The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-19
CONFESSIONS OF A LADY BENDER.
A Fair Contortionist of Nineteen Tells How
She Learned to Comfort.

Fair Contortionist of Nineteen Tells How
She Learned to Comfort.
Pail Mall Gazette.
The other day called bender, lady not
gentleman, who is weli-known as a most
serpentine contortionist / wished to ask Mile
Vonare few questions about her art, with a
view of throwing some light on the training of
little boys and girls for the profession. The
lady was sitting before the fire with her sister,
who has abandoned bending herself. and ex-
hibits troupe of highly educated poodles A
huge wicker basket contained her dress and
other stage habits. From its depths she pro-
duced bundle of photographs of herself, tied
and knotted into all manner of curious folds.
That is the business of bender. The body
is thrown into score of unnatural pastures,
which appear to the audience to be achieved by
dislocating every joint in the human frame.
and TO be affected at great risk TO limb and
life. Artists generally enthusiastic about
their calliugs, and must say that Vonare de-
clared she would rather be bender than 8
queen, or something to that effect. She began
at four; at FIVE and half she was before the
public and remains a bender still. MY father
saw contortlonist one night on the stage, and
he asked himself why he should not teach me-
aged four. I was put into training at once. and
enjoyedthe fun, child will enjoy anything
new. Was beatenl Was / starvedl No
seemed to take to it like little duck takes to
water. You SEQ, we we're family of athletes
and, besides. / was daughter and not an ap-
prentice. If the father is the trainer he may
not spare the rod, but he is cruel only TO be
kind. My experience is that less rod and more
kindness is the best plan. Father used TO bride
US into doing the different tricks To be sue
cessful means years of hard work, practice an
performance / am nineteen now, and my per-
Torrance keeps me in capital training
In the business of contortion the first lesson
is the backward bend. first with the arms and
then without. You stand on long mattress,
that there is danger and at first your teacher
controls your movements with a belt It is
much the same with other forms of acrobatic
work and the cruelty often takes the form of
taking away the mattress which creates sort
of panic in the pupils mind. If he has really
tried bis best and failed, he is so terrified that
he is almost certain to fail unless he has great
deal of pluck. II be has only been sulking il
NAV bring him to his bearings. OF conrse
children often stubborn. and try the patience
of the teacher TO its utmost limit
THE art of contorton," continued Miss
Vonare. lis learned by degrees First the back
ward bend aud then the 'dislocation.' then the
splits and so WHAT we call scloseness' dis
tingBishes the best bending. To the audience
bending seems most difficult But experience
no discomfort or inconvenience I a puny
child. You now The lady bender
was certainly most healthy and cheerful. stout
in body and rudy in complexion. and she
strongly maintains that all women would be
greatly benefited il they took to bending. 'sIt
Is quite mistake to think that we put our
limbs out of joint. that suffer from the
curious nature of our performances OF course,
after more difficult positions may
some attitudes can only remain for twenty
seconds. as the breathing becomes dfieulr. But
these are trihing Inconvenience. I practice a
few minutes every day to keep myself loose
here in my room, and that is about all need
dnu