The evening world. Newspaper, July 18, 1903, Page 7

THE » EVENING “eP —aA —— . Bessie Clayton, Who Led in American Toe-| Dancing for Years and Who Originated the Torturesome “Toe - Rock,” Has Been Forced to Retire— Other Noted Toe-Dancers— Special Shoes for the Exponents of This Art—Dancing on Bare Toes. Considerable comment has heen excited by Bessie Clay: ton’s retirement from the stage. The fact that the Sllness which deprives us of the pleasure of witnessing this cleve artist's work Is ascribed to the violence of her efforts as toe dancer has re-opened the discussion as to the evils o toe dancing. In point cf fact a far more valuable lessox was read last spring in the death of Elsie Jones, profes- sionally known as Elseeta. A yoar ago she found {t neces- ary to abandon her vaudeville caréer owing to the fact that her dancing nad brought on an attack of heart disuse which prevented her from performing her customary spe- ¢lalty. Desiring to continue her stage career, she engaged with the Kiaw & Erlanger forces as one of the show girls with the road company touring with “Beauty and the Feast.’ Shortly after the opening of the company in Chi- cago she was taken {!] and returned to her bome in New-| m= ilar to a goltre, waich physicians ascribed to the “back kick" in which the toe !s| made to touch the base of the skuil. In an endeavor to reduce this local trouble| the ewelling was scattered, but the dancer's depleted system wae unable to with-! stand the shock * The case excited some small comment at the time, but Miss Clayton's filness fe 8 matter of more general interest since for many years Miss ‘on has led the toe-dancing forces and has created most, if not all, of the new steps in this: particular form of dancing exercise. Tt was she who set the fashion of the “toe rock,’ and not only as a ore- @tor but also as a perfrmer par excellence Miss Clayton retained the lead longer than has any other performer engaged in thls line of work. Her fliness will prove @ sorious setback to this style of dance and her retirement, adding point to the lessons already given, will possibly have a deterrent effect upon the ex- tremist in too dancing. For several decades toe dancing was a part of the ballet school. No dancer was considered qualified unless were able to traverse the stage diagonally ‘OHICOT. @rk. Last spring she was affilcted with a swelling of the throat, somewhat and to what is p jon dancing. ed. The toe rock 4s * javented and by ma lower stem, ss tep in all da except to point properly. Properly trained a da line from the tip of the toe to the knee floor. In toe dancing not only must this tae dock the complete rock 1s formed by scribes almost a half-circle. feet, long and arduous training Is requir tally pliable, are stiffened throvgh want To regain the flexibil are spread and rendered pliable. This ts This be approached only after a ercise the muscles “cold’’ would he to briskly rubbed for t soften the tssues. continued for an hour or more, after the dar tion in the varlous steps proceeds. Even then it ts an hour or mor eve: Special shoes are employed In ball without touching her heels to the floor. When Miss Clayton first made her bid she ff as a choreographic specialty and confined her attention cing craze reached {ts heigh extremity suggests the be capable of bearing on ‘the point of the toe the entire weight of the In order to derive the flexibility which enabies the performer to 80 cont dren are seldom trained to stage dancing until the muscles and Ugaments, 0) y the foot must be twisted and turned until the fibres repeatedly with a combination of magsage and gymnastics, supply the foot. Before the limbering up exercise {s commenced the leg must be hen the wrenching process {8 commenced and sometimes Sveytually absolute flexibility Is obtained and er has learned to maintain her balance upon her toes the instruc- ta matter of slight moment. Indeed, dancors seldom, {f , conclude their sufferings unul thelr retirement from the stage. able at only two shops. There are dozens of ballet-shoe makers located in this rofessionally known as “legmanta” work about five years ago when the toe aiMoult and most painfu ted the “torture dance. tly the mi was denom! letter “L" with an clongated the negro buck, is to teach the beginner neer should be able to present a straight) 9 moment the foot ts raised from tho psition be assumed, but the dancer must vody. In tit de- bending the foot so far back the In the United States especially chil- ed of exercise. accomplished by bending the foot back preliminary warming-up process. To ex- rupture tho