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Show i Where the Dance Masters 1 Get Ideas for New Steps 'New York Press. ( T&.T EW D-ANCES for Bale here." was lo slcn with which tho young . woman might have tagged liehclf appropriately, Since she woro no such lllunilnallng-placard It was necessary to nnnounco her business. "Would you like to buy my latest dance?" she asked. The man waved his hand toward tho room across tho hall, whence a sound of rovelry proceeded. ' "No," said lie, "we already havo more dances than wc know what to do" with." "Quito likely," said the woman; "but they are old and some of them arc probably proba-bly not much account, I wish yoa would try mine. It In brand new. I Just struck tho step last night." ' The man seemed Interested. "What do you know about new dances?" bo asked. '"Most everything." was the reply. "1 .know more about them than half the dancing masters In town rolled Into one. Ij, have originality enough to study out new stopB. which Is something few of .thorn arc able to do." "Oh, I don't know," ths man retorted. "I do something in that line myself 1 havo boon attending dancing masters' conventions con-ventions for the last ten yearsK and at every one I have suggested some new movement that ' was appreciated by my colleagues.'' "That doesn't prove anything," said the young woman. "I havo never been, within nfty miles of a convention hallt yet I will venture to say that half the curves and glides Introduced by the professors wero tho product of my toll and talent. Dancing Danc-ing mantcrs that meet to comparo notes each year aro credited with a good deal of genius that doesn't belong to them Many new steps or variations on old ones aro put before tho convention, and each trick that takes the fancy of tho rest of tho crowd Is claimed as his own Idea by tho man who introduced it. Sometimes it really Is his, but moro frcnuontly It Is mine, specially lf the man happens to live lnNew York. It Is my business to Invent dances. I put In about six months of every year studying out new wrinkles In tripping tho light fantastlo Come Into my room almost any day between 10 and 4 o'clock and you will ttnd me capering be-foro be-foro tho looking-glass trying to strike somo effective movement. When I get tho Idea worked out I peddlo It Just as lf It were soap or hair oil or any other tangible tangi-ble commodity. I go to a dancing master and say, 'I invented a new stop last night. Do you want to buy It?' Then I execute tho movement. If he likes It ho pays for It" "How much?" Interrupted the professor. "That depends upon the dance. If my Innovation Is Just a minor crook or twist In tho twirling of the toes or tho swinging swing-ing of a partner I let 11 go cheap, but lf it Is a decided novelty 1 hold out for a good prlco. Now, in this dance I have offered to you 1 havo Introduced some very striking strik-ing features. Would you like to see?" Tho professor backed off Into tho corner cor-ner and the woman began a scries T)f graceful gyrations before the long mirror. "How does It strike, you?" she asked. "Clever, but too Intricate for the general public," "The chances are." returned the young woman coolly, "that tho general public will pever seo It, As a matter of fact, very few new dances cvor are accepted by tho general public The public goes along performing tho same old terpslchorcan stunts year In and year out without even knowing that you and I and a few others are wearing out shoe leather and gray matter devising graceful shuflles for its amusement. Still, tho new Ideas must be produced. Dancing masters' conventions' demand that. Each delegate feels that his , reputation as a man of fertile brain and twinkling toes depends upon tho sugges- lion of several new dances. He probably Knows when presenting them that they will never be danced by mortal foot outside out-side tho convention hall; noverthehwH ho goes the pace 'courageously. That Is where 1 come In. Being too obtuso to llgure out new measures for himself ho buys them from me." . "But where do you get them?" asked the professor. "Some I cudgol entirely out of my mind; others are -adaptations. That Is, 1 study the folk and socloty dances of different countries and then combiner the best poli'13 of several dances, with perhaps an original touch of my own to lend individuality. individ-uality. Commercially considered, my original origi-nal dances are best. They aro generally marketable for theatrical purposes, and thus bring a prlco that makes It worth whllo to get up In the middle of the night to practice a new step. Socloty dances are tamo affairs and yield only a small income, in-come, comparatively, to the Inventor " Tho professor looked doubtful. "How about that danco you showed me Just now?" he said. "To which class docs' It belong?" "It Is half and half. It can be worked both ways. By putting a little moro ginger gin-ger Into It It will make a hit on the stage; by toning It down a bit It will bo conventional conven-tional enough for the- ballroom. Do you want to try It?" "Yes." said tho professor "I guess I might as well. It will probably die an ig-' nomlnious death on tho convention lloor. but It will bo devilish enough to mako tho other follows think me a mighty smart chap." |
