DANCING FOR COURAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 15 October 1907, Page 4

DANCING FOR COURAGE.

<IO\V XEW YORK DEVELOPS GIRLS' CHARACTERS. WOMEX AND SPORT. London, October 9. A remarkable paper showing how the ' - -duction of folk-dancing into the ''. -ical training schedule in all the chmentary and schools has led to tli? ;..•., rovement of physique and eharac;,:r of girls in New York, was read by Dr 1- il. Culick, M.D., director of physical training in the Xew Y'ork public schools, at yesterday's meeting of the Intern itional Congress of School Hygiene. "Many of the folk-dances of the world are directly imitative of occupations,' -aid Dr (iulick. 'There are sowing and reaping dances innumerable which illustrate all the forms of attack and defence, of pursuing and overcoming game. "In one home of which I know there are three girls who have ben doing this folk-dancing. The exercise, as the mother says, has brought more happiness Into the home than has anything else during the year 'While the girls are doing their housework, they are apt to stop for a moment to try one of the new steps, one clapping, or possibly all singing or whistling the music that belongs to the dauee. "The dances that we have discovered to be best suited to our purposes arc as follows: "Third year—Danish greeting. English harvesters,'vineyard dance, "Lott ist Todt.' "Fourth year—Tantoli. baby polka, kull daTtc. negarpol-ka. '"Fifth year—Swedish klappdans, Finnish reel, biekjng. shoemaker's dance. Sixth year—Frykdal polka, Xonve gian popping dance. "Seventh year —Swedish ring, 'Hop Mother Annika,' Irish lilt, ace di.iinonds. "Eighth year—Highland fling, oxdans." A paper on the hygiene of sport for women and girls was read by Dr ■)■>■ l;»ris, of Paris, who said there was nothing better for women than muscular development from early childhood. Women might even engage in violent sports if they had been trained to muscular exerci«es from infancy. If not, it was likely to prove dangerous. Dr Iloloris divided sports into (11 natural, such as walking, climbing, swimming, and (2) such as running and jumping. Walking and climbing, he said, developed the breathing organs, and did not develop the legs at the expense oT other limbs. Running, jumping, swimming, and rowing were all I go;*! if not overdone. Cycling had ben much overdone, but it was all right if I women did not go too fa*t or race. '"Sport has a good effect on women's clothing, which is becoming freer and healthier," continued Dr Doloris. "Mure women are overtired by corsets than ;>y exercise." S j A number of happy, healthy-looki ig | English girls demonstrated before the 1 congress yesterday that it is not necessary to go to Sweden for lessons )n physical culture. "People may talk about our physical deterioration," said Sir James CrichtmBrowne after the demonstration, "but after what we have seen to-day we are proud of our womanhood.'' Major Erett, in responding, said: "[ wish all the women—aye, and the men ; —of England were like student: we should liave a much better army and much better wives and mothers. lam sorry some of our guests are this af'crnoon visiting the Horticultural Societx 's gardens, for here we have a garden of girls of which we are proud."