WE all know that the art of dancing is very old. We read of it in ancient history, and it is often mentioned in the Bible, while “dancing-girls” have been known in the East for many centuries.

Times and dances have changed. In early times dancing was limited to the few; now almost any girl who does not dance is either an invalid or the piano-player! We have nearly all come to realize that dancing is part of our education, and the more proficient we become the better we like it.

Modern dancing has come to stay, whatever may be the current opinion. Of course, individual dances are bound to change; undoubtedly we shall have a revival of the older dances. Some of these were very pretty, but some were appalling. Personally, my wife and I have never been able to see why people danced the old “square dances.” For the benefit of those who do not know what is meant by square dances I will try to explain.

Years ago dances were divided into two groups, the “Round” and the “Square.” The latter were usually danced by a number of couples arranged in the form of a square, and the various movements were “called out” by the leader of the orchestra. The Quadrille, the Lancers, and the Caledonia were among the most familiar examples, while the German, or Cotillion, constitutes a dance by itself.

“Round” dances comprised the Waltz, the Polka, the Yorke, and the Schottische, the Varsuvienne, and the Gallop. Practically none of these dances is seen nowadays. For this we are duly thankful; even though Gavottes, Mazurkas, and Minuets could be modified and made quite charming. As they exist now they are pleasant to watch, but our tired business men would probably fall fast-asleep while dancing the Minuet.

Objections to dancing have been made on the ground that it is wrong, immoral, and vulgar. This it certainly is not—when the dancers regard propriety. It is possible to make anything immoral and vulgar; all depends on how it is done.

A vulgar man or woman betrays lack of breeding even in walking across the room; sitting down may be performed in a vulgar manner, or any other smallest act. The modem dances properly danced are not vulgar; on the contrary, they embody 0027 33 grace and refinement; and impartial critics who have been called upon to pronounce judgment upon them have ended by saying that there is nothing objectionable in any of them. They are, then, not immoral, not against any religious creed.

From the standpoint of health, dancing is fine exercise and keeps one absolutely fit. We ourselves can vouch for that, and we know of many people who looked fifty years of age three years ago and look less than forty to-day. They owe it all to dancing. These facts are significant. Other facts are equally so. There was less champagne sold last year than in any one of the ten previous years. People who dance drink less, and when they drink at all they exercise, instead of becoming torpid around a card-table. There are so many arguments in favor of dancing that reasonable minds must be convinced that the present popularity of dancing among people of all ages and classes is one of the best things that has happened in a long time.

Expert medical testimony as to the value of dancing is in its favor. Our modern physicians unite in thinking it a valuable health and youth preserver. Dr. Charles L. Dana, for instance, in his Text Book of Nervous Diseases and Psychiatry (8th ed.) says:

“Dancing, including gymnastic dancing and folk dancing, under proper conditions and limitations, is one of the best exercises for persons of all ages. It is especially adapted to the temperament, physique, and dress of women.”

THE Maxixe Brésilienne is, up to the time of writing this, the latest modern dance. There is only one great question to be decided, and that is how do you pronounce the name. Should it be pronounced Maxeks, Maxesse, Mattchsche, or Mattchsche? I know how to do the dance, but the name I have not yet quite mastered. I only know that nearly all the South American pieces of music have “Tango Brésilien” written on them, and a few have the mystic word “Maxixe.” The Brazilians themselves pronounce the word Mashish, with a slight accent in the second syllable.

But the dance, which is the main thing, is beautiful, and, like most beautiful dances, requires a considerable amount of grace. The steps themselves are not difficult; on the contrary, they are childishly simple; it is the easiest dance of all to do, and I think the hardest of all to do well. My advice to the beginner is to start by being very conservative about it. Get the steps and 0092 108 figures so that you do not have to think about them, and acquaint yourself with the music and rhythm of the dance; after this you may sway the body and try to be graceful. If you feel easy and graceful, you probably are; but if you feel stiff or awkward, go back to the way you first learned and do the dance simply and plainly. For, let me assure you, this dance, with all its bends and swaying, will make a woman appear very attractive or very ridiculous. Done simply, it is like the Tango, Two Step, or any other good dance, and everybody who can dance at all can dance them.

I am dividing the dance up into figures to simplify matters, but after they are learned it does not follow that you have to adhere to this notation. The Maxixe is like any other dance—you do the steps as they occur to you. Personally, I don't think any steps should have names, but I know that the majority disagree with me, so I am giving them the names they usually go by in Prance and America.

Grace of manner, grace of mind, If for these we strive we'll find Grace of every other kind.

