The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-12

nAa HeRtDnInH n = tuS AES u ooNNst s"~ -
Ten or Twelve Yeara. with Hard Work,
O,e May Become n Psssabie Daasouse.
From ne Cosmopolitan COPYRIGHT 1889.
!.
Among the amateurs Of dancing the story
Ia told that one day the mother Of Mile. Emma
JIyry. happening to enter the dining room
Unexpectedly. surprised her daughter, then
aged six years, busily engaged In eating Jam
out of a pot placed on the top shelf OF the SIDE
board. To reach this paradise OF swes'ness the
child had to strain her legs UNNECESSARILY anu
stood balanced on extreme tiptoe' her mus.
cular, slender. and steadfast feet being stiueneu
like tho steel branches OF n compass.
What are you doing, Enma asked ner
mother, who was q retired dancer.
Mamma. I nm learning my geography 1873
son." replied the little girl, without losing
either her balance or her presence OF NINA.
"Diplomacy and ponies" thought the mother
To herself. Her vocation Is complete. Emma
will become n great danseuse."
Thu nrediction was realized amply. Emma
Ijvrv became very famous rs = dancer IN the
style OF Tsglioni, a diaphanous airy vision
traysrsinc spnce with silent Hight and I'M
nonderablo lightness. But her career was very
short for the poor girl was burned on the stnge
In 1868. and died of her injuries, at tho age OF
81 At the funeral, which was attended by
many thousands Of Parisiaps. 1t was remarked
that two white butterflies nuttered over the
bier all the way to the cemetery, a circumstance
IN which ancient Greece would have seemed a
.,mbol. Emma Livry's epitaph was furnished
hvtvolines from the Greek anthology: Earth.
.siob lightly upon me. 1 weighed so lightly
upon thee"
"Diulomacy and ~pointes." In this double
snscislty lies the whole secret OF SUCCESS. Girls
vbo desire to become tho leaders OF chors-
~ranhio art must achieve q certain degree Of
elasticity OF muscles.
First OF all let us speak Of ponies, and Of tho
origin and training Of the ballet girl. Few
dancers were born. like Emma Livry above
mentioned. of the loves OF a rose Of the Opera
and a butterfly OF tho Jockey Club. Most Of
them are OF very humble origin. daughters Of
little shop keepers, Of green grocers at Mont
martre or Belleyille. of ~janitors. whom the
French call cOncierOes, OF little tailors, little
milliners, petites gems OF all kinds. A good
many, too. are children OF theatrical en-
ployess. scene shifters. d~ressers, box openers.
In some families. again, dancing Is the heredi-
tary profession: thus the Vestris formed q
whole dynasty: 80 too tho Merantes. and tho
Stilbs. One day. vt a rehearsal of Frey
scnntz," N. Perrin, then manager OF the Opera.
remarked a little bit OF a chit OF a boy who
played admirably the part Of a gnome.
who are you 2" asked the manager.
Moi, m'sieu, je suis un Stilb," replied the boy
proudly. I'm q Stilb, sir.) A dynasty, indeedl
By some accident or another. We will sup
pose. Monsieur and Nine. Pipelet have de-
cided that their little Adele shall become q
dancer, and 80 the little dear is brought to
Nine. Theodore. the professor OF the Opera.
who examines her. and passes her on to tho
doctor, who In his turn examines and pro-
nounces her to be fit or unfit for the profession.
The verdict being favorable. little Adele
henceforward belongs to the Opera; she Is
now aged Z or 8 years, and II she works
hard she will become a passabls dan
seuss in about ten or twelve years. Tho
first stage is the little girls class, Ia cldsse
des petites. Winter and summer, day after