DANCING AND HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 16

DANCING AND HEALTH

A London contemporary recently commented on the fact that the health-giv-ing qualities of dancing have not had their due among the various "cures" which are advocated from time to time, says Madame Vandyok, in an English exchange. This is quite true, and the probable reason is that dancing is popularly associated with late nights and gay festivities which, when too freely indulged in, do not assist one's health. But nothing is healthy if done to ex-' cess, and if. one acquires a pale and jaded face, ono must not put the blame on dancing; one must blame one.'s folly and excess of zeal.

Dancing, besides being-a tonic for-de-pression, has actual health-giving properties. In order to be a good dancer, it is necessary to acquire a certain degree of elasticity. Most professional dancers are splendidly developed, from a physical point of view, and even the ballroom dancer, whose aspirations do not leap beyond the one-step and the fox-trot, has to rid himself of his stiffness if he is going to make any headway. : '.■."" ; Other people, when they have exhausted all the possibilities offered by advertisers, turn to dancing in order to reduce their weight. Naturally there are limitations to what dancing can achieve in this respect, but more than one lady who has imagined herself too stout for dancing has discovered that the exercise of dancing has gradually fitted her for the enjoyment of it. A good dancer must know how to walk. Slouch; a mile, and it will do you no good. Walk a mile, ■with correct swing and poise, and it will do you much good. Dance a mile, and the benefit of walking will be combined with the pleasure of the ballroom.