minute blood vessels which ‘@ to establish perfeot circulation and to nd toe dancing, and the best are obtaln- lof the toe cancer before she grew too aspiring and WORLD'S # HOME « MAGAZIN Dk A Sit ATURDAY, EVENT JULY 18, 1903, of them have the practical monopoly of the better class of work, e having been found to equal the !mporied article. though sometimes kid is employed, because seldom at energetic dancers can make them have to get even greater wear out are made of si ag qualitios. Miss of shoes more 1 two perform week, and those of min gh the use of homemade patches ie to the shoe, in the accepted sense of the term; a small plece) uns down the cenize of the shoe not quite to the tip of the Tie lower haif is much thicker than the part nearer the x just beyond the commence of the instep. tar construction affords the dancer a certain amount of support for the foot and enables the formation of the which, by ballet-mas- Jered the proper mode of holding the foot. ‘This arch ts more nearly of ts more las rianes Beforo prey a certain amount of preparatory exercise is ring for the sjage required, after which each toe is wrapped In cotton before the stocking is drawn on, More cotton {s stuffed Into the toe of the shoe (which ts made especially large to admit this padding) but, even with this precaution, the torture is exquisite. ‘The entire weight of tho body !s forcing upon the toes, and it fs no uncommon thing » a dancer faint from the pain as she reaches the friendly refuge of the wings. Many pupila are unable to stand strain, and, after passing the preliminary stages, are forced to abandon thelr projected careers A ccuple of years ago It was fashionable for toe dancers to make an especial appeal through the difficulty rather than through the gracefulness of their work. ide all question of poetry, ihe toe dance degenerated virtually into a of endurance. ‘The ascent and descent of a filght of steps was later com- cated by placing champagne bottles on the stairs and endeavoring to walk on the tops of these. When this pleasing feature lost its novelty there were several who sought to entertain the public by Jumping in and out of wooden pails, leap- ing hurdies and performing other Interesting pleasantries of no particular artistle value. Wortunately, a change of sentiment in favor of what !s now known as “fako" dancing (the old buck dance, with modern variations) destroyed the vogue empted a tight-rope spe- clalty upon her toes Some few have come by the art naturally and have accomplished thelr feats without excessive exertion. The Hlseeta referred to abovs, after doing the cus- tomary toe dances, made an especial point of finishing the act in her bare feet. ho had been @ dancer from childhood ari accomplished many remarkable tricks, Although not part of her stage performance, she was able to jump from ie to wear a single pair) b: soap-box cnto her naked toes and to keep up on these members for a conser. able time, Oddly eyough, she possessed vo: ght muscular development of the, — leg, and even In her dancing the muscles were not rigid. é Miss Cinyton also ts able to dispense with the support afforded by the ape! cially constructed ballet shoe, but she has never made a stage feature of endure: ance tests and this exhibition has been reserved for private display. Murion Winchester, now in England, lays great stress upon the endurance feature and appears to consider that the audience is as much interested as she ia herself ‘in her ability to Jump up and down with great violence without totching: mete than the tps of her toes to the stage. Mabelle Davis follows in the Wit chester toerrints, and has the additional credit of belng the plumpest toe dancer In the business, She was recently in the Casino production of “Tho Runawaye"™ uit wince then has come back to vaudeville. She was the first to accomplish upom her toes what is known as the back bend. This Is the familiar trick in which some object {s placed upon the stage and Is picked up by the dancer with her teeth, whe leans backward for that purpose. It is an Interesting display, but scarcely wort, the trouble. Mazfe King, who {s also a European star just now, was the first to Introduce the handicap feature in connection with stajr work. It was her practice to ascend a Might of eight or ten steps and carry down a small child dressed as Cupid. When the Gerry Soctety interposed she employed a weighted papler-mache figure. Miss Eadie, of Ascot and Eddie, originated the trick of jumping into and out: of tubs. Tlits required a rive of about twelve tnches, jumping to the tub, out again and landing