Shall We Dance

When I was about 7 years old, that was not a question, it was just
about a positive. It was the day of the Meglin Kiddies. A dance
studio that trained the talented youngsters for the movie musicals.
Every stage mother wanted her "little darling" to become a BIG
star. That is not how I got envolved however. This is MY STORY!
My parents were concerned because I had such flat feet. I was
a very tiny person - at one time Mom even took me to the Dr. to
see if I might be a midget. Of course I wasn't, but I wore "O" size
shoes when I was a year old. Then when I did grow, my "little
feet" were soooo flat that it worried her still.
One day while walking up Pacific Blvd. from where we lived on
55th Street Mom saw a sign in an upstairs window of a building
"Dance Studio". Well she decided to take me up and see if I
could join one of their Tap Classes. Of course I could. Hey, it
was still the recovery period from the depression, and everyone
was trying to make a living with what talent they had. I don't
remember the teachers name, but she reminded me of one of
those aging stars from the Silent Movie days. Lots of makeup
and Oh, Soooo dressed to kill. She always wore black dresses
with white collars. To keep everyone in step, she tapped a long
stick on the floor. Pity the poor little girl who missed the beat!
Tap Shoes were no cheap item then, and having them, made me
very special - well at least to myself anyway. I can't say that I
was very good at it, but with the satin outfit that Mom made me,
I was a bit dashing, even if I do say so myself, and of course
no respectable young girl would have lived without "Shirley Temple"
curls. How I hated them. Mom would patiently wrap my long
hair around her finger and make those long bouncy curls. Uck!
One day we happened to be in the Studio when a Mrs. Long,
I don't know what her first name was, she taugh a small class
of ballet. Mom talked to her and she said she would be happy
to take me into the class. Thus ended my Tap Dancing Days.
(I would never dance with Mickey Rooney or Donald O'Connor -
how sad!)
Once I started ballet, it seemed I found my nitch. We went from
group, to private lessons and introduction to toe shoes. Well I
have to tell you that in itself was an experience. The folks had
to take me to Hollywood to a special shoe maker. This guy
looked just like Bella Lagosi. Scared me half to death when I
first went in. He had a very shabby, hole in the wall sort of
shop. He was really very kind and nice after I got past the
initial scare. He looked at my feet and said he could make a
shoe for me. Mom would have to use lambs wool to wrap my
toes before I put them in the toe shoe, that was to keep my
toes padded so I wouldn't wear blisters. In a week or so, we
returned and I saw my first, special made toe shoes. Oh! they
were beautiful. Pink Satin with long pink ribbons. The ribbons
did not last long, they cut into my legs too badly. Mom was
able to attach elastic so that the straps kept the shoes on
just as well.
Mrs. Long was quick to work out routines for me and I was on
my way as a successful Toe Dancer. In time I became good
enough she introduced Toe Tapping. By then I had worn the
first pair of shoes down to where I needed a new pair, so we
took the old ones back and the shoe maker put taps on the
old shoes and I got a new pair for ballet routines. My folks
must have expended a great deal of money to do all of this, I
was not aware of the prices then, but only guess-ta-met what
it cost, and what they must have sacraficed for all of that.
I didn't add that after all of this the folks also included singing
lessons with Mrs. Spezak who lived down the street next
to the small store in the neighborhood. This is where the start
of my performing professionally came in. Now don't get too
excited. You call it professional because you get paid. I
got the large sum of fifty cents when I danced and twenty-five
when I only had to sing. Well, I wasn't a Meglin Kiddy, but I
did dance and sing at some of the nicest Hungarian Clubs in
the Los Angeles Area.
Mom made my costumes and sometimes girls who had out
grown their nice costumes Mom would offer to buy if the price
was not too much. Hold on to your hats, I did a Bubble Dance
on Toe Shoes. Dad would blow up the ballons before I would
go on and then have to deflate them when the routine was
over. Do I remember what I wore? Of Course! A cute swin
suit type, satin under a lovely organza float that had a ribbon
tie to keep it from floating away as I danced and threw the
balloons in the air and caught them. How cute! I got a lot
of attention with that number. Another great audience pleaser
was the Russian Toe Tap number that I did. It was a show
stopper as I did the Russian Kick as a smash ending. That
was the number that got me noticed by the Hollywood Talent
Scouts. They came back stage and talked to Mom and Dad
about me doing a Movie - You probably have seen it, "Anchors
Aweigh" with Gene Kelly. I would have been the little girl that
danced around the well with Gene Kelly in that one brief scene.
Only when they asked me if I wanted to do it, I told them NO!
I had had a good many of my friends who danced with me go
do a picture, and the stories they told about their experiences
told me I was not interested. Dancing in the Clubs had
exposed me to far too many old men that liked "little girls".
Well that was the end of my dancing days. Mrs. Long was
furious that I would not take the job. It would have ment a
great deal of work for her. She didn't have time to waste on a
student that would not advance themselves and her.
This all covered about 6 years of my life. I wasn't dancing at
the age of 13. Probably just as well.
I should add this side note for you. This was still during the
time that Vaudeville was still struggling to stay alive. Almost
every Theatre that was worth anything had a Vaudeville "spot"
in between the major feature and the "B" picture playing with
it. During these breaks, a few Acts would come out and
entertain the people. Great show case for local talent. Some
Theatres still had some of the Old Stars of Vaudeville, but
the smaller theatres used local talent to fill their bill of fare.
These were Matinee and one Evening Show. We kept busy
on Saturdays and Sundays and some of the Evening Shows.
It made it hard to do your homework and keep up with the
other things in your life. Lessons and Shows that was pretty
much my life from age 8 to 13.
What was the benefit? Well I don't have flat feet, so it paid
off pretty well. Am I sorry that I didn't take the chance to be
a Movie Star? Well that little girl who DID dance with Gene
Kelly only made one other movie. It was with Esther Williams.
I might have made it that far, but it really doesn't matter to me.
I shouldn't leave this without telling you that beside Vaudeville
acts, they also gave away dishes and other prizes. It was
quite a time to be living. Well it filled the Theatres.
I have had the best life, and the best family anyone could ask
for. There was nothing that Hollywood could have offered that
would make up for what I could have lost if I had taken that
chance.
Life is made up of choices, I think I made the right one!
written this 12 day of January 2009