Warning: Dancing leads to hell!

[ducasi]

Thanks to boingboing.net (http://www.boingboing.net/2006/07/06/antidance_book_from_.html), here's a book I think we all need to read.

Apparently this dancing stuff we all do is going to lead us all to hell. That's according to T.A. Faulkner, former owner of the Los Angeles Dancing Academy and ex-President of Dancing Masters' Association of the Pacific Coast.

Here's a quick excerpt from the book...


She is now in the vile embrace of the Apollo of the evening. Her head rests upon his shoulder, her face is upturned to his, her bare arm is almost around his neck, her partly nude swelling breast heaves tumultuously against his, face to face they whirl on, his limbs interwoven with hers, his strong right arm around her yielding form, he presses her to him until every curve in the contour of her body thrills with the amorous contact. Her eyes look into his, but she sees nothing; the soft music fills the room, but she hears it not; he bends her body to and fro, but she knows it not; his hot breath, tainted with strong drink, is on her hair and cheek, his lips almost touch her forehead, yet she does not shrink; his eyes, gleaming with a fierce, intolerable lust, gloat over her, yet she does not quail. She is filled with the rapture of sin in its intensity; her spirit is inflamed with passion and lust is gratified in thought. With a last low wail the music ceases, and the dance for the night is ended, but not the evil work of the night.

You can read it all online (look for the "read online" link) or download it from here (http://manybooks.net/titles/faulknert1875918759.html).

I'm going to read it now – not like there's anything on telly at the moment... :whistle:

[DangerousCurves]

errrr - where EXACTLY did you say they held that dance? :whistle:

[ducasi]

errrr - where EXACTLY did you say they held that dance? :whistle:
Stirling, 22nd & 23rd July. ;)

[DangerousCurves]

Stirling, 22nd & 23rd July. ;)

I'm on the way.... hold an "Apollo" with my name on him..... :wink:

[Allez-Cat]

Blimey. Stirling, you say, Ducasi? Hmm - only 8 hours by road.....

[straycat]

You know - read and reread that passage as I might, I can't find any trace of hell in the evening's proceedings that it describes...

Except for the guy's obvious need for strong mints or breath fresheners of some sort.

Stray
I'll be in my bunk

[straycat]

Oh - wow. I love this book...

Another excerpt...



Let me assure you in the first place that I am well aware that there are many church members and professing Christians who dance; but, if on the strength of this you deem it a safe amusement, come with me for a few evenings, and when you have seen all that I can show you, let your judgment tell you, whether you can, with safety, place your pure, beautiful daughter in the dancing academy or ball-room.

And I say YES! Place your pure beautiful daughter in the ball-room. We promise to be very nice to her...:devil: :devil: :devil:

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.
Nor the oxen her husband bought her.
But thank the Lord thou're not forbidden
To covet thy neighbour's daughter...
(ANON)

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Since the beginning of time people have used dance as a form of expression, it's part of human nature, yes people can abuse it, but that can be said for many things, this guy needs to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

[Freya]

Stirling, 22nd & 23rd July. ;)
Ahhh so now I know what to expect! :wink:

[MartinHarper]

First quote on this thread is the best description of UK blues I've heard so far.

[ducasi]

I liked this bit...

One may work six days in the week and arise fresh every morning, but let him attend a dance for only a few hours each evening and see what will occur. Health and vigor vanish like the dew before the sun.

It is not the exercise which harms the dancer in mind and body, but the coming in such close contact with the opposite sex. Did you ever know a lady who danced to excess to live to be over twenty-five years of age? If she does she is, in most instances, broken in health physically and morally. Doctors claim it to be a most harmful exercise physically for both sexes. The average age of the excessive male dancer is thirty-one.

Beside the harmful exercise there is great danger from the exposure, a girl is so often subjected to in a ball room. She gets in a perspiration during the dance, and as soon as it is over rushes to an open door or window with arms and chest exposed. Is there any wonder that so many women of to-day are unhealthy? So true...

[quiet_flame]

It is not the exercise which harms the dancer in mind and body, but the coming in such close contact with the opposite sex. Did you ever know a lady who danced to excess to live to be over twenty-five years of age? If she does she is, in most instances, broken in health physically and morally. Doctors claim it to be a most harmful exercise physically for both sexes. The average age of the excessive male dancer is thirty-one.

