The Sunday Oregonian., February 21, 1915, MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 6, Image 74

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THIRD IN A SERIES OF ILLUSTPATED
ARTICLES ON MODERN DANCES BY
THEIR MOST NOTED TEACHERS
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BY VERNON CASTLE.
THE tango is not,'&a commonly Re
lieved, of South American origin
It Is An old Gypsy dance which
came to Argentina by way of Spain,
where In all probability it became in
vested with certain features of the old
Moorish dances. The Argentines adopt
ed the dance, eliminating some of its
reckless Gypsy traits, and added to it
a certain languid Indolence peculiar to
their temperament.
After Paris had taken the dance up
few years ago. its too sensuous char
acter waa gradually toned down, and
from a rather obscene exhibition,
which is still indulged in by certain
cabaret performers, it bloomed forth a
polished and extremely fascrViating
dance, which has not bad Its equal in
rhythmical allurement since the days
of the minuet. Beyond doubt, the tango
correctly practiced is the essence of the
modern soul of dancing, the autocrat
of the up-to-date "soiree dansant." For
it la not only a dance, It is a style; to
master the tango one must first master
Its style, absorb Its atmosphere.
Among the many points in its favor,
not the least is this: that it not only
commands grace, and especially repose,
but it develops and even creates these
endowments. The only drawback In
America to this lovely dance lies In
the fact that nearly all teachers teach
It differently. A variety of steps which
do not belong In the dance at all, nor
to the ballroom, for that matter, have
been taught and practiced by Ineffi
cient teachers. In order -to give the
dance the absolute popularity It de
serves it must be "standardized."
The Argentine tango is unquestion
ably the most difficult of the new
dances. Perhaps that is why some peo
ple still maintain that they "do not like
it" Others, never having seen It, de
clare it "shocking." On broad general
principles It Is human to disapprove of
that which is beyond our understand
ing -or ability. We like best the games
we play best. And so for a long time
society looked askance upon the tango.
Here and there in the corners of ball
rooms one saw a few hardy couples
tripping a tentative measure. But usu
ally as soon as the music slides into'
the walling, seductive notes of the
South American dance everybody de
velops a sudden Interest in supper!
Moreover, it was rumored that the
Argentine tango was composed of 160
different steps. Enough to terrify the
most inveterate dancer!
There may be ISO different tango
steps but I doubt it. I have never
seen so many, and Mrs. Castle and I do
not dance anything like that number.
For the average ballroom tango a
knowledge of six fundamental steps is
quite enough. One may work out vari
ations of these. But you will find that
fS&? Jge&r-C&z. sties.
Correct S'o.iyy'ZsifrT
a, .i position, the man wsiks MOKra mi"
traSt E b. discouraged over straight steps, the .0y ,, forw.H
... . rtnthe man goes forward, etc. as many
glide all the time without any stops, smoothly, and you will not get it with- time. a. desired turning
It is correct either to walk on your out a great deal of patience and trou- much a. possible. They nl.h
heel and toe or just on the ball of the ble- Indeed, many good dancer, never by the man leading the l.dy Into tne
m.tPKa th6 Cor- the other places which live on the foot; but the Argentines nearly all seem mastered it at all, and probably never cortex step. ,
rntheUscUsora th. Tl Cnroad lneHca touris?. come back home, to walk flat-foot or else they step out wllL But that 1, because they do not
. . j ,1,1. . n nii bivtn? fnrtrotten all tney jearneo. on ineir aeei unu x uno appreciate its uiuimui xy,
f tha tameo you are apt to coming over, start in teaching. There do what is tlte easiest for them, for ling t0 give the necessary time to the
ponent of tne tango you v others who go to one of our seaside when one is. walking comfortably it is step. It can be done, and done well.
as difficult as- It towns, such as Narragansett, and read
meet.
or xn " tn of a new dance and begin teaching it.
was first supposed. M.ore difficult tnan ,r, wo Df
tVytrdifftcVt -r-do
But once you get into the swi,g and W your 25 an hour. If you don it
rhythm of musfc more alluring than a learn the dance, you get a little ex
Viennese waits-well. -you are lost, ercise and a lot of experience.
More and more people are becoming The most Important thing about, the
in the variations 01 mis lango is us tempo, xuu mum vou ready to do the cortez you stead of continuing forward witn tne alowly .fnrw
you can dance at ail, unaerstana ana . tn . .,. ,ft foot, outside foot they do a hair-turn inwara. foot Iowiy I
ty step In ine
tango. The bent way to go inio iv
from the promenade. The gentleman
stands still and crosne. the rldht foot
proficient
South American dance.
easier to do the steps naturally. The by any011o who has patience enough to "anu" ,h. ..iKi,t cf the
first step to master, and one of the leyarn u To get u perfect you should over the left, having the v. eight or the
most difficult, is the cortez. do several steps of the cortez and then body equally dl.tr bo cd on both
The Cortes. ,"k and tnen go back again into the The lady doe. a single step (ju.t Ilk.
