LEARNING TO DANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 56, 7 March 1931, Page 13

LEARNING TO DANCE.

SOME LABOUR POLITICIANS. 1 • OBSERVATIONS IN SYDNEY. If vy-ou wish to discover what some Labour Members of Parliament do in their spare time (says the "Sydney Sun. ), visit one or two of the more exclusive ballroom dancing classes There you may see portly M.P.'s in shirt - sleeves, grim of demeanor or sheepishly foolish, dripping with perspiration, plodding round the floor with slim girls to the tune of a gramophone.

1 According to a well-known Sydney dancing teacher, Labour ascendancy in the political world has drawn many men and women into an unfamiliar whirl of social life. Many have discovered that not only must the politician be quickwitted, ready with repartee and prompt with promises, but he must also be a tolerable dancer. This teacher, who has taught people between the ages of 3£ to 75, and whose best dancer was a young fellow of 63, says that 10 in 100 Australians are born dancers, compared with England's one in 100.

Lawyers are the worst to teach, because they will argue, according to this teacher. Engineers, athletes, cricketers and aviators are among the best. Some of her most enthusiastic people have been limbless soldiers, with artificial legs. "One of these," said the instructress last week, "fell in love with a girl. They lived in the country, and she very much wanted to go to a picnic race ball. He did not want any other man to take her, so he came down to Sydney to learn to dance. The'result was that he took the girl to the dance, became engaged to her, and now they are happily married." All kinds of people come to the classes. "It is pathetic to see some of them," said the instructress. "One woman was so fat we had to teach her behind a screen." ' According to the teacher, an old lady who kept "chickens once came to take lessons. Her husband had not allowed her out much, and she was afraid she had missed a lot of fun She saved enough from eggs to learn dancing, which she did with'surprising results Another woman brought her husband to the class, and insisted that he should learn to dance. He did not want to, and complained, "I have just taken you for a £ round the world Now you want me to spend the rest of my life tripping round dance halls." - ~ . However, he became quite keen after it, -first few lessons, and later he Jd his wife, and married the girl wloSi practised with Mm white he was learning to dance.