upon the toes. : La Paitte Adelaide was the first one to introduce the cakewalk as a toe-dan- cing feature, and made a special bid with this trick in the performance of the “Ttogers Brothers in Wall Street’? several years ago. Adelaide is celebrated as having had more sixteenth birthdays than any other dancer in the business. As nearly as can be arrived at, she celebrated her sixteenth birthday nine years Bocle Calher!na Bartho, a Russian dancer, featured toe work during the last year; she was here, She suffered agony with her feet and was particularly prone te lose her toe nails, one of the most painful features of toe dancing. She was em exceptona!l grucious and graceful woman and one of the best of the old delle, school. ‘ Not cnly ts toe dancing an actual torture at the time of performance, butelt’ brings in {ts wake heart trouble and many diseases to the delicate organs of ¢h® body. But, for that matter, every form of dancing is more or less dangeroum! Fiven the straight buck dancing impairs the heart ection, while those buck dam] cors who eeek to gain applause by the length of thelr performance are prone e, develop consumption. The leg®anla work has its bad effect upon both the and lungs, as well as on the other organs of the body, and what ts known as ¢he}. nerve dagee, In which the performer {s supposed to strike the floor three each musical beat, ts equivalent to slow suicide. | { Most of those who appeal to an audience pay more or tess of a price for efforts to amuse, but In no other branch is the price greater than it {s In the cing feld, and among dancens it ts the toe-workers who suffer most. CHICO™. THE SAME OLD BILLS ON THE ROOF GARDENS. HE middle of July offers nothing new in the theatrical world; all is preparation for the coming @eason, now near at hand, and even the managers 0! the rcof gardens seein content with what they now have, swithout going in search of further sen- gations. Last ‘Monday Dockstader’ @finstrels, at Manhattan Beach, and Aga, at Hammerstein's Roof, were the novelties, but this Monday there is notn- ing of real importance, except the usual changes of dill at the vaudeville housed. “The Prince of Pilson" closed up shop at the Broadway after a long and pro: perous run which has been entire! qiren for the Hebrew Infant Asylum of New York. The volunteers are numer- ous and noted, and the advance sale ' shows that the attendance will be very large. At Terrace Garden next week Balfe's| “The Bohemian Girl" will be sung by} the company unter Mr. Montegriffo's Girection, ‘The usital Sunday nigkt con- cert will be given. “Germany by Night" at the Lion Pal- aco Garden !s a permanent summer in- stitution which attracts large audiences. The new Japanese comic opera, “Otoyo,"" continues to’ be the chief feature of “Japan by Night," upon the jshow places of New York now, while the Bostock Antmal Show always draws blg crowds. Then there is Morris's Volcano, Henedrson’s Music Hall and the Johnstown Flood. At Manhattan Beach Pain's fireworks are having @ very successful season. The Eden Musee, in Twenty-third atreet, offers many attractions, as does atso Huber's Museum, in Fourteenth street, ‘The Atlantic Garden always does a large business. eee FIRST GIRL IN 140 YEARS. One of the largest families {n St. Louls, aatistactory to Commodore Savage and | Madison Square Garden roof. Meriam|M0.—that of Arthur W. Becker—ts Mr. Litt, The retirement of the Prince | Bruce, who has succeeded Herbert | USlY celevrating the birth of a baby for the summer leaves “The Runa-|Smock in the cole of Arthur Roberts, | #1". This the first time in 110 years that ways," with Fay Templeton, the only | {ils the part acceptably, and will re-|* 8!fl has been born in the family. The indoor musical amusement enterprise on | main in this part during the remainder | ®"4father, J. Becker, had five boys, Broadway. of the engagement. There will ve a| 2d his fa Jacob Becker, had four male h The father of Jacob Becker Sunday night concert. One of the chief attractions Will be Margaret Hudbard Ayer tn English and French songs Another wilk be Domenico Solero, who was for years harpist to the Itallan royal family. Duss's concerts and ‘Venice in New York,” in Madison Square proper, ap- pear to be popular. Wor the coming week new Flemisy and Russian music is promised. Mins Charlotte George will be the soloist, aq The Floating Roof Garden offers an attractive vaudeville entertaloment each week. In the vaudeville houses good bills are offered. At Keith's Dolan and Lenaarr head the performers, which include many who are well known. At Proc- tor's Fifth Avenue