Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-05-18
A 'HENDER'sp CONFESSIONS.
A Eair English contortioniss OF Nineteen
Tells of Her Profession.

f4-En EHEGs
A Fair English Contortioniss OF Nineteen
Tells of Her Profession.
The other day / called IN a bender, q
lady, not a gentleman. who is well known
as a most serpentine contortionist. I
wished to ask lille. yonare o few ques-
lions about her art, with a view of throw
ing som 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 her
self, and exhibits q troupe of highly edu.
Gated poodles. A huge wicker basket con-
tanned her dress and other stage habits.
From it's depths she produced a bundle Of
photographs Of herself, tied and knotted
into all name of curious folds.
That is the business Of a bender. The
body is thrown into a score. of unnatural
postures, which appear to the audience to
be achieved by dislocating every joint In
the human frame, and to be effected at
great risk to limb and life. Artists are
generally enthusiastic abouttheir callings,
and ] must say that Miss Vonare declared
she would rather be a bender than a
queen or something to that effect. She be
gan at4, at 81 she was before the public,
and remains o bender still. my father
saw q contortionist one night on the stage,
and he asked himself why he should not
teach me, aged 4. / vas put into train
ing at once, and enjoyed the fun, as a
child will enjoy anything new. Wac I
beaten? was / starved2 No. Iseemed to
take to it like a little duck takes to
water. You see, we were a family Of
athletes, and, besides, / was a daughter
and not an apprentice. If the father Is
the trainer he may not spare the rod, but
he is cruel only to be kind. Myexperi-
ence 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, prac.
tice and performance. Lam 10 now, and
my performance keeps me In capital train
ing.
In the business of contortion the first
lesson is the backward bend, first with
the arms, and then, without. You stand
on n long mattress, SO that there is no
danger, and at first your teacher controls
your movements with q 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 asort of panic in the pupils mind
II be has really tried his best and failed,
he is SO terrified that he Is almost certain
to fail unless he has q great deal Of pluck.
II he hag only beer sulking, 1t may bring
him to his bearings. OF course. childreu
are often stubborn, and try the patience
OF the teacher 20 its utmost limit.
stThe art Of contortion, . continued Miss
vonare, 'tis learned by degrees. First the
backward bend, then the .dielocation,
then the iHplits.' and so on. What we
call scloseness' distinguishes the best
bending. To the audience bending seems
most difficult. ! experience no discomfort
or Inconvenience. /, was a puny eLila,
You see me row. fRs lady berder WIS
certainly most healthy and cheerful, stout
In body and rudy in complexion, and she
strongly maintains that all women would
be greatly benefited If they took TO bend.
ing. ut is quite q mistake to think that
! weput our limits out CT joint, or that we