The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-22
BERTHE, who LEADS COTILLONS
EXPLAINED BY ALBERT STOP
FORD, WHO SELLS AUTOMOBILES.
lie Came for the Latter Purpose, and the
New COtIlon Figures Are a side
Issue-Really n Businesslikc Eng
Iishman-His Sources OF Inspiration.

New CotIllon Figures Are Side
Issue-Really Busin esslikc Eng
Iishinan-His Sources OF Inspiration.
Up at the Importers Automobile Salon.
of in the northwest corner, there IL Dig
Englishman attending to the exploitation
OF an electric coach. He Is Mr.. Albert
Stopford and he is interest ed in the company
which controls the car he represents. MIR.
Stopford says he came over to this country
on Dec. IA to push the sale OF his coach
here because it was easier to come in person
than to answer the innumerable letters he
was receiving from his friends on this side
about IL.
This Mr.. Stopford. alert fairly bubbling
over with business, and reaching out into
the passing crowds with his smile to draw
prospective purchasers to him. is very
different seeming man from Mr.. Berthe
! Stopford, who leads cotillons and presented
several new figures to increase tho beauty
of Mrs John Jacob Astor's cotilIon last
Monday night. Mr.. BERTHE Stopford doesn't
seem ever to have known what business
means.
He has been almost overwhelmed with
! hospitality since he came here He dis
! covered that it was interfering with his
! business and registered solemn vow that he
would never, never again go out to lunch all
last week Mr.. Stopford, as one who is about
the only cotillon leader London has had since
1880. has met and made friends over there. as
| he himself puts il, with Mrs John Jacob
| Aston and many of the other very beautiful
Americans who visit the other side So
when he came here on his automobile mis-
sion he found himself bombarded at once
with attentions that were no part of his
original plan.
But he didn't mind. He is cheerful
| soul, IL BERTHE Stopford. In ull in the
automobile proceedings the other after
noon he talked a little of his ideas about
originating cotillon figures
I'm the nrst place, ne said. L fnd myself
asked how il happens that | come over mere
to teach cotillon figures. | haven't really,
done anything OF the sort, you know ID
| is true, very true indeed. that we dance the
cotilon very little in England. l went to
| France. you know, in 1885 or 1883. or about
| that time and when | came back | began
| leading cotllons ! have been in France
| great deal since but | think | have been
tho only cotllon leader there has been in
! London. Being the only one, 1t really isn't
immodest for me To say so, Is IL, now
MIR. Stopford was asked what method
he adopted in getting original ideas Tor
! cotillon figures.
In the first place, he said, Il never
undertake to invent intricate movements
of dancers-maneuvring and counter
marching and that sort oil thing; not at ALL
| My idea il always to find some way OF
setting off pretty women. Anything that
seems to set of their dresses to advantage
or makes the scene more brilliant seems to
me to count for more than intricate figures
| in dancing.
Now take the rose tree figure, which
| has gone all over the world since | first
used it, That came 70 me one time when
| saw a number OF pretty women, exceed
| ingly pretty women, under a rose tree that
was in full bloom in garden. There was
TO be a cotllon the next day. L mad the
tree cut down, you know. and set up on
the floor, and the women were tied to 1t
Ii is very old figure now, but still think
| II very nice L originated that inquire III
Just that way,
Then take the figure which you some
times see used, of having the people come
| in bearing great punches OF howers-faise
flowers, OF colrse-all sparkling with tiny
| electric lights. Ii makes a charming effect.
| That idea | think l got from a ballet. One
| is likely TO have an idea come to him almost
any time, from the most surprising sug-
gestons.
1t was from seeing a very beautiful
| young woman in a garden OF lilies that
| thought of the figure in which VI RS. Aston
was surround ed with lilies.
That is the whole idea: to set on the
beauty of the women's faces and their
| gowns to the very best possible advantage
! and TO keep everything as simple as possible
otherwise No, no, / did not come over
| here TO teach Americans to dance the
cotillon That would be absurd. really
| awfully absurd. 1t was most kind, alto
gether kind. of Mrs. Aston to ask me to
lead.
And do want 10 say that it Is a revela-
ton in hospitality to find how kind every
| body here is To a visitor One il not pre-
pared for anything of the sort. II Is quite
| overwhelming, really. We on the other
side know nothing of the sort Please put
none but the most appreciative words In
my mouth about everything that has come
to me here in the way of hospitality.
When the engagement for the interview
was made Mr. Stopford was as near to case
of nerves as so robust and well built a speci-
men Of British humanity could well be.
He was sitting in his dressing room at the
Waldorf wrapped in blue robe and full
Of courtesy and wonder. He was asked
if he had been interviewed heretofore. He
studied the toes OF his slippers for a moment
and then threw back his head and laughed
sYor seer he said, 81 know so little Of
the WAYS Of things over here don't really
know The other afternoon, now, very
beautiful Young woman came up TO me IN
the automobile exhibition and asked some
question about our car. II was really a
very pretty young woman, awfully pretty.
Really. | can't tell you how pretty she was
And ! told her about the car. and she was
very much Interested. And then she asked
me something or other, whether ! really
did lead the cotillon with Mrs. Astor or
something like that, you know, and said
that | had.
1T did seem bit peculiar that she should
ask such question. but then she was really
awfully pretty. Then she went off saying
that she was a newspaper woman.
friend tells me that it was an interview,
Now IL il was. Gawd knows what happened
or what is gong TO happen. But tia all
right l don't care bit-not If she will
come back
DrnytOn-Knowcr
Miss Constance Knower, daughter OF the
late Beninmin Knower. and Henry Coleman
Drayton were married yesterday afternoon