The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-02-21

The habits OF the ballet girls 10 a never
ending subject of speculation TO the people
tsiore tho hoot-lights. As q pretty girl
with pretty figure sweeps across the stage
ON The Zip OF her toes, every motion fnii OF
grace. one feels a strong curiosity TO know
who she Is, and where she came from, and
all about her. The training OF the girls has
been written about so much that II hes
become almost as common as that first
subject OF the fresh young repor.
ter's vigorous pen, "the opium habit"
But in crest still clings about the habit, Of
the girls and their origin. A Cvurier-Jour-
nal reporter had long and interesting talk
with Mr.. Frank Carlos Griffith, business
manager OF 'Jalms," last night, and
learned some curious things about ballet
dancers.
"Thsy are an amiable set OF eirls, as
rule" said Mr.. Griffith, "much better ma
turcd than singers. Most OF them are Ital-
ians; some are English. Occasionally you
find them married, but they always leave
their husbands in the old country. They
are paid from $50 to $3.50 week and their
travelling expenses. Their morality Is about
as good as that OF mos. women on the stage,
not sny better and not any worse. You
will find COED and bad women among
them"
"Do you have much trouble in getting
local dancers?"
mot great deal. IL depends, though,
upon where we 20. In the south IL is harder
to get women to 20 upon the stage than it
is in the north AMI east. We always ad'
veitise for twice as many women as we
want. Very frequently wel-coLLeoted
girls, who have limos and forms of which
they are proud, come to us, and ale willing
to 20 on the stage for nothing. 1t is a
to US to search for their daughters:
Sometimes they write letters and
photographs. These girls go
in under assumed names, which
makes it all the more difficult to detect
them. When we have q vsriety of girls to
choose from we make them exhibit their
limbs, upper and lower. Some of them
obj ect to this most seriously. and il is only
done in business way, and they soon lea n
to regard it IN that light themselves"
How do the legs and arms of Louisville
girls compare with those of the girls in
other citiesP"
"Vpry favorably. The best developed
and brightest girls we have had were In
Baltimore. In Cincinnati we had good
girls seem to have run to fcet. Il
Is more difficult to get girls to go
20 the stage here than any. other
city we have been in. Philadelphia girls
aie not only badly formed. but they sre
abaolutsly stupid. 1t is with the utmost
dlfhculty that you can get them TO learn
auytning. 1t is odd how perverse woman
IN be. II one OF them goes wrong once she
is liable 10 do the same thug over end over,
in spite Of all the talk in tue world"
Is there much padding among ballet
dapcers2"
None at oil. A girl who pads can't
dance. lt is impossible. There is very lit
tie padding on the stage anyhow. The
stories about it are very much exaggera.
ted"
who dance the best, lean girls or fat
girlsf"
Sometimes fat girl will dance the
best, and sometimes lean one. OF course
the audience will prefer girl who ID plump
and buxom to skeleton, with limbs like
broom st cks. You can't have any idea of
what girl will do till she begins to
dance"
'iIs there much Jealousy among them?"
Every little; and in that again they dir
fer very much from singers, who are the
most jealous Get OF creatures in the world.
The girls seem to enjoy the life they lead,
and laugh and 60 on among themselves du-
ring rehes rsals after business is through"
How much do you pay to the new girls,
whom yon pick mp In the various cities
"We give them SIS q week, and extra pay
for extra services. We don't pay for re.
hearsals." [Cotrier.J Journal.