LAUDER ON DANGING

Evening Star, Issue 18393, 29 September 1923, Page 8

LAUDER ON DANGING

A BELIEVER IH “ GLEAN G/.IETY.”

In all my travels round llu; world (says Sir Harry Lauder iu ‘ The Dance Annual ’), coming into contact with many black peoples, 1 noticed that the first and last thing that they do to entertain then visitors is to dance for them. It is a pity we in Europe do not express ourselves by dancing even more than we already do. Dancing is instructive, it, toadies time and rhythm. It is an orderly occupation, and the world is needing order to-day If we can dance ourselves into order let us do it; we will bo helping the world. I have always been a believer in gaiety —it has been my career and my philosophy. Clean gaiety, that is healthy gaiety, the sort of gaiety that raises the spirits without lowering the mind; and 1 think that of all forms of pleasure in whicli tho individual can indulge dancing is among the best. It is a curious tliiim that men and women in all ages and of all peoples, whenever they have an _ impulse of! happiness, tend to express it byy bodily j movement — that is, by dancing. Why this j should be so no one knows, but there it I is—-a plain fact. Now, my view is that [ if happiness makes you dance, dancingj will help to make you happy—and to | be happy is more important than to be j wise, for a fool can lea.ru wisdom, but only a wise man knows tho valuo of laughter. 01 course, dancing is dangerously matrimonial. To susceptible young men I recommend drink as a preferable form of ruin; it costs loss and can’t talk. Many a harmless young bachelor has stepped straight out of ragtime into (ho registrar s office. In fact, I can even go so far as to say that a good ja.zz has a sort of "engagement ring” about it. But still, if a man remcmbers_ to keep his head as well as Ids feet, dancing won t ; do him any harm. The great thing to re- j member is that the (cot only should be i moved and not the heart. Rut. joking | apart, I think dancing as a form of pleasure is just fine; almost as good ns singing songs of Bonnio Scotland. It has tho spirit of intimacy—to my mind tho essential thing in all real pleasure. For pleasure cannot truly exist without tho “ personal touch ’’—that inexplicable “ something ” that is known only by its elfects. In all my years of experience on the stage, that fact has impressed mo more deeply than any other. In dancing yon got that “ something ” —you get personality, brightness, and grace — tilings, those, for men and women to cultivate. I say this because I have experienced it. And there is another thing. I tell you, | “it is na half a responsibility to have j a fine buxom lassie ” to carry round a dance hall—you might have a lull and ho run for damages to the floor! Still, my advice is dance, sing, and be merry, for to-morrow you may get a bill. Remember that to dance is good for the figure, and even better for the philosophy. Step it lightly through life, and it is more than likely that good luck will keep pace with you. And even if it should lead to marriage, there is always i tho consolation of a gramophone and a little French chalk on the drawing room floor, with the carpet rolled up—whicli will annoy your mother-in-law. By tho way, ” the annoying of mother-in-law is an essential duty of matrimony. The man who fails to annoy Ids mother-in-law deserves her. Some mothers-in-law j are very good, though; in fact, excellent. Some day I may write a book all about 1 raothcrs-in-law and how to annoy them. I It will bo a splendid work, full of instructions for causing irritation to tho mammas

of wives. There will be chapters entirely devoted to a detailed description of the various methods of making a visit unbearable, including " How to carve your mother-in-law the worst part of the Sunday joint,” etc., etc. Oh, how I should lovo to write that book! But I digress. " The danco is the tiling,” as Shakespeare should have said. And so 1 say—cultivate tho dance. Practise that “ I-don’t-caro-if-thc-whisky-is-all-gono " feeling; it’s almost as valuable os tho whisky itself. Yes, bo gay, he care-frco—dance your troubles away, and carry the spirit of carnival always in your hearts. Dance! Hurrah I