Lee spoke at the EVENING
session on Dancing as a PHYSICAL ~
ere'se: Fenton Rott, Of Dayton. Ohio.
- president of the Dancing Masters
Association