THE GENTLE ART OF DANCING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 309, 21 March 1928, Page 4

THE GENTLE ART OF DANCING

Soon jazz bands will be pounding away again in real earnest after the summer lull, and we shall probably need no urge to renew acquaintance with our favourite pastime. What greater pleasure for dull evenings? But we should try to make our dancing health-giving as well. Exercise 1? not everything. Certainly our leg muscles are strengthened and our liver* are shaken up, especially with the Charleston, but much of the good i* obviated by stuffy atmospheres, lats hours, and unsuitable drinks. Stuffy dance-halls make an income for doctors. The overcrowding and the insufficiency of oxygen incubates any disease that is introduced. If a person in the throes of influenza is selfish enough to attend, it is pretty certain that a fair percentage of the company will be affected within a few days. But dance halls need not be stuffy. Many are reasonably healthy because they are w r ell ventilated without being draughty. When sitting with heated backs against widely-opened window* is the only way of getting air, it Is not a healthy dance hall. Many colds arft caught in this way, and many mors from the bad practice of sitting out in draughty or uncovered places; in the elation of the moment we are reckless. “Oh! it doesn’t matter—Fm not a bit cold.” But frequently you are cold, though you may not feci it. You are too excited, too happy, too altogether thrilled to notice; and you have on ft thin dance frock. You cool too quickly and—you get colds in consequence. What does a cold matter? Nothing to some people, but to othera— dung trouble and consumption. So if are wise you will take a thick coat and wrap to the dance hall with you. Another bad habit is to drink cold drinks when overheated. At any dance one sees quantities of young people swallowing ices and thirst-quenchers wholesale, while their complexions looK like boiled lobsters. The stomach is a tough organ, but it won’t stand thatOne day they will be liable to suffer from all kinds of distressing intern*! complaints. If you are in the habit of wearing corsets, do not suddenly discard then for a dance. . It is very dangerous to remove suddenly an article of clothing which middle of your body has grown accustomed to. Abrupt variations of temperature in that region cause stomacn* liver and kidney troubles. If you ns been corsetless before — that’s a d ferent matter. . Take • your dancing lightly. make a business of it. Too dances mean too much loss of sieej* Sleep is more important than hopp ■ about. Without it your beauty a j health will fail. Then your dancm# I days will be over.;