TEACHING DANCING.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 312, 31 October 1929, Page 5

TEACHING DANCING.

< EFFECT ON CHILDREN. Some lady friends, visiting the re- • cent Dunedin competitions, started discussing the advisability of having step and fancy dancing taught to young children. One of them, a mother, said she would not allow her Alice to start straining her legs, and another matron advanced the opinion that toe dancing in early life inA duced varicose veins in grown-ups. This suggestion made such an impression on a third member of the party that she resolved, in the inter- ■ ests of her chicks, to consult the family physician, and his answer is placed at our disposal for the guidance of others. It is to the eifect: that dancing in moderation is a dei sirable form of exercise, but that teachers .should be careful to call a halt when they see that any child who is being taught fancy dancing is becoming tired. The result to be feared, if rest is not given, is that the arches may be impaired, and - v thus cause flat-footedness. Unrea-

sonably lengthy spells of dancing may also strain the calf muscles, and 1 ultimately throw the legs out of shape. The warning applies generally, but more particularly to toe dancing. The risk of varicose yeins Is negligible. Dancing develops the muscles, not the veins. The dreaded varicose condition that is disabling so many women is largely attributable to hereditary causes, and may be brought about in shop girls by their having to stand too long. *v-