 CHAPTER 33 OF THE ART OF STAGE DANCING THE ART OF STAGE DANCING by Ned Weyburn DANCING HANDS It is not only the rhythmic movements of the feet and legs that constitute a dancer. Every stage dancer employs as well her face, hands, and arms in giving expression to grace, beauty, and the many interpretations of her pandemic art. Watch the next dancer or group of dancers you see at a show, and it may surprise you to discover how much the hands and arms have to do in adding to the effectiveness of the presentation. It is a complement to the dancer's artistry that you have been absorbently pleased by the complete effect. With no thought on your part of analyzing the structure in detail. But let her put her hands and arms out of the picture and note the disastrous result. You then realize emphatically how much the motions of the entire person, of the limbs and the torso and head, are interdependent to create the grace and rhythm that complete the perfect dance. The various functions of the hand is detailed are 1. to define or indicate 2. to affirm or deny 3. to mold or detect 4. to conceal or reveal 5. to surrender or hold 6. to accept or reject 7. to inquire or acquire 8. to support or protect 9. to caress or assail 10. how these several functions are naturally evolved from the various movements of the hand will be readily understood when one reads the definitions 1. a. to define first finger prominent hand moves up and down side to earth b. to indicate first finger prominent hand points to object to be indicated 2. a. to affirm hand palm down makes movement of affirmation up and down b. to deny hand palm down makes movement of negation from side to side 3. a. to mold hand makes a movement as if molding a soft substance as clay b. to detect rub the thumb across the fingers as if filling a texture held between them a movement often made when following a train of thought 4. a. to conceal bring the palm of the hand toward you the fingers at the same time gently closing on palm b. to reveal reverse the above movement exposing palm 5. a. to surrender closed hand opens palm down action is of dropping something on the ground b. to hold the hand closes as if to retain something 6. a. to accept fingers close on upturned palm as if receiving something b. to reject fingers unclose from downturned palm as if throwing something away 7. a. to inquire a tremulous movement of the outstretched fingers as in the blind palm down b. to acquire hand drawn toward you fingers curved toward downturned palm 8. a. to support palm up making a flat surface as if supporting a weight b. to protect palm down a movement of fingers as if covering what you protect 9. a. to caress a movement of stroking up and down or sideways if sideways one caresses the animal nature b. to assail palm down the fingers make a convulsive movement of clutching in other words the hands give expression or emphasis to the thought that it is desired to convey both in speaking and in the pantomime of the dance and the screen learn therefore to use your hands correctly in every dance there is an idea to be put across in every step from your entrance your first greeting to your audience through the measured cadence of your dance steps to the final exit your appeal for approval while you acquire the necessary dance steps to make you a perfect dancer also learn the hand and arm movements that complement your steps and perfect the picture into its most pleasing possibilities movements that you'll develop the idea of the dance you are portraying and carry it across the footlights as soon as you get command of your footwork and master the technical steps of your routine put your hands and arms into action and develop their connection with your dancing steps so that both shall coordinate as one and thus your dance will grow into a complete and perfect expression in the easiest way do not neglect your hand action it is a positive necessity to successful dancing and the time to give it attention is while you are learning the rudiments of your art this work is taught in the ned webern modern americanized ballet technique end of chapter 33 recording by pamela crantz chapter 34 of the art of stage dancing this is the libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org recording by pamela crantz the art of stage dancing by ned webern dancing feet good dancers will take good care of their feet the tools of their trade they are essential factors in your salary drawing power treat them kindly and they will thank you and remain your meal ticket for many years a hot foot bath followed by a careful pedicuring it seems unnecessary to recommend for that is a daily habit with all dancers and other ladies if your feet are tired and cry aloud for care prepare a bath for them of common baking soda and warm water using two tablespoon fulls of soda to a bowl of warm water this will reduce the swelling of the feet and ease them greatly now rub them with a cut lemon this freshens them and also makes them white and pretty allow the lemon juice to dry on them then apply cold cream and massage them thoroughly now wipe off all surplus cream and dust them with talcum powder put on soft house shoes and you will feel like a new person massage with olive oil is splendid for tired swollen feet soaking them in salt water is also good here is a favorite foot balm you can have put up at the drugstore calamel ten grains carbonate of zinc one dram oil of eucalyptus five drops ointment of rose water one ounce first bathe your feet in cold salt water then rub in the balm massaging it well into the feet at night and powder freely with talcum in the morning when the feet swell from long standing or tedious rehearsals relief can be had by dissolving the following powder in the foot bath borax two ounces rock salt two ounces alum one ounce if your feet are tender soak them in this bath for 10 minutes and then dry thoroughly hot water five quarts boric acid 200 grams tannin five grams for removing calla spot soak the feet in hot water for 10 or 15 minutes then take a piece of pumice stone and rub the calla spot do this every night during the day keep a piece of cotton which has been covered with cold cream on the spot to keep it soft this will remove any callus in a short time can you think of a dancer with corns what torture the idea suggests a limping crippled dancer would be distressing to gaze upon and even a minute corn could create this condition it simply isn't done for a dancer to tolerate a corn is a confession of carelessness of personal neglect and indifference to everything concerning her art to prevent corns and most other foot troubles wear shoes that fit your feet a too loose shoe makes corns just as quickly as does a tight shoe for when shoes are too large there is a constant friction which develops a corn and see to it also that your stockings fit your feet a short stocking cramps the foot in a loose stocking wrinkles and rubs in spots the first thing to do for a corn is to relieve it from all pressure the druggist has an abundance of corn cures most of which are effective but if you choose to have one made up to order here is a sure cure salicylic acid 20 grains alcohol one eighth ounce flexible collodion one ounce mix and apply to hard surface of corn with a small brush do this once or twice daily for three days then soak the feet in hot water water and a layer of skin will come off repeat till corn is gone tight shoes two sizes too small for you do not make your feet look small in fact they make the feet look larger and you haven't freedom to walk or dance tight shoes and high heel shoes are injurious to the health the circulation of your whole body is interfered with by wearing them and cold feet corns bunions and many other painful troubles result wear comfortable shoes if you would have freedom in dancing and all other exercises whatever shoes you wear have them comfortable so you can forget your feet as you step joyously forth to trip the measure in your chosen profession end of chapter 34 recording by Pamela Krantz chapter 35 of the art of stage dancing this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Pamela Krantz the art of stage dancing by Ned Webern dancing shoes each type of dancing demands its own fashion and footwear and the novice while learning and rehearsing requires a foot covering differing materially from that to be worn later in the perfected dance on the professional stage it is very desirable for the newcomer into the dancing world to acquire knowledge of the correct shoes to be worn to facilitate action make the learning as easy as possible and keep the feet in perfect condition in taking up this subject I shall tell in simple language what is the best and most practical way to dress the feet for the various occasions that arise in dancing one general rule can be laid down for everyone and all occasions have your shoes fit your feet do not simply buy a pair of shoes ascertain the size and width of shoes that correctly fit you and ask for your shoes by these specifications go to a first-class shoe dealer don't buy a shoe merely because it is pretty cheap shoes are often the most expensive and if poorly made may injure the feet the above advice applies to every shoe you buy for house sports street or evening wear as well as for dancing for the courses consider the type of dancing you are taking and dress your feet with shoes suitable for that kind of work if your foot is short and fat buy a short vamp shoe if your foot is long and narrow get shoes with a long vamp stiff soles being bad for the arches and hard to work in be sure to get flexible soles types of dancing shoes toe shoe with padded box toe used for toe dancing soft ballet shoe for ballet limbering and stretching and acrobatic lessons stage shoe with extra flexible shank used for high kick etc cut out sandal for oriental character and ballet work merry jane type of shoe for tap and step dancing laced type of shoe for tap and step dancing a split clog shoe with fiber half sole attached for advanced tap work type of shoe suggested for girls doing acrobatic dancing greek character low ballet shoe russian boot greek character high ballet shoe type of man's shoe sometimes used for acrobatic dancing for the toe dancer there are toe shoes which have a padded box toe these come in black these come in black and white kid and in pink satin this toe shoe and the regular soft ballet shoe which is used for ballet technique should both be a perfectly snug fit the toes of the foot coming to the very end of the shoe to do this requires a shoe about two