Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-02
A Dancer
WhOHearsWith
Her Feet

livery night when the spotlight turned Frances
A@ Woods slim blond dancer, the applaudirg spec
- tatefs find difficult to believe that She has
heard the which she keeps perfect
Yet Frances who born stone deaf whirls through the
intricate steps classical modern dances with
her partner Billy Bray, graceful tribute the ability
Of science and ingenuity orumph human handcaps
When Frances was little girl in Youngstown, Ohio,
she longed TO be dancer IT the way in which
she could really express energy and pentup feelings
for while she could read and write she could neither hear
nor tax Her lack OF hearing was due TO having been
born without drums and her inability speak the
additional handicap which frequently comes to those who
have been deaf since birth and for that have
heard a
At first Frances was content to dance little pantomes
originated herself when she grew her
showed much talent that her mother tried
enroll her dancing school, with discouraging results
I'm sorry, Mrs Woods, dancing teacher would say,
looking ptyngy the eager young Frances but since
your daughter is stone deaf there is no way of conveying
the rhythm to her. I'm afraid that it is hopeless"
determined woman, Mrs. Woods continued to visit
dance studios until day when Frances was nearly H.
she took her child the offices of young named
William Bray who had just opened up for business.
Bray took immediate liking to the young girl and
ingenious idea occurred to him He had Frances take
off her stockings and go through of her
mprovsed little dances her bare feet while he played
an accompaniment the piano. Then, gradually, he
changed the rhythm. Frances smiled at him and kept
right on dancing in perfect tempo.
When over, Bray said enthusiastically to the
girls mother: I'm wen be able to make fine
of Frances She may be able to hear with
her bat she with feet. Did you notice how
sensitive she to the piano? She felt the vibrations
board"
AS Frances started her lessons with Bray the
teacher increased. He that the young
girl quickly grasped each lesson. In order to commln
cate with her more fully Bray himself learned the deaf
and dumb language
After several lessons Frances discovered that
hear the vibrations through her with
her shoes and stockings She became adept that
Bray had an Inspiration He would give up all OF his other
pupils groom Frances professional She
would be Of the countys outstanding dancers and he
would be her partner.
That years ago During that time Frances and
Bray perfected routnes and when the teacher de-
they ready they had a professional
debut countrywide tour and have been popular
dancers since
IF your ears were plugged up tightly
o soundproof" Bray points you
would the vibrations If pounded the
you with a hammer II you kept your
plugged up for long time say for several years,
you would become increasingly sensitive to delicate
vibrations That what has happened in Frances
Even did not realize how responsive she was to vbra-
tions untu daY driving along with the
radio playing a fox-trot Frances Who was reading
magazine Kept time with her shoulders ana head could
figure it knew that the vibration Of the engine
killing any Of the music vibrations IN the hoorboard
OF the
Then the music changed to a waltz She changed
rhythm TO match it, stopped the car and asked her in
sign language how she heard that music She just
laughed my and answered that she received
through the magazine she was reading The vibrations
The air were hitting the and travelling into her
hands
AT the very beginning OF their professional career
pefh,r Frances made It clear TO Bray that she not
pampered HUNDRED because her handicap Bray
agreed strenuous routnes which,
o occasion. proved dangerous 20 Frances
Her worst accident occurred a small stage War
ren Ohio night club. The stage Thanked with mir
rored columns They had just begun intricate whirl
which Frances spun around head down her only
support being her feet locked behind Brays head
handling the spotlight suddenly shot il fun into
Brays eyes II blinded him that he couldn't Ddge his
DISTANCE and Frances whr 20 abrupt cd her
foreheaa hit the pillars snas The glass
INTO Thousand pieces She u.afIy s,. ped a
doom al tI she cred
however she insisted orr heop.- with tina, number