Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-08-09
WHO DANCES THE
NEW DANCE STEPS?
By ROBERT C. BENCELEx
Associate Editor of "Life"
(CnOUrioht 1901 \

Leased Wire Service to The Journal.)
NEW YORK, Aug. 6.-The dancing
teachers assembled in New York
during the past week have worked
up some new ones. Every year they
assemble and work up some new
ones. And then everyone continues
to dance the OLD ones during the fol-
lowing year.
We may read that the latest step
from the dancing teachers conven-
ton is called the PIN wheel" 1t is
very Notwithstanding Gall the
conventions innovations are respec-
table-sounding) and involves the
gentleman's grasping the lady light
ly by the shoulder with the right
hand, holding up her chin with the
left, and taking three steps forward,
one on her instep. The music is
that of the gavotte.
WELL" we think, its lucky that
I saw this notice in the paper. Now,
I shall know what's what the next
time I go over to the country club
titled to death to get out on the
floor and try to pull an old-fashion-
ed fox trot with everyone else doing
this new pin wheel"
So we practice the "Pin wheel" be-
fore the mirror, holding an imaginary
der and looking terrifically foolish
during the process. But by the time
of the next dance at the club we
have mastered the theory of the pin
wheel"
And then when We get there, we
find everyone dancing the fox trot
and the one-step and the only time
we ask any one if he has tried this
new dance, "the pin Wheel" we are
looked at as if we had asked if he
had ever tried these new mail order
suits with the nifty slashed pock-
cts.
Somebody must dance the new
this convention. They themselves
must go home and dance them just
a little, simply out of loyalty to the
organization. But no one ever sees
them being danced.
Now, this is probably because
they lack popular appeal, They are,
in the first place, not simple enough
1t takes a supplemented man or
woman to go out on a hot night and
steam around a room full of other
supplemented people, humping and
apologizing, or humping and not
apologiZing and a dance step, in or
der to be popular with them, must
be simple dance step. That is why
the fox trot and the one-step are so
popular There is only one simpler
way of getting hot on summer
night and that is by putting on a
sweater and running around a board
track. Running around the track is
simpler because you don't have to
tWo-step at the corners; you just
keep going right ahead.
Now, if this simplicity in our pop
u1ar dancing could only be utilized
since all it amounts to is a rather
jaun3tty walk step-a great many
but at least one) of our national
problems could be solved. The
problem of transportation, for in
stance.
Ten years ago people were dane
ing the Boston" If only some dane
ing teachers convention could evolve
new dance to be called the "Bos-
people wishing to go from Boston
to Albany or intermediate points
would assemble at the South station
Boston, where an orchestra would
at moderate rate OF speed on a
flat car. In a cleared space along
each side Of the track the itinerant
couples would start walking, just as
they now do in the fox trot Cor, ii
| they were in a hurry, the one-step)
only they would walk straight ahead
in time to the music and not turn
any corners. Soon they would be
in Worcester, and before they had
walked as many steps as most dane
ers do now before the supper dance
they would be in Springfield.
Here light supper could be
| served for those bound for Pittsfield
and Albany, and new jazz orches.
| ira rushed in.
Then on again. In this way the
public craze for simple dancing
would be satisfied, our national
transportation problem solved until
| the railroads could get on their feet
! again, and what is now great waste
of precious energy in foot-pounds
saved for a really useful purpose.
This suggestion is respectfully
| submitted to the next convention OF
| dancing teachers for consideration
| before they think up any more
''piazzi steps" or, fantasia polkas, -
! which no one will ever dance.