sizes smaller than one's regular street shoes nothing is better for the limbering and stretching foundation technique is given in the net webern courses than the soft ballet shoe with a quarter inch lift at the heel for acrobatic dancing this type of shoe is also recommended though many prefer an elk sole cut out sandal which is also the choice for oriental ballet dancing these sandals if too large will bulge at the sides hence care in their fitting is desirable the most commonly used shoe for girls doing acrobatic and soft shoe work and one that is excellent for this purpose is a black kid flat as it is known which has a low heel and flexible sole a sensible comfortable shoe such as your feet thank you for for tap and step dancing there are several types of shoes the most common being that known as the mary jane or juvenile shoe with ankle strap and button or buckle another favorite is the laced low shoe known as the oxford made for both men and women the solid clog shoe has a full wood heel arch and sole and is used for very advanced clog dancing not to be worn by beginners but only the most accomplished professional solo dancers there is also a low shoe for tap dancing called the split clog shoe used by very advanced pupils only never by beginners the half sole being wood and the heel wood as well but most professional dancers prefer what is known as the haney metal plate on the end of the shoe to bring out the taps or else a wood fiber half sole but no beginner should be worrying about this just remember that you must never try to learn to dance in a french cuban or military heel as they act as a handicap or break no one can learn with them because they pitch one forward at the wrong angle and impair the health there are several attachments called jingles taps fiber half soles and the like that the expert dancer in this type of work will wish to have on his dancing shoes and i shall tell you about them here but it is best to avoid their use while you are learning the dances after you have mastered your stuff and qualified yourself without them then have them put on but not until after you have become a real dancer there is a coin jingle as it is called a brass disc about the size of a quarter of a dollar set loosely on the shoe shank that sounds like two coins striking together at every shake the heel jingle is a brass plate set into the shoe near the heel with a loose disc inside it from which extends a plug that as you step falls and hits the floor the regulation stage shoe has a very flexible shank and a french heel it is not a desirable shoe for the student of dancing because of the heel but for high kicking and similar types of stage dancing after one is acquired a knowledge of the art it is very satisfactory be sure it is comfortable and fits well there are other shoes that come naturally into use on the stage for certain types of dancing there is the low ballet shoe of the greek type and a similar one in the high ballet type what is known as the russian boot finds its place in some dances it is often red green or white to match the costume variations of this boot are the spanish gypsy or hungarian cowboy and others there is also a high laced close fitting boot with a very low heel and soft sole used by men as a rule in certain kinds of acrobatic dancing when you get into theatrical footwear there is practically no limit to the possibilities and the variations period shoes of all times and nations grecian roman egyptian etc make the list almost endless but really the only dancing shoes you will first concern yourself with are those i have designated as belonging to the learner's work for foundation technique acrobatic musical comedy tap and step ballet and toe dancing in the exhibition dancing the usual ballroom shoes are preferred if the dance is done in character that will determine the style of the shoes i want to sound a warning about french heeled shoes and high heeled shoes in general such as ladies find so fashionable a pretty female foot is charming and one's feet should be dressed in the most becoming manner but high heeled shoes do not make a pretty foot it is impossible to walk gracefully or safely in them and as for dancing no one can ever hope to become a dancer who wears such clumsy foot gear while attempting to learn the art the persistent wearing of high heeled shoes does much to bring about female troubles it is conducive to ill health crooked figures weak ankles and many internal ills there are crippled ladies of mature years whom i know who frankly admit that their condition is due solely to the wearing of high heeled shoes in their younger years to make their feet look pretty i want to make my abhorrence of high french heels as strong as i can you cannot wear them in my studios i will not permit them for to wear them indicates that you will never learn to dance and there is no use in wasting your time in trying after you have learned in suitable and proper shoes how to do your dances then a shoe with a baby french heel will be permitted for musical comedy dancing and a shoe with a low common sense not necessarily ugly heel for tap and step dancing fortunately it is not necessary to wear french heeled shoes in order to have pretty feet there are an abundance of attractive shoes on the market that one can choose with assurance of enhancing the beauty of their feet without this deforming heel if one uses the word sensible or solid comfort when speaking of shoes women shoes especially it suggests something sloppy and unattractive and some young women will have none of it there is no intention to advocate the wearing of such shoes nor any others that are not attractive and good looking get becoming shoes for every occasion by all means but see to it that they do not have the fatal high french heels before you take a single lesson in the dancing art dress your feet with proper shoes properly fitted and thank me for starting you right most large cities have shoe stores with dancing shoe departments but if you are not able to supply your needs locally right to the net wayburn studios for information and it will be forthcoming but please bear in mind that no shoes are dealt in at the studios and no direct orders for shoes will be considered end of chapter 35 recording by Pamela Krantz chapter 36 of the art of stage dancing this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Marmalade Hanna the art of stage dancing by Ned Wayburn the quest of beauty every person desires health vigor grace poise and I know of no woman who would object to personal beauty of form and face beauty of face may or may not consist of bewitching features and perfect complexion many a woman is admired for her good looks while her features may not be considered classically correct the quality of one's complexion can be improved by exercise and correct diet and for stage or social purposes by the proper makeup beauty of form is a matter of training the female form divine can be improved and kept at the divine standard if the possessor wills it goes at it right and persists in the effort bodily health is a factor in all beauty get your body healthy and the rest of the way to beauty is easy when I state that stage dancing as taught in the Ned Wayburn courses is a developer of beauty and vigor a sure road to grace poise and personal beauty of form and face in a word a maker of beautiful and attractive women I am making a statement of fact that is irrefutable based on actual and frequent occurrence you never saw a properly trained dancer who is not in perfect physical condition many ladies learn my dances for the benefits to be derived from the training young ladies and others not so young the stouts and the thins especially and both profit alike by the health producing activities they find in our courses these ladies neither need nor desire a stage career what they do want is freedom from awkwardness a bit of pleasant reducing or filling out of hollows a lasting development of the foundation of beauty they come from professional industrial and social circles an hour a day except saturdays and sundays for a few weeks and we have their blessing forever more and while on the subject of beauty here's another thing a girl has a pretty face on the strength of her beauty she thinks she would make a success as an actress Hollywood is overflowing with this type of girl she is a good home dancer and surely dancing on the stage is no different perhaps she is right in her estimate of herself and then again she may be mistaken for it requires more than mere physical appearance to be a top not sure in anything outside of an exclusively beauty show not that any ladies' polteritude is a handicap to a stage career or in any way undesirable on the contrary the stage has always welcomed beautiful women and will continue to do so but here's another girl in the same social set who makes no claim to being a beauty and does not think of herself as being of a type that lends charm to the stage and this Cinderella may possess the very qualities that go to make the professional actress and dancer and yet let the opportunity pass because of her failure to recognize her own value her face with proper makeup under our skill direction with the correct treatment of its features consideration of the stage lighting and her hair becoming glee and appropriately dressed may far outclass that of the pretty girl who is only aspiration without the necessary qualities to back it in other words beauty of the street and the home is a vastly different thing from beauty on the stage behind the footlights so do not worry at what your mirror tells you if you have the other qualities that make for professional success my courses will instruct you fully as to the way to look your best and you will be surprised at the latent possibilities for personal beauty that we will discover for you end of the quest of beauty recording by marmalade hana hlattitude.wix.com slash pirata radio chapter 37 of the art of stage dancing this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by avaii in january 2013 the art of stage dancing by net wayburn chapter 37 who's afraid i have never known a graduate of our courses to have a bad case of stage fright this doubtless is attributable to the fact that our pupils are thoroughly grounded in all their stage work before going before a critical audience they know their steps and routines perfectly have mastered the physical side of dancing their first dancing is done before their class their instructor and myself once a month we have visitors day for relatives and friends