The herald., 1896-01-12

danseuse par excellence. 1t was hard
| work then, but now "et ees no diff
cult" as she coyly explained one night
last week after her "turn" at the Or
pheum.
She moves about with such gentle
| ease that one cannot doubt the truth
of what she says, though she looks SO
small and fragile that one wonders
where the wonderful strength she dis
plays is concealed. Clotilde is perhaps
as tall as she ever will be, and still she
| is not very big, for when stretched to
| her fullest height she barely passes the
four-foot notch, and though she is per-
fectly developed in every limb, she
only weighs ninety-five pounds. Just
a big doll" as an admiring young lady
remarked when Clotilde walked out
upon lhe stage and let the long cloak
that enveloped her fail about her tiny
feet Certainly she looks very doll
like, with her large, round, black eyes,
curly black hair and rosy cheeks, and
lips thai need no touch of rouge to
give them the proper color. Her arms
and hands are not as large as those of
many girls not half her age, but, though
pink and round, are as sinewy as an
athletes.
When the band strikes up the smile
on her lips deepens and with modest
little wave of her hand she bounds
lightly in the air and gracefully turns
a somsrsault, for dancing on her hands
is not Clotilde's only accomplishment.
Then follows gyrations SO remarkably
intricate that one can scarcely follow
them. She bends her 1.-the body into
every conceivable attitude, twists her.
self into knots and rolls about the
stage with recklessness that makes
one shiver, and then suddenly straight
ems out all the tangles. Even while
one is marvelipg at the feat she stands
erect before the audience still smiling
and with not A solitary curl of her
pretty head out of place.
She next climbs upon small table,
and, balancing herself upon her head,
elevates her feet into the air and plays
Home, Sweet Home, upon the violin,
not even missing single note while
revolving on the little iron pedestal,
which is the only foundation support
ing her weight. With the full weight
of her plump figure bearing full upon
her slender neck she still smiles. In
fact, Clotilde is ever smiling, whether
on or off the stage, and an arduous
feat of thai kind seems to melt into
mere insignifcance when size smiles so
pleasantly over it.
With scarcely any intermission, for
her most violent efforts do not seem to
tax her in the least, she jumps from
back to back of row of chairs upon
her hands with her feet high in the air,
and on reaching the last one drops
lightly to the floor and walks sll around
the stage, without once inclining her
toes from the perpendicular.
Without giving her audience much
time for reflection, she stiles the hearty
applause that follows her every feat by
taking hold of an iron rod with her
teeth, throwing her legs in the air. and
with her arms folded across her breast,
complacently sits on her own head,
while her father, who always assists in
the performance, whirls her around
like 2 top.
This is, perhaps, one of the most re-
markabe feats she does, for the back
is bent double so that she actually sits
on her own head. The trick is all the
more wonderful when it is considered
that she sustains the full weight of her
body and poises herself to nicely with
her teeth. 1t requires a strength of
jaw and neck that is simply amazing;
but even after being whirled fast
enough to upset all calculations oe