On with the dance--but it must be danced according to the
rules. And the strange thing is that the crowd will accept the
rules as a crowd, while at the same time the individuals com-
posing the crowd may be unanimous in hating the rules.

To me a London ballroom symbolizes what England is.
Dancing, which should be an individual and creative pleasure,
is reduced to a stiff walk. One couple dances just like another
couple. Crowd conservatism prevents most dancers from being
original. Yet the joy of dancing is the joy of invention. When
invention is left out, dancing becomes mechanical and dull.
English dancing fully expresses the English fear of emotion and
originality.

If there is no room for freedom in such a pleasure as danc-
ing, how can we expect to find it in the more serious aspects of
life? If one dare not invent his own dance steps, it is unlikely
that he will be tolerated if he dares to invent his own religious,
educational, or political steps!

At Summerhill, every program includes dances. These are al-
ways arranged and performed by the girls, and they do them
well. They do not dance to classical music; it is always jazz.
We had one ballet to Gershwin An American in Paris music.
I wrote the story and the girls interpreted it in dance. I have
seen worse dances on the London stage.

Dancing serves as an excellent outlet for unconscious sex in-
terest. I say unconscious because a girl may be a beauty, but if
she is a bad dancer, she will not have many dance partners.

Nearly every night our private living room is filled with
children. We often play phonograph records and here disagree-

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