here in the studio our students appear in action before them and at other times before some neighborhood or church benefit audience they are properly dressed for their part and their makeup is right when they go behind the footlights for their first professional performance all of which gives the necessary self-confidence that carries the dancer through the trying or deal of a first appearance stage fright what it is and how to overcome it when you step out upon the stage to do your turn for the first time you will be very grateful to me for having instilled into your mind the necessity for doing your work over and over till it has become second nature to you you will thank me too for the long series of foundation work limbering and stretching exercises that you have gone through that have kept you from being muscle bound given you confidence as well as ability and left you without fear of not being able to go through with what you have undertaken this and the knowledge that your costume and makeup are perfect are of the greatest help in begetting that confidence that overcomes the danger of stage fright not only on a first but also on all subsequent appearances knowing that you look right is half the battle the other half is certainty that you know what you are about to do and know it perfectly stage fright is the uncontrollable fear of an audience it is the result of excessive nervousness the orator the actor and the singer experienced this dread more often than does the dancer or the instrumental musician the mouth becomes dry and the throat contracts as the speaker or singer attempts to get his voice across the footlights and out to the audience once voice becomes faint and unnatural weak and uncontrollable those who afterwards have become the world's great actors and singers have many of them been overcome with stage fright and even left the stage on a first appearance richard mansfield was one of these he fainted from stage fright at his first appearance yet he afterwards became one of the greatest dramatic stars in the world the stage dancer does not have this difficulty with her voice and if trained right while acquiring her art should never be subjected to the bugaboo of fear but i am going to lay down some general rules here for the prevention and control of stage fright that will give you confidence and also serve to instruct how to act if the worst does happen and nervousness gets the best of you in chorus work of course there is little danger your mates will carry you along if you miss a step or break your routine and you'll soon get back all right in solo work don't try to look at your audience nor single out any individuals don't glue your gaze on the orchestra leader though he alone is the audience of which you have any right to be at all conscious he and his baton are your friends and are giving you your tempo be aware of them incidentally but not conspicuously and forget the rest of the folks in front entirely forget yourself forget everything but the music that fills your ears and let your dancing absorb you completely radiate an air of conscious certainty in all you do smile look happy your dance is a good one and you know how to do it well you know you do pretty soon a ripple of applause starts it grows and feels that big half dark place down there before you that is a tonic your stage fright or your fear of it is gone for good your audience has accepted you now you glow with the happiness that is yours by every right applause is to you and your art as the shower and the sun are to the flowers you live on it without it you're a failure suppose you had let your fear master you suppose you had quit cold but cold feet let yourself be scared out of your wits and not braved the thing you feared that would have been a calamity your promising career would have ended before it began after all your expenditure of time and money for listens don't let anything scare you go on when your turn comes keep going no matter what happens don't give up keep right on till you get your nerve back i saw a young singer come out in front of large audience once get her cue from the orchestra and stop date she looked out over the crowded auditorium the leader held his baton suspended in air wait she said i forgotten it the audience was dead silent understanding just what had happened and very sympathetic the orchestra leader spoke a single word to her oh yes she smiled and her voice swelled out into the song she had so nearly forgotten did she get a hand i'll say she did and a couple of on chorus and a press notice next morning that told all about it and her career was launched she had presence of mind and control of herself cultivate this by first gaining perfect control of every muscle in your body by persistent practice of all of your dancing exercises technique and dance routines great confidence in your ability will come with this i am going to advise you to do as i have always done and that is write your routines down and keep them each has a name ask your instructor he can tell you the name for every step write these routines in sequence and remember each one go through each one every day no matter how many you collect the more of them you have the richer you are for they are valuable you will be a solar dancer one of these days and with this list you have you can make up your own routines take a step from this one and that one and build a new dance for yourself after a year or two you'll find this easy to do and it gives you a chance to work in your own personality in writing down the routines in the first place while still in the courses as i have advised you are helping yourself become fit so fit and so familiar with your work that you couldn't get stage fright if you wanted to so in doing this you are really accomplishing two very important things enlarging your dance vocabulary and making yourself stage fright proof always go on the stage with the firm conviction that you are going to do well and make a hit say to yourself with deep feeling i shall do well tonight i shall have a big success everything will go just as i wanted to this is called auto suggestion if you want to know and it is a self starter too and makes the wheels of success go round step on it it is good for every performance be satisfied with small beginnings at first exhibit your work in public whenever you can to gain confidence and experience keep your eye on broadway and work toward that great thoroughfare of course all dancers do that but don't think of making your first appearance there the farther away from broadway you make your first appearance the better it will be learn the art of costuming yourself for your part and learn the art of makeup they come next in importance to the actual dances themselves that you are patiently practicing when you start out take with you a knowledge of dress and makeup as well as of dancing and when you are mistress or master of these three arts and make use of them properly you can go on the professional stage without dread of being overcome by stage fright no real artist ever is although any great artist will be a little bit nervous perhaps before making the new entrance in a new play on an important first night but the sight of the audience cures that end of chapter 37 chapter 38 of the art of stage dancing this is a livervox recording all livervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox.org recording by Pamela Krantz the art of stage dancing by Ned Weyburn the dance and the drama the art of acting as it has been known for thousands of years derives from the dance and is a direct evolution from the representation of the emotions as portrayed by the primitive dancers joy anger love jealousy hatred revenge triumph and defeat were all interpreted in the Grecian dances of the period entodating the introduction of the speaking actors who told in words and gestures the stories that had formerly been conveyed through the dance the victorious warriors returned from battle danced to show how they had fought and destroyed the enemy the hunter described in a dance how he had slain wild animals the traveler who had visited what to him were distant lands told of the strange people he had met by imitating them while he danced gradually there was evolved the addition of spoken words supplementing the action accompanied by appropriate gestures and facial expression man had discovered his ability to become for the moment another person and to interpret certain emotions more vividly than through the medium of the dance the stage became the opportunity not only for the representation of elemental forces and actions but also for the principal creations of the imagination while the slowly developing drama departed widely from the limitations of its origin there has nevertheless remained an association with the dance that will continue for all time especially is this true of the lighter branch of the drama comedy and the modern combination known as musical comedy or comic opera in the popular stage entertainments of the day dancing forms an important feature of a large percentage of all productions that appear in the leading theaters in many of the classical plays by great dramatists that are annually chosen for revivals the dance appears and the actor or actress who cannot dance misses many opportunities for profitable engagements there has always been a kinship between the dance and the legitimate drama and many prominent stars began their apprenticeship for the stage in the ranks of musical comedy or as vaudeville dancers with few exceptions it will be found that the men and women who have achieved success on the stage are enthusiastic devotees of dancing and they will agree that to those intending to make acting their life work a thorough training in the art of the dance is an essential part of their education end of the dance and the drama recording by Pamela Krantz chapter 39 of the art of stage dancing this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information ought to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Peter Makis the art of stage dancing by Ned Weyburn chapter 39 personality in the dance every individual possesses something that for lack of a better word is termed personality something elusive and evasive that cannot easily be defined or explained but nevertheless remains the essential quality that distinguishes its possessor from every other human being but while all may have the potentiality for some distinct and special attribute unfortunately for by far the greater number this is never developed