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INTRODUCTORY - You must play. It has been said, and truly, that the play of childhood is the most serious thing in the world. It is just as serious a matter for your own concern and well being.

Clean and wholesome play, temperate, healthful relaxation is the infallible way of dissolving the mental and physical toxins generated by our intense American way of living and working.

1. DANCING STORY - When that promised and happy moment comes, when you put your best foot forward to the measures of the dance, you will be doing so in a stately company.

Down through the mist of ages the art of dancing comes weaving its graceful way to us, its cadence burdened with race-old emotions, now pagan, now religious, romantic, tribal, martial. For it is an art that has touched life at many points. In song, in story, in Holy Writ you will find it; you may find it between the lines of a doctor's prescription.

2. THE WALTZ - Why give up all of the steps that our parents and grandparents practiced; why not bring them along with us and make them up-to-date? Since we are usually delving into the past for other things, as for fashions, for instance, why not have the waltz back with us again? Well, the old waltz has come back to us again, but is somewhat different.

In the old-school waltz you were turning all the time and had a hopping, springy step. Not so with the waltz of today, for it is now danced with a glide and the glide is used in the fullest meaning of that term; a smooth, easy, sliding step.

3. NOVELTIES - In selecting the dances, marches, and novelties used in this books I have chosen those combinations that are the most practical and if followed with the descriptions, figures, and diagrams will mean, as we know from a commercial standpoint, the saving of time and much money.

The lessons in marching, etc., are comprehensive and best of all they are in vogue to-day. In conclusion the author does not profess to know everything.

4. FOX TROT - Fox Trot is hardly a descriptive title, as indeed this dance, which seems to hold the fundamental principles of modern dances, is most unlike a trot. Indeed it is a smooth, easy dance and the most dignified of modern dances.

At first you may regret the lack of elasticity in the muscles. But patience must come with practice, and with it, too, that feeling of ease which makes accomplishment easier and assured. Remember that dancing after all is merely walking; walking, that is, with the knees bent at a slightly more acute angle than usual.

5. ONE STEP - In the One Step the gentleman starts with the left foot forward 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 and 8. The lady goes back starting with the right foot. Right, left, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. On the eighth (8) step the gentleman draws the right foot close to the left as shown in diagram (1 -2). The left foot is free to begin the next figure.

The lady on the eighth (8) step draws the left foot in front of the right toe, pointed out, and that leaves the weight on the left foot. Now if you examine the feet you will find that you have your feet in the same position; the left foot will be in front of the right. See diagram 2.

6. WALTZ - It is but the name that is reminiscent; for the waltz of to-day is danced with a glide — and to the fullest meaning of that term. It is danced in f time.

Starting with the left foot, gentleman takes four steps forward, same as in Fox Trot exactly, a full reaching step, count one and two and three and four and — (3). The lady steps back on the right foot, four full steps, count one and two and three and four and — (3).

7. PAUL JONES - An excellent diversion and one that breaks the monotony of continuous Fox Trot, One Step, and Canter Waltz may be found in the following suggestion. It seldom fails in stimulating enthusiasm by a complete change in dancing partners and by offering to the self-conscious a sufficient way to overcome their timidity.

Select some popular member to act as a Master of Ceremonies, and at a signal from him all join hands, ladies on the right of partners, and form a circle, the master in the center.

8. MARCHING - While marching is somewhat apart from dancing, still it is not wholly so, and it may be expedient to treat of it here. Marching has always found much favor and will continue to do so. It may be said to open, to elaborate a function with some pomp and circumstance. To lead the Grand March, be it for your Lodge or your Sorority dance, will ever be a unique and distinguishing accomplishment.

9. NOVELTIES - The Barn Dance is an always pleasing novelty. It starts with a momentum that carries it along to its happy conclusion and remains the most popular and lasting of novelties. There is no end to what may be done to add to the infinite variety of its appeal and humor. To issue invitations printed on straw paper couched in Josh Billing dialect; to decorate with straw or corn in the husk, with pumpkins and lanterns; to dress in overalls, gingham and white linen dusters; to serve cider and ginger-cake — to suggest these is merely to touch on its many possibilities. The usual order of dancing obtains.

10. CANTER WALTZ - The Canter Waltz has been revived and presents an opportunity to show the use of "direction" in the straight backward and forward series of walking steps.

Showing the count of 2 steps as against the 3 count of waltz time.

This dance is walking to waltz time but walking most quietly and gracefully.  There are two steps to the three counts of music.

11. SCHOTTISH ESPAGNOLE - This is the latest dance and shows a decided variation from the other dances of the day as the music has a definite rhythm quite different from the other dance music. A new record called "Mon Homme" has just been made for this dance which will quickly be followed by others.

The music in 4/4 time is so much more dashing and animated that there will be less of the swaying movement of past seasons. The steps through out the dance are as follows:

12. FOX TROT PART - These descriptions of the steps are given for the masculine point of view and can be easily reversed for the lady. When a pivot turn is used in the Fox Trot, 2 is counted for each step, making a complete turn in 4 steps. The pivot steps are given in a separate section as they play such an important part in all the modern dances.

