The Modern Dance

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19883, 9 March 1939, Page 12

The Modern Dance

Phases of the work in physical education in the United States were described by Miss Rona Stephenson, who arrived at Auckland on Tuesday by the Port Brisbane. Miss Stephenson, who is the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. I. Stephenson, of Gisborne, has been studying in the United States for 18 months, spending a year at the University of California, and six months at the Columbia University. In an interview in Auckland Miss Stephenson said an entirely new feature of the work in physical education was the modern dance, in which she was particularly interested, and which was gaining great popularity in the United States. The essential value of this dance in an educational programme was that it presented an opportunity for achieving a simultaneous, development in the physical and creative faculties of the student. Physical Poise “The modern dance is far removed from the artificiality of the classical ballet and from the emotional, unrestrained romanticism of interpretative dancing,” said Miss Stephenson. “The dance identifies itself with the living, changing present, and, as an art form, is subject to the identical principles this type of training, physical poise culture. “As the dance becomes a part of

Miss Rona Stephenson’s Views

the school programme, other valuable developments take place,” she continued. “In the composition of a group dance, social sublimations give individual dancers new points of view. There is great stimulation in the choosing' of a theme, and, through this type of training, physical poist and control result.” Adult Education. Miss Stephenson spoke of the great importance placed on physical education in the United States, where at least one hour each day was spent in this way in every high school. Formal gymnastics, however, were not studied to any great extent, more emphasis being put on sport.- 'She also mentioned the community homes set up for the use of elderly people in their leisure time, adult education being considered extremely important. Great value was to be derived from staying in any of the international hostels which John D. Rockefeller had established in many of the cities, she added. Here all the students were on the same level, class distinctions being unrecognised, and there was free interchange of ideas between young people of different countries. While Miss Stephenson was staying in the New York hostel there were 30 different nationalities represented.