The Washington times., 1901-10-06
TRAINING THE ACROBATS.
Methods of Educating Children to
the Hazardous Profession.
Modern Scientific Ideas Have Re
placed Blows and BrutaIity-Mnny
Safeguards Used-How the Pupil
Gnins ConGdence-Somc Like Peril.

| feature of the old school of juvenile
training among the showmen of the
| past said the head of a well-known
family of acrobatic performers the 9TH
! er day. The new method is the oppo-
| site" continued the performer. Il have
accomplished results that have delight
ed the public, and never yet have rails
| ed my hand, either in correction or CO.
! ercion, against the little ones whom |
| have trained 20 do the most difficult
| feats. In fact, III spite of the prevail
| ing continental notion that Juveniles
| must be hammered into shape, as it
were, and that cuttings and blows are
the necessary lot of the aspiring aero
| bat, l believe by the more scientific, and
| certainly more approved, method, a
! higher standard Of excellence may be
| attained, although many believe that
| the profession of acrobat is on the de-
| cline and that there are none to COM
pare with those of the old school-men
who were whipped into wonderful prof.
| cheney almost from infancy.
"As for myself, may say that 1, too,
was hammered into shape, but by no
IlittlIIS many lildl nave
known. 1t may be that recollection of
the barbaric methods has made me
more lenient, and at least more enlight-
ened in the training of juveniles today
AT five years of age 1 was a German
turner, at the age of ten I was so pro-
ficient on the bars and trapeze that
Snowman Immediately offered to train
me for the profession. 1t was against
my parents wishes, but the glamor of
the showman's life ever alluring to the
Juvenile mind encouraged me to win
my parents consent, and / was taken
in hand by my trainer for better or for
worse.
1T was some years before l became
accomplished enough to make a public
move, and bitter years they were. But
with my first public performance 1 took
on new lease of life, as it were, and
felt myself On the high road to wealth
and fame.
When / married and little ones came
into my care. it was my one thought to
make them accomplished acrobats. and
to do this by method radically oppo-
site to those conceived by showmen to
be the only sovereign method-infinite
patience and painstaking.
Children are marvelously suscepti-
BILE. The first thing necessary is to
make them interested in their work
This is done by showing them the re-
wards of success and by inspiring alb
solute confidence. The confidence of
child is a wonderful thing, and well
worth cultivating.
by the old method. when a child
made slip he got blow with stick
as well as a hard fall This either took
the courage out OF him or drove him to
desperation. so that he made daring
leaps and plunges through sheer reck-
lessness. BY the new method, to avoid
accident is the main feature In all my
training of juveniles l cannot recall a
single accident of any seriousness, for
the reason that watch every move and
take every precaution, thinking of
many things at once. When a child
learns to stand erect on my shoulders
as l go whiriing around in a circ,e on
the high wheel, If / see that there is
going to be a fall let everything go
in order to save the child The little
acrobat soon learns that this guardian
eye is ever upon him, and he gains con-
fdence with every effort.
There are many devices for the saw
ing of limb and life of course These
are used in training, even when there
is a reasonable belief that proficiency
might be attained without their use
One of these is called a mechanic 1t
Is a sort of body harness which leaves
the arms and legs free and from which
a rope extends to a pulley on the cell
ing, thence along some distance to an
other pulley ard down into the hands
of strong manipulation.
When the child is standing on an
others shoulder and whirling around in
the three or four high, as we term
the acrobat tr ok, If he wavers or falls,
the man at the rope has but to pull
the rope, suspending him in midair or
letting him down to the floor softly.
The mechanic is thus a very valuable
aid to juvenile training, and aids in in
spring complete confidence in the young
mind.
Another safeguard in training is to
have efficient assistants ever at hand.
Some of the tricks that are accomplish
ed-for instance, the aforementioned
four higII-are exceedingly difficult
and dangerous.
"A fall would mean serious things
the breaking of limbs, and perhaps
even more serious, an utter |
loss of confidence on the part of the |
child performer After the little fellow |
has learned to balance himself aloft |
without calling too much upon the man |
at the rope the mechanic is dispensed |
with and two trained helpers follow the |
act round the stage with hands ready |
to seize the wavering figure with the |
first sign of a fall. These helpers are |
never once called off until the child has |
mastered thoroughly and confidently |
the difficult art of balancing aloft Even |
in moments of completest self-reliance |
there is danger of a lapse, and only |
days, weeks, and months of training |
upon a single difficult act can ensure |
that proficiency which justifies a public |
performance.
with the first public exhibition all |
discouragements and illusions that the /
labor did not pay and that the aero |
battle art is not wortl the cost are quick
ly dispeIled. The music, the lights, the |
glow of a thousand faces and the deaf |
ening applause with which the finest |
feats are greeted-all these fill the in
FAINT mind with a new inspiration. He |
begins to see that after many dangers |
he has accomplished something which !