The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
THERE Is ARTIN THE WALK.
NINE. BONFdNTI WILL TEACH 1T
TO WOMEN OF PERSEVERANCE.

II Can't All No Learned In Ono Lcsson.
ThouEh-Examples OF the way Women
walk, with 1nteriudes BY siEnor Baratti-
Things Necessary TO n Graceful Walk.
"Oh nicei vera nice! prettyl" exclaimed Sig
nor Barrati, as he gazed Mt Mime. Bonfanti.
Tho madame bridled with pleasure and tripped
Rayly back to where the Signor and the reporter
were sitting In front Of q huge mirror. The Sig
nor was there because he Is to BIO madamo's as
sistant in her new dancing school. The reporter
was there because she wanted to find out
madame's ideas about how a woman should
walk. The mirror was there because tho big,
bare-loored apartment is to be tho scene of the
new dancing and general department school.
Vera nice!' murmured the Signor as Nine.
Bonfanti daintily approached.
THAT Ia the way to walk" said MADAME.
Now, you would not walk like thisl" and,
although not more than ivo feet high, she swung
off down the hall with a stride which would have
done credit to n six-soot English woman.
"0h, uylyi vera ugly!" exclaimed the Signor,
covering his eyes to shut out the sight.
"That-English!' explained Madame. "Oh, I
can tell an English woman, and q Scotch woman
-oh!-as soon as j see her."
Are the American woman Just as ungraco-
full T. asked the reporter.
mo, oh, moi / tell you. The American girl,
she has talent, g.r.r.eat talent. She can learn
anything. But she has no perseverance. Eth.
Signori Perseverance, . MOI"
The Signor dejectedly shook his head.
when we Italians study to become dan
seuses," continued Bonfanti, 1--WE practise six
months just with the exercises at the bar"
pointing to a long rail running along the side Of
the room. "Six months before we do a single
exercise in the middle of the floorl Ahi But
the American girl. she is in such a hurry. She
does everything the same way. II Is oil like
the cable car. She gets on and-br.r-r! she is
there at her destination. She would have it the
same way with art. She wants to learn it oil in
one lesson. Ali"
But walking gracefully Surely that will
not require so much training as dancing does y
mo, OF course. But IL a girl walks very badly
l would put her at the exercises at the bar to be-
gin with. First she must learn to hold herself in
u proper position, to breath through her nose, to
make her body light. Then she must learn to
place her feet properly. Everybody Is born
pigeon.tocd, you know. and half the people do
not outgrow 1t. They stand this way!'' and the
Madame lifted her skirts and showed her
chubby. ballet-dancing feet as straight and stiff
as IL they had been glued together.
"O.o-o-h! groaned Signor Baratti.
"She must learn to point her foot like this"
said Bonfanti, suddenly Transforming her right
ankle and foot into a flowing line of beauty.
And she must be able to stand on one foot
without any more wriggling than II she were on
two feet"
Madame walked down the hall slowly, paus-
ing at each step to rest on one foot with the
other one waiting its turn to reach the floor.
She had perfect command Of all her muscles.
"Oh. vera nice!' exclaimed the Signor,
springing up himself and following in Madame's
wake Tn show that hn could do II too.
"Yout tax a New York society woman said
Bonfanti, land does she know how to walk
gracefully OF course, they are not all alike.
But you watch them on the street. Look!"
Throwing her whole body into another posi-
ton. Madame founccd down the hall in a style
that one can see on Twcnty.third street at any
time OF any day. The a~Eitntcd Sisnor cried out
different members into another set Of angles she
ambled up the hall. her arms swinging violently
as she came. Then she initiated various peculi-
ar:s!es of gait and carriage with such eyactness
that the reporter shed tears OF laughter, while
the S SisnG ha nip's ssen me tRem 1sa WIT If a tbaty wav. eb =.
asked Madame; .pausing at last.
Yes. indeed! But do you mean that you
five or forty !"
Loan show her how to correct it herself. II
she will not perseverc and have patience, Of
course ! can do nothing"
But isn't a woman Of that age too stiff -
Oh, no! a woman of thirty-ivei is very supple!
Look at me! And am forty.four. Oh yes, forty
four! Your paper, it said was ffty. There is not
much difference, perhaps. but when one is already
And it is said had a farm in Massachusetts. All!
! would like q farm in Massachusetts-oh,. yes!
Morlachi. But was the premiere danscuse OF
the Black Crook company. Yes. that is true.
And we danced then. People said 1t was inn
modest. the ballet. But what do you have now J
this!" She began split"
The Signor cried out in the tone of one pierced
to the heart.
That Is not only im1nodest; 1t Is ugly, too!'
declared Bonfanti.
"Bnt how about walking"
yes,h y, Ga dance nee away from your
severance. You bring me back. II other
American girls had the perseverance like you.
You will learn to dance MOI Very well; I
that at the grand ball at the Waldorf-you
~know-whcn they danced the court minuct, 1t
was - the little madame finished in u tragic
whisper, 1T was somesing hor-r-reeble!"
"Oh, yes! They tell me. !. myself, once in
structed some ladies for to dance a court minuet.
There were four society ladies and there were
four dancing teachers. oh. yesl And these
ladies what taught dancing..you believe me
the, could not even walk No! And they
arm And use, n fan-oh And they Taught
dancing! ] will not teach that way. Never
One must have repose. See, I can sit down.
when they are downi i Is an art, ! tell you.
an art. Twill teach it. But I will teach 1t as an
art must be taught. by beginning at the begin
me that she wants to learn to walk gracefully.
TO carry her body. easily. to be able to turn. TO
make the graceful gestcs. like this" illustrating.
II will say to her: Yes. you shall do all that
If you will haye the perseverance ! and ! will
put her At tina! bar and l will not let her kick.
Willing TO He Helped Out.