The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-24
RICH PRIZES THAT
FALL TO DANCERS
Art is Now in Hey DayOf Its
Glory
BIG SALARIES ARE PAID
otero Has Had Romantic Career and
scons Of Royalty Fell Victims
to Her charms-spanIsh
Women Best Dancers.
BIG SALARIES ARE PAID

Women Best Dancers.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
Dancers enthraling Kings, dancers we'd
ding millionaires, dancers buying yachts
and automobiles, dancers taking cities by
storms and drawing higher salaries than
tenors and prima donnas!
This is the record from day to day. The
dancer was never more feted. more sought
for than now. Truly, 1t is the age for the
muse of Terpslchore. For time 1t looked
as if dancing We're a lost art.
For half a century the art as 1t was
practiced in the brilliant days of Ellser
and Taglioni seemed to have passed True,
the Grand opera of Paris still had its
ballet, and in all parts of the world the
ballet show, as an excuse for displaying
the glories of the feminine form divine,
continued to hold sway. But it was the
loneliness of the woman not the art of
the dancer that formed the prime requi-
site.
Now the dancer has come back to her
own. The poetry of motion is the aim OF
the amusement purveyor. He wants the
performer who has mastered all the beau
tiful evolutions that appeal to the eye.
She ought to be beautiful, of course,
but this is not essential If she can but
dance.
The names of dozens of dancers whose
services are being eagerly sought for in
Europe Immediately suggest themselves
as votaries of the graceful art who have
profited by the new prediction for an
art that reaches way back into the haze
of antiquity, when dancing formed part
of the religious ceremonies.
Otero Guerrero, De Mendes, Aragon,
Rocca, Westergaard, Hero Deja are all
worshiped now just as were their pre-
cursors of hundreds of years ago. The
revival in dancing has been about ten
years reaching its climax. Undoubtedly
Carmencita La Loie Fuller and Otero had
much to do with bringing it about
Fuller, drawing an unimportant salary
in a Hoyt farce, invented new hrms or
dancing and was quick to see the better
possibilities they had in Europe than in
the United States. She judged rightly,
went to Paris opened her own theatre,
made an unexampled success and became
rich.
Carmencita Woke Enthusiasm.
Carmencita was less the business wo'
man, but she went all over the world and
helped make people enthusiastic over the
real art of dancing and Otero and Me-
rode. the latter with her classical dances,
helped largely to effect the revival.
Europe's Kings have not been without
influence in favoring dancing Emperor
William of Germany has always delighted
to nay honor to the queens or the 1alfy
feet; so has King Leopold of Belgium
who heaped limtless wealth before the
pretty feet of Cleo de Merode, and now
the Young King Alfonso of Spain has
given orders that there shall be assembled
for him in Madrid corps of dancers
who for beauty and ability shall be WITH
out match In the world.
THE young ruler of the country of the
dons loves music and dancing more than
any of the other arts and IT is his pur-
nose to award the highest salaries and
privileges TO those who will help to keep
Spain foremost in the art of graceful
motion. 1t Is the plan of the King TO
keep out of the repertoire the dance
music of the foreigners and conhne the
work of his troupe to strictly national
dances.
Nor will he keep his dancers at home
exclusively. He wants the world 10 KNOW
the beauties of the bolero, fandango' Sc
guedilla and flamenco, and during the
season which Is not the fashionable one
at Madrid, the company will travel to
Paris. Berlin, Vienna, London, st. re-
tersburg and even to the United States
One Of the results of the newly aroused
interest in dancing Is the greatly improv-
ed ballet that is now a feature OF grand
opera performances in this country IL
used to be that opera goers cared little
about the kind of dancing that was FUR
nished them Frequently In operas like
"ITaust" the ballet was cut altogether
and where, as In Aida" "Lakme' and
"Aueen of Sheba," 1t was indispensa-
BILE, it was so poorly given as to be mere
ly travesty on what are should be.
conrIed Hires Fine Dancers.
Now thugs are different. Herr Con-
ried director of the Metropolitan Opera
house. thinks the dancing feature of his
entertainments so important that he
picks out the best premier danseuses in
Europe The art of the 'Hrl with the
Red Domino has attracted to the Met
ropolitan Opera house many whom the
fascination of the music alone would
never suffice to draw.
1t has been the usual experience OF the
dancer to come up from the ranks to
have been a humble performer at first, a
child dancer, a prodigy. or such a KIND
was Merode. who began as an inconspicu-
Gus member of the ballet at the Grand
opera, PdflS, anu WOIhtu uST way "
the top.
Otero who is mentioned as one of the
stars that Alfonso hopes to take to Mad
rid is a noblewoman. daughter of Count
and Countess Carassaw. She was born
in Italy and gained fame as dancer
when only years old. She married the
Marquis of Otero when she was only IL
years old eloped from him at 16 and was
divorced from him in 1889.
Many men with royal names have in
volved themselves in serious trouble for
love of this siren of the dance. The
brother of the Empress of Germany, Duke
Ernest Gunther of Schleswig- Holstein.
was omitted from the court circular on
account of his persistent attentions to
Otero. and 1t was even said that the
Crown Prince of Germany, now the En-
peror, was victim to her charms.
otero VIII Settle Down.
Otero. after long and varied career,
in which at various periods she had been
lionized in every capital of Europe, has
finally decided to settle down and marry