Page:EB1922 - Volume 30.djvu/844

796 for the first time. The woman's part in these dances is absolute passivity; she has to follow the man's lead and be responsive to his lightest touch. Every good dancer is now an adept at this, and the variety of steps in common use is surprising.

The evolution of the valse from mid-Victorian days is worthy of note. At the beginning of the 2oth century, for some reason which is quite obscure, the tendency of dance bands was to play the valse faster every year than the last. The result of this was that the valse, which was then by far the most popular dance, instead of being slow in time, became a series of fast revolutions. Dancers refused, in consequence, to continue to perform what one may call the one-two-three circular rhythm of the valse at the accelerated pace; they found the solution of the problem was to dance the same steps at a slower rate in cross rhythm against the music. Various other steps were added to enable these couples to manoeuvre successfully among the old-fashioned dancers. These new steps became crystallized, others were added, and the result was finally taught as the "Boston."

The popularity of the "Boston" was short-lived owing to the difficulty of the performance in cross rhythm, and the congestion of traffic in the ballroom on account of the different speeds of the revolving couples. As soon as the new American dances obtained a hold in England the latitude in steps so essential to the new dances was extended to the old valse. The tempo of the music slowed down to its original speed and the "Boston" disappeared. Valses were played more slowly and the latitude of steps was the same as in the other dances. The old one-two-three step has very largely gone, and the difference between a valse and a fox-trot is mostly one of rhythm. The modern valse was called the "Hesitation" as opposed to the earlier "Boston."

The "Tango" was the result of an attempt on the part of dancing teachers to introduce a new dance into the ballroom about the year 1913. It came originally from America and is said to be founded on a dance used in the cafes of South America, which would account for its somewhat "Spanish" style; the rhythm of the music is akin to that of the "Habanera." The most remarkable feature of all the dances described above as opposed to the dances of earlier generations is that the personality of the dancers is clearly reflected by the steps they use.

The music of the modern ballroom is almost entirely supplied by the United States. The music used in the American dances is no longer a string band and piano, but consists of various combinations, the most common of which perhaps is: piano, violin, alto or tenor saxophone, banjo and jazz-drum. This last-named needs some explanation. The word "jazz" signifies noise in America and is in no way a dance. The drummer uses a side drum, a big drum and cymbals played with the feet, and various other instruments on which he beats a tattoo with his drum-sticks in alternation with the side drum. He is in fact a sort of one-man band in himself and adds considerably to the rhythm of the ensemble. There is as much variety in the method of playing dance music to-day as in the dances themselves. Dance bands therefore vary considerably in skill, as might be expected, and the best known command very high salaries. The skill of a modern dance band lies in two essentials: first, good rhythm; and secondly, cleverness in extemporising variations on the tune by the different executors.

The effect of the American dances has not yet permeated the social scale, and the masses among whom dancing has always been a popular pastime, and they continue to prefer the dances of the 10th century.

DANIELS, JOSEPHUS (1862–), U.S. politician, was born at Washington, N.C., May 18 1862. He studied at the Wilson (N.C.) Institute and at the age of 18 became editor of the Wilson Advance. He was admitted to the bar in 1885, but preferred newspaper work, becoming editor of the Raleigh State Chronicle. He was printer for the state of North Carolina from 1887 to 1893, and then for two years, under President Cleveland's administration, was chief clerk of the Department of the Interior. From 1904 he was editor of the Raleigh News and Observer, with which his former paper was consolidated. He was twice a delegate to the National Democratic Convention, and from 1896 to 1916 was a member of the Democratic National Executive Committee. He early became a supporter of Woodrow Wilson for the presidency and was publicity manager for his campaign in 1912. In 1913 he was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Wilson. In 1914 he issued an order prohibiting the use of intoxicants on ship-board and within the limits of navy yards and stations. His personal interest in the enlisted men was shown by his provision of opportunities for training in various trades. From the first he advocated increase of the navy. During his first years as Secretary of the Navy he was much criticized, but after America's entrance into the World War the criticism died down. He favoured Government ownership of armour plate plants as well as of telephones and telegraphs. On retiring from the secretaryship of the Navy in 1921 he resumed his duties as editor of his newspaper. He was the author of The Navy and the Nation (1919).

DANKL, VIKTOR, FREIHERR VON (1854–), Austro-Hungarian general, was born in Udine. After service in the cavalry he was employed in important staff positions. In the World War he commanded at the outset the I. Army and defeated the Russians in the battle of Krasnik (Aug. 23–5 1914). After the Italian declaration of war he became in May 1915 commander of the defence forces in Tirol. As an army commander in the following years he took a successful part in the offensive against Asiago-Asiero, but shortly afterwards retired from his post on account of ill-health.

D'ANNUNZIO, GABRIELE (1863–), Italian poet, man of letters and soldier (see ). Later years, from 1908 to 1921, were the most active in D'Annunzio's career, not only in the literary field but also in those of war and politics. In 1908 he produced La nave, a vivid presentation of the early history of Venice, in which he sets forth his aspirations for Italy's mission as a great sea power, mistress of the Adriatic a curious forecast of his future political action. The following year Fedra appeared, a classical drama, and in 1911 Le martyre de St. Sébastien, a dramatic mystery play written by D'Annunzio in French verse and first performed in Paris, with musical interludes by Debussy; it was a remarkable lour de force and appreciated as such by French critics, but is hardly one of his greatest achievements. La Pisanella, ou la mart parfumée (1913), also written in French and first produced in Paris, is a picturesque reconstruction of the mediaeval Levant set forth in the author's gorgeous colouring. The same year he brought out in Paris Chèvre-feuille, a drama of modern life, with a plot adapted from Hamlet and containing some powerful scenes, and in 1914 he produced a slightly different Italian version of it entitled Ilferro. Parisina, a lyric tragedy in a Renaissance setting with music by Mascagni, was first performed at Milan, also in 1914. His attraction towards the stage did not wholly suspend his output in the field of fiction, and in 1911 he published Forse che si, forse che no, a powerful but somewhat long-winded novel in which aviation plays a considerable part, and in 1913 La Leda senza cigno, a collection of pieces, half essays and half fiction, which originally appeared in the Corriere delta Sera and were afterwards issued in three volumes with a licenza in 1917. His purely poetic output was limited to the Canzoni della gesta d'Oltremare (1911), dealing with the Libyan war and containing some admirable verse, and also some violent invectives against the Powers which were hampering Italy in her Mediterranean policy.

The outbreak of the World War did not put an end to D'Annunzio's literary activity. For some years he had been living in France, having had to leave Italy on account of financial difficulties, but the moment the conflict began he became deeply impressed with the vital necessity for Italy to participate in it so as to realize her aspirations towards complete unity and affirm her sovereignty in the Adriatic. His addresses to the Italian people, full of eloquent and inspiring patriotism, were afterwards published in a volume Per la piu' grande Italia. In the spring of 1915 he returned to Italy; his speeches at Quarto for the celebration of Garibaldi's Sicilian expedition and in Rome aroused wide-spread enthusiasm, and undoubtedly contributed very largely to Italy's intervention. From the moment Italy declared