Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07


the Americans who wear American
frocks. It's q study in human nature.
The American is either defiant, self
conscious or embarrassed with her
long, tight skirt wrapping about her
ankles as she dances. The French
woman bobbing around in the jazz
with knee length skirts and f1ve-inch
bodices is making satirica1 remarks
to her partner about the long skirt
Of the American and all the rest of
the society present is whispering or
arguing.
The American who is defiant, or
rather cody Indifferent is the one who
comes out victor. The French may
laugh at her skirt and her smooth
gliding step in dancing, but the laugh
is tinctured with doubt as to it's pro-
priety, or it's reasonableness. when
they observe the American inde-
pendence.
If one tries to sum up the way in
which Paris amuses itself best and
oftenest one would simply say that
Paris dances That is che backbone
Of all the entertaining done in this
city this summer. The American SOL
diers dance the one-step at the Alb
baye, they fox trot at Armenonville
In the afternoon, but what they really
like to do is to dance in the streets.
This is the topnotch of Paris gayety
during the peace. The very smart set
do not indulge in it, unless they slip
into it. through caprice, and dress so
they will not be recognized, but the
smart set Is the small minority in
Paris. 1t is a city OF many foreign
ers. Here dwell all the nationa1ities.
The best Americans. along with the
best British, Russians and Italians
look upon the street gayety Of Paris
on a summers night as the chief at
traction Of life, and they indulge tn
1t without fear Of their social posi-
ton and without self consciousness.
The English and American women,
you know, have taught the smart set
in Paris to go to the races. II you
remember the history OF the days Of
the Napoleonic downfall and the pre-
ceding years OF the revolution. the
smart set OF Paris which had sur
rounded royalty based their entire So
cial customs and fashions on what
ever was English.
1t is not English, however. to dance
in the street. 1t takes q Latin streak
in q nation to make this kind OF gave
" spontaneous, colorful and actually
enjoyable. Paris dances IN the streets
and has been doing 1t since the night
of the armistice. 1t Is the way she
amuses herself without expense, and
all the strangers within her gates join
her in one-scepping to the music or
accordions, or dancing the polka to
the fiddle or waltzing to a phonograph
placed under the trees that edge the
pavement. 1t is quite all right to
begin dancing in a restaurant in GER
tain quarters OF the city, then to
whirl through the doors. across the
pavements and finish the dance In the
middle Of the street. This Is made
possible and J IT from being ungrace-
full by the smooth finish Of the Paris
asphalt. 1t couldn't be done on our
cobbled and uneven streets. How
ever, in the old quarters OF the city
the cobblestones do not prevent some
Of the best dancers from Waiting
the length OF the block in the middle
OF the street.
1t is easy to imagine that the wom-
en- who take part in these dances
Frequently they are women who have
no intention OF doing 1t when they
start out for an evenings gayety),
are not wearing decollete frocks. The
clothes are somber because Of the
tenacity with which everybody clings
to black and beige over here. 1t
would be far more fascinating II
women, especially in the old quarters,
wore brilliant frocks.
The other form of amusement which
absorbs even the Americans Is the
cinema 1t has been dificult for
weeks to get seat to the moving
pictures of the victory parade. It has
been the real success of the season.
No theatrical performance. certainly
not Aladdin staged and costumed by
Bakst, has had anything like the bril-
liant audiences to be found in the
cinema houses on the nights that the
parade pictures are given.
All the smart world Is there. Those
who used periscopes on the day Of
the parade in order to see over the
heads OF the people. and those who
used mirrors dashed to umbrella han