THE TANGO.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1996, 2 March 1914, Page 5

THE TANGO.

CP AT WITH AS EXPOXENT. Wellington is to see to-morrow afternoon at tho Opera House the first legitimate exposition of tho old Spanish tango, which through its revival ni tho Argentine has been regarded as a daiice : native to that country, Bui historians interested in the art of Terpsichore lave been at work, and have succeeded to their own satisfaction at ait events in proving the dar.co to lie ait old ~Spafli-s'h measure with a Greek origin. Whether this he sc cr not. cannot lie determined-,' b-ut-mere than likely it rn adaptation of the ancient uiudanuo, which, like its successor, was' uracil «tt* tieisad. In "The gout of Spain" Wave- ■ look Kilis says: "Dancing is something inoto than an amusement ift Spain, It, is. n part..of that soltoi ritual whtth enters into tho whole .life of tire people. It expresses their very spirit. 5 That is precisely what Miss $Jargot- Maurice, tli<; tango dancer (who is to appear in tlie lance witlv Mar. Fred Oswald, at tomorrow afternoon's pe-rfo.rmane.p), thinks. Site Imagines that the real tango may. have' been sadly debased in the dance-halls of: Uncno-s Aires and Stont® Video and; other. Smith American .towns, hut p 'Simon pttre". is a dancse expressive of the temperament ol the people, and, moreover, Miss Jiauriee the dance cannot he done properly unless the. exponents are endowed with temperament. enough_ to ■ give ptfqpor oppression to tho crnoti©.ns,; I,i tho Spanish danco every part of the 'body takes a share, a-itd perhaps the feet ore the least conspicuous of all; •a contrast if> the Italian ballet, in vrhich the iMS.rve.Uously trained i : cot often seem to sujipoH a motionless body. ' Miss Maurice (fciserifceS. tho- tango.. as a slow,.BtatoJj-j languorous, and alto-, gather graceful dance, with not a tithe of tho suggesiive'iess- of many of tire raii-timo dances that have had ["such • a j v ogiie ■ in' AwiSriea and' England. • .\s for. 1 the steps--it could hardly be deicribcd from that standpoint as a. waltz. or a polka-could, lor there were fifty or sfsiy j steps, and partners dtiiltg the. | hare to ascertain from one a'loi'her what steps, they know, and arrange fliem be-. fare the' music. commences, or . while they are dancing. ' The ftumbeir of sv.e:;s. in the tango wore so numerous that the couples had found it necessary iu London • (wiie.re Hiss Maurice learned the iclflneeVto go to the. sanio' toaplicr,. so that when they met at balls and parties Uiev would ho able to dance with one another. "That 1 is'what i. would advise out hero, where the tango is sure to come. in time- to the hall-room.' _ Say ,a j'oinig, iady aitd her fiaiK'C wj.di.eo ki lcanu. they skoitlil go -to tho one teacher'ft order that ;'the,y will know the. same steps. If . they wont to differj cart. ones thev might Very easily iind themselves in difficulties.'"' 1

The tango was dr.need freely i;i ■the haU-roonis of Loudon last season, and Miss Mailriee has often -wasfeiso^: her talent at such social gatherings. Am a iS&ttw of fact) mie deducts from tho remarks of Miss Maurice that the '■Varieties of the tango are. infinite. There arc, for instance, maiiy comedy taiigos, suc-h as are &si.tiee<l at ihi. musin-hsl In- wniwdians; tfetc ate- ■ tho tiragos. of the that are said-to- bo aVtogether ultra in character, and there is if no tango proper, which lakes a slotted dv.U':er with a dramatic temperament to interpret. , ' "it is a bnaitifnl danco to mo," said •Miss Maurice, "T van seo tio harm . in it whatever, nnd whilst tho music is going X feel as if I would like to dance on forever, It seems to, satisfy some;thing ill one's nature—something 011 the 1 poetical and graceful side. Bilt there j you are —it is hard to explain. You | See, I am temperamental—and I think i the. tango is just lovely!" ■ 1 In connection with the tango teas i to be gi veil by the 'Willoughbv -Com*! \ pany, A is iuVcresl'mg to noie that t\ia j plans for .both teas (to bo given on f Tuesday and Friday next) we-ro pretty fully • hooted up on Saturday. The quo'ue began to form .at about 6.15 a.m., mid by tho time tie Dresden opened its dears there.' Was a large crowd, waiting in a lino hungry for tango tickets. A stream of people poured Into the uhop during the morninn and by 1 p.m. the. box plans for both afternoons were in a healthy state t>f eoagesWon.'