Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-01
.EoP RENr
.BAGOAD DANCING GIRLS
! ARE SHOCNNGLY PLAIN
Theatres Are BOresome and Ro-
nance Seems 20 Have Died
Out in Far East

There are few cities .ulte a- r1r-
derful az Bagdad 10 night. ~ y1I
on the verandah lf rhe club uulnE
the first peg oI the daV After -trru-
nous hour tennis, -0Ir senses -o
hIlled hv the magic -WIsg VI the lErls.
as it flows swiftly On ts -f-ulie our-
ney to the sea, lights tElnke 20 tle
right bank, appearing anu disappearing
amongst the pains. - the Aran -aDor-
ers return home from their uav wnrs.
compuLsOrily armed with .nterus
Your eyes are attracted bv brilliantly
lighted house at the lar cnd GO the Turkish
bridge 81 boats; apparently the rooi
crowded. and white figures seem g. .arr
hither and thlther on Tiny stage
occasionally YOU hear strange melndy
across the water Dy warrant breeze Ae
the Grooming of ? child. rising anu falling t1
the notes Of some ~trInged instrument
From afar IL Is typical 10 al tl3t
Eastern. End strikes 4 romantic horl
You feel inclined - lnvesugrte .l.-
strange place. and % >ee Q -o maler
is To Be found in an Arab theatre
On the other bans rle Inevitable
small brown boy appeers comely rar
importunate. With hls eager cgy ~
Dancing girls. >ahib-yer Cood .4
pass through lighted street, med Win
native csfes, and YOU -tumDic lp
riekety staircase, feeling that romance
must be waiting At the top. anu bay
sn officer ticket for the apparently
reasonable sum Of one rupee. Curious
eyes are turned on YOU As you enter tle
roohess hall. open TO the velvet -as
native, clad IN An 1doruus huuou-.
shows YOU 10 a wooden bench "a the i0uL-
row occupied By a few -elf-cuusclptl,
subalternS. The stage i apparently lult
of old biscuit tins-whlch nave now to te
strictly accounted for by Army units
and the curtain a dirty sheet rruGes
daubed with paint, Is down. Attendants
are busily selling tiny cups 0i coffee ala
clav pots filed with iced sster There
Is little noise-only d confused muriu-,-
/ ing. strangely melodiOus.
Suddenly the curtain rises ieTkiv .J
( disclose four dirty Armenian men. wear
/ ing soiled ducks and fezes perched t.
! q jaunty angle on their heads. .ul
/ strumming on instruments like hi9atea
/ guitars: the audience remains unmo.r4
/ BY this spectacle, and conversation lg4-
/ tinues rs before.
/ An Arab bov strolls across the ~tase
/ for no apparent reason, and hnaly -ae
/ far-famed dancing girls appear, i.l
sit down heavily next TO the men. Then
are three Of them, seemingly ranging p a-c
from IA to %; their compleNons are 81
most white and they are dressed n
tawdry, high-necked frocks; The >Srl,
reach to their ankles and their nccN-
are hidden in stiff collars, the minimum
/ of fesh is exposed What a contrast
| TO the European stage,
The players begin 20 chant u nc
usual Eastern way-there IS no lpp4--
ent tune and little melody Th, 'a.-
s eb II. L.. Z .r.
| slowly acroSS the stage, singing % me
music after a while she uniu.atc~ acr
body ia the manner made familiar hl he
so-called Eastern dancers at the MUSIC
halls, but with infinitely more skill she
see. rs to be devoid of bones ant moves her
head from side u side without hCndins
her neck. The music QuicNcns ana YOU
hope she is going to do something me-e
daring, but she simply gHdeS ronnd thc
stage keeping time with q tap oi htr
feet. and gradually increasing her nace.
Suddenly the music ceases, and she
disappears without SINGLE hand-clap
Apparently applause s not eNpected
The second girl rises and goes tnFou5h
the same performance she und4.alrs
better than the other, and i hnc-.ooSng
Arab In the third row grunts has satis-
faction and throws q l0-rupCc note un 90
the stage She shows no sign of having
seen il, and boy strolis on and packs 4
up. No doubt the proprietor takes the
lions share before the Url gets lt.
This goes on for some time, with pausos
between the dances. Gradually Nou
realize that YOU have seen an that s ~ hg
seen. and that the only feeling that thg
show has reused in YOU is one 0i utter
!, boredom.
You thought 70 buy romance Tor one
rupee, YOU were grieyously mistakca
London Tunes.