Helen Storrow - Philanthropic Endeavors and Social Reform - Folk Dancing

Folk Dancing

Helen's interest in dance began in the early 20th century, when several middle-aged Boston socialites organized a dance class to "amuse themselves and their friends." Helen later said:

"For several years we considered it only funny that we should be pirouetting and hopping about it in arabesque positions, and were ashamed to try to dance really well; but gradually we lost the feeling of self-consciousness and enjoyed it too much not to try to do our best."'

During her travels in Europe, Helen developed a passion for folk dancing, becoming a staunch devotee of Cecil Sharp, aiding him in his efforts to popularize folk dance in the United States. Helen devoted increasingly lengthy amounts of time to providing lessons in English folk dance. In 1911, during a benefit for the Playground Association of America, Helen could be found in the ballroom of the New Willard Hotel in New York City, leading a "practical demonstration" in folk dancing for those in attendance. A year later, she volunteered to instruct the Fathers' and Mothers' Folk Dancing Club at the Women's Educational and Industrial Union in Boston. In 1915, Helen helped found, and served as director, of the American branch of the English Folk Dance Society, now known as the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre.

She believed that everyone's life, be they young or old, male or female, could be enriched by dance. She wrote:

"As a means of exercise for girls and boys, and to break up snobbery and self-consciousness among them, folk dancing has been tried out and found to work wonders...it will do the same for grown-ups; it is doing the same where it is given a trial, but dynamite and a derrick are needed in most families...Our friends allow their daughters to make exhibitions of themselves in a way no North End mother would allow for a moment. At present anything goes. There seems to be total ignorance on the subject of what constitutes good dancing, and yet the principles can be clearly defined as those of any art. It seems to me they can be boiled down to three:

I. There should be pleasure in dancing...

II. Dancing should be for pleasure and not primarily for show. The moment it is self-conscious, there is something wrong. If in fancy dancing a position is taken because it is believed to be graceful, it isn't. There is no meaning in it. There is one thing wrong in ballet dancing; it is all meant to be looked at, and while stunts are humorous, it is better to leave them to acrobats, as they are not beautiful.

III. Dancing must develop the body naturally, strengthening the muscles in natural positions, not distorting them...

If we succeed in transplanting these beautiful old dances of other countries and they take root, they will grown and spread and blossom into other dances, showing the genius of our people, and reflecting our life and times."

Combining her love of dance with her passion for scouting, Helen arranged for teachers from the Country Dance Society to organize a summer dance camp at Long Pond in 1932. Pinewoods camp operated independently, along side the Scouts’ Pine Tree Camp. Lily Conant later operated the camp, which was willed to Conant's family after Helen's death, becoming Pinewood Camp Inc., in 1975.CDS-Boston.org