SO runs the old nursery rhyme. Like most of these doggerels of our youth, there is a very real lesson underneath the jingle. Grace of manner and grace of mind must be the forerunners of all kinds of grace, and most certainly must lie back of the grace of dancing. Skill in stepping intricate measures and a wide knowledge of many dances do not make either a man or a woman graceful on the floor: there must be besides knowledge of the dance, knowledge of etiquette, of life's little courtesies and life's gentle thoughts. The vulgarity of a dance lies always as much in the mind of the dancer as in the steps, and a suggestive dance is inevitably the outcome of an evil thought, or a lack of knowledge of the finer and better way to dance.

Etiquette means not merely conventional rules, but rules of courtesy as well, and these should be 0114 135 scrupulously followed when dancing as well as under all other circumstances. The rules of etiquette are as strict for women as for men, and it is not necessary to be stiff and formal in order to follow them.

Both good manners and good dancing require a man to stand far enough from his partner to allow freedom of movement; he should not hug or clutch her during the dance. His arms should encircle her lightly, and he should barely rest his hand against her back, touching her only with his finger-tips and wrist.

So much has already been said about the vulgarity of the Bunny Hug that nothing need be added here except that many men attempt this sort of “strangle hold” when they are dancing. It is not only wrong from the standpoint of the dancing-teacher, but it is unpleasant for the lady and draws much adverse criticism from onlookers. Moreover, grace of movement is impossible under such circumstances. The two partners should dance in unison, lightly and easily, keeping together by perfection of step and perfect time rather than by the clutch of the man upon the lady's hand.

All this is no more etiquette than it is dancing, no more grace of manners than grace of body or mind, but it marks the difference between the 0115 good dancer and the poor one, between the gentleman and the roisterer.

In the modern dances the dancer stands with lithe grace and ease, but very erect, and dances with her feet, not with her whole body. Her outstretched fingers rest against the palm of her partner's hand; her other hand rests on his arm, and there should be space between. Then the lady should hold herself erect, that this space may remain there. Flouncing elbows, pumping arms, fantastic dips, and whirlwind turns all detract not only from the grace of the dance, but from the charm of the dancer.

A dip is hardly more than bending the knee. It does not mean an exposure of silk stocking, or should not, if the dancing-costume is properly cut; and it should not be done in a romping spirit. Remember that you are dancing, not doing acrobatic exercises; and your partner is there to dance with, not to hang yourself on in grotesque attitudes and poses to music.

IN the world of fashion, where there is no appeal from the decree of the great designers, the modern dance has come boldly to the front and demanded, and won, sensible styles. On looking back a few seasons to the clothing worn by women and girls, you will recall long, cruel corsets and garters that trussed them like fowls for the roasting. You will remember, too, the tight snakiness of the hobble-skirt and the hats that were shaped like peach-baskets.

All women will recall them because all wore them, and all were tight shoes and heavy petticoats and high, stiff-boned collars. Then Paris began to dance, and of course once Paris began to dance all the world began to tap its feet and try to learn how to pronounce “ thé dansant .” Then our dancers turkey-trotted. They trotted because that was the best they could do in the fashions old Dame Style had decreed; but it was not comfortable, and they succeeded in doing away with 0123

MRS. VERNON CASTLE

To-day the average woman is wearing a girdle-like corset with elastic instead of bones, and at most two pairs of garters. All the old long, stiff tube corsets are left on the bargain-counters. Nor has this reform stopped with the abolition of the corset, for it is to be noted that the modem shoes are big enough to dance in and are held in place with ribbons. The modem frocks are collarless, and the skirts are subtly cut so that they fall freely and give the perfect ease one must have to dance the modem dances.

Simple coiffures have become the fashion because they do not become untidy when dancing; and for lingerie the dancer now wears a smart pair of silken bloomers and a plaited chiffon or crepe de Chine petticoat that fluffs out gracefully and hides her ankles when she does the little dip that comes in the Hesitation Waltz and other measures.

The long, awkward, and often soiled train that used to drag behind women in the afternoons and evenings is seen no more. The fashions of 1914 have done away with it, because—you could not dance in a train! Nowadays we dance morning, 0125 146 noon, and night. What is more, we are unconsciously, while we dance, warring not only with unnatural lines of figure and gowns, but we are warring against fat, against sickness, and against nervous troubles. For we are exercising. We are making ourselves lithe and slim and healthy, and these are things that all the reformers in the world could not do for us.

When Mr. Castle and I look at the girls of 1914 who come to dance in their straight, often quite full frocks of soft chiffon, their low-heeled easy slippers, their simply arranged hair, and when we see how lightly and easily they dance unhampered by uncomfortable clothes, we cannot help contrasting them with the gifts who came to us only a few months ago trussed up like unhappy little fowls.

