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"The end and aim of all our work should be the harmonious growth of
our whole being," says Froeebel. "Know thyself," quoth Epictetus, the
Stoic, and, knowing thyself, grow strong of mind, self-centered and
self-possessed. "Know thyself," reiterates the modern disciple of
Delsarte, since only by knowledge of self can be developed the real
personality of the individual.
Grace and self-possession are the aim of Delsarte; it therefore fairly
falls within the province of a work on etiquette to look somewhat into
the subject. If one would control others he must first control
himself, possess himself. Delsarte looked upon the nature of man as a
trinity, and believed that the mental, moral and physical should be
educated at the same time. Modern education tends to develop man in
special directions to the neglect of others. Either the overstrained
mental faculties revenge themselves by giving us the nervous,
broken-down, mental type so common; or else we have the crude physical
type wherein ordinary labor has exercised but a few muscles and
joints.
The Three Languages.
Again, says Delsarte, "Man has for the expression of his triune nature
three languages, the word, the tone, the gesture. Tones express bodily
conditions, pleasure or pain. Words are symbols to interpret thought.
Gestures relate to other beings and express our emotions. Of these
three, the first receives undue cultivation, since we study all the
words that have been said or written, while singers and actors alone
cultivate tone or gesture."
Thus it comes that "the soul struggles to speak through an imperfect
instrument; sometimes it ceases to struggle and finally has nothing to
say."
In labor the man _moves_, special muscles do special work, but when a
man is _moved_, an undulating "wave of feeling passes over him and his
whole body becomes eloquent." A bow may be so careless and jerky as to
be almost an insult, or it may be so gracious as to seem a caress.
Again, the real self, gracious and beautiful, may strive to express
itself through a set of faculties that are hardened and narrowed by
decades of self-constraint on the part of himself and his ancestors.
"Physical habits have a way of making themselves felt by a reflex
action on the inner nature," and with this axiom in view we feel that
cultivation of the Delsartean Art of Expression becomes a vital part
of our education to the end that all our emotions and all our tones
may become "the outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual
nature." This principle may be called the keynote of Delsarteanism,
and Edmond Russell, that modern exponent thereof, claims that as these
beautiful, expressive gymnastics are for the purpose of correcting
individual deviations from grace, no regular set of rules should be
printed for the use of all, but that each special angularity of person
or harshness of tone must be corrected by special exercises.
Harmonious Development of the Body.
Nevertheless, there are many set forms of movements by the practice of
which none can fail to derive benefit both for the inner and the outer
man. Other physical gymnastics seek to give strength to certain sets
of muscles to the neglect of others. The rythmical movements of the
Delsarte system bring into action each muscle of the body without
wearying any, to the harmonious developing of all, since in all, save
exceptional cases, it will be found, upon beginning this treatment,
that more than half the muscles of the body are unused, while the
other, and overworked half, move in stiff and angular fashion.
All students will discover it is first requisite that an "undoing
process" shall precede the "upbuilding process." Stiffness of joint,
or tension of muscles, whether recognized or not, must first be done
away with before "the body can be molded to the expression of high
thought." For this purpose the "decomposing," "relaxing" or
"devitalizing" motions are given. The old gymnast doubled up the fist
and, with great tension, gave a blow which jarred the whole nervous
system. The "freeing" motions of Delsarte give harmonious, restful,
wave movements to all portions of the anatomy.
Graceful motions are never in the nature of a blow struck straight
from the shoulder, but curves and spirals constitute the lines of
beauty. Nature shows us this in the free untrammelled motions of a
child, or again in man, when his whole nature is so stirred to its
best and sweetest depths that he is carried out of his usual tense,
conscious self into unconscious rythmic expression of his feeling.
What nature does for us in times of great excitement Delsarte will do
for us at all times by means of his exercises, practiced until the
conscious mechanical motion becomes unconscious, automatic, and the
body grows responsive to all high emotions and impulses.
Relaxing the Muscles.