or expressed and they pass through their uneventful monotonous existence without even realizing their capacity for being or doing something outside the routine of their daily occupations in this era of the newest of sciences psychoanalysis which is attracting the study and investigation of millions much attention is being given to the explanation of the failure of so many persons to find an outlet for hidden capacities by the well-worn inferiority complex the flower of personality we are told is born to blush unseen because of an individual's belief that he or she is in some way inferior despite all the books that have been written all the good advice that has been given urging the development of self-confidence as the starting point of worthy accomplishment there is still all too prevalent an attitude of timidity and hesitation that says in effect i can't be what i would like to be so what's the use in trying this inability or unwillingness to believe in oneself the disposition to doubt one's powers to admit defeat before trying is nowhere more clearly apparent than in the attitude of many persons who possess the physical and mental qualifications that with proper training would bring distinction and profit as exponents of the dance they admire the successful dancers they feel that they too are capable of expressing themselves through this art but and here comes the cold water the quenches the spark of their ambition they are timid afraid of failure they fear that they haven't the persistence and capacity for application that is needed to assure success perhaps they do make an attempt but the work is hard they just know they won't be able to stick it out and after a few feudal efforts they give it up and spend the rest of their lives wondering what they might have accomplished if they had persevered to these two easily discouraged persons the message of the dance is what others have done you can do you have the physique or at least it can be developed you have the intelligence to accept instruction you have the patience needed for the continued repetition of movement that makes perfection you have an individuality that can be expressed in the subtle shadings and delicate touches that growing skill will enable you to show in every graceful movement you have in you the capacity for artistic and harmonious expression of your personality why not develop it i cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of personality in a successful stage career along with the actual mastering of the dancing steps and the acquisition of health and a beautiful body comes just as surely the development of one's personal qualities and because each person has an individuality which is distinctive from that of everyone else all must select the type of dancing which is best suited to their own personalities that is why the performance of stars like eval and law mariland miller and pennington gilda gray and fred and adelaide astaire leave a lasting impression every step every movement is designed to drive home the characteristics of their individuality even more important than the actual dancing steps they do is the manner in which they execute them the individuality that they express it is the almost indefinable factor called personality which lifts one out of the ranks of the chorus and makes the solo dancer in this book i am trying to help you develop your personality in the same way that i have discovered and developed that quality in so many of today's theatrical stars most emphatically i want to press upon you that it is not chorus work that you are learning in my courses it is professional and individual dancing that when masters gives one that certain something that one lacked before a feeling of having accomplished assurance success anyone who masters the dances takes on a certain confident feeling in time after exercising great patience and practice with this confidence the happy pupil radiates a new magnetic personality which the audience feels but more about this later on when you will learn just how oneself is injected into the dances until they are vitalized and become the living embodiment of emotions and spirit of the dancer this is putting one's own personality into the dance and is one secret of every great artist's success which we will seek to instill into the minds of all our students end of chapter 39 personality in the dance recording by peter makis chapter 40 of the art of stage dancing this is a librewox recording all librewox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librewox.org recording by christine g the art of stage dancing by ned wayburn chapter 29 dancing in ease of manner man is a gregarious animal and eagerly seeks the company of his fellows in civilized society men and women gather to dine to converse to dance to play games to watch others indulging in various sports or pastimes out of this intermingling at social gatherings there has gradually developed an accepted code of conduct termed good manners which are as stringently binding as any law enacted by a legislator and there are penalties for violation of this code that are surely imposed upon the luckless offender ranging all the way from a snub a sound or gesture of disapproval to social ostracism manners maketh man is an ancient aphorism that has very wide application while the forms and standards of what constitute good manners change with the times their essential basis is always the same a difference to and consideration for those with whom one is thrown in contact courtesy politeness helpfulness and other evidences of good breeding and careful training are the outgrowth of a desire for eliminating selfish instincts the rude man or woman is an egotist seeking to assert his or her individuality without regard for the sensibilities of others aside from the willful violation of those unwritten laws that have come to govern social intercourse there are many who air because of excessive self-consciousness which makes it difficult or impossible to put themselves at ease among those with whom they would like to associate they are painfully aware of their own surplus ego they are constrained and awkward they feel that in some way they are outsiders that as the slang phrase put it they do not belong it is probable that more social failures are due to this trait than to any other cause against this self-conscious attitude a thorough training in the dance is a most effective remedy the shy constrained awkward boys and girls mingle with their companions on terms of ordered freedom and equality they are taught grace of movement the spontaneous expression of their individuality is modified by contact with their associates they acquire a graceful walk and carriage to follow the various movements of the dance and harmony with the music takes their thoughts away from themselves and provides an escape from the dread self questioning am i doing the right thing success in mastering the technique of the dance brings assurance and poise and adds immeasurably to the capacity for adjustment to environment that marks the well-mannered members of what is in the true sense of the word good society end of chapter 40 chapter 41 of the art of stage dancing this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org recording by christine g the art of stage dancing by ned wayben chapter 41 dancing and civilization solemn professors are discussing the question what is civilization the answers ranging all the way from an increase in man's power over material things that add to his comfort and happiness up to the development of higher ethical standards of personal conduct to one the civilized man is he who was brought to his services the hidden forces of nature and by steam and electricity has girded the earth vastly increased the production of a wealth and by superior methods of transportation has brought all regions of the globe into close contact to another the mark of civilization is the diffusion of valuable knowledge the spread of popular education and the sharing by our whole people of the culture and scholarship of the great creative minds to yet another the real test of civilization is in the cultivation of a greater capacity for enjoyment of all that life has to offer and a fourth affirms that only those are truly civilized to have learned the laws of right living and conduct so that in seeking the fullest development and expression of the natures they are careful to avoid infringing on the rights and welfare of the fellow men leaving the definition of civilization for future settlement it may be taken for granted that a civilized society is one in which order and individual rights to life personal liberty and lawful acquired property are respected in which the rule of brute strength is supplanted by the higher law of reason and social justice and in which the people are free to develop their artistic and aesthetic tasters into a complete and harmonious hold applying this standard to the world's history there are found great civilized communities that at various periods have emerged from primitive barbarism have flourished for ages have left the records of high achievement in architecture sculpture painting and other arts in imperishable literature and in religions that phrase the highest exaltation of human thought and ideals such as the civilizations of ancient Egypt India Greece and Rome where the conditions attained were as greatly in advance of those prevailing at the time in practically all the other regions of the earth as are those of modern Europe and America compared with the black tribes of Africa to the student of social customs in various ages it is significant that the peoples of the most civilized countries were eager in their search for the higher enjoyment and that among them the dance was regarded as one of the most important forms of self-expression along with a greater accumulation of wealth the erection of great palaces temples and other enduring movements the mastery of form align and color by the sculpture and painter the progress in music and literature toward higher levels came the recognition of the dance as one of the greater arts worthy of encouragement by rulers and statesmen the fact of at the period of highest civilization in the four countries referred to the dance was held to be an important and honorable art is testimony to its inherent value as a means of satisfying the universal desire for human expression of the beauty of form and harmonious movement it is not a mere coincidence that the most enlightened peoples of all ages have regarded the