The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-07
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Dance as Language

peak" he explained. "Wbere M.
sibilities OF voice end, dancing i
gins.
These possibilities of the dan,
are neglected in the west. Churcbsss
could use symbolic dances az
valuable part of the service Dars
ing was once so used, and thsstS.
and church belong together. / AZ
not blame the churches for ID
nouncing the dance as it is in no1-
ular use. But in its highest form
as sincere art, it is worthy Of re-
spect-
'One New York church last wa.
attempted use Of symbolic daneins
as an experiment, and belisvs
eventually the dance will h
brought back into favor as a form
of worship"
Mr.. Itow is interested in gettag
recognition for the universal ousIe
ity of art. He is holding as an o.
pertinent, oriental entertainment,
in this city with oriental artists N
various kinds on the program. His
aim is to see il the American pnb-
lie is interested in learning from
the east and if it wants to coonar-
ate in the work OF making Ar -
ternational.
An International Theatre.
If it is interested, he expects 10
work to have the nations establish
international theatres and art gal-
leries in their big cities Eastern
painters would exhibit in this
country, and our painters would e1-
hibit in Europe and Asia.
The international theatre woBIl
also be a project for exchange OF
talent. Mr.. Itow advocates not lust
the appearance Of foreigners who
happen to be in the country. He
urges rather that the highest class
of actors, dancers. and musicians
go from one country to another to
display their art.
Details OF this scheme are not all
worked out The dancer, as Mr.
Itow says, speaks an international
language. So, to a great extent,
does the painter, and also the
sculptor, musician, and moving
picture dCJOT.
But when it comes to the speak
ing stage there are serious limita-
lions. 1t is practically impossible
that a play which depends on its
lines to tell its story should be a
success in this country if present
ed in Japanese, say, OF Russian.
Sarah Bernhard, heralded as the
greatest actress of her day, packs
houses in this country, even though
she plays to her audience in
French. But she is an isolated ex-
ception. And besides, she speaks
French, the popular foreign Ian
! guage among Americans, and she
speaks very distinctly, so that PEG
pie who have a bit Of schOOlbo0k
French find her comparatively easy
to understand.
How this handicap OF tongues Is
to be overcome in the artistic melt
ing pot, Mr.. Itow says he is not yet
sure. Educated foreigners, how
ever, are more versatile thin
Americans when it comes to Ian
guages. Mr.. Itow himself speaks a
number of languages to help him
| in travelling when eloquent ges-
lures can not always be made to
produce tea or ice water. 1t may
/ be that We shall some day see jap
anese plays enacted in true Japan
J csc style by native artists, yet IN
| the English language
! Mr.. Itow thinks that America
should have half d dozen interna-
tionaI theatres. He knows Shaw
Yeats, Maeterlinck, Hauptmann
and Tagore, and says that they
! agree with him that artists are
ready to unite in a spirit Of broth
erhood. Considering the vast al
tistic population OF America from
Provincetown to Greenwich Village
and thence to all points west.
| seems plausible that q spirit Of
brotherhood among the artists Oh
the world might indeed become a
potent force.