LOL, it's a parody of the average stage life of a Ballet Dancer and Ballroomer.

Scary...

[Beowulf]

when was this book written? Living to 25? 31?

I dunno, I read the book and it makes me want to dance MORE not LESS!

the guy has some very odd ideas!

[DavidY]

when was this book written?
Anti-dance book from 1892:
the guy has some very odd ideas!
T.A. Faulkner, former owner of the Los Angeles Dancing Academy and ex-President of Dancing Masters' Association of the Pacific Coast...so the author was actually a dance teacher. What were his classes like?:what:

[Serendipity]

Quote:
She is now in the vile embrace of the Apollo of the evening. Her head rests upon his shoulder, her face is upturned to his, her bare arm is almost around his neck, her partly nude swelling breast heaves tumultuously against his, face to face they whirl on, his limbs interwoven with hers, his strong right arm around her yielding form, he presses her to him until every curve in the contour of her body thrills with the amorous contact. Her eyes look into his, but she sees nothing; the soft music fills the room, but she hears it not; he bends her body to and fro, but she knows it not; his hot breath, tainted with strong drink, is on her hair and cheek, his lips almost touch her forehead, yet she does not shrink; his eyes, gleaming with a fierce, intolerable lust, gloat over her, yet she does not quail. She is filled with the rapture of sin in its intensity; her spirit is inflamed with passion and lust is gratified in thought. With a last low wail the music ceases, and the dance for the night is ended, but not the evil work of the night.

Where do I sign? :worthy:

[LemonCake]

Where do I sign? :worthy:


:yeah: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

[DianaS]

Thanks to boingboing.net (http://www.boingboing.net/2006/07/06/antidance_book_from_.html), here's a book I think we all need to read.

Apparently this dancing stuff we all do is going to lead us all to hell. That's according to T.A. Faulkner, former owner of the Los Angeles Dancing Academy and ex-President of Dancing Masters' Association of the Pacific Coast.

Here's a quick excerpt from the book...



You can read it all online (look for the "read online" link) or download it from here (http://manybooks.net/titles/faulknert1875918759.html).

I'm going to read it now – not like there's anything on telly at the moment... :whistle:
oohhh eerrr
shouldn't be allowed

[Your wife]

The average age of a male excessive dancer is 31?


Oh, IF ONLY!


76 more like

[pjay]

when was this book written?

I think it's quoted in there as 1892.... (or there abouts)

[Baruch]

Apparently this dancing stuff we all do is going to lead us all to hell. That's according to T.A. Faulkner, former owner of the Los Angeles Dancing Academy and ex-President of Dancing Masters' Association of the Pacific Coast.
I know the book was published over a century ago and ideas have changed since then, but as a practising Christian I still find it an embarrassment that some people would seriously believe such rubbish as this enough to write a book about it. Such extreme ideas give the rest of us Christians a bad name. Rest assured that most of us aren't like that!

[ducasi]

I know the book was published over a century ago and ideas have changed since then, but as a practising Christian I still find it an embarrassment that some people would seriously believe such rubbish as this enough to write a book about it. Such extreme ideas give the rest of us Christians a bad name. Rest assured that most of us aren't like that!
I actually think the book had a serious point to make. In present times, we are aware of sleazy guys who only go dancing looking for "a bit of skirt".

One hundred years ago it was probably much the same, except that a girl's "virtue" was a powerful concept, and the rules of society put a great deal of weight onto it.

It was aimed at innocents who were not aware of what dancing can be like. Maybe it actually served a purpose... :)

[bigdjiver]

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/dihtml/diessay8.html

[pjay]

I actually think the book had a serious point to make. In present times, we are aware of sleazy guys who only go dancing looking for "a bit of skirt".

One hundred years ago it was probably much the same, except that a girl's "virtue" was a powerful concept, and the rules of society put a great deal of weight onto it.

It was aimed at innocents who were not aware of what dancing can be like. Maybe it actually served a purpose... :)

I think that you are misreading Mr Faulkner's intent if you believe that this book was merely to serve as a warning to innocents that some males masquarading as gentlemen of the highest calibre were dancing merely to get a bit of skirt.

I think that his language and writing is much stronger than that.

On the flip side, I agree that "warning innocents" might not be a bad thing to do... are there any of them left?