The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-02-27
FOLK DANCING TO
ELIMINATE JAZZ
Movement Growing With Great Rap.
ldity In England and Slowly
In America.
BY c. K. CUMMING.

more than $50 students from all parts
or the country sang and danced and
frolcSed for week under the leader
ship OF Mr.. Cecil Sharp the founder
and patron saint of the movement.
Nor was the more serious business
OF passing examinations in these gem
tie arts neglected, for the certificates
awarded by the folk dance society are
the essential guarantees Of proficien-
cy for those who desire to pass on
their enjoyment to others
1t was a pleasant experience to
hear those hundreds Of young voices
singing the old songs. with their fresh
lark-llke quality, songs which Mr..
Sharp has collected from so many
different countries. That Somerset
dltty, for instance:
"As / walked through the meadows to
take the fresh air,
The flowers were blooming and
gay;
1 heard q young damsel so sweetly
singing.
Her checks like the blossc Is in
May"
or that rolhcking tune OF "The
Tgree sons" with its tragi-comic eli
max.
''rhe miller he was drowned in his
pond,
The spinner was hanged by his yarn,
Ara his goose ran away with the tail
or one day,
With his broadcloth under his arm"
And even more pleasant was it to
watch the highly skilled staff OF so
teachers, both men and women be-
longing to the society, footing the gay
measures Of the country dances, or
demonstrating the more strenuous,
but beautiful and graceful, movements
OF the Morris. or threading their way
through the complicated evolutions OF
the Sword dance. with a perfect mas
terry of memory and muscle, which, to
the uninitiated seemed truly marvel
Gus. No one | think, who has ever
seen a good exhibition OF these ira
ditlonal English dances, can doubt
that they do constitute a very high
and pure form of art, and are well
worth all possible efforts that can be
made for their preservation.
1t IS an occasion to take stock of
progress. The English Folk Dance
society was started In 1911 ito dissem-
mate a knowledge OF English folk
dances, follc music and singing games,
and to encourage the practice of them
in their traditional FORMS" When Mr..
Sharp began his great work few
years before, country dancing had en-
n tirely died out over q large part OF
England. though tho Morris, which is
more of a ceremonial dance, was still
practiced on occasion In some places
and there has always been an I'M
broken tradition OF sword-dancing
among the miners OF the north. 1t was
: the most natural thing in the world
that country dancing should have be-
come virtually extinct I'm the villages,
for nearly every element OF Joy and
freedom in village life persisted dur
Ing the agricultural depression of the
nineteenth century.
Mr.. Sharp's efforts began Just in
time and in his patient researches
throughout the countryside, he saved
many a dance and song from extinc-
ton by collecting them from the
oldest inhabitants. 1 well remember
the great interest aroused by the re-
discovery Of this treasure Of forgot
ten English culture in the years Just
before the society was founded. OK
ford took up the new idea with en-
thusiasm. and it was no uncommon
thing, round a turn IN the road, to
como upon the unexpected sight of
some learned Don laboriously practis-
ing tho steps Of the Morris.
After three years came the war. and
much Of the work could only mark
time. But staff OF 20 teachers from
the society. under the auspices OF the
Y. NJ. G. A. taught the dances to large
numbers Of soldiers in England and
France, and later on the Rhine, who
benefited greatly In body and mind.
since the war tho work has devel-
oped by leaps and bounds. There are
now between 30 and 40 branches
throughout the country. Several thou
kand students are attending weekly
classes organized directly by the So
ciety and It's branches. More than $50
applications 20 the last vacation school
had 20 be refused owing to lack OF
space The demand for teachers can
hardly be supplied Then in addition.
the dances are practiced by Girl
Guides. Boy Scouts. women's insti-
tutes and other organizations They
are very generally taught IN the ele-
montary schools and AR sharp told
me recently that the board N educa-
ticn IS now taking active steps 10
push the matter.
And equally important Is the very
real part " hich the dances are play
Ing IN the revival 81 village life. which
IS one ~ the most notable develop
mcnts Of the past few years. In
Glouchestershire last autumn, 7 was
told by the secretary OF the society.
over 40 villages took part in a com
petition and every. man from the
squire 10 the blacksmith participat-
ed. During one week 500 persons were
dancing in a competition In Cornwall
and about 700 in the north. The way
IN which tire dances have taken hold
proves conclusively that the revival
does not represent the attempt Of an
tiuuarians artificially to foist some
dead thing on the people. but that 1t
IS simply the giving back OF a form
of artistic expression which is native