DANCING.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1927, Page 1

DANCING.

l’lt I At ATE’S OPINION. A HEALTHY' B FOB RATION. AUCKLAND. April 10. When the SI. Michael’s in Chrintehurch. Archbishop Averill was a huniho parish priest with never a (lioiiht that, the New Zealand Primacy would come his way. He encouraged his young people to dance. Now that he is Archbishop and is the re-ponsihle head of the Anglican ( Inirch in the Dominion, Dr Averill sees no reason why he should change his opinion concerning dancing. “B-athor extravagant,” was his comment ou it statement by Dr It a listen, president of the Methodist Conference, who declaied the this form of amusement; nearly always tended to blunt spiritual experience, and made ii harder to he a Christian. ‘lt i- far bettor to have dancing under proper supervision than, to drive il inlo undesirable quartet:-.” said the Ari'-lihishop, a- he recalled (he days when ho asked the girls of his guild to invite their hoy u( quaintaneos for a happy, healthv frolic in their daneen 'oni. “Their is no doubt about this fuel: hoys and girls will dance. They have danced for centuries, and nothing will stop them from (lancing. To my mind ii is a healthy and normal reel-' for healthy and normal people. “True,’’ said the Archbishop,“(lancing can ho abused like anything else, but tlioro are some people who find evil where it never exists. The Primate is fond of tho theatre, lie did not hesitate to say so. “Tt lias played and should continue to play an import an I part in ttie community's existence, yet there are some people wlm say Iliat, it is harmful to go to the theatre.” Dr Averill observed. “There are of course some plays which are nothing but a waste of time, but there are others which we feel all the better for having seen.” The Primate is not quite as keen on moving pictures, however, as he is on tho spoken drama. Not that he does not onioy a good picture, for tie does. “Still, T do think that a certain class of American film is doing a great deal of harm to the youth of the country.” ho said. To revert lo dancing. Nothing does the Archbishop better enjoy than a country dance. Tt is a most solemn affair, he says. There is nothing of the spirit of lenity about it. The country folk take their dances most seriously. Tie was quite certain that many of the abuses said to exist were never seen, particularly at a country dance.