The Art of Stage Dancing Part 16

The fact is, the tricks I have spoken of must never dominate the dancing, but must be entirely secondary and incidental, as it were.

Otherwise the dancer becomes an acrobat. You don't care for straight acrobatics, Mr. Public, but acrobatic dancing, or dancing with a neat acrobatic stunt thrown in incidentally as a bit of seasoning, is really very palatable and pleasing to you. It must remain a beautiful dance, aided and added to by a pretty surprise in the form of a bit of unexpected toe work--then you like to see it, so we are careful in my courses to promote in this kind of work only that form for which there is a demand,--and this is equally true with every other kind of dancing that we teach.

Before any toe dancing is undertaken by the ambitious student there must be a foundation laid to build upon that shall be lasting and efficient. The body must be under perfect control; every muscle immediately responsive and ready, strength placed where it is essential. Our students who have pa.s.sed through the limbering and stretching course (foundation technique) and have advanced to the ballet work and through that, are ready for the advanced features in modern toe dancing. We work this way with such of our more promising pupils as desire it, and then teach them the "tricks," as we call it, that are so effective when properly done. Every toe dancer should have one-hour lessons five days each week till perfected, and at least three hours daily practice six days in the week at home.

I have already stated and now say it once more in this connection, that children should not go on their toes in the dance until they have taken what I know to be a necessary foundation course, to fit them to do so without danger of permanent distortion of feet and legs, enlarged ankles, and other ill effects. It is the parents' fault, of course, when children are forced into toe dancing at too early an age or without proper preparation. I simply will not consent to do it. I have seen children of sixteen who ought to be at their best at that age in this work, yet because of the forcing process in early years were incapable of sustaining themselves on their deformed feet.

Many of my well-known graduate pupils have been seen in the Follies and other first cla.s.s productions. Their work is an inspiration to all who love exquisite dancing of this kind. They secured the right foundations on the start, and now have strength, speed, grace, and ability to do what their dances call for. There are lots and lots of toe dancers graduated from my courses, and I cannot think of one who has failed to make good.

That, I think, is because their personality plus practice plus honest and capable instruction and a knowledge of showmans.h.i.+p and stage-craft absorbed from my "inspirational talks" has brought forth the natural result.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NW]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GILDA GRAY

[Handwritten] With sincere appreciation to Ned Wayburn whose producing genius created the record breaking "Follies of 1922" Gilda Gray]

NED WAYBURN'S SPECIALTY DANCING

[Ill.u.s.tration]

There is a wonderful field for the dancer who can create an appealing dance of his or her own, or who can take some type of dance and by sheer personality so develop it as to be identified with it as the representative of that form of dancing.

Not everyone can be a specialty dancer of this sort, but to be one is well worth the effort of every ambitious exponent of the dancing art.

Any kind of stage dancing may become a specialty dance. But it really takes a person with good mental capacity as well as expert dancing ability to develop what others may do well, make of it an outstanding and triumphant success, and identify it with one's self before the public as one's very own.

But the rewards are great for those who accomplish this, and I am always glad to see an effort made along these lines, since it means so much in the way of fame and fortune to those who make the grade.

And one may become a specialty dancer in more than one line. Gilda Gray, for instance, in the Follies of 1922 did three separate and distinct specialties in her work at every performance: A musical comedy specialty, an Hawaiian dance, and her "Come Along" character dance, which she built up under my direction into a p.r.o.nounced hit.

So with these facts before us, that any dance may be made into a specialty, taken out of the ordinary and individualized, and that no dancer is limited to a single line in this work, but can spread out over the entire field if competent to do so, there is surely ample encouragement to the dancing pupil to make an effort to profit by the opportunity my studio instruction affords, and become not only a good dancer but also a good, better, best specialty dancer--something quite worth while on every stage, European as well as American.

Almost any pupil will naturally specialize in some one form of dancing in the learning process. Thus one may show a preference for the musical comedy work, or tap and step, clogging, acrobatic dancing, whatever it may be. It is preferred because one takes to it easiest, or is most proficient in it, or has a personal liking for it. That is the dance for you to specialize in. Perfect yourself in it. Do a little better than anyone else does, and you are on the boulevard headed toward becoming a specialty dancer.

Legmania is a form of specialty dancing. The Charleston, at present so popular with the mult.i.tude, is another. The Hula Hula and all other kinds of character dancing are specialties. Clogging, the ballet, interpretive and toe dances--why enumerate them. Let it go at this: Any form of dancing that you like best and are most efficient in can be made _your_ specialty dance if you give it personality, atmosphere,--if you vitalize it so that it stands out alive and distinctive--your very own.

It takes brains as well as legs to become a specialty dancer of real quality, capable of controlling the public's interest. Yes, and it takes competent instruction to guide you right, and it takes practice on your part after you get the instruction, too. But it is quite worth while. The rewards are sure if you merit them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NW]

NED WAYBURN'S EXHIBITION DANCING

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What is technically known as Exhibition Dancing is an exaggerated form of the usual social or ballroom dancing. It is "team" work, performed by two, a man and a woman, and is never given as a solo dance, by a single artist.

There is no end to the styles of dances that may be employed in exhibition work. The public is thoroughly familiar with those most often presented to view in public and private ballroom, at social or other functions, which are either the Exhibition Fox Trot, the Exhibition One Step, the Tango, the Exhibition Waltz or the Whirlwind dance.

This by no means covers the possible field. Its limitations are measured only by the ability of the "team," and the popularity that demands this or that style of dance, as the fickle public fluctuates in its preference.

