CIVILISING THE DANCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 11

CIVILISING THE DANCE.

It, seems-, more than- : probable that 'great changes will be witnessed.in the ballroom.dur-ilig-the,: ne.it;few: years (says an Australian paper). It eaniiot be denied, that'the art^ of dancing has deteriorated almost to vanishing point' within.the' last'half"century. The modern girl very rarelv looks'her bestun themodern dahe'e. ; : lloweS : er/''there is •-evidence' of-Rood times coming. ' At one of the 1 most brilliantly successful balls . of this .'.season. .the youthful hostess; with seven other girls, made her debut in a dance that had been so carefully.rehearsed that' its' pictorial success was, unquestioned. Even-at public.balls' the tendency is tpmake the debutante's set 'one of the spectacular features of the evening, ' The cotillion, with, its amazing figures -and ' favours,_ nas on several occasions in America, inhere'it is -well, beloved,'had: to.give place; to tho minuet.. Inis danoe requires miicn rehearsing, but - so, caro fully - has ■ it been taught .to .children hero lot some years past, that.-,the, inevitable, ib coming to ipass. .'l'ho. children with a knowledge of it nave grown up, and are proving their- willingness to'tread/tho stately measures hardly too'-much to hope now -for a proper revival

of-real dancing,' from the : wholesome aia : picturesque national, 'dances -to the courtly 'dances' of.-fiffy years ago:'. Round dances are unlikely to suffer; immolation, rbut '..the •• signs of, the times .show , their popularity . to., be waning, while . that'"..Wild.-'-romp 1 ; kpownas "kitchen ■lancers " has long.- since, been., frowned .out. of society. : As. a matter- of, fact; the name, was a'.libel. Any one who has 6een kitchen dancintr is'bound to'.adfiiit"that'.ift decorum is almost startling,'- and that, dancing . hap gone to pieces ratherf above'than below'stairs *' ' • '