The Birmingham age-herald. [volume], October 12, 1913, EDITORIAL SECTION, Image 33

About The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950

Image provided by: University of Alabama Libraries, Tuscaloosa, AL

                
BY DCfLLY DALRYMPLE
t.
I COULD oir
DANCIN'
THf plat FOOT /dkacr-*
AND flA ‘
Her feet beneath her petticoat,
Like little mice stole In and out.
As if they fear’d the light.
But. oh, she dances such a way,
No sun upon a summer day
Is half so fine a sight.
"Apres la pane© vient dance.”
The old Gallic proverb appllies today.
“After the feast we demand the dance,”
oil'd never before in the world's history
has there been such a treasure house to
choose from, ranging from the revival of
the classic movements of the golden days
of Greece, and the sensuous flexions of
the Far East, to the newest form ol gyra
tions and combinations of steps that mod*
•in Ingenuity has Veen able to devise.
We Americans have welcomed dancers
of all nations and have taken a leaf* from
tne hook of each. It has become a sort ol
poetic madness, to see dancing, and then
tn execute these dances.
Some two decades ago a Spanish dancer
like CarmencVta created something like a
seven days wonder besides having her
name written down as an "artiste” in
the books which posterity is supposed to
peruse, but nowadays dancing of all sort/?
is positively worshiped.
Isadora Duncan has brought us the
Greek dance, which later flourished under
Maude Allen's patronage.
Ruth St. Dentils Introduced us fo the
Hindoo dances.
Mistinguette and Mux Dearly at the
Moulin Rouge In “Gay Faroe’ created the
Apache dance, which, since its premiere,
has been given In every conceivable form
In America, noteworthy among the varie
ties being that which Polaire did.
The "Salome Dance" was the craze for
a year, and Gertrude Hoffman, Mary
Garden and Eva Tanguay nil exploited
their talerl>s in dancing for "the head of
a prophet.” •
The greatest of, the Russian dancers,
Pavlowa and Mordkin. brought their won
derful art to the Metropolitan Opera huose
in .New York, surrounded by the Imperial
ballet which came to this country only
with the Czar's permission.
Thus—
, Did artistic stage dancing begin its re
markable career, a career that was to
©volute into a madness, in society and
in the slums, on the negro plantations
anchJn the wilds of the West, from the
antipodes, indeed, in every spot where
men and women live and have their be
ing; has the dance become a fetich, a
fancy, a fad.
Every show at the playhouses now ad
vertises "dance specialists.” ^
Every opera has a dancing part for the
prinia donna.
Every minstrel show lias a "cake walk,"
and in fact everything under the shining
sun is dancing, dancing, dancing itself to
death.
At one tiihe many adverse criticisms were
made both about the dances of the stage
and the dances of society, but with the
evolution of the grace ami beauty which
the dancing masters are insisting upon
no longer can the pharaphares be made
"on with the dance, let joy be unrefined."
For—
The very jfoetry of motion is required
j to do the intricate steps that are now in
volved, swaying, dipping, turning, revers
ing, a complete control oftbody and mind,
for people no longer dance merely with
their bodies, but with their brains as
well.
Some say it is wicked, some say it is
sublime, others declare that it is naughty,
| but "everybody's doing it" just the same.
Of course dancing, like any tiling else,
■ an be made ufirefined and hideous, but
no women apd precious few men ever
want to make themselves ridiculous in
the sight of their fellow creatures, and
people at e willing to pay the most extrav
| ugant prices for lessons in order to appear
! graceful and attractive on the ball room
I floor. 19
j The modern dance has made it possible
for no "wall flowers" to exist at a party.
The "chaperon" is as keen as the debu
tante, as neither age nor condition form
a barrier to a desire to adopt the newest
dance on the calendar.
Young, old and middle aged sylphs, and
stout dowagers have learned and are
learning the newest steps.
To be sure "The Flat Foot Drag," "The
Ostrich Hop." "The Kitchen Sink," "The
Chicken Run," "The Codfish Coddle,"
"The Doodle Bug Dip," "The Glow Worm
Wiggle" are rather difficult for the dame
or squire affected with obesity, but "The
Turkey Trot" and the "One Step" are
certainly within the province of even the
fattest. *
"The Turkey Trot." by the way. is said
to be the first American "Folk Dance."
What do yau think of that
It lias been amusingly described as the
"poultry" of motion, and from it has
evoluted a hundred or more ridulous steps
while a few have been created that are
really graceful.