wil be presented Louls Hlarrison’s drama, “Kindred Souls.” “The Wizard of Oz." which might be called a Broadway attraction, long ago celebrated its two hundredth perform- ance in this city, and will surely run all summer. “The Earl of Pawtucket" is still at the Manhattan Theatre, doing nicely, thank you, Lew Dockstader and his men have gpvgeht.on heavily at Menhatian Beach. In fect it is one of the moet successful @hgagements in the history of that cool @nd altogether charming play-house By @he sands. “It Is the Dutch,” the song written for Mr. Dockstader by Vincent Bryan and Joseph Mullin, is one of the @ong hits of the past year. To-morrow afternoon and evening they will give a @oneert with Shannon's Band, At the Crystal Gardens, atop the New York Theatre, business continues very Jarec, ‘The Darling of the Gallery Gods" and "The Minstrel Misses" con- 4g popular, For next week, as an added , Edward Gillette and his Dog Pantomimists have been engaged. These dogw ere wonderfully well trained and as Mr. Gillette has a complcte mastery ever ¢ham, they afford a peculiarly sat- fefactory entertainment. \An interesting event will occur at the “@ bent performance under the. = man bug.” made famous by the late Roland Reed. ‘At the One Hundreg and Twenty-ffth street house William Gill's play “My Sweetheart,” will be aeen. At Tony Pastor's will be seen many good turns, including Gallagher, Barrett and Company in "The Stock Brok ‘There will, as usual) be much do! down Coney Island way, Luna Park, Wish {te many attragtions, la ape of the a RUSE GEOP UE Naw At the Twenty-third street house a! tinue to be the most attractive features. | one-act farce by Julius Chambers, the At Hammerstein's Aga still is a sen-j novelist, called “A Pair of Boo will eation. Punch,” Judy @ ©o., with its| pave its first stage presentation, gatchy eong written by Mr. Hammer-| The stock company at the Fifty-eighth tein, called “If I Were a Baby Again,” | street house will revive the play “Hum- no sis dno s had an —_——— A MELON RAILROAD, - Probably the first railroad ever built In the United States principally to haul | watermelons will be a branch Ilne which daugi » and daughters. had ors 2 none of his so: there to keep one railroad busy during the season hauling them. ——— GAMBLING IN CEMETERY. British residents of Greece are mu wrought up over the action of the Gov- hile in- new scheme inc.udes a hydrop stitution, concert hall and casino, a full ‘lay-out will be run after the fashion of Monte Carlo. —————— CRUEL. “An, met" sighed the lovelorn MW Kaliow. "I tossed and turned upon my bea last night, and I couldn't sleep a wink.” “Paat 80?! replied the heartless maid, owh the matter? Are you teeth- | the Burlington is getting ready to con- ruct In Southern Missourl this epring. | This line will be fifty mies long and} Will run through a district which is dis- tinctively the home of the watermelon Enough ons are sald to be produced ernment ju accepting the offer of a for- eign capitalist to erect a gambling ca- sino in the old British cemetery !n Corfu. When the Ionian Islands were ceded by England to Greece, in 1864, It Was specifically provided that the cem- eteries would remain undisturbed. The) Mulinl, a car@ manipulator, who 1s making a sensation in Europe and who says he is an Amertcantzed Austrian, 1s the hero of the following story printed {n the London Sporting and Dramatic News: "In the White House at Washington he took a pack of cards and, after being any card he wanted. He then passe? the cards to Secretary Cortelyou, then etary Loeb, and then to Major let He wanted them not to him see the cards, but to place then back in the pack wheraver they pleased {nen he asked Secretary Cortelyou to take the cards and shuffle them as much as he wished, Secretary Cortelyou com- plied. The cards were then thrown upon the floor and divided into tree packs, Malin! knelt down and asked the President for the loan of a penknife: ‘The President handed him his pock Knife closed and Malin! said: ‘Now, if you please, Mr, President, open it.’ “The President did so, and Malini, taking all ov | the floor, He du for a while, fini » card on the end of it, turning it up, sald to the Presi. ado nd the kni young man and a remarkable per a His {nyitation to the White House “ame as an unusual compliment, and | jtme fact that the President was #0 pleased, and made the remark jaquoted, Is sufMficlent evidence that th young man made a deep and profound Ide impression upon the Pr = CARD TRICK THAT CAUGHT |e PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. bilndfolded, asked the President to take) the penknife, scattered the cards | jdent, President, if you what yout card?" ‘The President replied, ‘The ten of lamonds.’ | Malin! t 2 the card, and there | was, the ten of diamonds. It was the: that the Pr nt sald, ‘A remarkable OUTDOOR PICNIC GAMES. Now that the time has come for out- ings and excursions of all kinds, there is the everlasting question at plonics of ‘What shall we play at | Here are two or three games that are jeneee fun Hobgoblin. This {8 @ good runabout" game, and especially auitable for a big «arden or wood. One of the players is made “hobgob- ln.” ‘Then @ good place must be chosen | tor home, say under a big tree, and this | i Lif} is the only place where the players, : callel the “sprites,” are “safe.” ‘The hobgoblin must then go and hide, | and after a minute or two the sprites must start out to look for her The hobgoblin, of course cealed unt! some 9» | es con- gets quite near, | | then she darts out and catches | As a punishment, he is then ned to sto the hobgoblin, who puts him ins @ as far away from | of the circle, touching two. persons’ clasped hands, singing ‘Here I'm sad then, passing on to another, she sings, “Here I'm gay;" then to another, “Here I'm merry;"' an@ then to, the last, “And here I'll get away,” and mekeo a violent rush to break through the ring, which he players must try to prevent. '"'Polly'"” goes on doing this unt!! she breaks through, when one of the players who let go becomes “Polly.” —$—<—___ A WIFE'S ECONOMICS. Husband—Are you aware, my dear. that {t takes three-fourths of my salary to meet your dressmaker's bills? | MAJESTIC S848, crRcLB, vay & ‘Wife—Goodness gracious! what do yor 4 8.) Mata.’ Wed. a Bats | Ww ‘325th ta N. ¥, do with the rest of your money?—San 26TH EEK Aux. $—SOUVENTR, cepolece iso. eee WIZARD OF OZ/="3..23¢"se Amusement: MANHATTAN BEACH TO-DAY “ SHANNON'S idx. LEW DDCKSTATER 9 MINSTREL COMPANY Havel PAIN’S POMP! 8 and GRAND ~—TO-MOl Ww (SUNDAY) AT QREAT POPULAR CONCERT by LEW DOCKSTADER and bis ENTIRE COMPANY. SERVED SEAT FOR Amusements. with FRED A, STONE as the Scafesrows | Going (0 PROCTOR'S? To:RANi ie, #3: | BORON er te oniataaes © Hamliton. & Co. Hathaway's Dogs & Js (Monkeys, Alexiua Duo, 26 others, %. THR RIVALS. FLORENCE REED, | We WALLACE ERSKINE & All Stock J. Favor! v @, Continursa Henry W. Savage Presonts the Musical Comedy! PRINCE or PILSEN! | Eves. 8.80, 4 Place in the City, } Soloista: Miss Sidyt HBSTRA.|Sammia, Nahan Prauke, hicme as possible, where he may n | thove an inch, but stays prisoner until | one of the sprites rescues him. If the pr noves before he Is res- cued ho {s out of the ga Should go of the prisoner's hand ing home, and the hob- nes him again, he ts turned nd once more becomes a pris- | | may gut the prisoner | kes, § yecomes Calldren a! | turns te game ioe: are prison Teran. | wo form a large stan@ag Of the two who » game | ing the o and sta oft “NATIONAL” HOLIDAY. “national holl- NO There ts not a single here are “legal” holidays that vary cording to States, but no national holiday imposed upon the entire Unton. Right here our legal holidays are New Year's Day—The frst day January. Lincoln's Birthday—The 12th July, _ Washingt Birthday The day aa another cout ary. Meme Ir al Day-—T © Day—T while the one that caug the pursued by sta one has to : Polly the p of the Ring. One player stands in the middle, the! s join hands and surround her, aim being to prevent her from get- out of the ring. ted by Oy y in No- outdoor game. |! (THe BABY CHASE. BDNA Age: St En CRAWPORD. ROBERT “CUM , lata Souvenirs, Mae DCH Lk je | Eto FATHER. Adela. ENDERSON 5 JAUSIC HALL GONEY ISLAND. ATLANTIC Continuous Modern M - VENICE in NEW YO! ARADISE ROOF GARDEN.! Roofs of VICTORIA & BELASCO Theatres, { 2 Biway & 7th ave. Glass Inclosure, AGA, Vaudeville Restaurant the Best | The Mysterious | OST HE RUNAWAYS GARDBN, Bowery, citllerte, 2.15, 20 AND 30 Cl HUTCHINGS @ PDWARDS, RAND SHOW TO-DAY. Cpstal | Thay Haan j Gardens Ra WN8.O% Minne PASTOR'S sa ate: "Gatinne WATSON, and MADISO: 3Q. GARDEN ROOF. Adm. 50¢ | Japan by Night <2sRenss:,, OTOYO on a BOSTON’: LADIES" ORCHESTR. TERRACE GARDENS AS" Me oir FRA DIAVOLO, NIGHT. MANHATTAN Thea. fyz..8.00 date Wed.& HUBER'S CASINO [witsstentas Jerome Av, & 16 RRY BLAKE 0 KBITH’S : DIN WAX, New Groups SMATOGRAVH. EDEN MUSE JOANSTOWN FLOOD. CONEY ISLAND. FLOATING ROOF GARDEN Str. Grand Republic. High Class Vaudeville Ww ath BP. MW. 284 8. Bi ty CAig..0 Lt Bi dalag Except Paday. Pare Se rw] THE THOMPSON Pan & DUNDY SHOWS CONEY'S BEST runniag. In explanation, be it said that sixteen is the age Mmit of the Gerry) 4