New-York tribune., 1908-01-05
DANCING GIRLS In PARIS
Il Home for Little american and
English H'dgc Farmers.

Tornirnes and baliets that are put the stages
of the Paris theatres and music halls during the
Christmas and New Year holiday season, and
where the somewhat mature professional beau
ties of plastic art are replaced by fresh
young girls. who. owing French tradition,
have hitherto been kept nloof from the foot
lights. This pleasing invasion Of youthful dane
ers and fgurantes has ELECTED from NJ Lepine
tho popular prefect of police. much needed solic-
itude as TO the paternal for these young
girls who largely come from the provinces. from
England. and in many Instances from the United
States and Canada Several men and women
prominent in the Partisan theatrical world, in
cluding Nine Sarah Bernhard NJ. Victorien
Sardou. n. Alfred Capus. n. Tristan Bernard.
Nine Rachel Boyer and others. have cooper
ated with NJ. Lepine in finding temporary homes
for these young theatrical and pantomime girls,
and their efforts have been materially aided by
Lcrd Radstock and by a few American and Eng
lish philanthropists who take interest in the
French stage. In two OF three of the Paris
music halls. such. for instance. the Olympia.
where the American operetta- The Prince of
Pisen" is being given with elaborate ballet
advertisements and the Chatelet theatre.
where the bright and sparkling fairy music
tale" La Princesse Sans Gene is produced.
there upward OF hundred dancing girls.
mostly mere children, Of American and English
origin. They are units Of d huge theatrical
enterprise which for the last twelve months has
been pouring into the cities OF Europe similar
bands Of young girls. who work far harder than
the public might imagine for the thirty or thir-
ry-fve francs week which constitute their pay
In order as much as possible 10 withdraw these
children from the temptations of city like
Paris. few benevolent persons. led by Lord
Radstock have opened a charming home ex-
of he
fession'' in The centre of the capital, stones
throw from the principal houses in which they
are employed Tuenty-six of them well
housed. well fed and as well looked after
their way of living will allow in the Theatrical
Home for American and English Girls. in the
Faubourg Montmartre. Here their bill amounts
exactly 10 eighteen francs a week each.
For ten days fortnight before their en-
gagenenJ actually begins these children lead
busy. fatiguing life. dancing practically all day
on he stage under the eye Of the manager and
Instructor. Before the home opened the
children were housed in the small hotels of
Paris. three in q room. and they paid for the
accommodation a hundred francs month. Ar
1iving as they always must time when the
city is full il rarely possible for matron and
troupe 10 be all under the same roof. 1t was
equally difficult find tables for all in the
restaurant at meal times. and altogether the
Office Of the natron was no sinecure. All the
dancers are drawn from the lower classes. and
have The cast iron prejudices OF their caste
against Innovations in the way Of food. The
vegetable courses that figure so largely in a
Paris menu were unknown and 'distasteful 10
The children. and the cheapest seemed terribly
dear. Dancing shoes and toilets being of
prime necessity. the temptation was naturally
1o economize III food in order 10 make ends
meet. and 10 rely on stray invitations to dinner
or supper 70 make up deficits These very real
difficulties tend to make the Paris engagement
extremely unpopular with the youthful dan
seuzes. who about tea time find the burden Of
tie flesh somewhat heavy. The opening Of the
Home has removed the whole Of the trouble
Three abundant meals provided at hours
selected to suit their work, and at l o'clock in
the morning. when ali are expected to be safe
indoors. hot supper Of cocoa and pudding is
served by & pleasant faced English speaking
houscmaid.
The Home is lodged on the fourth floor Of a
frc house and is reached by fine broad stair
case. warmed and carpeted- All the rooms are
large and lofty. and with the exception Of the
sitting room were freshly decorated 10 suit the
tastes Of the new foreign tenants. This sitting
room panelled in dark wood preserves its
Eighteenth century French aspect, and makes a
curious background for the children They are
q all types: a diminutive Polish Jewess from
New York. with sleepy eyes and a quantity of
srjf7y crimpe6 hair. comes in with coarsely
featured Irish girl from the same city several
sizes larger: there are half a dozen little cock
s1e5s dropping their h's and their g's freely,
clamoring for tea and prociaiming aloud their
fatigue They have practised all the morning
and all the afternoon, and now intend TO spend
the evening in q box given by their manager,
whence they viii witness the spectacle in an
other hall. Their one interest is dancing; they
care for nothing else
Rules in the Home are few but stringent. The
r1-ircipal is this of returning straight from the
evening performance and the door is not opened
after o'clock. Each girl occupies an airy little
-5lbicle and the only service expected from her
IS the making Of her Own bed and leaving her
own clothes in order. Everything else is done
fer the boarders. Breakfast substantial! lines
is served at 10 oclock-tea, as being more pop
ular than coffee with this class, being the only
beverage provided AT o'clock dinner is ready,
and consists Of meat vegetables and some sort
Of simple sweet Tea at O'Clock is perhaps the
most popular meal of the day. and the children
de1olr immense quantities Of fresh bread and
nicely made jams supplied by the French cook.
cuince Jelly and jam are popular with the party,
and the third batch was made this week in the
Home. the great copper stewpan. holding eigh-
-een or twenty pounds. providing only enough
for one fortnight's consumption At l o'clock in
rho morning a hot milk pudding and a steaming
ing Of cocoa serve as nightcap for the workers
In TIE few months that the Home has been
oren il has mad no difficulty in filling its cubi-
ciae and the success and popularity Of the in
s+it,,tion are assured If it be supported. The
,,-sce. charged TO the dancers are too low 10
s.os II m = really sound financial-basis. Since