Of course there are people who object
to dancing no matter how beautiful it is.
but like ancient Goul, it would seem that
they are divided into three parts; those
who object to dancing in general; those
who object to the present type of danc
ing; and those who object for the mere
joy of objecting, or, in good old Puritan
parlance, from pure “cussedness."
A witty writer once said;
“The early Puritans forbade bear bait
ing. not because it gave pain to the bear,
but because it gave pleasure to the spec
tators."
Our earlier and more picturesque dances,
in which elegance and grace were the
most sought for characteristics, were
chiefly a French tradition.
The origin of dancing in Fi ance is dimly
associated with the rise of chivalry.
It is known to have followed Katherine
cie Medici to France, and to have spread
from the elegant court entertainments
which she arranged to all parts of the
country.
-In tjie "Great Century" Louis XIV
founded the “Academy of Dancing," and
himself took part in the wonderful court
ballets of the times.
Spanish dancing, too, lias had its effect
upon that of other countries.
The first thing that an American tour
ist wants to see ip the amusement line
when he goes to Spain js the dancing of
that country, the fandango.
All Spain thrills to this wonderful dance.
A few notes of the music are sufficient
to bring the men and the women to their
feet, rattling their castanets or snapping
their fingers, with their willowy langour
and lightness of movement and the volup
tuousness of their attitude, teasing, en
treating. swaying, pulsating.
We Americans, as has been said before,
have levied upon the dances of the na
tions, and from them have evolved our
own.
Take the dancing in "Coppelia," "Bac
chus," "Orfeo ed Eurydice." “Parsifal"
and "Die Melsterslnger," and while we
may be accused of no distinctive dance
of our own, we are distinctive now In that
we dance everything.
Alike all ages; dames of ancient days
Have led their children through the mirth
ful maze.
and the gay grandsire. skilled in jestlc
lore,
Has frisk'd beneath the burden of three
score.
Locally
Dancing has assumed a most charming
and graceful aspect.
Nothing “outre" or even spectacular Is
seen at the "clubs" or at private parties;
in fact, wherever society gathers together
there Is dancing of the most graceful and
beautiful kind, always moderate, elegant,
refined.
So popular has dancing become that an
innovation in the form of "The Tango
Tea" will be inaugurated at "The Gold
Lion Tea Room" on Saturday afternoons
this season, notice of which has previously
been made In these columns, and which
will be planned on tli order of the affairs
at the tea booms in Paris, Berlin, Vienna
and New York.
Birmingham society lias an excellent
opportunity to learn all the new steps
this season, with Prof. Edward Miles just
returned from a summer abroad, where
he studied witli the best teachers in Eu
rope and "did" the "Cabarets" in all the
fashionable resorts.
Among the most artistic Janeers in the
groups of popular young women in society
are Miss Mabel Wheelock apd i.Mss Flor
ine Hodges.
Both are tall, slender, graceful and sup
ple, and they are always the cynosure of
all eyes at the Copuntry club dinner
dances on Saturday evenings, and at the
smart functions to which society is bidden
otherwise.
Others who are charming on the ball
room floor and who dance exquisitely are
Misses Rose Owen McDavid. Klrkman,
Mayo Thach, Jessie May Perkins, Eliza
beth Russell, Carrie Yates, Eula Whatley,
Janie Going, Mary Gearge Greene. Mary
Ellen Perkins, Nell Cosby, Lydia Eustis,
Hettie Sisley, Virginia White and others.
Among the "beaux" Mr. Frank Morrow,
Mr. Marshall Mays, Mr. Robert McDavid,
Mr. Harry White, Mr. Hubert Kinney,
Mr. James Nelson, Mr. Elliott Knight,
Mr. Tom Jones, Mr. Allen Krebs, Mr.
Murray Brown, Mr. D. F. Turnbull, Mr.
Priestly Toulmin. Mr. Key Milner, and Mr.
H. C. Ryding are among the mostly dept.
No less enthusiastic are the "marrieds"
when it comes to the "Turkey Trot" and
the "Vango," and among the most grace
ful of the younger married women is
Mrs. Fred I.cvert, Who is always compli
mented upon the charming manner in
which she dances and the refinement and
grace which characterizes her ever^ move
ment.
Mrs. Culpepper Exum and Mrs. Ross C.
Smith are two of the most notable exam
ples of beautiful women who have brought
dancing up to the high standard which It
has assumed here. They do all the steps
charmingly, and are continually in de
mand as partners.