Dancing has had its influence upon the materials that have come into vogue. It is necessary to have one's frocks soft and light. A stiff, heavy material looks awkward and makes harsh lines about the figure in the charming measures of the dance. In consequence there has arisen a tremendous demand for soft crêpes de Chine, chiffon velvets, delicate crêpe déteors, and the softest and most supple of taffetas, which are at the moment the most fashionable of all. Perhaps the designers and the manufacturers will not admit 0126 147 that the dance is responsible for the vogue of these fabrics. But we all know that the demand makes the supply, and the demand of the women who dance is, “Give me something soft and light.”

Of course it is dancing that has made the vogue for the charming plaited petticoats of chiffon edged with lace to wear under the dance-frock or the slit skirt, because without these the foot and ankle are shown too much. It is dancing, too, that has made the vogue for the new garters, with their deep lace ruffles, and the little lace pantalets—all to hide those slender ankles that show in the dip. It is dancing that has made the vogue for the Tango slippers, with their ribbons and jeweled slides; and it is dancing that has made the small hat of tulle or lace fashionable for afternoons in place of wide picture-hats. “Big hats are unpleasant to dance in.”

One might go on indefinitely telling of these things; of the return to fashion of the ankle-length skirt and of the new Paris frocks that flare out full at the hem of the skirt to give the wearer room to dance; of the new lingerie, in which everything is combined in one garment, easily slipped on, so that every muscle of the body may have full play for the lithe and lovely measures of the Innovation Waltz, the One Step, and other favorite dances.

All this proves that the modern dances are reformers of fashion. There are still, however, a few lessons to be learned about dressing for the dance. One should not wear in the afternoon a frock so light and décolleté that it looks like an evening gown. Soft silk gowns of dark shades, with black slippers and stockings, are far smarter and in better taste than either the light frock or a tailored suit, though one does see a number of blouses and skirts at thés dansants .

For the diner dansant one wears an evening gown, less elaborate, of course, than a bali-gown would be, and short, not en train like an opera frock. One should always wear white gloves, and these should not be taken off. There is a strong attempt being made by the younger set to do without gloves altogether for dancing, but it is not comme il faut .

In the evening one's slippers and hose should match the costume, but in the daytime only black or bronze are permissible. The bronze slippers and stockings are much in vogue in Paris just now, and most lovely hosiery for the girl who dances is being shown. There are filmy stockings with anklets embroidered in colored gems, laceincrusted hose with silver embroideries, and, of course, all kinds of clocks and butterflies to draw attention to a slender foot and ankle. Any of 0128 these may be worn without violating good taste, and are the one part of a woman's wardrobe against which dancing has not started its reform campaign—principally because it was not needed.

CAN you remember the days when you draped a lace curtain over your little curly head and tried to look like a bride ? Or the time you put on your mother's hat and earrings and tried to decide whether or not you were as lovely as the calendar lady who smiled at you from the wall? If you do, you will agree with me, I am sure, that the desire to be “as pretty as the princess in the fairy tale” is born in the heart of every girl child,

Certain it is that those busy people who like to “estimate” things declare that women spend in America alone about fifty million dollars a year on beauty aids. The beauty parlor is the one place that no number of financial panics and no amount of changing fashions can put out of business. Women insist upon being beautiful, and if Nature fads them they try to cultivate beauty.

A clever woman Mr. Castle and I know has summed up the evils of a Woman's life in the declaration that, “One gray hair is a tragedy, 0130

MRS. VERNON CASTLE

Every night and every morning, with the faith and hope of religious zealots, thousands of women bob up and down, and squat and rise, and bow and bend and wiggle their heads, and rub their necks, and go through all the rites of the liturgy of beauty—that is, if they don't dance. The woman who dances does not need other beauty aids; beauty will seek her. That is not a theory, but a fact; for when a woman is dancing she is happily unconscious, and therefore easily carrying out all the exercises taught by beauty experts.

The woman who is beginning to show flabby lines in her throat is told to hold her head up steadily, to stretch her neck back, and move her head from side to side till she strengthens the muscles. When she dances she holds her head up, holds it up in the graceful fashion that she would never accomplish if she were trying it as an exercise. She moves her head from side to side as she takes the various steps and the double chin goes; she actually dances it away.

Then there is the fat that clings to so many women when they reach that turning of the years 0132 152 which faces life's sunset. They are set at all kinds of exercise for this, and are pounded and pummeled in massage till they are sore, but dancing will take the fat off as quickly and much more pleasantly.

