Show America Has No National Dance Most Countries Have Steps Which Are Distinctly Their Own Whether Washington Whether the current frenzy called the time Charleston is des des- destined destined es- es tined to be a n permanent addition to the art of dancing or whether It shuf shut shuffles shuffles fles fies out of the spotlight of popular fancy after aHel the turkey trot the bunn bunny hug the camel walk the shimmy and other pressure high high steps of the past discussion of or it t has revived ed Interest In characteristic na national and folk dances In many parts of the world orld says a bulletin from fromI I the Washington headquarters of the National Geographic society America has no generally recognized recognized recognized national dance the bulletin i continues There is the moribund Vir lr Virginia ginia reel at present the subject of earnest efforts at resuscitation by old old- time old I time dance revivalists re In man many of time the more remote rural sections of the country the lime Virginia reel flourishes more or less despite the growing scarcIty of capable figure callers but the younger generation of most of oC the countr country today knows little about It it In time the lie cast of some steps It necessary only to name the dance and Its birthplace flashes to mind so thorough thoroughly I have ha the country and the name of or Its most characteristic dance become linked The jig Ireland the hula hula hula-hula Hawaii the tango Argen Argen- I tine the polka Bohemia now Czechoslovakia the India i ithe time the minuet Old France These hese ore are only a few samples of dances which automatically furnish their own places and date lines Egypt's Star Dances The Time most ancient dances lances are be believed be- be believed lIe ed to be astronomical dances or of orthe the early E Egyptians The Time object of these dances was to Inspire a feelIng of harmony among the planets and to so Influence them hem that their effect e on life might not be harmful The Creeks took the star dances from time the Bg Egyptians and found a n place for them themas themas themas as the chorus or background of oC their tragedIes The Time Romans Homan as In other arts produced few original dances but they developed their heritage from the Egyptians Egypt and Greeks In the more primitive dancing and religion were almost synonymous As for the thc lower strata of humanity A savage sa docs does not preach his religion he dances It Livingstone wrote from Africa For all solemn occasions In the lives of primitive e peoples there are dances dances dances- for weddings for funerals for seed seed- seedtime seedtime time and for harvest han for war and for peace Where today we find people praying In church for rain or for forthe forthe forthe the restoration of or friends to health ancient man danced for these things One of the liveliest of the worlds world's dances Is the tarantella the diversion diversion diver- diver diversion sion of or Naples It Is executed with tambourines and was formerly sup sup- supposed up posed to cure curc the bite of ot the a largo large venomous spider Another ver- ver version ver version er erslon sion slon of the origin orl of ot the dance says that It is based basell on the theme of ot la morra a game consisting In guessing ot at the number of fingers suddenly Until re re- recently recently held out ont by an nn opponent cen visitors to Asia Minor l were delighted and mystified with the gyra gyro gyrations gyrations of the famous Turkish whirling dervishes Originally of religious significance the art rt of ot the dervishes imad de degenerated so that not long ago the new Turkish Republic prohibIted the dance Perhaps the only original contri contri- contribution contribution contribution that England Ingland has made In the tho thelast lost last four centuries is the sailors sailor's horn horn- hornpIpe hornpipe hornpipe pipe The neighboring Island of Ire Ire- Ireland land lund however howe boasts of ot the jig the tho reel and the thc hornpipe clog ond clog dances Britain's colonies offer color color- colorI colorful fug ful and diverting ng steps most of ot them I symbolic or religious such as the tho devil dance of Ceylon Earliest Turkey Trot and the Imitative Im- Im Impulse impulse Im Impulse pulse doubtless have ha played large parts In molding many of the more mora i and steps of oC savage peoples Of Or great Interest to the stu student stu- stu student dent of animal life are such mimicking mimicking mimickIng ing steps as the kangaroo hops of ot time the Australian and the Tasmanian the tho movements mo of a cotillion ot of natives In time the heart henrt of Africa and tile the calf held tactics at a bushman's hall ball In the mechanIcal frenzies ot of the American Indian harvest and war dunces may be the lie embryonic turkey lurkey trot or bunn bunny hug The close association of early dances with warfare Is brou brought ht out In such survivals as the sword dances The Scotch sword dance Is the most graceful and least bloodthirsty of these Chinese and Turkish sword dance however howe are not so esthetic While wildly beautiful bC they are not wholly free from rom danger Natives of the FIJI Islands have ho a n war dance in which clubs are flourished In a fren fren- frenzied frenzied manner In East Africa the na native na- na native tive ti tribes honor distinguished guests with a ceremonial dance donee In which spears and other weapons are rushed up within an Inch of the visitors visitor's nose I It Is a test ot or the honor lionor guests guest's nel nerve for If it he lie moves or shows sho the least sign of fear feor or annoyance he falls in inthe inthe Ini the respect of Ills his well meaning hosts |