The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-02
Teaching Royalty to Dance

Eugene Hodgkins and Irene Ham
mond who are dancing in The Folles"
at the New Amsterdam. early last month
missed "A chance to show the Queen OF
England the new dances. The Grand
Duke Michael invited them To dance at
Ken Wood. his London home, on June
IL They were in Paris at the time and in
his message the Duke mentioned that
Queen Mary woLld attend his function.
But" said Mr.. IIodgkins, in telling why
they did no. accept, Il was anxious To
come back 10 America | had booked
passage for the 10Th and had promised
my mother To meet her in New York.
She was coming from Louisville Miss
Hammond was ANXIOUS to come too and
We had set our hearts on the trip.
Il am rather sorry that we did not go
To- Ken Wood now, for | am coniiden.
that the Queen would have seen the
beauty of the new American dances
1T was the Grand Duke Michael who
really started Us on what you might
term our royal road to success had
~ !d that | would mo,f 50 clever a
girl "A, Miss Hammond when | went
abroad less than two years ago. We
began dancing professionally AT Princes
restaurant, London, and there the Duke
heard about us. lie asked MS To- givo
him demonstration at his home, Ken
Wood, in Hampstead IN, just outside
of London. He explained that he
wanted his daughters, the Countess Ziba
| Torhy and the Countess NADIA Torby, to
learn the new dances before their pres
entatiun at the cour. Of st. Jamcss last
spring. After the exhibition the Duke
| Immediately engaged Us for every sun
day afternoon from to :. In those
weekly classes We're. in addition to the
Duke and Duchess, Earl and Lady Drog-
hcda, Lord and Lady Cho,mundeley.
baroness Sasha de Meyer. Count Adam
C2"mhrCk, Lady de Trafford and her
daughter. Violet de Trafford"
Success again awaited Mr. Hodgklns
and Miss Hammond at Monte Carlo. 1t
was there that they appeared at the first
function attendant To the opening Of
( Grand Duke MiChael's Riviera mansion,
villa KOsbeCk. And it was there that
they won the friendship of The Princess
! of Plcss They were dancing at the
| Casino and also gave afternoon teas at
the Hotel Ncgrcsco. The Princess re-
questcd that they give her and her party
private lessons I'm salon Of the Ne
grcsco. After their hrst demonstration
IN" Princess engaged them to give daily
affairs for her after the regular teas
Sometimes they We're guests of the
/ Princess at her villa when the lessons
We're given there. In her party were
her sister, the Duchess of Westminster:
her aunt, the Grand Duchess Anastasia
. of McCkenburg-Schw erin, and her
daughter the Queen Of Denmark. While
| in Monte Carlo they also danced for
| Anthony DrcNel aboard his yacht, and
| they taught the new dances to Prince
Kapurthala Of India and Prince Braham
de perSe of Persia. +
Before sailing Mr.. Hodgkns and Miss
Hammond danced At The cafe de Paris.
1t was in the French capital that they
came into contact with the Princess
Murat, who invited them to give their
Partisan debut in her salon. Among
their pupils there We're the Grand Duke
and Duchess CyrIlle, Duke Boris and
Grand Duke DmItri. all of Russia
| Prince George of Greece, Pr ncess Rad
twill, Princess Jean de Broghlia, the
lnfanta Beatrice and the Infant AL
fonse of Spain, the Duke Of Marlbor-
ough Due de MontrbelO, Due de SenglC
ana Due dc Dcoazcs,
1t is interesting to know that the Prln
cess of prss has arranged for them to
dance before the Kaiser and his court
next March, II seems that the Emperor
has forbidden officers in uniform from
dancing in the new dances in public,
and ii is really in the cause of the Off
GERS that the Princess has stepped in.
Mr., Hodgkns and Miss Hammond have
contracts 20 appear in Paris. 81. Peters
burg and Moscow in the fall.