Mrs« Dart Miss Byrn Mrs « Dart Miss Byrn Mrs» Dart... Miss Byrn Mrs. Dart Miss Byrn wae the fact that we have so fow teachors trained in this area of physical and socinl activity. Yos, wo talk about “carry over values," providing a program which mect. the interest of tho child, creating life situations, wholesomo social relationships, and yet one activity that certainly mects with all of these requiroments is either entirely omitted from our programs or relegated to an after*school activity for which no credit is givon. Yes, that is quite true, and why a credit in scosil dancing is not worth as much as ono in tap dancing or soccer or badminton, I don't knows But it is my firm conviction that our ballroom floors might prosont a very different picture if those of us in the field of physical education will consider the faults that give social dancing its poor reputation and accept the challenge the situation presents and get to works Miss Byrn, don't you fecl that many teachors, competent in the game and daneo programs of physical education, are comparatively untutored in the principles underlying good social dancing or the methods of teach- ing it successfully? Yes, Mrs« Dart, it is truco that until vory recently most of our schools training teachers for caroors in the field of physical education have neglected to train them in the one physical and social activity which continues to be usoful all through life. We go to great pains to see that our students gain proper respect for the importance or body stance, foot work and timing in the practice of his swimming or tennis strokes. We provide all kinds of ppportunitics for students to learn tap and folk dancéng, and still omit the folk dance which is their own, For cortainly our social dancing is America's folk dance, the danee of the people. Yes, if we admit that there are worthwhile valuos in the study and part- icipation of folk dancing, thon 4 folk dance course which does not in- elude our own folk dance is just as illogical as a language curriculum which contains all languages except English, the ono we USCe In the past, there has been to some extent a feeling that social dancing possesses accompaniments unworthy of being brought into our schoolrooms ,; It is true that mech of our modern dancing is cheap and ugly. Censider the picture which an average dance suggests, Milling stag lines, couple shuffling along in a sort of semi-eonseious haze, podies hunched into atrocious positions and the general atmosphere one of rowdiness and bed MANnEer ss Yes, I think one might safoly say that a modern dancing party is trial and tribulation to parents and teachers. Attractive girls develop into loud, racy adolescents in a desperate effort to escape the wallflower class and other girls not so successful in their appeal to the stag line save their prido by pretending they dislike boys. I think it would be safe to say that there are many uncomfortable boys in the stag line, hesitating to "cut in" on a dancing couple for fear of being re~ fused or perhaps being caught with a so-called wallflower. Yes, Mrs. Dart, all ef these conditions are testimony to the general lack of taste and fooling for an activity which eculd and should be 4