The New York herald., 1921-12-01
ARTISTS IN DISPUTE
AT SOCIETY DINNER
Chief Controversy Wages
Around Response to Music
in Dancing.

Strange views on art and clashes bs-
tween al lists developed last night at
the twilight dinner which the members
OF the Society of Arts and Sciences at
tended in the Rose room at the Hotel
-Astor.
Despite the fact that all the discus
sion was supposed to be on the general
subject of The Brotherhood Of Art"
the chief controversy was waged around
the art OF dancing, or rather upon how
the human body should respond, if at
all, to music and rhythm.
Margaret Severn, creator of the Benda
character dances. started the trouble
when she discussed dancing as an art of
concentric circles squares, triangles,
straight lines and other geometric fig
ures Her attitude toward dancing was
that 1t should express an idea. The
opposite view was taken by Helen Mol
Ter, head of the Grecian dancing temple
which bears her name. who said that she
always insisted that her students make
those movements which the music natu-
rally suggested to them. regardless OF
any scientific or geometric plan.
1t was Ellis Parker Butler, the banker.
poet and biologist OF Flushing and the
toastmaster OF last night, who acted as
the friendly arbiter. He said he was
inclined to favor Miss Moller's view
point and that he always danced exactly
as he felt like dancing.
Amy Lowell who was described on the
programmes as "poetess" but who was
introduced by Mr.. Butter as poet.
which she is, also contributed to the
argument. She said that scientific tests
carried on several years ago at Columbia
\ how hot -fla "a
had decided organic reactions to ell sorts
of rhythm. but that years of careful
repression had enabled her TO curb
her feelings somewhat. She said that her
reaction to music at present is confined
TO a wiggl!ng of the toes.
When Miss Moller got up to speak she
began by saying she wished there was
some other word to express her meaning
of dancing. When anybody says dane
ing thsse days, she said, the first
thought is of Jazz music and the shimmy
and other dances. which people with
souls don't like.
IL want to say" exclaimed Miss
Moler, "that never saw the shimmy In
my life and hope never will"
The reply to this was not long in COM
ing. Norman Bel Geddes, a scenic
painter and creator of modern stage
craft. arose from his chair and said de-
liberately:
II don't mean to be funny. but think
1t is a great shame that Miss Moller,
dancing teacher though she is, never has
seen the shmmy, not to mention the
area-rea. AS for me, / admire Gilda
Gray"
Even Ellis Parker Butler could not
entirely bridge that gap, though that
may have been because he was not the
regular POSTMASTER and was only sub
stituting for Claiming Pollock, who
could not attend. But Mr.. Butler did
make one valuable contribution to art
and philosophy. George Luks, the
painter, made a speech in which he said
that lying is life: truth is DEATH" A
little further along in his speech he said
that realism is life" Taking these
two statements. Mr.. Butler. with un-
erring logic. enunciated the new principle
that Lying is realism" principle which
made u profound impression last night.
The other speakers were Walter
Damrosch and Albert Sterner, both Of
whom lamented the Worship of ugli-
ness" which they said had come to be
the characteristic of modern art.