Wise Up!
Dance
By David Bruce
Athens NEWS Contributor
April 28, 2008
• When Choo Chiat Goh, the father of Chan Hon Goh, was a young dancer in London, he had a chance to dance for Anton Dolin’s company, but he turned it down because he wished to study dance in China under Pyotr Gusiev. Later, Mr. Goh opened a dance studio in Vancouver, Canada, where his daughter took classes from him.
Hearing that Mr. Dolin was in Vancouver, Mr. Goh invited him to watch a dance class. Mr. Dolin accepted the offer, and after the class he pointed to a student and told Mr. Goh, “That one — she has it. Yes, she is going to be a beautiful dancer.” Mr. Goh was not sure which dancer Mr. Dolin meant. It looked like he was pointing to his daughter, but to make sure, Mr. Goh called Chan Hon over and asked Mr. Dolin, “You are talking about her?” Mr. Dolin replied, “Yes,” and Mr. Goh said, “She is my daughter.”
Mr. Dolin’s prophecy was accurate. Chan Hon Goh became a beautiful dancer — and a prima ballerina for the National Ballet of Canada.
• Brooklyn Dodger Frenchy Bordagaray was fun loving, and he was honest. During one game, Frenchy was on second with the bases loaded, and because he was feeling good he started dancing on the base. Suddenly, the opposing pitcher turned and fired a throw to second, and Frenchy was called out and started for the dugout. Dodger manager Casey Stengel stormed out of the dugout and headed toward the second-base umpire, but as he passed Frenchy, he asked if Frenchy thought he was out. Ever honest, Frenchy replied, “Yep.” Casey made a weak protest of the call, then he returned to the dugout and asked Frenchy, “If you were on the bag, how could you be out?” Frenchy replied, “I was doing a tap dance. He must have tagged me between taps.”
• Choreographer George Balanchine disliked the star system in which one or a few dancers were the stars of a dance troupe; therefore, he disliked it when Serge Lifar became the star dancer of Serge Diaghilev’s dance troupe. When Mr. Balanchine choreographed “Prodigal Son,” he told Mr. Lifar that at one point he wanted him to fall flat on his back. Mr. Lifar did not want to do that because, as he pointed out, it would hurt his back. However, Mr. Balanchine responded that it would not hurt at all and that he would demonstrate how Mr. Lifar should fall. Mr. Balanchine then fell on his back and got up, smiling. Later, Mr. Balanchine admitted that the fall had “hurt like hell! But I had to do only once and Lifar, he must do every night!”
• In 1980, at Cumberland High School, in Cumberland, Rhode Island, Aaron Fricke attended his prom with a man as his date, despite the opposition of the principal. After a lawsuit in which a judge ruled that Mr. Fricke could attend the prom with a male date, the two men showed up and had fun. Despite some earlier homophobia, including a punch that opened a cut below Mr. Fricke’s eye, requiring five stitches to repair, the students supported him and his date at the prom. Late in the evening, when the song “Rock Lobster” was played, the students showed their support of Mr. Fricke and his date (and their support of fun) by dancing to the music — girls dancing with girls, and boys dancing with boys.
• Tap dancer John Bubbles, who created the role of Sportin’ Life in George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess,” was very good at stealing the steps of other tap dancers. He would watch another dancer practice, and when he saw a step that he wanted to steal, he would say, “You lost the beat back there — now try that step again.” The tap dancer would repeat the step a few times, giving Mr. Bubbles enough time to learn it. Then Mr. Bubbles would say, “You know, that reminds me of a step I used to do,” and he would perform a variation of the step he had just stolen. Usually, the other tap dancer felt flattered by the great Mr. Bubbles’ attention.
• As a child growing up in Australia, critic Clive James and the other children were fond of eating Jaffas, a candy with a hard orange shell encircling a chocolate center. This candy was good not just for eating, but also for throwing. In Sydney, the Borovansky Ballet performed “Giselle” in a performance at which many children had brought their favorite candy. At one point, Albrecht lay motionless on the stage floor while waiting for Giselle. Unfortunately, his oversized codpiece made an inviting target, and a Jaffa sped its way directly on target. Albrecht left the stage earlier than he had intended — and in pain.
• Merrill Ashley worked very hard to become a member, then a soloist, and then a principal of the New York City Ballet. One season, she thought that she would be made a principal dancer, but she was disappointed. She explained to Peter Martins her disappointment and asked him if she should speak to master choreographer George Balanchine, the man who decided who got promotions, but Mr. Martins advised her about her disappointment, “Swallow it. Just swallow it.” Fortunately, she was promoted to principal dancer not too long afterward.
• Onna White was dancing for Michael Kidd when he suggested a series of steps that she thought was too difficult for the “Take Back Your Mink” number in “Guys and Dolls,” so she complained, “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not wearing high heels.” Mr. Kidd asked, “What size shoe do you wear?” Hearing the answer — 7 1/2 — he put on her high heels and danced the steps perfectly. After that, says Ms. White, “I shut my mouth and never doubted him again.”
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