The New York herald., 1921-08-16
Mile. Lenglen Plays With
Grace of Ballet Master
Really Dances Tennis, for She Spins and Whirls on
Her Toes as She Moves Over Court-Tango
Is Her Favorte.
BY MARTHA CONAN.

Mile. Lenglen dances tennis. She
moves over a court with the grace and
agility OF ballet master. When she
is preparing to serve ball or to return
one she takes few quick little steps
on the tips CT her toes, and when the
game grows exciting she spins and
whirls, she stands on one toe with her
other too thrust out at right angles to
her body, she po;ses and she sways ex-
actly as II she were on the stage In
stead OF on a grassy court.
These extraordinary postures. which
fit her game perfectly, enhance her at
tractiveness. as every ono who saw her
In a practice exhibition with Sam Hardy
yesterday afternoon mt the West Side
Tennis Club courts championship tourna-
mei,t at Forest Hills agreed. New York
isn't used to the sprightliness OF this
twenty-two-year old French girl who
has won the worlds championship
among women and Is here to capture
tho highest tennis honor In America.
Eut New York is apparently quite will
Ing TO get used to the charming young
persons tennis naneuvres.
Almost everybody waited until after
the regular tournament games had been
played and even after Ttlden and john
son gave an exhibition while Mile.
Lengien went inside to change from her
afternoon dress to her tennis clothes
to get their f1rst view Of the French
woman champion. And II was we'll
worth missing O train for. because there
was so much pep and color In her per-
formance that spectators regretted when
the volleying was over
Never Takes Lessons.
As 10 the dancing or this tennis
marvel, Mile Lengen says she has never
taken ballet lesson In her life. She
hates lessons Of any kind, she said,
when giving an interview before the
games wore called. she wouldn't study
English by lesson. but talked with O
nice English woman and thus gained q
fascinating accent and remarkable
fiuency of the language.
But she loves dancing and tennis
tennis should core flrst. as she adores
II more than anything eise--and when
she isn't doing one she Is engaged In
the other recreation. The tang, - her
favorite dance, but sne likes the shimmy
and the fox trot and is eager 10 see
some of the American dances executed
on their native soil
Before the first games of the tourna-
ment we're called Mile. Lengien arpeared
In box IN front Of the clubhouse.
She wore q mauve organdy dress several
inches longer than we are used to seeing
In the Paris fashion photographs. 10
vas cut round at the neck and trimmed
with brcnd tucks and hemstltching. with
a simple cash OF the organdy tied at
the back Jus. TO one side. leaving now-
ing ends. She wore a wide brimmed
white straw hat pulled well down over
her deep gray eyes. which proved TO be
one of her most charming features, and
the Russian crown OF her hat was
banded with white silk fastened In a
fiat bow In front. Her dress had the
nerest suggestion of sleeves and mid
way between her left elbow and shoulder
she wore tubular gold bracelet.
To the question as to whether IL was
not considered unusual for a girl who
goes In for athletics to wear extremely
high heeled shoes Mile. Lengien replied
that she likes TO wear them because
they keep mo poised on my toes. which,
IL the position use so much when play
ing tennis" Her afternoon shoes were
white suede with three inch heels and
shs utsxally stands tiptos In shsws H.