dance not only as an amusement or diversion but as exemplifying the eternal laws that bind mankind to its earthly environment poets philosophers scholars leaders and teachers of men have at the times that they have been most highly regarded because of their special qualities or abilities joined in rendering homage to the dancer as an interpretive artist coming down to modern times in our own country it is found that as America has vastly increased in population wealth knowledge and material comfort along with the widest extension of popular education of any greater nation on the earth there is a reason a greatly increased and steadily growing interest in the dance both those means of individual enjoyment and as an artistic entertainment ranking high among all forms of creative effort with the growth of great cities and industrial centers social activities have been greatly multiplied and of these the dance is easily the most popular at all seasons at the winter resorts of the south or the seashore and in the mountains in summer the story is the same dancing is the one diversion that never pulls and is constantly engaged in everywhere golf with its hundred of thousand of devotees has brought with it the country club where the dance flourishes until the wee small hours in the home in hotels restaurants and supper clubs the dance reigns supreme learning to dance has become part of the boys or girls education along with the ordinary school studies not to dance is to be distinctly outside of practically all social circles in american cities and towns and each year finds the number of one's dancing acquaintances increasing from the select few who are assumed to be smart society down to the multitudes who make no social pretensions everyone dances and enjoys it if a poll could be taken of the population over 12 years of age in any american city asking for their favorite amusement it would doubtless be found that dancing comes first in the field of public entertainment dancing holds an equally prominent place the musical comedies fodderville acts and other theatrical productions in which the dance is the chief or an important feature testified to the popular appreciation of the highly skilled and highly paid artists who delight the public eye the motion picture is reputed to have seriously affected the prosperity of the legitimate drama but it does not appear to have lessened the interest of amusement seekers in shows over which dancing is an essential part the percentage of theatrical production in which dancing figures has in recent years steadily increased and the financial success of so many of this class of entertainment proves that the public knows what it wants and is getting it the enthusiastic crowds attracted by the great dancing artists also testify to the growing appreciation by the american people of what is distinctly the product of advanced culture and the higher civilization as population grows and the percentage of urban residents as compared with the dwellers in rural districts increases there will be an ever-increasing interest taken in the dance and all that pertains to it end of chapter 41 chapter 42 of the art of stage dancing this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the art of stage dancing by Ned Wayburn chapter 42 dancing and cheerfulness for the good are always the merry says William Butler Yeats Ireland's foremost living poet in the fiddler of Dorney this is an old truth too often ignored or forgotten there are unhappily many persons who have conceived the strange notion that goodness means a gloomy outlook toward the world and those who inhabit it to them this earth is a veil of tears everything is evil and steadily growing worse if every prospect pleases it only emphasizes their conviction that man is vile natural instincts that prompt mankind to rejoice and be glad to lift up their voices in cheerful song or to express their abundant vitality by joyous dances are to them evidence of sin and depravity if they could have their way they would abolish every manifestation of happiness and carry their conviction that man is doomed to endless pain and woe into the life beyond that this peculiar idea of the relation of goodness to happiness at one time represent the prevailing sentiment of what are termed the enlightened peoples is undeniably true it always there has been a saving remnant that protested against the solemn serious and sad railess against mirth and merriment and at last these dissenters are finding that they are rapidly becoming the majority no longer are normal men and women ashamed to show that they are glad to be alive that they believe that they were meant to be happy and should seek happiness that they do not agree that goodness means repression of natural impulses perhaps they are less concerned with abstract standards of conduct than were their ancestors for them life is a joyous adventure and they wish so to live that they may experience to the full all that it has to offer not a least encouraging sign of the changed and changing attitude of humanity toward the old repression on faith is the worldwide extension of interest in all forms of popular amusement people no longer think that to be good or moral whatever those words may mean is to be a doleful machine where really going the rounds of earning a livelihood they question the authority of those who try to inflict upon them their narrow standards of life they ask questions they want to know many things why they ask should it be a virtue to wear a gloomy face to shun pleasure to avoid their impulses to sing play or dance they have capacity for enjoyment why should they starve their natures and go without pleasures that are rightfully theirs which has often been said that the americans have not as a rule known how to play they are changing all that and as the level of education and intelligence rises as wealth accumulates and is more widely diffused as all inhibitions lose their force this country is destined to become the great playground of the world the american people are above all else cheerful and optimistic they know what they can do because they know what has been done ever since their brave pioneer forefathers cleared the forests subdued the wilderness spread out across the wide paris and established the mightiest empire of the earth the present and all coming generations that enjoy the fruits of pioneer labour and sacrifices have a right to be joyous they are free prosperous and filled with vitality vim pep and go they want more from life than any other people there are among them no country peasants or city proletariat no class distinctions no artificial aristocracy strong confident fair less they work not merely as the masses in other lands for a bare existence but as a means for providing the comforts and pleasures to which they feel they are entitled whether people are cheerful because they dance or dance because they are cheerful may not easily be decided one thing is certain that if from an assemblage of men and women there should be selected those would smiling happy faces by far the greater percentage would be found to be dancers for the good are always the merry the light-hearted free from care and worry who sing or dance or play because of their super abundance of vital energy and because in doing so they are in harmony with the primal laws of being end of chapter 42 chapter 43 of the art of stage dancing this is the LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Christine G the art of stage dancing by Ned Weyburn chapter 43 dancing and country life for more than a generation the problem of checking the steady drift of the young people from American farms into the cities has occupied the attention of statesmen able editors farm leaders and economists it is universally agreed that agriculture is the basic industry upon which the prosperity of manufacturing and commerce depends when the farmers are prosperous their demands for all kinds of manufactured goods sets in motion the wheels of industry labor is fully employed and merchants find increased sales to the rural communities and factory workers when as happened five years ago there is a widespread depression among the farmers it is felt by manufacturers railways merchants and industrial workers in every field today as 100 years ago when Thomas Jefferson wrote that agriculture was the most important of all industries the welfare of the American people as a whole is indissolubly bound up with the existence of a large and prosperous agricultural interest president Roosevelt 20 years ago recognized the importance of keeping on the farms the young and vigorous American men and women who are needed to maintain the enormous food supplies required by the vast populations of the great cities and industrial centers and appointed a country life commission to investigate and report on the conditions that were making life on the farms unattractive as compared with the cities one of the reason found by the commission for the increasing flow of country youth city ward was the lack of social activities and amusements in the rural districts and the consequent desire to migrate to localities where the denser population brought wide opportunities for social diversion curiously enough the dancers and means of promoting sociability among the farm population was not discussed possibly because of an old-fashioned prejudice against dancing that still prevails in many rural regions why certain good people should object to the dance innocent choice and beneficial as it is in practically all its manifestations and associations can only be explained on the grounds given by Lord Macaulay from the British Puritan's objections to the sport of bear baiting the Puritan condemned bear baiting not because it gave pain to the bear but because it gave pleasure to the spectators there was a time when it was considered frivolous and wicked to be happy and dancing in many other innocent amusements were put under the ban this narrow view of life is fortunately becoming outgrown and no power is now invoked to prevent pleasure seekers finding diversions in sports games or the dance with a gradual disappearance of the ancient view of pleasure as akin to sinfulness there is no good reason why dancing should not become as popular in the rural district as it is in the cities the automobile and good rural roads have combined to make possible social gatherings in central localities that would have been impossible 20 years ago improved farm machinery and implements have shortened working hours on the farm so that