maha Sunday Bee Magazine Page
Why DancerxAre5oDanterou.r
Science Explains Their Fascination by
Their Power to Awaken Primitive
Dreams of Conquest Created
by the First Priestesses When
Men Still Lived in Caves
Tim fact that tho family ot
Thomas It. Williams, Jr., Is
rent In twain because Thomas
R, Williams, Jr., baa married Mmo.
Do Beau, a charming dancer ot
Valeska Surratt'a company, gives
point to tho psychologist's statement
that (lancers nro natural disturbers
lot tho family peace. They mako
more- trouble in families than does
any other class of Tvomen. Tho light
too creates more trouble in tho house
hold than tbo light purso or even
tho light bend.
"When a dancer Jsn breaking up
someone's elso family she kicks her
own Into splinters," said a bitter old
cynic of Broadway. When a man dis
puted bis statement tho cynic re
called Nnnco Qwynn of tho four
husbands and who lives in anticipa
tion of seven, because a fortune tel
ler told her she would bavo that
number of spouses. Miss Qwynn was
peared in cases ot dlvorco, and lovo nllpnutlon. Tho frequency ot 8Ult ot Mrs. Charles Gilpin, Jr., so
ttfe phenomenon Jod to a statistical Inquiry, with tho surprising being drawn for a painful tlmo into
discovery that dancers are, as a class, fully 20 per cent ahead or any tuo vortex or troup e n ow oi tuo
other class in furnishing domestic and undomestlc Upheavals. .,dc8t i" In Philadelphia. Wbllu
ju ur"u"tt uvwucouu uu imuuwoo w uvuonws, dancer Bessie Clayton has uovor
The question ot wby thla is so has beon ralsod, and ita answer fur- tolen llcr troubles into tho courts
nlshes ono of tho jnost interesting explanations ot modern psychology. 8i10 j by no means reticent about
Many eminent psychologists bollovo that tho danco Is not only tho the part dancer Louise Alexander
oldest religious rite, but tho oldest form ot amusement, and tho oldest Jffi Ja ?a!rt
form of mental stimulation known. Theab scientists hold that Tvhon a man j,er husband, ' Julian Mitchell, she
was still Ja the cave-ago bo was heavy witted, brutish, with only a nidi- points jto tho brunette dancer as tho
aeatary imagination. To enable blm to advance, to plan conquests, both, reason. Nor has Anna Held been
of other men and of nature, stimulation of his Imagination was necessary. JJ'jJJ SwS the vmalnesf Sf
He who coal plan ahead .was the one who won. hor 8R(1 gtory 0f tjM that were first
Just, tkey argue, as at a certain stage of childhood a girl develops grievously tangled, then sundered.
.malaatlea faster than a boy, so in tho childhood ot man, woman out- Mrs. Conway Tcarle told a eym-
atrbMd him la the same development. pathetic Judge the "tory ot how Ro-
iVT- . i barta Mengos Hill, once known as
Witk thla development ot imagination came natural mimicry. Woman tho hallo of sheoMhead Bay. bad
imitated the natural things about her, and sho did It in tho form of danc
1, -which. Ja unquestionably tho most natural form ef emotional ex-
yrMsloa.
id Rubinstein, Who Won Gabricle d'Annunzio's Devoted
Friendship from tho Incomparable Duse.
!(Ant Above) Gaby Dealys, Who Kicked Over Portugal's
Throne with tho Toe of Her Pink Satjn Slipper.
By Prof. DAVID EDGAU KICE, Ph.D. (Columbia),
The DlttlnQulshed Psychologist
ECENTIA' tho names ot dancers In increasing numbers bavo an-
R
memories In the bosoms of many
wives in tbo huge city of laugbtor.
Many a vaguoly Jealous wife has
been disturbed by the flutter of Mile.
Waste's ballot skirt and by the flash
ot her pink satin dancing pump.
But there stands no record ot domes
tic disturbance against that dainty
dancer save her own divorce from
the young manager who brought ber
into fame as the Red Domino.
Not only in tho kingdom ot borne,
but In the wider realm of state bavo
dancers ruled and overruled and dis
rupted. Lola Montcz, reigned in
Bavaria through the slavery of the
King to ber will. How Gaby Deslys,
with tho tip of ber dainty toe, over
turned tho throno of Portugal and
sent a kinglet as a mendicant
suing for the favor of thrones la
a story better known in this country
than the terms ot tbo revised tariff
list.
Beventecn-year-old, b. r o w n-o y e tf,
sunny-haired Li'Acrolia, dancer And
daughter of a dancer, was driven out
of Belgium by an indignant Queen.
