The San Francisco call., 1909-11-14


When they We're putting on Tom.
Dick and Harry MISS Hoffman had
/ charge of the dances and told me that
she was arranging one for me. She
came to me and asked me to give her
some ideas about the dance. what
wanted and so forth. Well I did. I
showed her Just what I wanted and
taught her the steps. Next day at re-
hearsals she calls the girls together and
teaches them the dance. just as though
/ she had known it from her chiIdood.
Did she give me credit? Guess again.
Some day I'll be doing all that for
myself and getting the credit"
ln(AN you dance the buck and
| wing?" 1 asked of Miss Dibblee
/ NO" said she. Il never learned
any of those conventional steps"
DO you regret it?'
ANY kind of knowledge pertaining
to an art is worth while At least
there's no harm in possessing il. AS it
I happens 1 never studied that kind of
dancing pronounced properly dawn
cing'O. 1t belongs to that variety of
entertainment which has made dancing
| frivolous or worse.
| That reminded Miss DibbIee
| The ballet mistress with whom
studied in Paris" said she. was my
ideal of the real type of dancer. She
! had been the leading danseuse at the
Paris opera. and was still young girl
when her mother died. The latter was
always fearful of the results of a life
4 spent in dancing. and was by no means
, happy at her daughters choice Of a
profession. The mothers deathbed re-
/ quest of her daughter was that she
would abandon the stage. Madame
I Theodore promised. and kept her word
| She never appeared in public as a
dancer after that
Lacking the protection of the moth
er's wing. the leading danseuse disap-
peared as a ballet dancer and went To
work teaching other girls the art.
/ That reminded me of a story I heard
once about a pious and elderly Scotch
woman. who became persuaded that the
wearing of jewelry was jeopardizing
the felicity of her immortal soul She
talked the matter over with her pas
tor. who was a sensible minded man.
and he advised her to wear the jeweIry
if she wanted to, or to put it away if
she thought it vain or ostentatious.
I Subsequently the pastor and his par
ishioner met. Said the lady: Il feel
! much better now"
Said the PASTOR: ~How so?"
i ,11,s
that my gold watch and that long
/ chain were dragging me to perdition.'
Eyes" said her advisor
IT'S all right now said the Scotch
woman. Il sold the watch and chain
to my daughter.
However. Madame Theodore never
heard that story. and so she went
about teaching the art which was so
dangerous. according to her light. and
which, according to Miss DibbIee. is
doubtful profession for young women
to take up.
( But here is the delightful sequel
Miss DibbIee made rapid strides and
was accounted one of the ballet mis-
tress' best pupils. One night-it sounds
like. but isn't. a press agent story-the
young woman who did the ballet in
Saint saens' samson and Deliah"
was taken i'll. Madame Theodore was
appealed to in the emerseny and was
asked to supply a dancer. She chose
Miss Dibblee.
What will the folks say?~ said the
young lady, If l tell this story. 1t
ISM generally fnowp.
Perhaps" said I. "they don't take
The Call"
They'll get it, ANY way. this is
what happened Madame Theodore
asked me if / would care to dance the
ballet and. of course. / was rash enough
to say yes That night / went on in
the Paris opera and did the solo ballet
dance incognito and had very good
success. This is the first time L have
admitted the fact"
The objection that has been inter
posed between me and a professional
career has always been based on the
frivolous or sensational elements OF the
profession. The fault is with is expo
nents. who, employ it mainly for frivo-
Ious or sensational ends and fail to
recognize the truth that dancing is an
art like poetry and music. that it has
! the rhythm of poetry and the harmo-
NOUS effect of music.
Il do not agree with you AT all" said
Miss DibbIee. with confidence that
I Grieg's To Spring is too fine music for
a dance typifying the budding seasons
The better the music the better the
dance. No music can be too beautiful;
only there are some moods of music
which II wsuld be in poor taste to per-
sonify in the dance. La Loie. for in
stance goes too far IL she tries to pre-
sent in the movements of pantomime
tie sorrows of Mary; but all the emo
tions with which we are afflicted or
are familiar may be presented properly
in the dance. and the better the music
which supports the presentation the
better will be the artistic results.