evenings are no longer devoted to finishing up the day's work then there are the long winter evenings when the heart of youth calls to youth and when in every village or country hamlet there should be assembled joyous groups finding in the dance and escape from the routine of daily cares picnics and outings would take on new attractions and under the spur of rivalry the simpler forms of dancing would evolve into its more artistic branches there would be something to look forward to outside the family circle new acquaintances and agreeable companions with the dance would come a wider knowledge and love of music that would stimulate its study and practice in many thousands of farm homes the radio is now installed and programs of dance music are arranged that makes it possible for millions to join in moving to the strains of the best metropolitan bands and orchestras the contrast between the city residents and their country cousins is in fact is in no respect more marked that in their walk in carriage watch the city crowd as with heads up chins in and shoulders back they step out briskly along the sidewalks they know how to walk they may be going somewhere in a hurry or sauntering to see and be seen but in either case they carry themselves as individual personage they have been taught grace of movement and their self-confidence expresses their individuality compare with them a group of rural walkers too often the lattice slouch carelessly and drag limbs that are awkward and aimless they are frequently bent and listless as though walking were hard labor imposed as a penalty they do not know how to hold their arms to keep them in accord with their bodily progress it is not an injustice to the country folk to say that by their walk they can nearly always be distinguished from the city resident instruction in even the simplest forms of the dance and practice in their movements will bring about a far-reaching change the country boys and girls will learn to hold themselves erect they will quickly see the difference between the sort of progress by what has been described as a process of falling over and recovering one's balance and real walking by a coordinated entity they will make priority in well-developed bodies and will show in every movement the results of the training that has enabled them to become proficient in the dance it is not possible that the answer to the old query how you're going to keep them down on the farm may be found in the advice teach them to dance perhaps you're asking yourself what is country dancing to do with stage dancing and I will answer you just this the city has no monopoly of talent in any field the candidate for dancing on us and emoluments comes as often from rural communities as from metropolitan but first whether in city or hamlet there must be present in the aspirant the true love of dancing as an art a sense of rhythm an urge to step to music and these he or she discovers only as the ballroom dancing in the home community develops them this is no law it is a true word there are young ladies and gentlemen in all localities who if they but knew it could rise to heights worthwhile because possessed of genuine talent needing only correct training to develop its possibilities to the full the country bread girls and boys in our courses have equal opportunity with their city cousins and both are thriving alike end of chapter 43 chapter 44 of the art of stage dancing this is a liver vox recording all liver vox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit liver vox.org recording by Pamela Krantz the art of stage dancing by Ned Weyburn dancing is a social accomplishment some years ago the editor of a great New York newspaper who is nationally known as one of the foremost personalities of his era invited a group of his friends to his home to enjoy a performance by the then celebrated Spanish dancer Carmen Sita after the plaudits of the delighted guests had died away a lady eminent in society inquired of a appreciative husband why didn't we ever think of arranging for something of this kind and her worse or half agreed that for the future they would follow their hosts example and make dancing by great artists a feature of their social entertainments ever since that time there has been an increasing demand by those whose wealth culture and good taste have made them the dominant force in American society for the services of the leading exponents of the creative art of the dance to the ballrooms of the great mansions that adorn every city of any considerable size there have come brilliant assemblages of the men and women who by reason of their special qualifications are recognized as social leaders to see and enjoy and appreciate the charm and beauty of woven paces and of weaving arms the hosts whose invitation includes the announcement special dances by miss blank or mr blank know that there will be few declarations because of other engagements the fortunate ones who are able to command the presence of any of the well-known stars in the dancing firmament at a social gathering are assured that their guests will carry away with them only pleasant recollections of a delightful occasion even to those who may have often seen the artist in public performances there is an additional charm in the dances is given in the more intimate conditions of a private gathering the knowledge that the audience appreciates every detail down to the slightest touch stimulates the dancer to the highest mood of artistic endeavor art wrote william morris is the expression of man's joy in his work emphatically is this true of the dancers art and the exultation of joyousness into perfect harmony of motion comes only when the artist knows that the message conveyed is understood by the onlookers to those who wish to make their impress upon society by distinctive gatherings the artist affords an ever-new and always pleasing entertainment as knowledge of the illimitable possibilities of the dance expands there is certain to be a growing demand for the types of dancers whose gifts make them peculiarly adapted to the exercise of their art at social functions end of dancing as a social accomplishment recording by pamela crance chapter 45 of the art of stage dancing this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org recording by christine g the art of stage dancing by ned weyben chapter 45 universal appreciation of the dance the chief reason why dancing is a public entertainment will always maintain its present popularity and will be in even greater demand in the future than in the past is to be found in the fact that to appreciate and enjoy to the fullest degree the work of the creative dancer requires no special knowledge of the art itself on the part of the spectator there are many who do not understand or appreciate classical music to many others the speaking drama makes no appeal still others care nothing for the motion picture and cannot be induced to witness a performance on the screen but everyone men and women young and mature can enjoy the beauty harmony and exhilaration of a well conceived and well executed dance there is something in the nature of us all that responds immediately to the message that a dancer conveys perfection of form grace of movement harmony of action with appropriate music all combined to make up a spectacle that thrills and inspires to slightly paraphrase robert browning others may reason and welcome but seeing the dance we know as was said of the athenians of old the american people are always looking for something new they are quick to take up this or that fads in dress games sports or amusements and after a brief time throw it aside there is nothing of the fancy of the hour in the popular acceptance of the dance either for personal practice or as a stage entertainment what has been seen in all the american cities during the past 10 or 20 years steady growth in popularity of the dance in all its forms it's no whim that will presently pass on the contrary nothing can be more certain than that each year will find a way to increase in dancing both by the people themselves and for them by the artists of the profession it was said for a long time by visiting foreigners that americans had not learned how to enjoy themselves this may have been true at one time but it is not today the chief object of life it has been discovered is to live abundantly and joyously everything that helps to make living more cheerful helpful and agreeable that satisfies aesthetic needs that ministers to the sense of beauty and harmony will be encouraged and developed and as one important means to these ends the dance must of necessity flourish and enjoy end of chapter 45 chapter 46 of the art of stage dancing this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org recording by christine g chapter 46 the melting pot of the dance a great deal is being talked and written about changing the millions who have come to this country from foreign lands or are the children's of immigrants into 100 americans so far as the advocacy of meshes for this purpose is based on a sincere desire to bring home to everyone living under the national flag a knowledge of the essential principles of our government and institutions this is worthy of the encouragement and aid of all patriotic citizens there is however another aspect of the americanization movement that is not so admirable this is the attack on ideas manners customs and amusements peculiar to certain foreign peoples not because they are necessarily wrong or antagonistic to genuine americanism but mainly because they are different according to some of these self constituted authorities the way to instill patriotism and love of country into the benign aliens is to persuade them to abandon all that links them with the land of their ancestors and become exactly like the prevailing type of bangor main augusta georgia or portland oregon oliver wendall holmes tells how when he was a boy living in cambridge massachusetts there was a constant warfare between the boys of his district and those who live down by the waterfront who were regarded as foreigners because they seem to be in some way different he concluded that most of the racial antagonism and hatred that so often lead to quarrels and war are due to the same notion that the foreign man is inferior because his ways are different from ours against the narrow ideas that would reject many things of great value because they are of foreign origin there is need for a wise and discriminating selection of the best at all regions of the earth have to offer