Ballroom Manners.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1857, 11 September 1906, Page 4

Ballroom Manners.

" PLENTY OF AIRS BUT FEW GRACES.”

An inoidont at a rrcent Obristchuroh ball, given during G and National week, at which kitchen lanoirs degenerated into what wore deeoribed as scullery lonoers, has revived, the question of ballroom manners generally, oonosming which there is much to critiohe. At any rate, a Truth reporter came tr that conclusion after discussing tha subject with several people who have bad exo-ptional opportunities of observing how the mrjority of tho guests behave os a tula in tho ballroom. “There is a regrettable lack of oere» rnony and a roughne-s and uccouthness about betb men and girls in ballrooms today,” said one Jady, “ which really makes ona at times wonder whoro good manners have got to. When I was a girl we never saw any c,f tbo larking and romping that g res on nowadays, and yet wo enjoyed o rselvca quite as well. Ia those days g ntl men knew what respeet for women and chivalry wap. Similarly, girls had s'oio dgnity and maidenly reserve, but to day all, this has disappeared, or is fast disappearing, and poople who possess good manners are breimicg antiquated. Tod y yon seo plonty oi airs but very few graces, and any effrontery and impudence will pass over for good breediog if it be sufficiently barefaced. I do not know whither ibe ixeissivo animal spirits of girls, who indulge in field sports so much nowadays, is responsible for this, but I do know that in many eases they encourage rough play in mot), and are giving a tone to modern ‘society,’ whioh mokes one devoutly desire not (o bo reckoned as a mrmber thereof."

A gentleman said he thought this rough horseplay and romping was duo chiefly to young boys of 19 or 20, who are just beginning to go to dances, and who think it “ good form ” to make as much noise and behave as roughly as possible. ‘‘l have noticed it again and again,” he said, “ and I think the best way to put a stop to this sort of thing, which is bringing dancing into disrepute amongst decent people, is to be less tolerant than people appear to be. If youths rendering them-, selves guilty of larrikinism at dances were in a few cases summarily ejected by the stewards, you would lind that there would soon be an end of the behaviour. It is nearly all connected with square dances, and takes the form of what is known as kitchen lancers. There is another piece of advice which might be followed by those giving dances with advantage, don’t invite people who cannot dance.” A gentleman of the old school, whoso dancing days are long since past, but who is a frequent onlooker, in modem ballrooms, states that impudent vulgarity nowadays too often passes for elegant manners in the ballroom and out of it. The women are quite as much to blame as the men, and more so ”