13. PIVOT TURNS - The complete pivot turn used so much in the dances of today is made in four steps and two measures of music. Commence with the feet in first position for practising and place the weight of the body on the right foot. Step forward on the left foot, making a 1/4 turn to left and counting 1-2, = 1/4pivot. The body is now turned to the left with the weight on the left foot. Step forward with the right foot turning it so that the step is actually taken backwards and when finished the dancer faces the original position of starting and has made a 1/2turn, counting 3-4, = 1/2pivot. Place the weight on the right foot and step forward on the left, making a 1/4turn to the left and counting 1-2, = 3/4 pivot.

14. VIRGINIA REEL - Down through the centuries has come this jolly and inspiring dance in which all are expected to join, young and old, as the finale of the evening. While much more popular out of town than among the smart set it still retains its prestige in England where it has always been known as Sir Roger de Coverley, and when danced by officers in regimentals their swords are extended to form an arch over the lovely heads.

15. COTILLION - The cotillion danced by all the guests with its variety of music and its brilliant whirl of color is returning to us with the revival of so many charming things of other days. This form of dancing was once so popular that the earlier dances of the evening were only a preliminary pleasure.

More planning is required than for the usual dance but the true hostess enjoys an opportunity to offer something intensely interesting and enjoyable to her guests which may also bring the added charm of a surprise.

16. COTILLION FIGURES - For an opening figure this is most successful when danced to the one step, since this dance is known to all. The leader and his partner each take a favor and dance around the room together. Then separating they seek each new partners to whom they give the favor and dance once around again. Then the new partners seek other partners with the same favor and so this continues quickly until all have enjoyed a whirl around withii the circle.

17. AN EVENING - Two things lend most charm to a delightful evening, and one is the thoughtful preparations of the hostess for the enjoyment of her guests, and the other is their courteous and appreciative participation in these pleasures.

In planning a joyous evening amusement should be provided for all and it is customary to have several tables arranged in one of the smaller rooms where cards or games may be played by those not dancing.

18. LATEST WORD - The transition period, through which we are passing, affects our lives in every way in manners, fashions and mode of living, and extends to dancing so that new dances appear and disappear with amazing rapidity.

Of the new dances only a step or motion is retained and then so modified by social usage that it may be properly danced with pleasure in a refined manner. These new steps are incorporated into the figures of the Fox Trot which still retains its great popularity and when viewed in comparison with its original form will show such variation as to appear almost as a new dance.

19. CORRECT POSITION - Never was the elegance of correct position in dancing more important than today when the smooth walking type of the dances is varied with Toddle steps and Waltz dips. The woman who is incorrectly held cannot with grace or facility follow the leading of her partner and this deficiency in the instruction of the art of dancing is more pronounced since there is no striking new dance to artract the eye.

20. FIGURES - By the use of the word "Figure" in connection with the dances of the Fox Trot and the Waltz is meant that each figure is theseries of steps in each dance — such as the three walking steps in the Fox Trot which constitute a figure or the three steps of Waltz which again forms a single figure. In the Fox Trot and the  standard Waltz each series of steps constitutes a figure and each figure is danced to a measure of music. In such steps as that of the Toddle it will be seen in the description of that dance why a figure of the Toddle, while only of three steps, requires two measures of music.

21. TODDLE - The Toddle, so popular, is gradually toddling away, but as its figures are used with the Fox Trot today a detailed explanation is given. Its popularity arose because it is so much easier to be springy than to dance smoothly and while still much in vogue outside of New York it has become part of the variation dances in the smart set.

The Toddle is the Fox Trot with a rise on each foot on each count of every step — except in the figure of the "Old Corte" and "the doubles"—the 1, 2, 3 at each side. Fig. 1. Take one walking step with the right foot, draw up the left one to the right, rise gently on the toes, and come down on heels.

22. CAMEL WALK - The Camel Walk, so loved by the smart young set at college and in town by the flapper who now rejoices in the title of "Finale Hopper," is simply the walking time of the Fox Trot done to slow music and in a zigzag direction, and is a walk from beginning to end. Occasionally it is varied with Fox Trot steps by those who dislike anything quite so extreme.

This step is done with a long tension on every step, as if a heavy weight was attached to each foot, and the direction is diagonally back and forth and yet advancing at the same time. See Diagram 8. 

23. VARIATION WALTZ - The standard Waltz following the mode of the day becomes more old-fashioned each moment and brings in the return of the reverse which is much in evidence. However, the new idea of combining various steps appears in the Waltz and a few measures of the standard type are followed by two figures of the Boston which changes into a few figures of the Hesitation and then becomes the Lame Duck, which again changes to the standard step. It is really an achievement to gracefully melt these changing steps one into the other and is really most interesting to dance, quite as much so as a series of intricate steps.

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