in the domain of science literature music painting the dance and other arts and their combination with the results attained by american creative effort in no respect is there a more urgent need for the development of a truly american art spirit than in the wide field offered by artistic dancing yet it would surely be a mistake to ignore all that has been learned and accomplished in the long experience of other peoples a foolish prejudice against foreign dancers should not be allowed to prevent the incorporation of their best features into what will ultimately be the distinctive american school that there assuredly will be an essentially american type of dancing in all its branches that will reach heights far above the yet achieved by any other country cannot be doubtful as the increase of wealth not only for a few but for the great mass of the people gives more leisure creates new desire and brings increased capacity for enjoyment it is inevitable that more and more will the public appreciation of the dance call for still greater advances as the various races from other lands have mingled their several qualities and gifts and have produced the highest civilization on a broad scale that the world has ever seen so will the creators of new and more beautiful dance forms utilize the characteristic dance of all nations in achieving what will be the hundred percent american dance end of chapter 46 chapter 47 the art of stage dancing this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Christine G the art of stage dancing by Ned Wayburn chapter 47 your opportunities those of you who are perfecting yourselves for a stage career are naturally giving consideration to your future as you advance in the courses and are wondering just how you will go about it to get well placed in your chosen line of work i am going to tell you how some have tried to do this and then tell you the best surest and safest way and do not for a moment think that i am guessing about what i tell you i know the theatrical world and theatrical ways and methods and i know the managers the producers and all the principles connected with our profession and they know me so i'm not guessing when i say that your personal interests in all matters connected with the stage will be best conserved by entrusting them to me in our classes here in the studio there is apt to be one or more dominating spirits who become anxious to go around the booking offices and seek for a tryout and an engagement it is true that to go to any office and say that you are a recent or prospective graduate of the Ned Wayburn studios is a good recommendation and you may get a hearing and a tryout on the strength of it but please be advised by me and let me give you the tryout first when i'm sure you are ready for it your teacher should first be given a chance to see what you can do individually his advice is invaluable and impartial when he reports that you are advanced sufficiently to deserve consideration for a solo role then come and dance for me i'm glad to have you do this and shall always give you my decision honestly and fairly and let me add freely no charge whatever if i see that you are deficient in any way i will be frank and tell you so and will also suggest what you should do to correct your fault in other words you will get constructive criticism and kindly advice in my office whereas anything short of perfection shown to a booking agent or possible employer would be apt to ensure abrupt dismissal they would give you no helpful advice and you would prejudice yourself for your infantry in their eyes for any future engagement you might seek so be advised by me i respect an ambition that prompts you to go out and hunt an engagement but believe me yours is not the best way there are agents and agents some would do right by you and perhaps some would be unscrupulous i am not going on record in this book with any details that would seem to reflect in the least on anyone so i'm not enlarge upon this object here but i will tell you more about this if you come to my office and ask me to now if any pupil in the school asks you to go around the theatrical agencies please don't do it but come and tell me perhaps someday you both will come to me and say thank you oftentimes we send out groups of our students two four six or eight to go on the professional stage for something special sometimes they are paid sometimes it is done graciously but the experience alone is worth money to them the regular theatrical season opens about labor day and lasts till around decoration day summer engagements begin about the first monday and june and end about the last saturday in august calls are sent out about the middle of april for summer work and about the middle of july for the winter or regular season if you are able to qualify you will get a benefit of these calls for dancers and when you go with my recommendation it will be only to the best managers i will inform you fully as to the best forms of contract for you to sign in every case and make no charge for this you know when you engage to go with the show you do not simply take the manager's word for it that he will employ you for so many weeks at so much a week nor does the manager simply take your yes i'll come and let it go with that this matter of entering his employ is a business affair a transactions of importance to you both and calls for a signed agreement that binds him the manager as to his responsibility to you and binds you as to your duties to him it is a legal document binding on both parties the manager and you and let me tell you right here you feel mighty big with your first stage contract duly signed and delivered and in your pocket and while you may in future season get contracts that specify much larger salaries than your first one no contract will ever seem so big and important to you as this first one the start the goal of your ambition i love to see my pupils with their first professional contracts they are so happy and hopeful the world opens up new delights for them they have arrived the reward or their untiring exertions here in the courses is at hand and they have earned it and deserved it good for you i feel like saying and i'm truly happy to think that i have been in some degree instrumental in bringing this about my experience has been paid for i have learned to profit by my own mistakes and i can and will save you all the risks in closing deals that involve so much perhaps your entire future stage career i can and will do this if you let me end of chapter 47 chapter 48 of the art of stage dancing this is a liverbox recording all liverbox recordings are in the public domain for more information or the volunteer places it liverbox.org recording by Anna Simon the art of stage dancing by net webern chapter 48 stage craft when my pupils become professional dancers and sign up for their first stage engagement they will wish not to be or appear ignorant of the marvellous mechanism that is the modern theatrical stage not that they will learn it all from any book but my knowledge of things backstage will be of help and i've jotted down here some of them for that purpose the rest of it the new entrant upon the real stage will absorb in time but with the help of my condensed explanation herein no one who reads need appear lost or totally bewildered in the new environment back of the curtain line let me tell you some of the important things that every pupil of mine who contemplates a professional career should know about the theater the building itself and the stage upon which you expect to present your offerings to the public in the first place the theater building is divided into two parts the auditorium and the stage the dividing line is known as the curtain line in stage parlance the auditorium side of the dividing line is the front of the house or out front and the stage side is always backstage the proscenium arch of the stage makes the frame for the pictures on the stage the opening means to the professional the width across stage at the proscenium arch and varies according to the size of the auditorium and the line of side of the auditors it might be 30 feet 40 or even more as is the case in the new york hippodrome and other large city theaters the height is sometimes the same as the width or slightly less the complete frame of the arch being usually of an up long shape possibly 35 feet wide and 25 feet high the fire laws require a fireproof curtain which is in the outer or audience side of the two or more curtains that hang on the stage side of the proscenium arch next to this asbestos affair is the act curtain that raises and lowers and is usually painted on fireproofed or heavy duck canvas there may be used instead or in addition to the act curtain what is known as a tableau curtain that works in a traveler above which can be drawn straight off stage both ways parting in the middle or we pull to a drape at each side this is always made of material and sometimes painted in aniline dye if painted in watercolor or oil it would crack there's never any curtain in front of the arch or proscenium the footlights in the apron are in front of the fireproof curtain the apron may be deep or shadow and at its front edge is the footlight trough and a masking piece fireproof always to shield the eyes of the audience and reflect the footlights onto the stage the footlights follow the front curvature of the apron when it's curved as is usually the case although many of the modern stages have no apron at all the footlights running in a straight line across sometimes within the foot of the fire curtain the stage itself extends from the curtain line to the back wall of the theater and from left wall to right wall under the roof of the stage anywhere from 65 to 90 feet above the floor there is a horizontal latticework of steel or iron covering the entire spread of the stage and known as the grid iron the space on top of the grid iron is called the rigging loft the roof of the stage over the rigging loft is a huge skylight opened or closed from the stage the skylight is made light proof for matinee performances on the grid iron are rigged the blocks and pulleys through which pass the lines attached to all the scenery that goes up in the air or up in the flies which is the name given the space between the top of the proscenium arch and the grid iron to take scenery up is flying it in stage language leaving the side of the audience whatever goes up flies and whatever is carried off to one side or back is struck the stage manager when he wants the scene taken away