ng on the ground that they lead to
immorality? We say "no" because immorality is only an incident, not a
result in these cases. Likewise, I believe that dancing is but one of
several factors that have led to immorality at the time of annual balls
in high school and college. These are times of general tendency towards
dissipation. Regular duties are cast aside, all the hygienic rules for
eating and sleeping are broken, there is unusual freedom of speech and
manners, available alcohol is freely used, emotions and not reason
rules--these are characteristic of the college festivals that center
around grand balls. In short, at such times there is a general let-down
of usual standards and a swing back towards the barbaric festival of
the ancients. It is not surprising, then, that pent-up sexual instincts
assert their force at such times, and dancing, if it occurs under such
conditions is, of course, likely to increase the danger of moral
collapse because it incites sexual emotions.

[Sidenote: Regulation of dancing needed.]

Our conclusion, then, is that it is unscientific to charge dancing with
being the direct cause of immorality, when it has been only one in a
series of events. The facts warrant not condemnation of dancing as
something utterly bad, but rather of allowing dancing to be associated
with conditions that are likely to lead to dissipation and immorality.
Unless some argument other than that arising from the coincidence of
dancing with dissipation and immorality is brought forward, we must
conclude that dancing should be regulated and associated so that the
admitted dangers will be reduced to a minimum. Recognition of the
dangers will lead mature people to see the importance of supervising
and regulating dancing as a phase of the social life of young people.
It will lead to dancing that is improved along social and aesthetic
lines.

[Sidenote: Self-control necessary.]

While improvement of dancing will reduce its dangers, it will not
eliminate the problem of self-control for normal young men. They must
learn to understand their own emotions. They should be forewarned that
others have found danger in dancing. They should know that some
strong-willed men have given up dancing when they found that it made
more intense the problem of sexual self-control, both mentally and
physically. They should know the increased danger if dancing is
associated with alcohol, vicious women, immodest dress, extreme freedom
of con