Wortd's Waltzing Record

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 77, 5 April 1904, Page 4

Wortd's Waltzing Record

NEARLY SEVEN HOURS' DANCING. The world's record of endurance in the waltz has just been established by a Parisian couple. It previously belonged to a Marseillais and his partner, but they have been beaten by half an hour. The recoid was won at a waltz tournament held in the Salle Wagsam, Paris, specialrented for the occasion. Tile contest began at 10.55 in the evening. A dozen couples stood on the floor and at the word -(io!" from the' timekeeper and chief of the jury started waltzing.. At first they enjoyed the tournament thoroughly, but after two or three hours of it the exercise began to pall, though no one was lazy enough to give up at that early stage. Waltzing went on through the night. The jurymen fell asleep constantly in their seats. The unfortunate bandsmen were continually dropping oft too, and rousing themselves by an effort. Still, the competitois waltzed on. A slnl gle step of ons second put a coupli out of court. The dancers started ehattiiiiig as they turned, hut they soon lapsed into stolid silence, and a look of grim determination came into every competitor's visage. At the same time •the men grew purple in the face with the heat of the room, and the exertion, and mopped their brows with one hand over-their partners. shoulders. The ladies became pale and harassed, but no one would say die. Towards 3 a.m one couple acknowledged defeat, and fell exhausted into chairs. Two hours! later six pairs of competitors were' still on the floor, and Said thev were fresh, thougjh they haidly looked it rhe jurymen wished they had never started the contest n-t all, as it ai>peared likely to go on for ever. But after five o'diock couples du J pppoul out, more dead than alive, in/quick succession. At tolf-past five only two were left, M. Vincent and Jldlle. Scherieu and M. Pinaud and Mdlle. Agathe. They still revolved almost mechanically and totally speechless. Pots of beer were handed to them frequently as they turned. At last, after an exciting struggle, M. Pinaud and Mdlle. Agathe stopiwd and staggered gasping to seats. Left alone on the floor M. Vincent and Mdlle. Scherieu, by superhuman efforts, succeeded in turning round for one minute longer, then, in Iheir turn, sank down on sofas, greeted |jyi Cheering as loud as sleepy onlookers Could make it, having waltzed for six hours and forty-five minutes on end, without even a momentary rest The healths of the victors were drunk, and the proud couple, already half slumbering, roused themselves to reply in a few heartfelt, though disjointed sentences. Some of the beaten competitors did not taka defeat good-humouredly. One or two ladies shrilly called their exhausted partners weak, miserable man, and were quite sure they themselves would have won had they danced with finer specimens of the sex. The previous recoid of the kind was six hours and fifteen minutes. This was surpassed in the late contest by five couples. The baud during the contest played 161 waltzes without flagging. The prizes for the waltzers consisted of objects of art worth £2, il Is and 10s.