Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-31


were sitting around in various attitudes of
picturesque repoSe.
The very idea of the thing" exclaims one,
to walk tight rope just like circus per-
former
And 1 suppose" put in another. you
wear tarletan skirts, any number of them?
The next thing We may expect is to see you
riding bareback around a ring"
And jumping through hoops? Well no.
hardly expect to come to that. Yet if it
were the only way to acquire a perfect
figure wouldn't it be worth while to try
it,
For my part, 1 prefer less heroic meas
ures, and would take my exercise in homeo-
pathic doses. When l venture my glad
young life and limb upon tight rope 1t
will be because life is no longer worth liy-
ing and l am trying suicide in a novel and
sensati onal form.
This is the way Hypatia goes about her
new and spirited diversion. In one corner
of her dressing room, or boudoir she has a
wire stretched about four inches from the
floor. at first; gradually it is raised at least
a foot from the floor. Then balancing
pole must be provided. The balancing pole
before one becomes expert, may be fastened
to the wall. where it meets the floor and
so arranged that 1t will move in an arc
The fair performer preserves her balance by
graSplng the free end of the pole as she pro-
ceeds slowly along the slender wire. After
becoming somewhat expert the balancing
pole is left free at both ends, just as any
ropewalker would use it.
The Paraphernalia
corner of ones dressing room, a wire
stretched from side to side balancing
pole-these are all the requirements. Can
anything be simpler? Nor is a particular
costume necessary Just get into a short
skirt or tuck them up here and there that
is all
Ten or twenty minutes daily practice on
the tight or slack rope puts the finishing
touch to figures that would be 1.-the and
graceful No exercise indeed can be better
for waist, legs and ankles. 1t does for the
lower part of the body what certain games,
| for example, do for the upper part of the
| body, and gives better training than months
| of other work would do. AS a diversion
pirouetting on a rope is the most fascnat-
| ing one ever devised, so it's deyotees de-
! clare: 1t gives one the graceful motion of a
| professional dancer and the suppleness of
an acrobat.
After the fair damsel has learned to bal
ance. and this is not the work of the day
as perhaps it is unnecessary to add she
| balances on one foot, rotating the other
| from the knee and then from the hip-a
! good exercise for strengthening muscles of
| the lower limbs and reducing adipose about
the waist. By bending the knees, and dip
| ping the body down and then raising it
again, the limbs are developed. This move
! ment can be combined for strengthening the
| calves by rising first the toes and then
| dipping down and up again, while the 1eet
| are still in this position.
FOR anOtner balance movement lift the
heels, bend the knees Straighten the BODY
! then sink the heels. The knees must point
| in the direction of the feet and remain bent
/ at right angles. This is true balance
movement to be done slowly There is
| little likelihood of it's being done too rapid
| ly, with one trying at the same time to keep
ones equilibrium a rope.
Requires Skill.
Another exercise, which requires much
skill; stand with the hips firm: move first
the right, then the left foot parallel with
itself, twice it's own length forward and
place it on the wire with a gentle pressure
on the ball of the foot, the weight of the
| body being carried equally by both feet
The movement should be then taken back
ward as well, which demands more skill
than the neopbyte can command.
These exercises should bring into play all
the muscles of the legs as we'll as those
about the waist. and are splendid for keep
| ing down undue proportions and strength
| ening weak muscles. giving agility and
| strength of body.
1t is when one Is ready to graduate as an
expert rope walker that she performs-if
| ever-such feats as dancing or yaulting
| upon her rope; running as if an arrow
! from bow" Is recorded of famous
| rope walker or dancing with weights at
| tached to the feet or keeping half dozen
The modern Atalanta VIII hardly go to such
| lengths Rope walking. however, appeals to
her from its very novelty, land II she. has
| the patience to- master its difficulties the
| rewards are firm, strong muscles, trim
| waist line, a radiant complexion and SPAR
king eyes.
Before venturing life and limb upon the