Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-01-17

OLD FASHIONED
ARE TO RETURN
Keep Your Distance Dances Replace
Modern Jazz Steps, Shimmy and
Other Ballroom Exhibitions.
Associated Press

Associated Press
NEW YORK, Jan. 17-Old-fashion-
ed, keep-your-distance dances, are to
displace the modern Jazz steps, II the
nationwide reform movement under
taken by the America nNational AS
sociation of Masters of Dancing prov
es successful. The dancing masters
it is announced here, count upon the
support of mothers, fathers, daugh-
ters, sons, dance hall proprietors,
dancing teachers an Enthusiastically
if necessary the police department.
to exterminate the "half Nelson,
"body hold" "Shimmy lock" and 9th
er imported ballroom grips which are
practiced by some dancers. Cheap and
vulgar music is also to come under
the ban, and, according to circular
just issued by the association, those
in charge of community or public
dances are urged to show their oppo-
sition to undesirable dances by dis
tributing "You will please leave the
hall cards to those who persist in Of
Tending.
The women it is charged are often
as much to blame as their partners
and, in some cases, dance hall pro-
prietors are advised to pick out ten
or a dozen Objectionable couples and,
if a warning is disregarded, to GUST
them at once.
"You will soon see," the circular
reads, "that you have raised the STAN
dard Of your establishment and that
the loss will be more than made up
by double the number of persons who
have respect for you and your Dances
Some of the rules and regulations
which all are urged to obey follow:
'Dance music should be bright
and cheerful, properly accented and
the phrases we'll divided. Cheap, vul-
gar music of the extreme Jazz type
invites cheap, vulgar meaningless
dancing. 1t is useless to expect re-
fined dancing when the music lacks
all refinement, for, after ali, what IS
dancing but an Interpretation of mu-
sic?
'"The Association has adopted the
following tempos, it being impossible
the masters say, to regulate fast
dancing:
"Waltz, 48 measures to minute.
"Two-step, 81 measures to minute.
"One-step, 66 measures to minute.
"Fox Trot, 40 measures to minute.
Dancers should assume a light,
graceful position" says the masters.
"There should be no jerky half-steps
for these cause undesirable variations.
Partners should not dance with cheeks
close or touching nor should the clasp
be tight. Neck holds are positively
unpardonable The gentleman's arm
should encircie his partners waist
his hand resting lightly just above
the waist line. The lady's left arm
should not encircle her partners
shoulders or neck.
"Steps or movements that cannot be
controlled should not be taught by
dancing teachers. Short side steps
first right, then left, when done con
tinuously, are not conducive to refined
dancing and should not be permitted
'Shimmy dancing" shaking or jerk
ing of the upper part of the body
while taking short steps or standing
still, should not be tolerated.
"The proper dancing step should b'
the same as natural walking ont
except in exhibition dancing, which
properly belongs to the stage, no
the ballroom. Exceptionally long O.
short steps are not in good form.
Dancing should be from the wals
down, not from the waist up. Copy
ing of the extremes used on the mod
ern stage is bad taste. Remembe
that the majority Of dancers desire t
dance according to the best accepte'
standards, that is, without the slight
test trace of offense to dignity %
decOrum."