gives the order strike the stage hands or grips as they are called who are on the stage level and he pushes a button for the head fly man in the fly gallery to fly whatever scenery goes up there is a fly gallery as it is called usually 10 to 15 feet wide some 25 or 35 feet above the stage level and extending from the front to the back walls of the stage on one side against the side wall usually of steel and concrete then there is the paint bridge perhaps five feet wide extending across the stage to the back wall from side to side on a line with the fly gallery sometimes there is a paint frame attached to the back wall on which scenery is painted it is movable up and down sometimes 20 to 25 feet above the stage level is a light gallery on each side of the stage running parallel to the fly gallery but under it these galleries are for the purpose of holding calcium lights and operators running from the back wall of the stage to the proscenium wall all the way of the fly gallery on the front edge nearest the stage is the pin rail very strong and embedded in the wall front and back of the stage it holds all the scenery that goes aloft when the scenery is raised the lines as the ropes or cables are called in stage language are pulled down and tied off to this pin rail these lines attached to the scenery are usually in sets of three sometimes four and extends straight up through the blocks in the grid iron and across the grid iron down to the pin rail in the fly gallery as they are usually fastened to three or four different points on each piece of scenery they are necessarily of three or four different lengths but the lines are tied and handled as one at the pin rail and pulled all together in a set of three lines the line nearest the pin rail is called the short line the next one the middle line the far one the long line trim it you hear the order given this means to level whatever piece of scenery it is tie it off is the way they direct that the lines be made faster the pin rail in rainy or damp weather the ropes get longer in dry they shrink then it is necessary to trim the drops letting out the lines and tying them over before the performance this is done in the direction of the master mechanic or stage carpenter often there is a counterweight or bag attached to the lines above the fly gallery to help carry the weight of the heavy scenery as it is sent aloft to its resting place in the flies out of sight of the audience and out of the way of everybody on stage the various drops are known on the stage as solid cut or leg drops borders about 40 feet long by 12 feet deep hung horizontally mask in the top of all scenery and hide the flies from the audience on a lower floor and maybe interior exterior foliage straight arched or sky borders plain blue in troughs hung across the stage by steel cables from the grid iron their height regulated from the fly gallery are the various border lights each usually in three circuits red white and blue these are hung at intervals of about six feet the first being about that distance back of the act curtain and the others spaced about every six feet to the back wall of the stage on the average practical modern stage there will be anywhere from four to seven border lights on the stage between the curtain line in the first border light are the first entrances known as left first entrance and right first entrance the right and left the stage are always the dancers right and left as she or he faces the audience about six feet back of this is located the second entrance and about each six feet interval it is successfully numbered entrance as third entrance etc in a full stage setting the last entrance to the rear is called upper entrance a scene in the space covering the entire first entrance is spoken of as being in one and the second entrance in two when one passes out of sight of the audience he is off stage the various entrances and exits are designated in writing and print by characters that carry their meaning plainly as r u e right upper entrance l 2 e left second entrance so too with spoken directions on the stage when you are told to exit l u e for instance you're supposed to know that you're to go off stage at the left upper entrance no one in the theater ever speaks of standing in the wings always it is in the entrance the prompt side in the theater is usually the left first entrance though sometimes it is on the other side where are located the electric switchboard controlling every light in the building and the personal direction of the chief electrician and a series of buttons above a shelf or prompt desk attached to the wall about the height of a bookkeeper's desk where the stage manager makes his headquarters during each performance the stage manager being like the captain or skipper of the ship all signals are given by the stage manager the buttons usually placed immediately above or at one side of the prompt desk with an easy reach controlling buzzers lights or bells that tell us plainly as shouted words could do what is to be done and who is to do it sometimes lights flash to give directions and warnings instead of the buzzer sounding every action of the stage hands below and aloft is directed in this manner from one central point of control by one mastermind the stage manager of the show the orchestra usually has a music room of its own somewhere under the stage or in the cellar of the theater where the musicians congregate before the performance and during their waits a buzzer or bell warning to them is said to ring the orchestra in and they're usually allowed about three minutes to get into their places in the orchestra pit after it sounds there's also a drop signal buzzer or light to give the head flyman in the fly gallery the signals that indicate when to raise and lower certain drops or hanging pieces a bell would be heard by the audience and interact from the performance a curtain buzzer or light gives the warning and go signals to the stage hands in the fly gallery who are called fly man for raising and lowering the curtains or other scenery like drops borders and any other pieces of scenery that have been hung to fly in some modern theaters the switchboard and its operator are raised some 10 feet above the stage in such a case a buzzer signal from the stage manager's prompt desk directs the manipulation of the lights for the guidance of the chief electrician in his elevated perch these signals being given at a certain cue in the performance and he knows from his cue sheet always before him just what lights are required on each succeeding cue stage dressing rooms are by law required to be separated from the stage proper by a permanent wall access to them is usually found near the front wall of the stage seldom along the back wall in modern city theaters dressing rooms are in tears as in the new amsterdam theater new york where there are seven floors of dressing rooms reached by a private elevator used for no other purpose the modern state dressing rooms in city theaters have every known arrangement for comfort sanitation and convenience stage artists have no business in the front of the house nor conversely have those whose employment is in the front of the house any business on the stage both keep their separate places at all times artists are always required to enter and leave the theater through the stage door all first-class managers forbid the artists to be seen in the front of the house members of the company usually are required to report from matinee performances about 1 30 p.m and for evening shows about 7 30 p.m but always before the half hour is called which is 30 minutes before the overture is played the stage watchmen known as the stage door tender is always at the stage door before and during a performance and permits none to pass in who are not directly connected with the stage end of the theater the day stage door tender being on duty usually from 7 a.m to 7 p.m and the night stage door tender from 7 p.m to 7 a.m the night watchman goes his rounds regularly throughout the night at required intervals registering on a time clock from different stations throughout the theater building all outer doors and windows are locked about one half hour after the evening performance no messages calls telegrams or information of any character from outside is permitted to enter the theater for any actor or actress who is inside and hence secluded from all outside contact and purely in the realm of the playhouse this and absolute exclusion of all interlopers is one of the strictest rules of the theater and wrote to him who attempts its violations or to the doorkeeper who permits it any messages received are given to the artist after the performance no person who is not a member of the company should ever be permitted to visit a dressing room during her performance only afterwards such a contact takes the mind of the artist off her or his work men who have obtained wrong ideas about members of the theatrical profession and have boldly sought to force their presence onto the stage have been summarily dealt with before now and in some cases I've helped in the good work myself sometimes after the performance relatives friends or escorts are permitted to enter the stage door and there await the street club and departing performers but strangers and would be stage door Johnny's are always barred out there is no green room in the modern American theater we have all read about a meeting place in the rear of the stage that went by this title in the old English novels and biographies they may exist still in some foreign theaters I'm not sure but I doubt it what I am sure of is that the American stage is sacred to its artists principles and subordinates alike and to its stage manager and the stage hands who keep things moving behind the curtain line it is a business and not a game a theatrical life is taken seriously by all who wish to succeed in it no trifles need apply nowadays after every performance the stage is cleared of all obstacles scenery and everything else the last number of the company out of each dressing room is required to put the light out lock the dressing room door and leave the key to the room with the stage door tender who is held responsible for the contents of the rooms the act curtain and the asbestos curtain are raised a single electric bulb or pilot light on a portable iron stand about three feet high is placed center of the stage near the footlights and casts its beam across the stage and throughout the auditorium the show is over and the fire laws are obeyed end of chapter 48