THE TRIUMPH OF THE AMERICAN VALSE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 157, 27 March 1908, Page 3

THE TRIUMPH OF THE AMERICAN VALSE.

At' last (says- an English paper) the' British dancing .world is awakening-to the fact that:in, the American"- dances': (i.e:, ,-the Bos-' ton and Two-step) they possess a much'iqoro 'graceful.; and harmonious dance than the 'English .valse,' and .one capable - of infinite variety.- . . • -. .' : .:.'. At; most of tho. subscription dances •of this season; it has ; been . noticed that. thisspccies' of j'.dancing has ■ come strongly' to,;tile..fore,, its. devotees >re ! decidedly" gaining -in .ntim r b'er,: whereas last winter they, wero'-.quite, in ; of beautiful dancers have'.come to '.the front,. and this, work has, been greatly., assisted . ,:by: Itho Vfo/niatigh' of two or' three • societies wlio .hold; the art'-.as one possible of: a great;aijd/lasting' developrnent. ' v:'

"/ Similar- dancing, has been : popular.; op..'the. Continent, for. ; j ffeajcfc 'BfßPtjsi)P,i 9s?- ■ within : th'o . last y two. or., three .{nas''r. any ■ foot-hold.' ii^, s : .encountering ?great: opposition-,,. so conservative a''nation jareVwe I ;i Even yet, apart, from London itself,' there -is little: enough /to be, seen;; rthe.':Two-step has', indeed,v,penotrated the .wilderness, but'ih{many cases its advent; is regarded as (a 1 great mistake, and expressions of. disapproval are .often. to, be lieard : regarding what is termed "that extremely ugly, stupid dance."; And ,w;ell ' may.;,these remarks : be made, for ; the average beginner's idea ;of the:Two-stejp ,is to" take: their, part-, ners, back them' down; the room, then stop, and run.:backwards .themselvesi l -'to the intense .'dismay and 'discomfort of 'the other dancers.:/ Much better than this was'the old - polka I'■! These peopled fail .to'. realise , a ,yery simple''truth; that, in, this'; backing" process' ;,thcy:haveigrasped the least' important part . of the; Two-step, for - that- which/they'accom-' .plish i is: only; relative;'to '.the " side. step,' or . swaying; movement .in ' the .Englisli: : 'valse 1 ber : tween turning; and not in any way the main ; feature dance." Tho'. principal;.part, which consists of' a movement. of two :• long,'- ; gliding steps, • turning eithor to:the''right or 'to the; left, /entirely- escapes their, consideration; that this can be made graceful'in'the' .extreme,- and is more than fascinating to do, is no longer possible to dciiyl .1" • : The would-be. Two-stepper should take long, oven steps on tho flat of ; the foot, slightly bending the knee, and inclining tlie body slightly forward so as 'to :be lissome nnd'smooth. -Tho bend of the knee and/the length ■ of t . the - step are most important,; as.' without them thfl effcct.would. be jerky, and the: position of the body stiff, producing ari ugl.y tout; ensemble: : The movement- should, Jbe ■ in any direction, round-' or i straight, to the right or the reverse,' in. and out of cor-ners,-never baulked) never hurried.-! long, graceful-'gyrations with the marked beat of the Two-step. _The. step itself is a long push forward -with-,'the- right foot, 'bringing •the left sharply behind it, and pushing the right - forward once , more, then repeating, starting' with ;the left foot, and the'countings is "one and two,'': the "and" , standing.'for the' small in between the two' long ; glides.- -'; _ Tho • Boston, or ■ American, " Valso is.'jiow the; most popular, dance, the Two-step having .lost ,a»slia l de : of its, first ; favour. . ■ This valse. is danced in the same smooth manner ;as '.the Two-step,' but-' the steps' are slightly different/ being three in number, \with a beat of- three, the accent placed on the first or second _step, according /to individual taste. - It is a; swaying, gliding dance," particularly delightful ■to -the eye, and' enchanting to' the feet,:and once.learnt its,"disciples never forsake it;'- whilst'_those, wlio vowed they would never'learn it, or like it, are among its most enthusiastic followers." 'Reversing or : straight- rouhdj backwards'or. torwards, ,it -is. all the same, ! one never", has -to stop'for room, or breath, but can dancp! it as easily, half-time. •as'-., fiill-time, running about sideways in 1 amongst ' the -'ordinary, valsers without. the least, inconvenience to them or .oneself. ''There, is'none of the .old. monotonous round 'and round till one nearly dropped of giddiness, then the dead stop, and the' Unwind : in a reverse, which is doservodly unpopular, taking up as it does so much time and room.

Beware, however; in all varieties'of American dancing of the fault of exaggeration; nothing is so easily succumbed to,-nothing so hideous as the body when held at an exaggerated angle, or the knees bent till they almost touch the ground. And extremes in dancing,'"as in 'all things, should be avoided.

The Ambassador and' Mrs. Tower havo issued invitations for a brilliant '"flower ball," which is oxpected to cclipso in magnificence anything in the, social history ,of Berlin. The Crown Prince and. Princess and others of the younger members of tho Court circle will be present. The ladies will bo dressed to represent flowers. Lady Violet Greville in an articlo on Queon Alexandra, says admire her as much ..as their elders. A small boy, whoso father held a Court appointment, was taken to be presented to the Queen. Tho interview passed off well, when at tho end the littlo fellow pulled a,-small -china, pig out of his pocket, and, holding it up to tho Queen's face, addressed it, in these words;. 'Look well, dear littlo Piggie, look well at tlio beautiful Queen.' • no-doubt an;', echo' of his mother's exhortations. Tho Queen laughed merrily at the child's naive words. On another occasion littlo Prince Olaf, whoso sayings and doings, afford cndloss amusement to his. relations, remarked, 'Is ' grandmamma reaily older than my mother, because she does not look so?',