New Role for Clubwomen.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1933, Page 4 (Supplement)

New Role for Clubwomen.

It is quite in the best tradition for women to be patrons of the Arts, but whereas once upon a time only the very wealthy could allow themselves the luxury of fostering genius, the modern woman’s club ■ movement enables less fortunately placed mortals to use their artistic interests in a powerful way (states the London “Daily Telegraph”). Before the Lyceum Club threw in its lot with the -Garden Club, its Musical Group was one of its most virile sections. The change of home, fortunately, has not involved any change in the group’s constructive activities. On the contrary, Mrs. Stanfield, the president, and Madame Lhombino, the vice-pre-sident, are more energetic than ever, and recently had a special feather in their caps, for to them fell the honour. of launching a new pianist upon the musical world—a son of the celebrated Schnabel. Young Herr Schnabel consented to make his debut at a woman’s club because he had heard so much of the discernment and enthisiasm of English women, who are genuine music-lovers. People are asking questions about the Martinique, which may be the new dance of 1933 (states an English writer). The Martinque is still only, a name to English dancers, though Paris has gone crazy about it. The rhythm figures in a popular revue now running in London, and attempts have been made to tame its original savagery so that it will be suitable for. the ballroom. The Charlestep and taptrot, two new dances which won the prizes, offered recently by the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers, show a strong Charleston influence, although one is fast and’the other slow. But they have quite different rhythms. “Crush” dancing is one of the most interesting developments of the season. It is a method of condensing or telescoping the steps of favourite dances so that dancers can make the most of them in a very crowded ballroom. The quickstep is the dance most influence by the new technique. A number o new side-steps have been introduced, and others dropped. “Blues” and the waltz are also affected by the “crush style, which demands that the dancer moves on the flat of the feet throughout. Only |in the waltz is a vestige of the rise and ] fall of the heels retained for crush dancing.