New-York tribune., 1912-03-03
THE DANGER ABROAD
Bessie Clayton 7'21TibeS the
Standing OF Artistic
m EUJ0pe

Sometime just as e begins to seem that
the great mode-n blessings Of general
education and travel havo ercceeded in
making every place on earth exactly the
game, thereby taking the s1ocal flavor out
of things. some one comes along with re-
freshing observations on differences that
still exist.
Bessie clayton tpo reWarEah'c eccentric
dancer Of the Wo1eraclds jubilee Com
pany las expcrierce in the matter Of
differences betwecr European and Ameri-
can theatrical work. She declares that 10
the performer there are any number Of in
teresting dissimilaritics between Europe
and this country. ranging al the WY from
"atmosphere" TO the p7y envelope.
In the first and mosl important place. a
young woman Of Mlss Claytons attain
-'ments. who in this country is referred to
merely as either dancer or an actress,
is in Europe an ''ar;iste. And In the
wake of this delicate tribute of title many
pleasant things follow.
As r rule, the artistic docs not appear in
o play. but as star on programme Of
carefully selected numbers given i'm one Of
the large and very special music halls.
such as the Coliseum. in London, and the
Olympia, in Paris. The custom Of intro
ducing dancing features and the ike in
musical comedies, as is now usual here.
has not inyaded Europe as yet.
Naturally. therefore. the artiste Of an
''all-special" programme is treated behind
scenes with a difference that makes her
take herself more seriously than before
This is delight No ].
The matter of assistants in the ballet
advertisements forms another important
difference between customs and ideas the
ajrical here ami in Erropc Here the diff
Guilty IS 10 get girls who can dance wen
enough 10 support The loading dancer And
after getting them the next trouble is to
keep them. II they develop sore arm
cr an ache ~ the shoulder tley quietly
withdraw. giving up. without any appar
snt pangs the honor of supporting the
star dancer The fact Is that in this coun-
try dancing IiTls are too often merely
show girls and good examples OF show
girls do not have to.ex"rt themselves very
heavily II thoy do not choose to do SO
They draw salaries np 10 $50 week (some
Of them for walking six steps in from the
wings and stsnding-and looking. Heroic
o dancing is not therefore popular among
these young ladies. They. are not fond of
firing exercise They never propel them
selves under their own power even TO thc
i1caTe as me, prefer usinS their auto
mobiles Neither are dancing costumes m
fsHois ssita them. They feel more al home
IA evening az reception gowns or boudoir
Fiyics. being 80 accustomed TO tire best
ihat even Miss Lillian Russell herself
wI,o has something 'of a reputation for
GOWNS. declared recently with laugh uiat
she could no longer compete with either the
costumes or the jewels worn by show girls
In Europe IL Is not so. Six dollars week
IS drawn by the ballet girls. who. over
there. are not show girls-an exclusively
American institution. These youngsters
are dancers who have been taught their
art IN ballet schools and are working for
a reputation as artists. In London Miss
Clayton rehearsed her coryphees at II or !
o'clock in the day and afierward the girls
went Of their own accord TO their school
and practised the steps. Miss Clayton had
shown them ali the afternoon until or
O'Clock.
OF course. the differences do not all bat
snce 10 the credit Of Europe, There ar
restrictions cn tn Continent whieh ere
ANYTHING but soothins When, for instance
tae artiste arrives IN Paris she mus. 20 20