At a thé dansant women eat and drink, but instead of sitting idly about afterward, and letting nourishment go to fat, they are dancing, encouraging digestion, lithe muscles, and an easy carriage. It would be hard to find a diversion that helps a girl more than dancing. It teaches her rhythm; it keeps her in tune with life; it gives her a graceful swinging walk; it shows her how to hold her head, and how to use her hands, and, what is more, how to use her feet. Many women are awkward in their ways of moving and standing. Dancing, too, naturally encourages sluggish blood to run more freely. It brings color into sallow cheeks and makes dull eyes bright.

But, as in all things, one must know when to stop. One should not continue to dance after becoming very tired. Don't attract hard little lines to your face by striving to keep up when unaccustomed muscles rebel. It takes a long time to develop the muscular strength that will enable you to keep going indefinitely; and getting overtired, whether through work or pleasure, is a blow against beauty from which it will take you a long time to recover.

The muscles of the legs, thighs, back, and arms are all more or less exercised when dancing, and the necessity of holding the body erect is good for the other muscles and nerves When you have grown used to holding yourself in proper position to dance you will unconsciously begin to hold yourself in proper position at all times.

Keeping time to the music as you step the pretty measures of the Hesitation or Innovation will make you breathe in time—the deep breaths which come when the mind is beating time and the body is following it; every deep breath drawn is a fresh aid to the beauty we all want so much.

The thé dansant and the diner dansant have, too, solved for us the way to follow the directions to stand up twenty minutes after eating without that deadly feeling of weary boredom that used to assail us. How we watched the clock and wished the twenty minutes would pass, or else that our shoes were a little larger and our clothes a little looser!

Any physician will tell you that health is the only real beauty, and health really does mean prettiness. It means rosy cheeks, clear eyes, an animated expression, not to speak of a zest for life that has a magnetism all its own. It is health that dancing gives to us, provided we live sane lives in other ways. Good food, plus enough 0134 sleep, plus an occasional brisk walk, an alcohol rub, and dancing—of such are happiness and beauty made.

The graceful dipping in the slow Waltz and the Lame Duck is physically and hygienically a great boon to the beauty-seeker. It prevents flat feet and fallen arches and brings into play tissues that otherwise would never be exercised. Round shoulders disappear, stiff muscles grow limber, and, most of all, this dancing stimulates both men and women to a great extent, and actually has, according to several great physicians, cut down the consumption of liquor. Men and women who used to loiter in cafes, drinking and chatting, during the afternoons are now dancing and drinking only a cup of tea. Young men are dancing instead of loafing in clubs and drinking, and the girls are learning wisdom about the deadly cocktail, so that every dip and walk and glide and lock-step is really a soldier in a great army of health and beauty.

ENGLISH history relates how Sir Christopher Hatton danced so beautifully at a certain bal masque of the English Court that even good Queen Bess was charmed by his performance and, taking him into royal favor, made him a Knight of the Garter. I believe she also gave him much power and a high position among her advisers. So even in those sixteenth-century days dancing was an art that ranked high. Now we are equally enthusiastic over it. The modern hostess who wishes to be popular and to attract the guests she likes best must introduce dancing into her entertaining.

The old stupid afternoon teas are things of the past. The long receiving line, the heavy array of food, and the endless, manless hours of gossip are no more. We have the tea with dancing, at which there are usually as many men as women and which has about it a festive air of enjoyment that the old tea never had.

Planning and arranging a thé dansant is not 0136 156 difficult for the woman who knows how, but if you are not a skilled hostess in this respect perhaps the few suggestions I can give you may help.

In the first place, do not have your dance-floor too slippery; it is not necessary, and it is difficult to dance on. If you haven't a hard-wood floor, a temporary flooring of linoleum is really the best.

Do not ask more people than can dance with comfort. If your room is small have the tables or the buffet in a room adjoining. Space in dancing is absolutely essential.

One clever hostess we know, whose teas are among the most popular of the season, has a buffet tea, with sandwiches, cakes, tea, and chocolate, arranged in the dining-room, while tête-a-tête tables with cups, saucers, and plates are scattered all through the down-stairs rooms in cozy nooks and windows. The guests may take their tea in solitude à deux or about the big table in the dining-room, as they prefer.

This does away with the question of just when to serve tea, for some like to watch the dancers for a little while and sip their chocolate before they begin to dance themselves, while others like to plunge at once into the dance and eat only when they are too tired to dip and glide any more.

Heavy foodstuffs like fried oysters, creamed chicken, patties, and such things are not needed 0137

MRS. VERNON CASTLE

Instead of the old-time receiving line the modem hostess asks some of the girls or young matrons to assist her at the dance, and upon these devolves the duty of seeing that other girls are not wallflowers, and that even stout matrons have partners. Also, that there is some one to introduce the shy man to the shy girl, and see that they have tea and cakes. All these little duties are necessary at the thé dansant , and they cannot all be performed by the hostess.