The Washington times., 1922-03-01
IS JAZZ DANCE
MIND MENACE?
QUERYEXPERTS
Psychological, Church, and
Terpischorsan Circles Split
on Moot Question.
BY CHARLES G. FARMER,
International News Service.

InteruAttOuAI Nowo bervlOG.
NEW YORK, March lis tho
modern dance craze mentally danger
ous7
This question was debated In psy-
Geological. church and terpischorean
circles today when dispatches from
Paris stated that influential Journals
and famous academicians had in.
dioted jazz as "a hypocritical form Of
obtaining Illicit pleasure"
The modern dances are a. sooth-
ing to the populace as rocking 10 TO
the infant" declared DR.. A. A. Bril-,
chief Of the clinic Of psychiatry In
Columbia University.
Jazz Is to our national life what
impurity IL TO q woman-prostitu
tion." affirmed, the Rev. DIR. John
Roch Straton. the famous fighting
pastor OF Calvary Baptist Church.
George Washington loved q
dance. why this outcry1" demanded
8. Chalif. high priest Of the dancing
hierarchy. who once trtpped toe In
the cars ballet.
II don't care how much young PEG.
pie shimmy. II they only take tn,
proper positions and cling to a few
forms of etiquette" explained Canon
William 8. Chase. Of the Protestan
Episcopal Church.
Jazz is not for sweet sixteen
said Clarette Taylor. the actress.
starring in q play that depicts Jazz
evils.
Jazz 10 q manifestation Of the
speed mania Of the age" stated
Frank M. Thomas. Miss Tayolrs
leading man. who plays the role Of Il
Jazz opponent.
DIR. Brill. who gained renown IN
scientific circles when he translated
Freud into English. and who 10 &C
claimed a national authority on
said that animals
and birds danced.
THE new dances represent a sub.
stitute for the normal qualification
OF the sex instinct in the form Of
pleasure motion" he continued.
Viewed in this light, the modern
dances must be considered bene-
fetal to our present social system
People won't sit home and read tho
Bible all the time" he added. with
twinkling eyes. There must be
some outlet. some diversion for the
populace.
This cry against modern dances
is nothing new. When the waltz
first came into use. even Byron
who certainly was not a prude, ex'
"Waltzr-waltz-both legs and
arms demands:
Liberal OF feet, and lavish OF
her hands.
Hands which may range in
public sight.
Where ne'er before-but--
nrav-Dut orr the light
There Is no doubt that the closer
contact in the modern dances offers
an opportunity to those individuals
who look for sex everywhere. But
this might have happened and has
undoubtedly happened even before
the new dances came into vogue"
DR.. Straton, who 10 waging a
fight against decadence in modern
life. said that ne was not surprised
that some scientists-"who say they
are descended from monkeys"-.
should see no harm in jazz.
When we have monkey men, We
have monkey morals" he continued
Jazz music and dancing is a re
version to the savage instinct. Jazz
Is the spirit OF evil. the devils or
chestra. have observed young
women and men lowered morally by
It's influence"
DR.. Straton, however, sees encour-
aging handwriting on the wall OF
time.
There are faint signs OF a return
to social sanity" he averred. The
fact that French academicians and
journalists denounce jazz as mental
ly dangerous Is a healthy omen
And Ellnor Glyn, Sir Philip Gibbs.
and other writer's are aiding the
public In its return to social sanity
by writing against this atrocious
evil"
Chalif. who conducts a dancing
school for the Haul Monde within
pebbles throw OF DIR. Straton's
church, takes little stock in reform.
ers, although he is opposed to jazz,
tavoring classical dancing instead.
1T is not a question Of reforming
the dance, II Is a matter Of changing
the morals Of people who distort
real dance steps" he said. Why,
have seen women reciting poems
who were actually indecent in their
posture. Let the parents train their
children rightly, then the latter will
not pervert the beautiful and classl-
cal dance steps. inyway. George
Washington loved dance"