Let us sppose that the gentleman is cortM. If you can do this you have e lnKle Btep ln" ml. " .
walking backward and the lady for- practically mastered the tango Argen- around the gentleman. This win. oi
ward (the position is exactly the same tine. course, turn the man around, and In
as in the commencent of all the dances SclMora. dolngj so uncro.s hi. foet; w hen this
T hv olaina1 no farl. Now when The dancers promenaae once, una in. is aunn m -
the left in
ard and the man hi. Irit
back, and they go Into the
cortes. By practising this Htep w.ll you
I would like to add a word of warn- appreciate the music, and the best way lon Bnown that is the man crones th
g to those who take lessons In tango, to learn this is to walk (with or with- nere Now the rignt foot passes back front of the right. ""
.a i- Tke vour lessons, n out a partner; in umo to iu ay oum8 OI tho lert for one count, rne leu , . v th riirht In to
possible, from someone who has danced this you impress upon yourself that it shifts to the side a few Inches for one frojjt f the ,ef't This can be done as gentleman, but it depends on his n.l-
nrnfessionallv in Paris, because tnere is a siow aance, ana mw .numa uo count, uu " "'"."r," often as desired and can ne nnisnea ance. ana ir no nn m im
Ill ?J man good dancers that any- simple and not full of jerky and com- thing for one count (keeping behind cortez or by continuing th. wound up again all h. h. to do l t-.
;ri7cUo (and plicated steps. This walking to tango Vum. e"ade. "J t J, lUtUft f.o, -p K
get paid for it) in Paris must really time is not as easy as it may seem; it enlftPed to tne musIc , thl8 way, pro. Pla.ln; rn? taken to go Into and out of thl. t.p
be a good dancer. American teacner. snouia o jirKiiuou houuohhj, BU . vlaea, or course, mat me muiu i yoij
trn abroad for a few weeks, take a maia it sraoom, a no enouiaer. uu simple.
1...,.. it, thA Ahave or some of not go up and down, the body must
The lady's part of this step is. of
EI Cbarron. very slowly, casny mm u-.n,-. ..w .
This step is begun with a cortes. The lTop?lftlti-Ifll4-?"'-' ?-
SMI STORES 2ND PKI
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ikes imm mm
'JUST LIKE GEORGE WASHINGTON"
IT was George Washington's birthday.
Little Harry was gazing mournfully
out of the library window. Father and
mother had gone out to call upon some
neighbors and he was alone in the
house except for Clara, the cook, who
wouldn't let him come near the kitchen.
He looked up and down the street, but
not a boy was in sight Then he fell
to thinking about George Washington.
What a great man he was! And how
everyone even the grown-ups spok.
only good of him! Why. even teacher
hadn't a single fault to find with him!
Goodness, how nice it must be to be so
respected and honored and and to have
one's birthday celebrated every year,
even after one has died! And
Suddenly the big Idea came! How
or whence, little Harry did not stop to
reason. It was there he had it! And
that was quite sufficient!
His little eyes were sparkling and
ha waa breathing rapidly with the ex
citement of even thinking about It. To
be sure he would do it! And wouldn't
his father and his mother be proud
of him when they returned! Why,
they couldn't help but see that this son
of theirs gave promise of -being Just
like George Washington for hadn't he
done the very same thing that Wash
ington had done when he was a toyT
Without wasting any more time in
anticipating the Joy that would be his
on his parents return, little Harry hur
ried out the back door and across the
yard to the woodshed, where he began
searching around for the thing he de
sired before Clara might happen to
com In and want to know what he
was doing.
He looked, all around. In the corners
and on the wooden shelves which his
father had nailed there, and even un.
der the piles of kindling, neatly cut
and ready for the kitchen stove. But
he couldn't find it
Just then, looking through the small
window, he saw Clara come out of
the kitchen door and cross over to the
next house to talk a while with Minnie,
the cook there. This was Harry's op
portunity! He felt almost certain that Clara
had taken it into the kitchen and he
knew he would have- to get It out
without her knowledge. So he waited
until the door of Minnie's kitchen had
closed behind her and then he walked
THE CHERRY THREE PUZZLE.
This is the cherry tree which George wunuu t .
See if you can find a cherry Xy outtlns out tho black ots and fitting
them together, ' ?
slowly and aimlessly up the walk to
the kitchen door of his house.
Even if Clara saw him, he told
himself, she would not suspect any
thing, for wasn't he Just wandering
along, in aimless fashion, as though
too' tired to do anything but sit down
and rest or or or study his lessons
for the next day; yea that waa surely
what Clara would think he Intended
to dot
He did not enter the houae by the
kitchen door. Indeed, no! To do so
would he to invite Clara over in
stantly. Instead, he went clear around
to the side door, then through to the
. kitchen. ' '
Tes, there It was, right by the stove,
the brand-new hatchet which his father
had brought only last week.
