The Washington times., 1921-09-04
What was once Vul-
gar I'm dancing now is
strictly correct and
amusing; Sees reestab-
lishment of joy and
ecStacy.

positive moral. artistic and physi-
cal good to the dancer. It has
practically none of the disadyan.
tages which accompany other
forms of diversion and exercise and
discipline.
You can get ecstasy out Of a
bottle Of champagne or even a
glass OF beer mot to speak Of six
glasses). but the uplifting is no
finer than what the dance affords;
1t is, in fact. less fine. and 1t has
grave drawbacks. some Of which
may not be noticed for years and
some Of which are very apt to he
noticed the next morning.
Again, dancing is a physical ex.
ercise quite as efficacious as, and
far less tedious than. the ingenious
, contortions prescribed by training
experts. It's effects upon the ac-
tion Of the skin is excellent; 1t de.
velops the muscles: it renders, the
body lissome. and it fosters grace
fulness Of carriers.
Further. It cannot fail to teach
rhythm; highly important matter
which most citizens would remain
quite ignorant Of II they did not
dance. The mere discipline Of mov-
ing accurately to music is very valu.
able; and SO is the discipline Of CO.
ordinating ones movements with
the movements Of another person.
NO CAUSE FOR SHOCK.
In nearly all these respects mod.
ern dancing Is probably superior to
the dancing Of earlier centuries.
which was much slower and which
certainly was not calculated to in
duce ecstasy. Modern dancing would
have shocked the eighteenth cen.
tury. and yet the eighteenth century
was more cynical and less moral
than ours.
F1nally,in In the catalogue of
dancing's merits. there 10 the fact
that, unlike golf and such crudities,
it Is practiced when people are
in their best and prettiest clothes
and on their best behavior. To sum
up, I would say that the s.craze,"
for dancing Is a truly healthy and
hopeful sign of these times which
are so rich in doubtful and sinister
signs.
shall not let my enthusiasm,
carry me into the clouds. Public
dancing has its evil side. No. Not
the evil side which Is perhaps in
your minds. and the existence of
which do not for a moment credit!
I mean that 1t keeps the devotees
up too late.
The law ordains a c.rtiin hour
for closing public resorts and Cluhs,
but the law makes frequent excep-
ticn and moreover there are we'll
known devices for evadlag the law.
I am not an advocate OF eorly
dancing; I have no use for after
noon dancing. and assuredly
do not believe in dancing between
the courses Of dim But 1 think
that people ought to know when tc
go home. and that too many of
them. even II they do xrow. lack
the moral fiber to act on their
knowledge.
SOME DANCE TOO LATE.
Dancers who go home at 3 a. m.
must cheat eithci themselves or
somebody else the next day: for
there are not and never will be-
twenty-seven hours in q day. The
disadvantage Is real; It Is serious;
aad every effort shou d be made t.
m: rnaize II.
In regard to the actual art OF
dancing as exemplified today in
public and semi.public bathrooms, 1t
may be said to be full Of interesting
problems. the solution Of one or two
of which may ultimately split the
dancing world into two camps.
Perhaps too many peopie--especi-
ally people with plenty of money in
their pockets-the really acute
problem. quite unconnected with the
art Of dancing, is where to find a
ball or. club that on the one hand is
not 30 fashionably packed that you
can't move, or. on the other hand.