St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-02
STAGE FAIRIES.
Where the Ballet Girls Come From and
Where They Go.
from the ClnualanH Hnrnll

Where the Ballet Girls Come From and
Where They Go.
From the Cleveland Herald.
People seated in the auditorium of theater
when the performance of a spectacle is in
progress have little idea of the difficulties the
ballet-master and stage manager are obliged
to contend against before the ballet girls and
others are sufficiently proficient in their parts
10 make the performance an acceptable one
to an average audience. In such productions
as Excelsior or Sieba, particularly the former,
1t often requires months Of preparation and
rehearsing before the company is able to start
on the lead. When grand spectacle is first
brought out in New York most of the dancers
are imported from Europe, and inasmuch as
they are guaranteed their passage to and
from this country they are often satisfied to
accepta comparatively small salary and are
content with being permitted to traye
through America to see the country and
make comfortable living. Many of them
come. from France, others are Germans: but
the large majority hail from sunny Italy
When behind the footlights they wear their
sweetest smiles and cast bewitching glances
on the near-sighted gentlemen who monop-
olize the front rows. Arrayed in spangles
and little else, their faces artistically made
up, they are admired by those who look at the
glitter and pomp of the stage without 'going
behind the returns.''
In reality, the girls com prising a company
of the spectacular order are quiet and Sc
date collection of women of all ages. Young
girls are often found among them; occasion
ally there is one who imagines that tights are
the first steps to theatrical fame, so, though
much against their inclinations and often
against their parents advice, they join
company and fondly imagine that in a year
or so their names, in large type, will adorn
tue great posters on the wall. 1t is unneces-
sary to state that in ninety-nine cases out of
100 they are doomed to disappointment.
They join one company after another, grow
less attractive as they become older, and they
finally bring up as dancers or sero-comic
vocalists in variety theaters. Occasiona ally
they manage to work their way UP to the top
round of the ladder as premiere danseuses or
members of opera companies, but these in
stances are quite rare.
The first nighters and front row patrons
mentioned above will probably be panied at
the disclosure that probably three-fourths of
Tue DaueL girls are married. 1hey are often
accompanied by their husbands, who travel
with the company, and occasionally they
leave their better halves in the Old World
Off the stage the average ballet girl is plain
matronly woman, possibly the mother of two
or three children. She dresses plainly, and
on the street would be taken for anything but
the gay and handsome fairy all bedecked with
spangles and winning smiles
A manager of one of these companies in
conversation recently said: "These girls are
paid all sorts of salaries from So per week to
about $12 and sometimes SIG. We generally
furnish them with their travelling expenses
and hotel Accommodations and they manage
to save little something, provided they are
not too extravagant. ! know of one case
where girl who travels in my company sup
ports her husband and three children, who
are in Italy. Her salary is only $40, and
somehow she manages to save about 50 ev-
cry week, which she sends to Italy with great
regularity. Other women in my company
are obliged to draw their salaries ahead, and
when the week is over they have nothing left.
They spend all their money in jewelry and
gewgaws; but very little of it goes for ex-
travagant dressing. We furnish them with
their stage wardrobe, but as rule they fur
nish themselves with tights out of their own
earnings"