The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-12-17
ParKrEs OF rHE STAGE
BALLET GIRLS sor so BAD orr AFrER
2LL.-GooD FoE NOTHING BuT
THEATRICAL WORK.

stages This Is particularly the
case when the ballet girls-sone-
times they are old enough 10 be
grsndnothers-are good looking
and vel formed. Their sole pur-
pose is 70 please the eye BY glitter
ing costumes ana curious sly-ar-an-
ged marches and poses. exemplify-
ing the adage that women should
be seen, not heard. Ballet girls are
never heard, enly seen.
A reporter had a conversation last
week wieh a gentleman well versed
IN the business Of the ballet He
argued that the life Of ballet girl Is
not 50 disagreeable as generally sup
posed
They get from s6 to s. a week,
he said and out OF that only have
TO pay their personal expenses,
which Is a great deal Better than a
great many women are doing who
hire themselves oct az saleswomen,
clerks, eopyists, etc, for from s2 to
80 q week They have 70 work
much harder for their wages. too.
than do the ballet girls, and their
life Is nothing but a mOnotonous
Srucgerv, while to my notion ballet
girls live lie Of pleasure and d.
version l am speaking Of girls that
travel with some good reliable spec
tsele. After they learn their busi-
ness there L little for them TO do ex-
cspt TO 20 70 the theatre at night.
put on Their costumes. and pranee
around the stage az intervals OF
about three hours. There being a
good many Of them, they have 4
nice, sOciabie time, and being on the
90 all the while they get a chance TO
see the country.
But Sre they not frequently sub
lected 20 insults on account Of their
vocation ?"
Net al all They may be insult
ed, and 30 may any lady that walks
along on your strees, but ballet girls
are as respectable as any other class
OF women 1t Il very wrong idea
that most men have that because q
ballet girl puts OF tights and goes
OF the stage she has lost her native
mOdesty. Il Is a matter Of business
which may seem unpleasant 70 q
woman al first, but she soon be-
comes accustomed to Il. People
generally have poor opinion Of
ballet girls, out II IS because they
don't know any more Of them than
they see On the stage Sometimes
men are charmed by 3 pretty girl
and eRdeayor TO make her aequzin-
tanes without the usual fornaliiiss.
and / know Of lots Of instances
where they GOT badly left The CON-
pznv l was with last season had
several pretty girls in il, and they at
trzcted the mashers wherever they
went In Philadelphia q young fel-
lew determined 20 get acquainted
with one Of the girls, and finding
9ut where she was boarding called
on Der. She was verv angry at his
lmperuuelce, and ordered him 20
leave, when ne used vile language
he-- II her righteous indig-
nation she pulled on. a little twen-
ty-two calhbre revolver and shot
MIN IL the arm. The wound was
slight, and a. the young sealawag
was the scion OF 4 wealthy and aris-
tocratic family the affair was hushed
up.
such cases, however, are rare. Il
IS nothing uncommon for men ID the
front rows TO endeavor to catch a
girls ere, and set up a quiet firta-
ton, and, II successful, call at the
stage door when the performance Is
over; but i a ballet girl wants 70
keep of admirers il i as easy for
her 10 do so as FOR any lady In pri-
vaie hfe"
Do ali the combinations include
: private ballet
Certainly not Some DO. bat 2
good many do not They carry one
or two who are used 70 lead the
green ones obtained IL the place
where the company plays As q
rule, the manager Of a combination
makes 4 stipulation IN his contract
that the manager OF the the2ter
where be Is to play shall furnish a
certain number Of ballet girls.
These are called for rehearsal on the
day the combination reaches the
city where Il l. to play, and then
the ballet girls teach the new ones
what is required Of them Girls are
quick 70 learn anything connected
with the stage, and You can teach
ten or twenty girls to 20 through a
march or even a complicated drill IN
a very short time They learn
much quicker than the male sGpers.
VINO as a rule take the palm foT stu
pidity. Very few managers can az
ford 10 carr q large number Of girls
who do nothing bai walk on and OF
the stage The one or two whom
be does carr with him make them
selves useful IN various ways. gsner-
ally assisting in the wardrobe room.
AID IN dressing the new Amazons.
peasants, fairies. or whatever, for the
time being. they represent.
Is : not difficult to get giris
when travelling ?"
As a general rule il Is not. In
the large cities they are plentiful,
bat IN the smaller towns. where
everyone knows everyone else, the
girls who are willing 10 go on
are not numerous or desirable. /
have seen some fearful looking
goddesses and very dropsical fairies
in the smaller towns. but the girls
never seemed 70 be conscious Of the
fact that they looked Ike frights.
L l. rather a singular thing that We
men on the stage never seem 20
know when they possess bad figures.
Concerning the beauties or defects
Of their faces they are excellent judg-
=, but when they attempt TO Judge
Of the merits Of their figures they
are honestly incapable Of reaching
any correct conclusion.
From what class In society do
.hese girls come -