Evening star., 1933-06-11

a cheering exhibition of tn,
great advancement that ha!
taken place in its allied art, tht
dance. Not in many years ha.
there existed such a general anc
genuine interest in the dance anC
it bids fair to attain and to hole
the legitimate place destined fol
it in the social scheme since time
inmemorial. 1t has become some
thing more than an esthetic di-
version for an eSthetic few. II
has become something for every
one to do, to see and to enjoy.
Dancing was intended to be moi
only refreShment but a means
of recreation and Of spiritual ex-
preston as well, through rhythmic
bodily activity. According to the
light that illumines them, this re-
creation has taken form in differ
ent schools, each imbued with in
dividuality and profound sincerity
The variety and originality that
can be developed has been aston
ishingly demonstrated in the re-
citals of the most important dance
groups that have taken place this
last month. The colorful, modern
iStic presentations of the Marian
IChace-LeSter Shafer group, the
adherence to the graceful ballet
Stechnique of the Gardiner dancers,
sthe musical interpretations by
HneanS of the dance which the Nc
tKinley School recently demon
.strated and the welcome bit of
:humor that creepS into the inter-
pretive dancing of the Evelyn
Davis dance group have provided
a variety Of viewpoints that con-
verge toward the ideal of e1evat-
.ang and widening of the posi-
bilitieS of the dance.
That the dance is the father of
music is generally known. From
the first dawning of intelligence
when great emotional moments
craved expression, the primitive
human naturally broke into bodily
movements to give vent to his
Dverpowing need to express his Joy
or sorrow. Religious feeling, war
like ambitions, bridal happiness or
sorrow at death were released
through appropriate dances. Since
the time when some sort of noise
kept the rhythm exact and inSpir-
ing, music was born and for many
centuries found its only source of
being in representing the dance.
OF the. two divisions of music,
vocal and instrumental, it was the
vocal that achieved the greatest
independence, instrumental music
for long eras keeping to its basic
dance pattern. Gradually, as the
scope Of music developed, its moods
became more intricate and its an
peal more general, the interest in
the dance subsidized to be replaced
by its more gifted child. The sub
lime forms of dance expression
fell into disuse and gave place to
a type that fitted only. into the
category, of entertainments. The
great composers could not resist
the appeal of the dance and
practically all Of them have written
for it and allowed its influence to
be felt in even such serious works
as oratorios. Haydn, Mendelssohn,
Schumann, Brahms, as well as
the older composers of another
generation, Palestrina, Lully, Ra-
meau returned again and again
TO the dance for inspiration.
1t is a distinct pleasure to note
how the dance Is once again COM
ing into its own. In the search
for wider Interpretation it is ally
ing itself still more closely with
music seeking to give out not only
the essence but the actual form
itself. The dance can assert an
artistic influence where music for
itself would be barred and the
deeper. truer, broader develop
ment we stand so much in need of
can be helped as much through
the dance as through music, pro-
vided the ideals are kept lofty
enough.
IA RECENT invitation recital by
"A pupils of Ethel Hoffman Kane
in her beautiful studio in the 100
block of G street was illustrative
of how closely the two arts can be
allied and how great is the power
of the dance to aid in musical ap-
preciation. 1t could be called a
new art, although new" is hardly
appropriate either as to its origin
or to the actual existence of this
particular school. It's origin links
Np to the days of antiquity when
the dance was in its heyday and
in perfect communion with the
younger art of music. For a period
OF exactly a quarter of a century,
Mrs. Kane has quietly and un-
ostentatiously been working out
her ideals, perfecting her technic
and enlarging the demands to be
made on her students.
Mrs. Kane has named her work
motor Mental Rhythmics" and
this name describes the union of
the three forces of body, mind
and soul in a INSTALLATION of the
actual musical text. In this highly
developed art, the body is used as
an instrument by means of which
the music is read as an instru-
snentalist reads his musical score
or a vocalist gives voice to the
melody of a song. This unique
Fhnion Of the dance and music
Rermits of no inebriating or un-
balanced symbolism to blurr the
HpuSical form. It is note reading
Bhrough bodily technic, deviating
IA no way from the instrumentaliSt
actual performance, but carrying
put the tone color with free, 1.-THE
movements. The phrasing, the
dynamics and even the most un-
important of the note values are
perfectly rendered, while the
structure of the musical compost
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