Omaha daily bee., 1908-09-27

~~H HE children OF the kingdom o 4 QuiVera have always been
dear to the heart of his imperial majesty, the king, but
never before this year have such extensive and elaborate
l. preparations been made for their entertainment and
amusement. The future citizens of Ak-Sar-Ben are to
have their first glimpse of the kings magnfcence and splendor, and
their first realization of his generous interest in their pleasure SO
early in life that they will grow up in an atmosphere of respect for
their rightful sovereign. 1t was a wise and well considered policy
which impeIed his majesty to decide that the day after the grand
coronation ball, when all his subjects should have paid their homage
to his newly announced queen and to his own regal self, the children
should have a ball of their own. No event since the birth of most of
the children who are participating in 1t has brought them into a
common enterprise with 81 many ot their own kind. The Cinderella
ball will be a glimpse of fairyland such as few children ever get to
see, and over 500 of omahas little ones will have the still greater
JOY of taking an active part in the production.
During the rehearsals 0 n hot summer days, which have been
necessary in the preparations for this great performance, the children
have made things easy for themselves by their uneeasing enthusiasm
and abandon. The whole affair is a great game to most of them.
They are so interested in the figures of the dance. the skill which
the more gifted of their number display and the fun of playing at
being fairies, that they have no time to be tired. 1t is this quality
in the work of the children which has made it possible for w. e.
Chambers, the dancing master in charge, to bring them to 81 high a
standard Of training in so short a time. Mr.. Chambers, who has
been giving his time to this affair as a favor to the advisers of the
king, has spared neither his ability or his labors to make it a thor
oughly artistic and beautifully planned entertainment. and the chill
dren have been by his careful teaching impressed with his own sense
of what an airy frolic dance in honor of the king should be.
The representative of his majestys board of governors who has
charge of the Cinderella ball is MI. Joseph NJ. Cudahy, who, with
Mrs. Clement Chase and others. originated the idea, but he has
since turned the management Of the work over to Mrs. Chase and
her committee, Mrs. F. P. Kirkendal and Mrs. J. R. Scobie. These
three women have taken upon themselves the task of providing cos
tunes for all the children. while Mr.. Chambers was giving them his
training in the dances. To properly dress a company of 500 small
people to represent fairies, elves and couriers of a fairy palace s a
big undertaking, and in this Gaze it was made sUl more difficult by
the fact that Mrs. Chase has insisted that the costumes be not only
beautiful, but as historically correct as it may be possible to make
gowns of fairy creatures. No unschoarly incongruities have been
allowed to creep into the dresses and a definite color scheme has
been carried out. The 500 costumes could not be obtained at any
local costumers, however. Such an order would swamp the ordinary
man of wigs and tinsel armor for the rest of his natual life. 1t was
for the resourcefulness of the womans committee to establish a cos
tuners business of their own. Dressmakers, tailors, designers and