The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-03
THUG DANCE LATEST
Realistic Exhibition Drawn
from Paris Underworld.
APACHES PORTRAYED ON STAGE
Joseph smith and Miss Alexander
Give a True Picture of the HOFri-
BILE Brutality of Partisan SIums.
Rough Action Trying on Nerves
and Muscles of the Dancers.

The most dramatic dance Of the season.
which has recently been imported from
Paris by Mr.. Joseph Smith, while de-
scriptive IN character. is in Itself a power
fui theme OF the Paris slums, well-knOwn
in France and more recently in London
as the Apache" dance. The "Apaches'
Of the Paris alley ways and dark places
are the most brutal and primitive rem
nants OF revolutionary spirit that lets
itself loose occasionally in the shape Of
trouble and excuses Of the most cruel
nature. The Apache" dance, being per
formed at the Circle Theater, for the
first time in New York, is the first appear
.ance Of the idea in this country, says
the New York Times.
From the moment my Apache comes
On the stage he is no longer the dancer
he is my Apache lover and am the
woman Of the under world. I see no
.audience-nothing but the awful man.
Il 90 not even feel the hurts Of his
beating and choking ne. not even whea
in the mai battle for supremacy between
the love Of the girl and the brutal in-
stints Of the thug. he throws me actually
and fearfuly 70 the floor. Il IS all fine
Exhilaraung. but such a terrific mental
physical and nervous strain that I an
absolutely exhausted after each per
Torrance
THE spirit Of IL stays with me wher
u Is over. and begin then 20 look for
ward u the next time The cue shall come
10 take mo through what 20 me is q
tonic tE2L brings real life. Ny partner
in the dance tried several times 20 e
through IL with less realism. and 7 Ia,
20 beg him 90 use all The seeming bru
tality demanded by the action. ] want IL
/ need il. Tor the stimulus Of the work
IL is The very brutal treatment thai
arouscs al the spirit thar is in ME.
How did ] ger The -pirit-
Feels the Part.
1T came 20 me when they tod me IN.
story II those people. I could see then
vividly as they had been described TO me
and with this picture in my mind II jus
came 10 me naturally I felt the part
I am told that j., looks real 20 Tie audi
eHcs. TX is real assure YOU
Il suppose there IS nothing daugerou.
IN &c. but I have become q good customer
FOR the makers Of healing lotions. for N,
poor skins feels more than my mird does
and Il tells the story or realism bette
than words. can only sum the Apache
dance Up IN my mind as a taste Of tina
instinct Of primitive man and woman in
Lerent iH III 90 us
In looking about for the girl 20 dance
Nith him Ar smith was struck with n.
appearance AZ Miss Alexander. She va.
the exact type iu feature. seeming TEN
permanent. and spirit Of the woman Of th0
noted Paris district. From the first re
hearsal she showed that there had beer
no mistake in selecting her for th,
dance She has developed the type
even 10 The expression OF the face shoWI
by the real characters in Paris. being
natural panJ0mimtst She IS So earnes
In her work that she insists In her De
mands for all the real punishment neces
sarv fo- che action Of the dance.
Mr.. Joseph Smith, she Apache love
in this dance. conceived II after severa
weeks study Of the characters and Gus
toms OF the underworld ia Paris. II
lived with them. joining them In thei
methods Of life. fo- the purpose OF geJ-inl
q true picture on t-5-- things.
In mis- own description 90 the dance Mr.
Smith said.
You might as well attend one Bower
ball, take one Of ifs typical dances an,
typical and. 10 degree. is a misTepre
sentzJton-
Studied TIE Underworld.
Y have seen many dances said % hav
been taken from the thEg life OF Paris
and when I visitcf nat quarter Of III
French capital ct none was tn
true picture Of L ole though fas
that pairs of the men ard women of Tn
underworld. I studied them. saw then
iB all their brutality. which shows hes
in their dances and songs. and the Sug
gesuon Of a stage picture Of this cam
to me
i Joined them, almost became one o
them, for several weeks. until ! was t0l
Grated 10 such an extent that I saw then
as they really are and not as they hav
been drawn for theatrical use. It is trul,
a"Au VI u = are oiilipSt IS piiLtJ4N
as IN the days Of cave dweIlerS. who live.
by brute force, and 20 whom women wer
slaves for the convenience and confO-
OF their masters-ma1.
1t is this spirit that I have tried q
put in the Apache dance. and IL i
doubtless due 20 the fact that 7 can SO
always In my minds eye these men from
whom I drew my material
The fact that Mss Alexander so Wis
ualizes the part makes the dance 10 u
something real There is seldom a per
Torrance in which she is not bruised 81
/ the rough treatment 7 must necessariu
give her. Sometimes 7 know I have reaIl,
hurt her. and that knowledge has Amos
made me stop the dance. OF course tn
hurt is not serious. but the bruises ar
real -