d consider such a thing. And
fortunately you do not have to, for we have revolutionized all that.

Now you are getting a wonderful dancing repertoire, with acrobatic
dancing, musical comedy work and the tap and step dancing. When you
add our ballet course to that, then you are ready for any call that
may come to you in your lifetime. This is my aspiration for you. We
are trying to realize ideals. When you have finished here you will be
accomplished dancers, not mere machines going through a bunch of set
exercises. Add the spiritual touch to your work now as you start on
the home stretch. Finish here going strong, and your speed will carry
you far.

Don't be satisfied to qualify merely as acrobats. When you come to me
for a letter of recommendation to some first-class theatrical manager,
I don't want to have to say to him: "Enclosed you will please find one
acrobat." I have better hopes of the graduate pupils of my courses
than that.

I want to say a word here to any who feel that they are slow and not
keeping up with the pace set by the rest of the class, and that word
of advice is, take the same class for another four weeks' period.
Don't have any false pride about it. You want to fit yourself
perfectly for your profession. If the four weeks you have already had
here are not time enough to do that, go in for another month. Really,
two months is a very short time for completing a training of so much
value to you.

I tell pupils in the courses in the other branches of dancing we
teach, that if they feel stiff or have difficulty in performing their
steps, they would do well to go into this class, the acrobatic dancing
class, for a month, because here the students get all sorts of primary
acrobatic tricks and gain in strength and flexibility. All dancing is
easier to those who take this work. And besides, if you go out and
accept an engagement you will be proficient in cartwheels, splits, and
many other neat tricks that will be of great service to you. These are
stunts that you cannot learn in a theatre; no one has time to teach
them to you, nor the necessary equipment or facilities, and you want
to be ready when the stage director calls for those who are capable of
doing something unusual, to show him on the spot. And you cannot
afford to try to learn things from another girl. You may injure
yourself severely if you do. These difficult feats should only be
attempted under the best instruction. Do not allow any girl o