Ballrooms The Lambeth Walk, England's (or to be more correct, London's) gift to dancers throughout the world has arrived in Shanghai. The new dance was seen being performed vigorously and enjoyably at local ballrooms on Saturday, and judging by the way it is sweeping Europe and the United States, it seems likely to receive a similar degree of popularity here, although it cannot be said at. present whether it is enjoyed more by the dancers than the spectators.
The Lambeth Walk, so experts say, takes only thirty seconds or so tom learn but its exhibition occupies much space in newspapers arriving from home.
Advertised by that popular English comedian, Stanley Lupino, aided and abetted by Miss Beatrice Lillie, the Lambeth Walk, it is claimed, has been in existence for almost twenty years and has been performed by London's famous costers long before its fame was spread far and wide by its being included as part of the London musical show "Me and My Girl"
Taking its name from the Lambeth district of London on the south side of the Thames, the dance takes about thirty seconds to learn, says Mr. Arthur Murray, leading New York expert, and it has gained such a following in Great Britain and the United States that its popularity seems to be assured for many years to come.
No More "Wallflowers"
Another feature of the Lambeth "Walk which will make it more popular than the existing dances is the fact that it banishes "wallflowers," a name bestowed by some unkind person on those members of the fair sex who, according to face powder adver-fisements, anyway, may be seen lounge ing furtively in dark corners of the room, while other dancers (here again we quote the advertisements) pass rude remarks about their complexion and other features not so nice.
Wrinkles or not, the wallflower—Shanghai does not possess any of this species, it is certain—is catered for. in the Lambeth walk, which says Mr. Murray, is unlike the Big Apple or the Shag, which dances could be performed creditably by "jitterbugs" or "help-cats" (his own terms) and similar devotees of swing, in that its steps are so simple that even the village constable with his size elevens could venture into its movements without the necessary re-infareement of his partner's extremities.
New York first saw the dance when Prince Serge Obolensky introduced the simple steps at the roof garden of the St. Regis hotel, favourite spot for the international set. Since then its fame has spread throughout the land and today it has taken other countries by storm. Shanghailanders will be devoted to this unusual dance just as much as other places have been, and in a few weeks time the familiar "Take Your partners for a waltz please" may Have been replaced "Get together for the Lambeth Walk."
A brief description of the dance by Mr. Murray shows that the partners strut forward with arms swinging jauntily, Arms arë linked and four Steps are taken strutting in a circle. Following this the partners reverse and link left arms strutting in a circle to the left. They then separate and, turning away from each other, take four short steps ina circle, after which they face each other again Perhaps the most popular movement is the fifth in which the partners bend their knees and slap them in time to the music. This performance is accompanied by yells of "Oi" or "Oh" and the dance ends with both partners straightening up and pointing both thumbs over their shoulders and yelling "Hey."
The Lambeth walk introduces a spirit of carefree abandon and its innovation in Shanghai should spell an early demise for other new and intricate dances. Other dances such as the foxtrot and the waltz will not be affected, of course, by the Lambeth Walk as its introduction at local dances will be to relieve these established favourites.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.