Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-16
BY voLNEY b. FOWLER.
lures on the Fairgrounds /:

Pictures on the Fairgrounds:
They are preparing for tho annual
playground pageant to be given at
Brookside Park on or about the evening
Of Aug 10, and ever since the frolic lots
were opened the directors and dancing
instructors have been training the tots
who will perform. For two years the
pageant has been one Of the finest things
in municipal life. Every summer it IS
about the biggest thing In the lives OF
the Riddles who take part because they
are kept practicing afternoon after
afternoon for two and a half months be-
fore the big night
Five big trees, planted so their trunks
form a semi circle Of columns and their
foliage a roof through which the bright
est sun can not pierce, mark the stage
where the little girls OF Spades Park
are being trained for the pageant by Miss
Ethel Hughes.
a group Of small boys, more or less
scornful of such graceful movements as
the little girls are executing sit under
one Of the trees as a sort of guard Of
honor for the portable talking machine
which is grinding out dance music. Miss
Hughes starts the music. the little girls
EbAst tAtAlHtAFEbf tuF ElkhL HlDtAHUl Nbults
and they are of, skipping over the vel
vety grass In stockinged feet, going
through the movements of what. when it
Is perfectly learned. will represent the
golden age" in the evolution of the
dance. The pageant is TO be called 1.-THE
Evolution of the Dance"
AUDIENCES GATHER
FOR REHEARSALs.
The sun beats down on all the world
around the stage, but the little sprites
trip through their waltz as cool as the
proverLial cucumber. Many of their
mothers have gathered upon front porches
along the terrace overlooking the park
to watch them There is an audience
almost every afternoon. The music stops
and so does the dance. While the dancers
drop upon the grass to rest Miss Hughes
steps of stage to talk with Miss Alice
Mescan, assistant director OF recreation.
who has been watching Miss Hughes
points out a fair haired little Miss Ian
guidly draped on a park bench
This is our little solo dancer and
we're having a time keeping her from
going to sleep this afternoon. She says
she has a headache and wants to Sleep"
explained Miss Hughes
Temperament at the age Of four.
The kittcnball diamond used to be 10
Gated where the graceful little figures now
fit There is a row Of new houses just
behind the spot and the recreation de
partment had all kinds OF rows because
the boys were forever knocking fouls to
the danger and sometimes demol shment
Of the nice new windows. The diamond
was moved across the boulevard where
there are no houses I'D the boys now
can knock the h4Ii a mile without dam
age.
Such are the thousand and one prob
lens the city hires a recreation direc-
tor to solve.
KEEN RIVALRY
BETWEEN FAIRGROUNDS.
Brookside and Spades parks are close
together. The children who go to each arc
old rivals In everything in which there is
chance for competition. Brookside has
the annual pageant within her borders.
Spades likes to go up there on pageant
night with her little girls so perfectly
trained they carry of irst prize. That is
what Miss Hughes and her youthful stu
dents want to do this year. Brookside
says it has something to say about that.
There was no practice at Brookside this
day, however
No dancing lesson, that is. The boys
were playing ball and the girls were
thinking about more strenuous exercise
than preparing for the pageant Some Of
them were trying to see how high they
could swing. Another group was prac-
ticing the Maypole vault, one Of the
events In the girls track meet which al
ways is held at the end Of the playground
season The Maypole vault consists Of
banging on the end of a Maypole rope.
taking a big run and leap over a cord
held out from the pole. Some little
girls have cleared the cord at a height
of FIVE or six feet.
It's great sport. Father would break
his neck at it. 1t was 81 in the shade
while the irrepressible youngsters
streaked over that cord on the BroOkside
Mzypole. They don't swing on the pole