An exhibition dance of whatever nature must have an element of the spectacular and theatrical in its presentation in order to appeal. The dancers must inject some surprise steps in an effective place, throw in a little "tricky" stuff that is new or startling--do something neat and out of the ordinary to make the dance qualify as "Exhibition" and not just the usual every-day type of some well-known form of the dance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MAURICE]

Among the best-known exponents of exhibition dancing one naturally recalls Vernon and Irene Castle, Maurice and his several partners, Florence Walton, Leonora Hughes and Barbara Bennett, as well as the "teams" of Clifton Webb and Mary Hay, and Basil Durant and Kay Durban. All these and many other professional exhibition dancers have amply succeeded in their efforts to please the public, and have found the financial returns to be most satisfactory. It is a very profitable line of work for dancers of the right qualifications.

Exceptional personality is essential, as well as great skill in the art of dancing, and less than a commanding supremacy will not suffice to carry the work through to a successful issue. Yet there is a large field here, open to many who may not as yet even dream of their adaptability to such a career as this suggests.

It has been my pleasure to a.s.sist in the direction of every exhibition dancer whose name I have quoted above. Some of them received their first impetus along this line from me, followed my advice and instruction, and in consequence became internationally famous and successful. I am still taking those well adapted to this line and putting them in the way they should go. I know the type of person best qualified to make a success in exhibition dancing, and if those I select will be guided by my experience and knowledge there is no reason why they should not reap the rewards their merit earns, as well as those I have named have done.

There is a knack in acquiring the necessary ability as a dancer of this type that not every instructor is able to impart. I do not teach exhibition dancing in cla.s.ses in my studios. Individual private lessons is the only successful way, and that is my way. Most other forms of dancing are learned as well or even better in cla.s.swork.

I doubt if exhibition dancing will ever be overdone. It is popular, and good dancers for this line of work are not too numerous. So it seems likely to be in continued demand indefinitely.

NED WAYBURN'S PROFESSIONAL STAGE MAKEUP

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The Ned Wayburn Courses teach every form of stage makeup, for men as well as for women, and for every known character part as well as the "straight" makeup for youth. To put all the expert professional makeup knowledge into this book would be to practically crowd out everything else or so enlarge the volume as to make it c.u.mbersome. To avoid this and at the same time meet a strong public demand, I have in contemplation a book devoted exclusively to this important subject, that shall post a world of waiting aspirants for stage honors in every detail of the art of correct makeup. Meanwhile, the subject has an important bearing on the art of stage dancing and so demands a prominent place in this present work.

I have, therefore, chosen for demonstration here the one most popular stage makeup, which is that adapted to the use of the professional stage woman in every modern theatre, opera house and music hall, and am here giving it a complete and thorough exposition. In presenting this form of makeup thus prominently, I do not wish in any degree to convey the idea that men and male youth are ignored in our studio teaching of makeup, and that our sole concern is to make the young woman presentable on the stage. This is not the fact. We teach makeup to men as well as to women, and every correct form of the art.

Do not confuse a stage makeup with the customary society makeup that milady applies in her boudoir. They are two entirely different problems.

To makeup correctly for the modern stage, with its multiple lights of great intensity and all the colors of the rainbow, requires special study of yourself individually and a knowledge of what effects the various lighting schemes will produce on the human countenance.

Three ladies standing side by side on the same stage may require three different makeups, depending upon their types, in order to appear at their best to the audience. The brunette, the blonde, the auburn-haired, each needs a different treatment, and if through ignorance or indifference any omits proper attention to a single item of the very important detail of her facial makeup, the result will be disastrous. All of which emphasizes the need of one's being properly taught on the start just how to makeup in a manner to bring out one's personality, to enhance one's beauty, and create the most pleasing appearance before her audience. We are now speaking, of course, of the woman who is to appear in a youthful part; character makeup is an entirely different proposition, with which we are not concerned here.

It is impossible to go on the stage today without makeup. Should any actress try to do so, the appearance of her features would be almost deathlike. She would be repulsive to the eyes of the audience, a condition that neither she nor the producer of the show would tolerate. The very lights that render superbly beautiful the person with proper makeup cause the bare flesh to lose its natural tints, cast shadows under the brows and above the face, create hollows where they do not exist and are not wanted, and utterly destroy the pleasing picture.

Makeup, then, is one of the first essentials to stage success, and it makes no difference how truly beautiful you may be in features and natural coloring off the stage, the fact persists--you must makeup, and makeup right.

But the uninstructed amateur, whose sole knowledge of makeup is confined to the boudoir, is very p.r.o.ne to overdo in her maiden attempts at stage makeup, and so disastrously decorate her face that under the unaccustomed and little understood lights of the theatre she appears hideous to the folks out in front. And this is especially true of the most beautiful type of women, who think they know, and don't.

Anyone with regular features can learn to apply makeup so that on the stage she will be as prepossessing as her naturally more favored sister-woman. A beauty unadorned by facial makeup, or a beauty not properly made-up, will be far outcla.s.sed in apparent beauty on the stage by the plainer woman who has mastered the art of makeup and knows how to apply it judiciously and correctly. It is all in knowing how, and the learning is not difficult. The professional actress will not fail to obtain personal instruction in this art from expert teachers, which is decidedly the best way. Pupils in our studios avail themselves of our cla.s.ses and private lessons in makeup and in doing this lay a foundation of invaluable knowledge that will continue with them through life. The aspirant or amateur who for personal reasons cannot come to our studios for this instruction will absorb much of value by a perusal and study of this chapter. For, while it is not possible to advise an unseen person, whose type you do not know, with the same exactness as you could if she stood before you, there is much here that is general in its application to all types, and the care we are taking to make our information broad enough to cover all these greatly simplifies matters for the absent students.