Mrs. William Jordan, Mrs. Frank Crock
aid, Mrs. Felix Drennen, Mrs. W. D. Nes
bitt, Mrs. Frank Smith, Mrs. Robert Jem
ison, Jr., Mrs. E. M. Tutwiler, Mrs. Frank
Fowlkes, Mrs. Eugene Brown, Mrs. Fred
Phillips, Mrs. George Oliver. Mrs. Craw
ford Johnson and Mrs. Wilbur Kelley
form a group of attractive married women
who dance beautifully.
If It were left to a vote as to the most
graceful dancer among the married men
Mr. Frank Crockard would probably walk
away with the the honors.
He has been likened to Mr. Donald
Brian both In looks and dancing, and has
been dubbOT by many of his frierfcls
“Prince Danilo,’’ the character which Mr.
Brian by his wonderful dancing made
famous in “The Merry Widow.'’ and the
soubriquet has been justly attributed to
Mr. Crockard, for his talent for dancing
is unquestioned, and his slender figure
and rhythmic grace makes him a con
spicuous personality at any fuunction he
attends.
Mr. Mason Dillard, Mr. A. K. Dearborn,
Mr. Fre^l Invert, Mr. Arthur Adams, Mr.
Thomas Heflin, Mr. Owen Gillespy, Mr.
Jack Asbury, Mr. John Turner, Mr. Matt
Sloan. Mr. Mercer Barnett and Mr. Her
bert Tutwiler are other popular married
, men who are devotees of the dance and
from who it is always a pleasure to accept
an Invitation for a “Turkey Trot” or a
waits.
A groat many Birmingham people have
studied dancing not only with the best
teachers here, but on their trips to New
' York and abroad have taken lessons from
world famous teachers.
“Maurice” has numbered among his
pupils several of Birmingham's promi
nent society members, and Mi. and Mrs.
Vernon Castle (whose wonderful dancing
last year with Julia Sanderson in “The
Sunshine Girl” attracted so much atten
tion—also their “Cabareting” at Martin's)
have taugh others from here.
Mr. and Mrs. Castle have spent the
summer In Paris and people who are in
terested in these two remarkable dancers
and their sudden rise to fame and wealth
will no doubt be very much pleased with
a very charming account a bit of the
inside history concerning the Castles
which is not generally known, and which
was written to me by a very clever wom
an who has been in Paris this summer
and who had the pleasure of knowing
the Castles and studying with them.
The letter is so delightful that I am
going to let you peep Into It and see for
yourself just what this very interesting
woman has to say.
She writes thus:
‘if you have never taken a lepson in
dancing1 from Vernon Castle you have
missed a whole lot. Ilo is, of course,
considered now the very best dancer In
the world, and he justly warrants that
reputation. When one goes to 1dm for
a lesson and he nsks: ‘Now, what would
you like to learn first?' you feel sudden
ly you would like the earth to open and
swallow you, for you have In your mnld
only the vision of him and his bewitch
ingly beautiful little wife floating through
space with apparently no effort, ami you
wonder how you will ever start; but once
having started It is all smooth sailing,
for he simply makes you dance whether
you Can or not.
“Many people can dance and others can
teach, but few there are who can do
both as he does. The new dances of
the year is the Maxie. E1<t 1 one is tail -
ing of it and a few are dancing it, some
correctly nad others ail wrong. However,
when you see it you will love it for it is
so graceful and has a rythm about it that
the ‘One-Step,' for example, lacks. Chat
ting one afternoon with Mr. and Mr.?.
Castle I found myself asking them how
they happened to start dancing, and it
they fell in love with each other b.'.caust
they knew that no other two people in
the world could dance as they do?
“They both laughed, anti then she
sweetly told me an interesting little
story.
“Mr. Castle was an actor and she lived
in a small town near New York. She
met him when ho was playing In Amer
ica and they were married shortly after,
r don’t ,thlnk that things went very well
for them financially and" they were not
prosperous. One night by mere chance,
just one year and a half ago, they were
in a cafe hero in Paris where everyone
was dancing. She and Mr. Castle got
up and danced the one dance that they
knew, a ‘one-step,* just as any couple
would have done. Every one else stopped
to watch them, and the appljfu.se was
enthusiastic when they stopped.
“They then danced again, and were re
ceived so wonderfully that before they
left the cafe they had an offer to sign a
year s contract for dancing. It came so
suddenly, for they were famous at once,
that they hesitated about signing up, so
they only engaged to dance for two
weeks. Now to show the progressiveness
of America, in a month’s time from the
! night this all happened, they were on
j their way to New York, where, as we all
know, their success has been marvel
lous. When you see lovely little Mrs.