Tucking the hatchet under his coat
he softly opened the front door and
stepped out on the porch. He paused
a moment and looked over the spa
clous lawn. Along one side fence were
the young peach trees his father had
so carefully set out; and along the
other side were the young cherry and
apple trees of which his father talked
so much and so proudly to his friends
when they came to call.
Harry sat down on the edge of the
porch a moment, deep in thought.
Just then- ne saw Bill Thompson,
his chum, coming up the street, so he
Jumped down from the porch and ran
to the cherry tree he had selected as
the victim of the new. sharp hatchet.
With one eye on. Bill's approach and
the other watching out that his hatchet
did not hit the young tree, he began
to chop away with all his might,
swinging his hatchet lustily.
And then. Just as Bill came up and
leaned over the fence.- Harry allowed
his hatchet to sink into the slender,
trunk o the yosjnT tree. It toppled
over instantly, cut clean as a whistle.
"Hullo, Harry, watcha doing?" in
quired BUI.
"'Lo, Bill." replied the young woods,
man, straightening up and pretending
to be very tired from his efforts, "I'm
chopping down this cherry tree."
Bill paused a moment for thought.
"DldJa father tell ya to?" he asked.
"Tell me to nothin'! I chopped It
down myself!" Harry's tone was very
boastful and very contemptuous.
"Humph!" exclaimed Bill. "I bet you
goln" fcatch It!"
"Oh, I guess not!" retorted Harry
quite loftily. "I guess not! I guess
I know what I'm doing!"
Bill seemed impressed. "Goin' t'
plant it some place else?" he asked
presently.
Harry shook his head. "Nope, he
said. "I Just chopped it down, that's
all."
Bill was puzzled. Several times he
opened his mouth as though to speak,
and, apparently, thought better of it.
Suddenly he wheeled about, pointed up
the street and grinned.
"Here comes your father!" he said.
"Now 'you'll catch ltl"
And it happened quicwy. Harry's
father turned in at the gate presently
and caught sight of his son, hatchet
in hand, standing over the fallen tree,
and of Bill hanging over the picket
Solution to Cherry Tree Fnasle.
fence watching but ready for Instant
flight He was puzzled for a motnen.
but quickly recovered and walked over
to his son.
"What Is this, Harry?" he asked.
"What who who cut down my cherry
tree?"
Bill clambered down from the fence
so that both feet should be upon the
pavement ready to run without a sec
ond's loss of time.
Harry swallowed hard, but stood his
ground, trying to speak, but finding It
Impossible. .
"See here, young man." his father
exclaimed, putting a hand upon his
shoulder, "did you cut down that tree7
Answer me, sir!"
"I i J ," began Harry, in a dazed
sort Of way. Then the words he had
been trying to remember came to him
with a rush. "Yes. father." he blurted
out, "I cannot tell a lie. I did It with
my little hatchet"
. His father stepped back suddenly,
opened his mouth In amazement and
passed his hand quickly across his
brow.
"That!" he thundered. "You out
down that tree and then stand there
and tell me you did? Your Impudence
Is almost unbelievable. And I sup
pose this young friend of yours
helped "
But Bill had fled.
"You come with me straight to the
woodshed! ril teach you to cut down
my young cherry trees, you young ras
cal. What's that? George Washing
ton? I don't care If It Is George Wash
ington's birthday or any other per
son's birthday you come Into the
woodshed with me!"
And it was not until the painful af
fair in the woodshed was over that
poor Harry could make his father un
derstand that he wasn"t trying to be
excused from "a llrkln'" becaiiK. Ihe
day was Washington', birthday; hot
had been trying to trll him why h.
had cut down the cherry tree. Where
upon his father didn't quite Wnov
whether to lautrh or to take bl a-'i
into the woodshed .gain for being
such a silly boy.
Our Puzzle Corner
HISTORICAL AI.
Each of the following sentence, con
tains a word of a famous hi.torlcai
saying.
There are millions of peorle In Ihe
world.
The man asked for food.
The lawyer for the defense spoVe
briefly.
There was but one thing to do.
I did not know the girl.
Only one person .urvlved.
Not a cent was found.
He wa. rewarded for good behavior.
The monument was erected as a
tribute to his memory.
NUMERICAL.
I am composed of two words of five
and six letter, each.
L My L 7, I. the name of members
of the male sex.
J. My 10, 0, 7. t Is across or upon.
I. My 11, I. t Is a product cf certain
trees.
4. My 2, 4 Is a preposition.
My whole is the name of a place
closely associated with Oeorse Wash
ington. AMorn.
Historical Paying: Million, for de
fense but not 1 cent for tribute.
Numerical: Mount Vernon. 1. &;
L ever; t, nut; 4, on.