Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-02-05

V"7HEN mere DaDy ID TAKEN uuuer
M the wing of the Metropolitan
w Opera management you may be-
iieve that she is something more than
IN infant prodigy-that she Is in class
by herself. This introduces little Vir-
ginia Gitchell. At the very tender age
Of five and half she has danced herself
right into the heart of the Metropolitan
Opera ballet department. Which means
that she is in training to become prima
ballerina assoluta at salary OF $3.50
week.
Baby Virginia does every day what
the great Pavlowa does save for pub
lie performances" says her instructor
Without haste, without rest, without a
word OF complaint, the child practises
the exhausting exercises for two hours
day. She is always ready for her les
sons, always anxious for them to begin,
always sorry when they have ended.
For two hours she works at bar, and
exercises her arms and balances at peril
of tumble and at great pain upon the
point of her great toe. She does this
work because she likes It. She does 1t
also because she anticipates the rewards
the labor will bring.
At three years of age Virginia Gitchell
decided her own destiny
MY time is wasted on these silly baby
Dances she said. "They mean nothing.
Let me be ballet dancer like the beau
tiful lady you took me to see.' The beau
tiful lady" was Genee. And her parents
,beyed.
What will you do when you become
premiere danseuse?" the writer asked
Virginia. 81 shall buy everything see"
was the temperamental response.
"But first WHAT"
"A pony and cart. Then a goat and
cart. Then an automobile" she says at
i've and a half.
Sometimes Baby Virginia goes into
corner of the big ballet room and weeps.
Never because she has been rebuked, al
ways because she despairs Of ever learn
ing the hard step. But learn 1t she does.
and as quickly as any OF the fellow stu
dents, although in the class are women
Of twenty-five. Four Of them are teach
ers Of dancing. Two are premiere dams
euses Miss Queenie Smith is an under
study for Gallet, the Metropolitan dams
euse.
Virginia goes to school at the convent
of The Lady OF Lourdes. The little one
trips away alone and returns apparently
alone, but in the four blocks that lie be-
tween her home and the convent school
the child Is guarded by innumerabe
friends The jewellers and shopkeepers
know the baby who was born on One
Hundred and Thirty-sixth street. 1t
seems like yesterday. Gordon OF low
ing pride protects her.
Next to dancing her enthusiasm is for
colors. She is learning to paint, and
keen observers notice that the colors or
her choice are never crude, that they
are well blent She prefers the pale
tints of early dawn to the riotous radi-
ance of sunrise.
A fragile child could not endure the
drain upon her strength of the two
hours practice, severe as soldiers drill
on parade ground. But Virginia Gftchell
is a sturdy bit of childhood and her in
terest in the exercises is profound, her
ambition to become the greatest dancer
In the world undertaking.
"There Is no reason why she should
not" says Nine. Pauline Verhoeven.
Virginia's parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Ed
ward Gitchell, have placed the child's
destiny in the ballet mistress's hands.
do what you think best to develop
her." they have said. Nine. Verhoever
rules the child's present and future.
She has decreed that the little one shall
have lessons with the class and shall also
have private lessons. At the classes the
babe has her place with the rest Of the
pupils at one of the bars or ratings that
are arranged to form square about tht
room
Grasping the bar in her plump fist the
child faces forward, her eyes on her In
structor, her thoughts concentrated OF
her commands.
"Battement!" cries the ballet mistress
The girl at the piano strikes strong
regular chords. With those Of the 20'
other pupils Virginia's soles begin thei
regular, rhythmic. to spectator rathe
hresome. beating. At first the sound II
slow, like the beating Of deliberate
heart. Nine. Verhoeven claps her hands
accelerate" she cries.
The 6eatings Of the solss continue hu