The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-17
THE PH0FfssIoNlL DANorR.
Delicate Organism and Careful Treat
ment.

Delicate Organism and Careful Treat
ment.
The popular danccr-or. rather. artist
who does the rainbow act" or the latest
French solo in the terpsichorean line IS
complex piece Of machinery. which re-
qlres a great deal Of care. says the New
York Recorder. She has 10 bc oiled up
and rubbed down. plastered over and
heated 20 the proper temperature and
then cooled off again until the human
principles on which she was originally
constructed are entirely lost sight Of
Even the vigorous constitutiOnals and
s.ientihc training Of the champion pugi-
list fail 10 convey any idea Of the physi-
cal education that the average skirt dane
sr gets. First of all she has 10 acquire
an almost abnormal development of the
muscular organization i'm order to do the
labOrious dancing that constitutes her
share in entertaining and cdifying the
public.
The skirt dancer has most Of the ills TO
which flesh Us heir to combat with. Per
bags the most common of her htfu aches
and ailments is q general arrangement OF
The breathing apparatus. Any comfOrta-
by situated person who views her spas
m0dIc action from the audience can real
celebrity should De the most short-winded
creature on earth. 10 seems a marvel
That some OF her cords don't snap and the
whole tension suddenly give way and let
der down into an inartistic heap in the
middle Of the stage
BIt 10 get Il comprehensive view Of her
c0lapse-wheu she does colapse-it is
necessary To take a peep behind the cur
tain. At the ocstatic moment, when the
ID. Irr na Fs oil
Wave Of the hand or retiring CONFUSION
OF the hip-loint-at that same moment
The Over-eXerted. breathless, and painting
artist falls. exhausted. into the arms of
"a faithful attendant who bears her gently
away TO a bottle of brandy, and one Of
horse linment, favored with turpentine.
Somebody's embrocation Is then vigOr- |
ously applied and restOratlves are used |
in a startling manner Everything known /,
to sci4nc- in the revivlng and lnvigorating |
line is administered to the sufferer. and |
her recovery IS awaited with a painful eX- !
preston by AN concerned
When dancer can afford the luxury |
ot more than one attendant one is as |
signed to go over the weary area Of arms |
and legs with horse lniment, while the /
others enjoy the exciting occupation of 1
re-adJustng her wig. tanning her I'm front |
behind. and on all sides. and then depos- 1
ting her remains on some piece Of stage l
scenery until the audience has finished \
applauding. These are the simple and es-
seutially feminine parts OF the artists /
training which are common not only to
dancers, but TO the whole race of TRACE |
diennes.
AZ BIS when the skirt dancer reaches the
aecluaion OF her clearinghouse or hotel |
apartments. however. that the really in
teresiing part of the performance begins.
ltectrocuuon is one of her favorite modes
OF treatment but she naturally eats some
thing before she starts up her battery.
Eating and drinking are prohibited by her
code of digestive ethics both before and
between dances. for obvious reasons.
When the embargo is raised and the
curtain goes down. the hungry celebrity
repairs 20 the nearest hotel or table d'hote
restaurant. and there follows the procliv-
tiles that nature has endowed her with.
IN all this occurs after matinee perfor-
nance. the dancer next takes "a nap. the
duration Of which is i'm inverse ratio 10
ihc amount Of ice-cream and watermelon
she has eaten.
When she wakes up again with her head
cared. and her wasting tissues repaired.
'.re are interesting baths. messages. and
Quotations al electricity In the electri- |
Cal treatment the tender or defective
! rus or the dancers anatomy are usual
y eecirocuted first Surprising she inner
ih any lung trouble. her liver is awry.
'f her spinal organization improperly !
'uung tinglng current Is turned on aud
,.ne heroic voltage IS locally and scien-
.ally applied Then comes a general
on, iaught Of electricity over the whole
,oaN An electric bath I'm live water is
i1ori a.
mere is a noticeable something about
- ''tf-slimulatiOn 20 which the skirt
\, ,'.yef ls subjected that makes this syrade
I'd, = ',' ichorean temperament an interest I
Il, psychological study The Jealous and
.uesIpnsing high kicker invariably has
is. ,ouS constitution that is strung many
49, hsher than that II the well-be.
,~,eo aud orderly young woman. sbe ts
'nG '' tl hys'erical. sDasmodic. fretsnI
-. i,e9 an overwr0ught sensibnitv ana
i,pes iuousness OF emotional csnet, "a
NJ f.' ','' nae her vicinity a dngerous enc ~
'I' 'he Initiated Chicago News. ~