Castle tucked away iir the corner of her
beautiful big limousine you can easily
understand how she has danced herself
into the hearts of the American people.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Castle love America,
and their will lie great rejoicing when
they return In November"
The Mode in Saloons
Whatever may be the morals of eco
nomic stagnation of the saloon the?*
can be no question Imt. it is Improving
architecturally, and a brief retrospect
of fashions in saloons will indicate
that they, like women, are subject to
the mutations of style. Most of us can
remember the stirring times when the
saloon was a "gilded palace,” bn marie
with glass, prismatic candelabra, and In
ease of special opulence floored with
silver dolais. Next u more modest ton
was struck, with quarter-saw ;d oak,
rather overcarved and still show'ng
traces of its “glided palace" ancestry,
save the Beattie Post-Intelligencer. Oak
in time became rather cdmtnou, until
every little groggery sported ji. otter,
in violent, contrast to surrounding deal
and rough lumber. The mirror framei
with pressed oak often looked rather
pathetic, with its luster dimmed by the
application of soap and the cnirogra
phy of some hobo with a Spencerian
hand. In this eocene age the sawdust
floor vanslied. and its db p,* 'ram
was heralded by the first dark streaks
of mahogany. Mahogany In its thru
was considered to he the he plus ultra
of elegance. The garish contrasts had
fled, and the saloon became darkly rest
ful. with only a few jar tog toms of
highly polished brass and the lighter
spots on the bar, where corrosive liquor
and a succession of bar towels had
•left an imprint. At this point the stu
dent of saloon architecture and decor
ation will note a strange variation to
wards parlor car effects. For some un
known reason fashion has decreed that
the saloon should be made to resembb^
a Pullman. Tufted leather scats of eifr
design and lounging places sprang no
over night, and still linger. The real
nobby, natty saloon has now, Uowevei, *
discarded its mahogany, for the vogue
in Circassian walnut, with its varying
nuances beautiful to behold end soft
and satiny to the touch. The saloon, in
its way, has tlu slit skirt and hobble
gown fad to contend with. Bike th>
rest of us, it is fast in the grip of t.h«
whirligig of change.
How it Happened
Fourths Philadelphia public Ledger.
'\VVhy have you broken off your en
gagement with Archie?"
"I couldn't* marry a man with a broken
leg," was the reply.
“An<l how did ho come to break h-ia
leg?”
“1 ran over him with my new auto."
I housands of surgical operations are performed every year in our
great city hospitals upon women afflicted with serious female
troubles. Sometimes the operations are successful and sometimes
oi^Hut, aumcLiiuca'incy cue iicuc^^diy, many tinier uicy aic iiui.
It is safe to say that a very large percentage of surgical operations for female troubles may be wholly avoided. This
statement is amply proven by hundreds of letters constantly being received by the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co of
Y Lynn, Mass., and the following letter from Mrs. Orville Rock of Paw Paw, Mich., relates her sad experience, which is only
one of thousands that are constantly occurring. Had she taken Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound at first, as she
finally did, her dreadful hospital experience would have been avoided.
Here is her own statement: Paw Paw, Mich. : “ Two years ago I suffered very severely with a displacement. I could not be on
my feet for a long time. My physician treated me for several months without much relief, and finally sent me to Ann Arbor for
an operation. I was there four weeks, and came home suffering worse than before. My mother advised me to try Lydia E. Pink
ham’s Vegetable Compound and I did. Today I am well and strong and do all my own housework. I owe my health to Lydia K. Pink
ham’s Vegetable Compound, and advise my friends who have any female complaint to try it.”—Mrs. Orville Rock, Paw Paw, Mich
If you are ill don’t drag along until you are advised to have an operation, but remember that for thirty years Lydia E Pinkham’s
Vegetable Compound has been the standard remedy for female ills and has saved a vast army of women from surgical operations.
No sick woman does justice to herself who will not at least give this famous medicine a trial. •
A HANDSOME REWARD WILL BE GIVEN
lo any l*rson who will prove that any of our testimonial letters constantly being published in the daily newspapers are not genuine
and truthful, or that any of these women were paid in any way to give their testimonials or that the letters^vere published without the;r
permission or that ail the original letters did not come to us entirely unsolicited. THE LYDIA E. PINKHAM MEDICINE CO., Lynn, Mass.