Tho Queen, incensed by a story told
her by one ot ber ladlcs-ln-wnIUng.
that King Albert, meeting the dancer
in the royal ballroom, rehearsing the
dances with which sho was thatnigbt
to entertain the Bolglan court, had
kissed her, commanded that tbo samo
lady in waiting take ber at once
danced her husband away from his
hearthsldo, bad all but kidnapped
him, bad indeed spirited blm away,
albeit with bis connivance, to jsurop-
The shaggy cave chieftain, Bitting besltjo Ihe fire of his clan, watchod can shores. The Judge was so sorry
. Lt . is a ii . ' i . r 4 I . I - -- a
(Hew primitive gyrations, and from them received a spark which kindled
Ibis sluggish Imagination. So stimulated, he was ablo to plan primltlvo
conquests and carry them out. Tho dancing hod broadened bis horizon,
Ho recognized this, and so in that dim age the dancera' presonts wore tho
richest furs, tho finest ornaments, tho host food, and oftentimes tho soorl-
nee ot .prisoners.
for Mrs. Toarle and so Indignant with
Roberta Menges that he granted Mrs.
Tearlo tbo divorce she craved,
Duse tho compelling, tho most mar
vellous of living ootroaBos, lost the
interest a'nd it was believed the
heart of Gabrlelo d'AnnunzIo, great
, MU U w w. V" ww J e 4 V " Vw 4S44a U AS S4S0 f t
Through, scores of centuries tho danco hold Us supremacy and tbo est of living Italian authors, to a
dancer was tho only key
to lands of imagination
from which mankind
drew power and in
spiration. Then camo
with his development
other factors to stimu
late man's mind But
tho habit ot the ages
had given tbo dancer a
awer over man's sub
eeasclousneBS that sho
till retains to-day.
There was ft sound
psychological reason for
th 'f Ift ef John the
Bayiist'a bead to
Salome,
And the man ot to
day "who sacrifices
borne, faml)y or throne
to tbo dancer is simply
swept away by primi
tive lmpulsos which
have persisted in him
for thousands of years.
Bo reason a school ot psychol
ogists not to be taken lightly. I,
however, do not agree with tbom
upon all points,
In the case of tho professional
dancer wo certainly have to do
with a typo that is destined
to prove mora or less of a.
temptation to susceptible males.
In the first place, she is danger
ous because ot ber surpassing
beauty ot toco and figure. With
out these assets sho is not
likely to quality In tho profes
sional class. In the next place,
the choice of this form of en
tertainment is In itself indica
tive of a nature that is ready to
disregard the conventions. In
making this assertion It must, of course, be understood that we aro mak
ing due exception ot these women ot strong personality who have dono ao
much to elevate the art ot dancing. The reference here is to the other
kind those who causo trouble. Tho former uses her art to win admira
tion for ber art Tho latter dovelops ber art to attract attention to and
admiration for hersolf.
Given a woman of this typo on tho stage and a susceptible person be
fore the footlights, and we have the necessary elements ot a domestio dis
turbance. The determlnlnlng factor tho flamo to the powder Is supplied
by the dance Itself. For whatever of beauty and artlstlo effect may be
claimed tor the dance In Its most highly developed form, tho fact is that
Its ultimate appeal is to tho fundamental Instincts.
This assertion may seem to be rather extreme to those who are familiar
with the danco only in its roodorn form before the adven ot the turkey
trot bunny bug and tango. These most recent developments, In the opinion
of many, give some color to the statement, but to roallse its full signifi
cance It is necessary to study the dance as It is practised among savage
peoples of the present day. For these people typify tbo primitive practises
and customs of nations that are now civilised, and It is a fact that some, at
least, of the objectlonal dances recently introduced aro rovlvals ot the
cruder forma of earlier days.
Havelock Ellis, who cites dozens of examples from primitive customs,
makes this interesting comment on the subject;
"As the highest and most complex form ot muscular movement, It In
the moat potent method ot obtaining the excitement muscular movement
yields. Among savages this use ot dancing work harmoniously with the
various other uses which dancing possessed In primltlvo times, and which
caused it to occupy so large and vital a part in savage lite that It may pos
sibly even affect tbe organism to such an extent as to mold the bones, As
civilization advances, tbe other uses of dancing may fall away, but the art
still remains a stimulant"
If tbe tbepry ot the dance here given bo true, It follows that the pro
leetional dancer who regularly gives herself up to Its influence must .be
reaaared particularly susceptible to tho advauces tf her admirers. And
tha aasnlrenv in turn, are scarcely less susceptible.
isiiHiiiiiBHMHSaiiiiiHB.. . li.
l a Fprnarina, Who Was Politely Row., n... .
Spain Because of Klnff AUw&fg0$
sinuous enchantress, Ida Rubinstein,
onco premiere dansouso of tbo, Rus
sian ballot at the Grand Opera House
ot Paris.
