Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1888-02-16
THE BALLET GIRL.

LII OdLuG1 O11GAs
WHAT BoSTON's ORNAMENTAL EDU-
CATION DOES FOR THE STAGE.
How "Ladies OF the Ballet" ire Recruited
from the Shopa -Demoraliz:ng Effects
Of . Life Before the Footlights-Just
for tho Fun.
Boston is the great test market in this coun-
try for a certain sort of stage supplies. All
the managers come here to obtain recruits
for their companies The stock of raw mate
rial for such purposes hereabout ispractically
unlimited and of very unusual quality-a
fact which is due chiefly to the prevalence in
all classes of the community OF ornamental
education. The modern Athens, like its pro-
totype of old, has many schools which are
devoted wholly to the instruction of students
Of both sexes in musical and dramatic art.
To these academies and conservatories flock
pupils from all over the United States, who
seek the kind Of training best calculated 20
fit them for theatrical employment. Many
of them are glad to get some incidental ex-
perience of practical nature by taking part
as supernumeraries now and then on the
local boards. The most available are picked
up by travelling shows, and in this manner
make their first entrance into the professional
ranks.
Outside of the schools, too, are found num-
bers of young men and women with fair
voices and some knowledge of music, who
are more or less serviceable in choruses
Most of these singers are honest bread win
ners, who are glad to aud q trifle to their
earnings by warbling on occasions when they
are needed to fill out the ensemble of some
exceptionally elaborate stage production.
Vastly outnumbering them are the girls who
toll in the shops by day, and at night appear
whenever they can procure a chance-as
Amazons, fairies and the like, at the thea
tres.
LADIES OF THE BALLET.
Women who do this sort of work are tech
nically known as "ladies Of the ballet"
They do not dance; neither do they sing.
Their duty is simply to walk about the stage
as they are told and look pretty. Such labor
is quite within the capacity of the average
ribbon counter damsel, who, upon thus TAX
ing up the occupation as an amateur, be-
comes what is known as an "extra girl"
Whenever a play or spectacle requiring num-
bers arrives in town she presents herself
without delay at the office of the stage man.
agcr. That indispensable functionary looks
her over, and, if she is fairly plump and well
favored, very likely accepts her services
For her time during rehearsals she gets moth
ing. Her pay begins the opening night of
the piece and continues SO long it runs at
the rate of IS or sc week. Compared with
shop wages this is ample remuneration;
added to the results Of her daily toll it is pos
tive wealth.
Most of the extra" young women in Bos-
ton are employed in the dry goods and other
chr arc crirlS ir, fho
rants. A few serve in the day time as artists
models These last are considered very de-
srable by the managers. AS rule, they
have good figures and are comely to look
upon. Accustomed as they are to posing,
nude or otherwise, before the life classes at
the art schools, they entertain no prudish
scruples about appearing in tights. The
legitimate career of female model here is a
brief one. After she has attitudinized few
times in each of the studios she is regarded as
too ''stale" for further usefulness and, finding
herself deprived of this means of support, she
is only too glad to secure an occasional dra-
matte engagement, eking out a livelihood by
sitting in photographers ateliers for seduc-
tive cigarette and other advertising pictures.
This business, by the way, is carried on upo.i
an enormous scale by local manufacturers Of
sun pictures, who send millions of such photo
graphs all over the country every year.
THE STAGE TRANSPORTATION.
By little judicious coaxing the modest
beginner is induced to put OH the appropriate
togs. The embarrassment of it soon wears
off, and after two or three performances she
begins to thoroughly enjoy the ogling of the
Washers and bald headed men in the front
rows. No woman can resist the fascination
of being admired 1t is the only pleasure Of
which she can never have surfeit.
d. H. 4.
very apt to be Of no use any more for or.
binary purposes She is demoralized by the
glitter and excitement of the stage. The
work is easy and the pay-while it lasts-is
more than she can earn by rhe hardest toll in
the shop. The drudgery by which she has
hitherto been accustomed to live is now
odious to her. She neglects the "store" to
hang about the theatre, and pretty soon she
is discharged by the firm. So long, however,
as her engagement lasts, she can afford to dc
nothing but play. Idleness brings more
temptations, and the chances are that she
will not escape them all. She becomes in
fatuated with the life. Her name is put
down upon the stage managers books as one
of the "extra' girls who, semi-profession.
ais, are always ready to be called on for
service. 1t is not likely that she will ever
rise any higher. With plenty of cheap finery
and few admirers, she is content to initiate
the vernal butterfly, living on from day tc
day without thought of the future Eventu.
ally she grows passee and drops out of sight.
Such, at any rate, il The fate of many q
young woman whom the glare of the foot
lights has once attracted
There is quite number of semi-professional
extra girls in Boston. Each theatre has a
list of fifty or SO, with a complete physica
description attached to every name. Wher
they are wanted they are sent for. The
work is, of course, exceedingly precarious.
Sometimes months will elapse with nothing
to do. Then big show comes along and
calls out not only all the regulars, but also q
great many of the irregulars from the shops
who are very willing to ''act" for pocket
money and the fun of the thing Scarce any
travelling combination fetches many super.
numeraries hither. They are easily obtained
here at short notice, in any quantity that
may be desired. 1t goes without saying that
visiting spectacles and operas must always
bring full dancing ballets with them. At 9
pinch, however, perhaps a dozen available
coryphees may be picked up at any time ir
this city.-Rene Bache in New Orleans Plea,
yune.
Rather Hard to Miss.
The fact that this is very big country