The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-01-20
ELIOT'S GOSSIP OF SOCIETY
artist EntertainS
for Famous
Dancer

an with the dance! It makes
fat girls thin and thin girls
~ tat. 1t tones up the slug
gish minded and tones down the
spirited. At least, that's what
Ruth st. Denis says, and she said
1t in a few witty and pointed
words in telling about the Deni
shawn schools at the reception
which Eben F. Comm gave in her
honor and her husband's-Ted
Shawn-at the Arts Club last
night.
This party was bright spot
in an otherwise dull evening. 1t
was attended by company in
which artists and society folk
who are lovers of the arts were
mingled in happy proportion; and
it was one of those parties which
was a "go" from the very begin
ming. This was largely due to
the energetic qualities of the
host, one of the little group of
American portrait painters who
are internationally known and to
the charm of that slim little artist
who has done so much for the
development Of the ballet in
America, and her stalwart hus-
band.
A portrait of Miss st. Denis.
painted by Mr.. Comm at the
Denishawn School In California,
was hung over the I11antel and
dominated the room until the
original arrived. It's gorgeous
bit Of color and tremendously
decorative. It shows Miss st.
Denis as a nautch girl, with her
swirling skirt OF vivid green fill
ing the bottom Of the canvas and
her slim, jewel-decked body and
graceful head thrown into relief
against a curtain OF dull blue.
Those who have seen Miss st.
Denis in this character say that
1t is a splendid portrait, and GER
tainly it is an amazingly lovely
picture, instinct with life and
fire.
Mr.. Comm, whose home is in
Boston. is spending this winter
in Washington and has an in
teresting studio in st. Mathews
alley. He is painting number
of portraits of prominent, Wash
ingtonians, among them one Of
Mrs. George Hewitt Meyers upon
which he is now working. He
has also done q lovely head OF
Mrs. william Barrett Ridgely,
who must be an inspiring sub
ject. She is q striking looking
person, very tall slim as a reed,
very dark, with fine black eyes
and black hair which is now
CRAVING a bit and is making her
handsomer than ever.
MRS. RIDGELY, all in black.
~ was among Mr.. Comin's
guests, accompanied by her
sister-in-law, Mrs. George Deer
ing, jr. Princess Ghika, her hair
cut short and worn close to her
well-shaped head, was one or the
strikingly handsome women pres
ent and looked exceedingly we'll
in a black lace gown. with a
shawl drapery falling from a strip
of errnine Her sister, Nine.
Zaldivar, was with her.
Miss st. Denis was all in jade
green, a brocaded chiffon gown
which was quite deliberately
draped and combined smartness
with the looseness and freedom
which Miss st. Denis advocates
so strongly. She had turban
Of brilliant green around her
head, her snowy hair-it's been
white since she was a young
girl-peeping out below; and she
wore little- heelless sandals OF
green kid, with green hose.
Both Miss Dennis and Mr..
Shawn spoke briefly Of their work
to a keenly interested audience
and aftefward there was music
Among the guests were Mrs.
Arthur Lee, Mrs. John c. Free
Jessie Fremont, Mrs. George Ehle
and Mrs. Joel Heatwole, who is
visiting her; Mr.. and Mrs. H. K.
Bush Brown, DIR and Mrs. Mitchell
Carroll, Mrs. D. Buchanan Merry
man, Mrs. G. C.. Reid, Maj. and
Mrs. George Oakley Totten, jr.,
Mr.. and Mrs. William caches
FendalI, Mrs. Reeve Lewis, Mr..
and Mrs. Samuel A. Kimberly,
Miss Alice Hartman, Miss Louise
Lacey, Mrs. Victor Kaufman
and Mrs. Clarence Day.
After the close of the perform
ance of the Rams Head Players,
a group Of the members Of the
organization came on to the
party, among them Mrs. Maud
Howell Smith, Mrs. Helen r. Hag-
ner, Miss Carolyn Hagner, Miss
Bess Davis Schreiner, Miss Anne
Ives and Edwin Trusheim. Others
in the company were Mrs. e. r.
Spofford, Mr.. and Mrs. Hal Smith,
Mrs. Susan Walker, Mrs. Thorn
as Bell Sweeney, Miss Katherine
Critcher, Miss Margaret Wade,
Mrs. Cornelius Gardiner, Miss
Elizabeth Gardiner, Miss Scanlon,
Miss Marguerite Neil, Miss Marie
Spurgeon, Wallace Wright and
Archie Wells.
The British Ambassador and Lady
Geddes have invitations out for three
dinner parties on the evenings OF
January 80. February 1. and Feb
ruary Z. The guests for the party
Of February / have been asked to
meet the italian ambassador, Prince
Gelasio Caetani.
The Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin,
chancellor of the exchequer and
chief of the British debt commission;
Mrs. Baldwin, and Miss Betty Bald
win sailed today for England ON the
Olympic, accompanied by the other
members of the commission.