In relaxing movements, the whole arm and hand, shoulder, elbow, wrist,
fingers, are shaken until the joints are completely relaxed and a
warm, tingling sensation passes through the entire arm. It is then
dropped at the side in perfect passivity. The result is twofold--a
feeling of repose and controlling power, and an absence of that
nervous tendency to "fidget," or handle something, glove buttons, or
watch chain, without which a morning call can scarcely be accomplished
by either hostess or guest. This alone will give us a sense of perfect
rest which we have never before experienced. Similar exercises are
given for other portions of the body--legs and feet--a revolving of
the head to limber the neck; a revolution of the shoulders and the
body to gain that flexibility which is the secret of grace.
Delsartean exercises break up constrained awkward physical habits,
establish in their stead restful, graceful, natural ones. Of these
there are many classes.
The Delsarte relaxing exercises precede and prepare the way for all
others. In their restful removal of nerve-tension they appeal
especially to the overworked, nervous class.
The Delsarte sleep exercises are useful in overcoming insomnia. The
Delsarte laws of expression give us a key to character, study, and the
laws that underlie all art. The Delsarte work develops self-possession.
The Delsarte rythmical exercises enable one not only to appear better
and feel better, but, by a reflex action, to be better.
In this physical work the first object is an entire, absolute letting
go of all unnecessary tension, all tension that has overstrained the
muscles through an excess of effort in our daily life, though many
times this effort is purely unconscious on the part of the individual.
"How many a patient, trusting soul do we see with the muscles of the
forehead strained and elevated until the eyebrows never fall to their
normal height," or the brows are contracted until the hard lines
graven between the eyes ever bespeak either pain or care.
The founders of the Benedictine nuns caught some echo of this truth
when, by a rule of their order, no sister among them is permitted to
wear a frown upon her brow. And the placid-faced sisterhood evidence
in their sweet expressions the close relation between the exoteric and
esoteric of our natures; the reflex action between the physical and
the spiritual entities of our being.
Art of Breathing.
There are a few general points that may be given here to the
improvement of many little habits that unconsciously enslave us and to
the "letting go" of the "officious personal endeavor" that we make, as
it were, to hold ourselves together--never believing that nature is
more capable of the task. After the decomposing exercises comes the
practice of one of the first Delsartean axioms: "Control at the
center, freedom at the extremities." Without this control the newly
acquired flexibility will be weak and affected.
To obtain this control the art of breathing must first be acquired. To
do this properly the chest should be inflated and thrown forward by
the action of the diaphragm and held as the most prominent part of
the body; a position too often usurped by the inferior abdomen. The
same motion which throws out the chest should draw in the lower part
of the trunk, hanging it from the curve of the spine. In the proper
attitude for good breathing the hips turn slightly inward and the chin
goes back, but not up. There should be no effort to throw back the
shoulders. Take care of the chest, and the shoulders will take care of
themselves.
Position of the Shoulders.
Mrs. Edmond Russell says she would "like to make a call that would
reach every man and woman in the country. 'Lift up your shoulders.'
When one says this nine-tenths of them stiffen at the neck, throw
themselves backward and project the body below the waist, the whole
figure out of line. No, you should get the poise of a Greek goddess."
Lift the chest, with the shoulders down, until it is on a line with
the toes. This throws the extension on the center of the body where it
should be. The heart and lungs now have full play. Close the lips;
draw in the air through the nostrils, using the muscles below the
diaphragm as a bellows, until the pressure against the ribs has a
bursting sensation. Keep this tension firmly and steadily as long as
you can; then slowly and gradually let the breath out through the
lips. If you wish to sing, or recite, or even to talk, see what power
is at your command.
"Try this breathing, inspiration, retention, expiration--these three
movements--at night before you go to bed, when the body is free; in
the morning before you dress. When you walk take in great, glorious
lungsful of air until full, or deep breathing becomes a habit. Believe
me, breathing properly is a certain cure for nervousness, shyness and
embarrassment."
