The Washington times., 1936-06-09

grateful.
I started my career as dancing
teacher at the Grand Central
Palace, New York'S most popular
ballroom in 1914. Charlie Burgess,
Of RoSeland, was manager when
I applied for a tryout. I was so
nervous my feet refused to bulge.
I heard Burgess say, Hes awful"
but the girl persuaded him to give
me a chance.
One night while at Grand Cen
trail Palace, waltz contest for
professional dancers was being
held. 1 didn't consider myself
good enough to win, so I decided
to look on. But at the last mo-
ment tall blonde, twice my age,
took me by the wrist and dragged
me onto the floor. Because. I
suppose, we stood up straighter
than the rest, the judges awarded
us a huge silver cup, measuring
over three feet. What gripes me,
every time I think of it, is that
I had to politely hand the cup
over to the big blonde. She
promptly hooked it, but didn't
offer to split.
A fen months later, / became
an instructor at the ercluSiue
salon In Aeoli1n Hall OF G. Hep
burn Wilson, M. B. No one eUer
ltneD 1DIldt the M. 3. stood for.
But Wilson tlouriShed during the
dance craze By giUing the public
the hoEunI it tDGnted. At his
entrance, he stationed tho large
and Uery black dGrkieS, dressed
up in huge turbGns and long,
flo1Dirg, coIortnL cloGkS. As the
customers entered, they tDere
greeted by incoherent num-
bItngS, accompanied By deep
solemn boDino, the feathers of
the Negroes tNrbGnS touching
the floor.
To become an assistant to Yer
non Castle was the ambition of
every young dancer. BY taking
an eight-weekS' course in Vernon
Castles method, I became an in
structor at Castle House, on 46th
st., opposite the Ritz. The most
exciting moments Of my early
career were spent there, particu-
larly on Sunday afternoons, when
celebrated people from all over
the world would attend the tea
dances. Baron de Meyer, tall,
distinguished, brought the new
tango steps from Paris and demon
strated them with his young, sill
verhaired wife, unquestionably
the smartest-looking woman in
America. August Belmont was a
daily visitor and spent more time
dancing than he did at business.
Elisabeth Marbury and Mrs.
John Corbin were interested in
Castle House. Miss Marbury pro-
NOTED the Castles. Mrs. Corbin
managed the school.
A few months before Elisa
beth Marbury died, she wrote
that she had been following my
career with interest and she
wanted to present an idea to
me. She was lame and would
I come to see her? That idea
went with her to her grave.
know that to my dying day I
shall regret that put off going
to see that remarkable woman.
I had been at the Castle House
only a short time, when a tall,
thin woman, about 40. with pierre
ing eyes, came in search Of dane
ing partner. She had a job wait
ing at the old Battery Park Hotel
in Asheville, N. c. In exchange for
exhibition dances, the hotel fur
nished room and board and the
privilege of teaching.
We were both to teach and
split the receipts fifty-fifty. But
as the baroness was busy with
social engagements and drank a
great deal, did the teaching. We
parted company; that is, the
baroness left, after I taught Mrs.
George Vanderbilt and her daugh-
ter, Cornelia. The baroness IS
charged them about $50 per les
son, instead Of IS, and gave me
$3.50 as my share Mrs. Wander
bilt complained to the hotel man
ager.
X X X
The Castles were a tremendous
drawing card wherever they ap-
peared-at San-Souci, in vaude-
vile or in their own show-with
but one exception-Luna Park.
During the summer of 1914, Irene
Castle developed appendicitis and
q bad crouch while waiting for
customers who did not appear.
But it gave Vernon a chance to
practice his drumming, one of
the things he did exceedingly well.