-Tho dancer Babarot proposes to
marry her partner, Scnor Florldo, as
Boon as tho nalo dancer disentangles
hlmsolf from previous matrimonial
bonds. Herr Frantzlus, her busband,
not waiting for this lightening of
FJorldo's conjugal burden, named his
wife's dancing partner in a success
ful suit for dlvorco. Herr Frantzlus
fell In lovo with tho dancer's portrait
nnd fell out of lovo with ber tempera
ment, which ho said was made up
ot one hundred parts ot volatility.
Dancer Bessie McCoy was not
named in Mrs. Richard Harding
Davis's suit for divorce. But no one
has denied that her friendship ot two
years tor tho novelist widened the
(breach that oxisted (botween the
author and bis artlst-wlfo. When the
dlvorco wnB accomplished Miss Mc
Coy beenmo tbo Bocond Mrs. Davis.
Odetto Valery, wbo stirred tho ad
miration ot Oscar Hammcrsteln, her
impresario, by tho romantio record
ot twenty-eight love
affairs In one year,
was tho bogle wo
man to many un
happy Parlslennes.
Never did tha dusky
hatred charmer with
tbe alluring black
eyes tall to inject a
thorn Into a matri
monial situation
when she chose.
Since misfortune
has overtaken her
andaho It destitute in
Paris sho is still the
cause ot disturbing
Lillian Lorraine, the Beautiful Disturber of Anna Held'a
Domestic Peace.
Spring," she added, with a glance at
a huge basket ot red roses of a kind
that grew only in tbo royal gardens.
That was rendered unmistakable by
tho snshlike ribbon of tbo royal col
ors that encircled them.
"It will become less agreeable for
the beautiful Fornarlnn. Indeed, we
regret It exceedingly, that we KNOWI
Jt will," The spokesman of the Min
istry glanced out ot the window ot
Fornarlna's apartment at tho palace.
"It would bo so much more pleasant
for example, It La Fornarlna should
show Paris the beautiful Castlllan
dances barbarous Paris that has
been content with the vulgar tango!"
La Fornarlna's bluo-vclned lids
lowered and veiled her yes. She
sighed. Then she emlled. That night
sho went to Paris. In Paris she bsn
remained.
And then, of course, there was tbe
Justly famous Salome.
out of tbe klncdom nnd back to Paris.
There followed a glacial atmosphero
between their Malestle.i of Belgium
that has continued, according to the
court gossips, until the present day.
La, Fornarlna, tho most beautiful
dancer in Spain, attracted tbe roving
and Jlvely eye of ber monarch. King
Alfonso. The Ministry, alert to these
adventures of that eye, nnd reading
the portent of them in the light of the
overturned throne of their neighbor
Portugal, did not drive the most beau
tiful dancer from her own country.
Nay, the Ministry was much too gal
lant for that It paid a semi-official
visit to La Fornarlna. It deplored
tbo fact that developments had made
it unpleasant for La Fornarlna to
remain in Madrid.
"But Madrid is most delightful,
especially now," La Fornarlna sighed,
dellclously. "I refer, of course, to tho
delightful climate ot Madrid In tho
How Running Makes You Sleepy
Odette'Valery, the Bogie Woman of Many Parisian Wives.
Copyright 1911, by th Star Company, Great BrtUJn Rlfhts IlMervod.
rr-lUliRE is nothing in tbo world
1 quite as exasperating as not
being able to go to sleep when
you want to, and persistent insomnia
Is one ot tho greatest curses of man
kind. But many people suffer from
Insomnia from lack of knowing many
of the simple de
vices that bare
been used In tha
past to provoke
sleep, and Sir James
Sawyer. In a recent
work, points out how vuluable some
ot these simple means have been.
Few plans are more successful, bo
suggests, than that ot running
around the bed, particularly if the
night be cold. It will bo remembered
that Charles Dickens, wbo was
greatly afflicted with sleeplessness,
declared that if he could lean on tho
bedpost in thin nttlro in which ho
usually slept until be got chilled
clear through, tho return to a warm
bed would produce a drowsiness that
led blm along the path of sleep.
William Harvey, the discoverer ot the
circulation of the blood, was a be
liever in the circulation of the bed
also, He declared that for sleepless-
ness nothing was better than tov
Jump out of bed suddenly, as though
frightened, race around tho bed with
very little on, until the skin was
cold and the body heated nnd then
Jump back to bed. Not only was the
exercise good, he believed, but also
the feeling that one was being with
held from going to bed caused a de
sire for It, which prepared tbe mind
for sleep when onco more lying down.
Of course such devices as a bop
pillow are well known both George
Washington and tho present King of
England could testify to their use
fulness, and nightcaps both ol
fabrics and liquids have a soothlm
effect, externally and Internally re
spectlvcly. But when all Is said nnd
done, nothing so well conquers ln
somnla as a sudden plunge out mi
bed into a cold room and u vigorous
run arouud tbe bed or If one be
aure that others are asleep up and
down a corridor. Should tho custom
becom prevalent however, tbe balls
of a large hotel might present a curi
ous spectacle during tbe early hours
of the morning.
a ,