It gives command and freedom of motion, a sense of power. Keep the
lips closed and breathe only through the nostrils. This is a most
important fact to remember, and should always be impressed upon
children. The cold air should never be taken directly into the lungs
as is the case when it is inhaled through the parted lips. Children,
as well as grown people, should learn to keep the mouth closed during
sleep; this would prevent many lung diseases, the disagreeable habit
of snoring, and the vacant, inane expression produced by an open
mouth.
There is no better exercise to acquire a good habit of breathing than
reading aloud. Try how much can be read easily, without strain, upon a
single inflation of the lungs. Never gasp, catch up, or piece out a
breath. "You may add years to your life by the simple act of
breathing." Every public speaker knows, or should know, the feeling of
repose and self-possession that comes over him as he calmly, silently,
faces his audience long enough to draw three of these deep, full
breaths. Nervousness has vanished; he and his audience have had time
to become acquainted, and, having command over himself, he is able to
command the minds of those before him.
Standing and Walking.
When one has learned to breathe properly, then it is that standing and
walking may be practiced. Lift up the chest, inflate the lungs
naturally, as in paragraph on breathing, then step up to the front of
a door, letting the toes touch the woodwork. At the same time the
forehead should meet the upper portion of the door, when it may be
assumed that a perfect standing posture has been taken. The poise will
seem at first to be a little forward of a straight line, but to
disprove this it will be found that a plumb line dropped from the ear
will fall through shoulder, hip and ankle. The head will be poised as
if to carry a burden steadily on the crown and the weight of the body
will rest on the ball of the foot, not the heel.
This position may seem insecure at first, as well as stiff and
self-conscious. With some this sensation will wear off sooner than
with others, according to their adaptability, and the result will be
assured power for long, graceful, strengthening walks.
In walking, a common fault is to let the knees bend continuously; this
gives a "flabbyness" to the whole personal expression, that always
seems an outward exponent of a "weak-kneed" character. The knees, to
obviate this, should be stiffened when walking. In the other extreme,
most women stiffen the ankle-joint unduly, thus giving a straight up
and down cramped walk, which is accompanied by coming down with all
force upon the heel, thereby producing a jar throughout the entire
nervous system, as well as an awkward locomotion. In this way all
benefit of the strong, natural spring of the instep, which tends to
lessen this jar and give grace and springiness to the step is lost,
and much weariness of the flesh is the result.
Mrs. Russell says: "We have a system of levers to do our walking with,
and they act precisely as do all levers. One leg is a lever to pry the
body over the other leg, and the latter becomes a pendulum and swings
back by force of gravity. When you walk three miles and feel as if you
could walk ten, you are walking that way. When you are tired out, you
are taking irregular steps and walking on your heels.
"In walking the foot should be used as an elastic arch, the ball
striking the ground first, not the heel. Trying to step too far is
productive of awkwardness. Hurrying is another cause. It is bad
walking to lift up your foot and put it down. If the sole of the foot
shows at all, it should be from the rear. What is wanting is
elasticity. Swinging the arms in walking, which is universal, is
absolutely unnecessary, and purely a waste of strength. Let them hang
pendulum fashion."
Stair-Climbing.
"Trained stair-climbers should be the healthiest as well as the most
beautiful of women, yet," says Mrs. Russell, "a town of stairs given,
and I will prophesy thin, eye-circled, cross-looking women." All of
this is to be laid to the fact that most women climb stairs in the
hardest and most awkward manner.
"In going upstairs there should be no waddling from side to side, no
trudging, no leaning forward, and no apparent weariness. The body
should remain erect, the step should be taken with the ball of the
foot, and the movement to the next step be made with a springing
motion. This produces a graceful, poetic elevation instead of a
cumbersome hauling of the body upward, and throws all of the strain
upon the strong muscles of the calf of the leg. This slightly accented
springing from step to step leads the true system of pacing on level
ground; hence, the stairway may be made the walker's gymnasium."