Art of Stage Dancing — Chapter 23: Diet and Dancing

[Illustration] There are three kinds of people who should use care in all that they put into their bodies in the way of food and drink: The thin, the just right, and the stouts.

That seems to cover about everybody on earth, doesn't it?

Well, that is just the idea.

It is my way of saying that everyone, everywhere--you and I and the other folks, will be better looking and in better health and better spirits, more capable every way, if we pay attention to our diet.

This treatise is intended for men as well as for women and is equally applicable to both.

It is addressed to the ladies, for reasons that surely are obvious, but the rebuilding of the figure is accomplished by the same methods in both sexes.

Remember this, and substitute "man" for "woman" in your reading and application of this chapter if you are a male.

Incidentally, it is not stage dancers alone who need to be told what is best for them, but as our professional dealings here in the studios are with dancers, we are directing our advice to them.

For really the need is greater in the case of the lady whose "job" and salary depend upon her bodily appearance and health and mental condition, than it is in the case of any other of her sex.

The lady of society wishes to look at her best, and usually succeeds in doing so, but her "job" doesn't depend upon it, as yours does.

[Illustration: SCENE FROM NED WAYBURN'S "HONEYMOON CRUISE"] So believe me when I say that what I am about to put down here in black and white is not said for the fun of it nor for any other purpose but to enable every woman to increase her capital stock and secure the largest possible dividends in the beauty market.

The thin, slight, under-nourished woman will heed my words on this subject with satisfaction.

Her procedure is pleasant and easy, comparatively.

She can and will improve rapidly if she is determined to do so and will stick to what I tell her.

The "just right" woman wants to remain in her perfect form, and the words here printed will serve as a sign-post to direct her in the way that is best for the accomplishment of that desirable end.

Her task is easiest of all.

The stout woman who would regain the more pleasing figure that nature intended she should have can do so if she will, but her inclination to indolence and indulgence must be overcome--by herself, not by anything anyone else can do for her--and she must make up her mind that she has a real task before her, and one that calls for all her will power and stern determination.

And she must be patient, for in her case results are apt to be slow.

But let her be encouraged: Some of the most admired women of the stage have experienced her same difficulty with too abundant flesh and have perfected themselves by this identical plan set forth here.

So it has been done, and can be done in your case; but it all depends upon you, your zeal and your stick-to-it-iveness.

To see how your present weight conforms to the proper standard, I present here a table of average weights based on heights and age.

In this table the weights are taken in scant costume, a single garment and no shoes.

Any table of this kind can be only approximate, however, for the frame and general build vary in different people and the bone structure must be considered in fixing the weight.

STANDARD TABLE OF AVERAGE HEIGHTS AND WEIGHTS OF MEN AND WOMEN OF VARIOUS AGES

WOMEN

_Heights_ _Weights_ 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 Ft. In.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

4 11 110 113 116 119 122 126 129 131 132 5 0 112 115 118 121 124 128 131 133 134 5 1 114 117 120 123 126 130 133 135 137 5 2 117 120 122 125 129 133 136 138 140 5 3 120 123 125 128 132 136 139 141 143 5 4 123 126 129 132 136 139 142 144 146 5 5 126 129 132 136 140 143 146 148 150 5 6 130 133 136 140 144 147 151 152 153 5 7 134 137 140 144 148 151 155 157 158 5 8 138 141 144 148 152 155 159 162 163 5 9 141 145 148 152 156 159 163 166 167 5 10 145 149 152 155 159 162 166 170 173 5 11 150 153 155 158 162 166 170 174 177 6 0 155 157 159 162 165 169 173 177 182 MEN

_Heights_ _Weights_ 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 Ft. In.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

yrs.

4 11 111 117 122 125 127 130 132 133 134 5 0 113 119 124 127 129 132 134 135 136 5 1 115 121 126 129 131 134 136 137 138 5 2 118 124 128 131 133 136 138 139 140 5 3 121 127 131 134 136 139 141 142 143 5 4 124 131 134 137 140 142 144 145 146 5 5 128 135 138 141 144 146 148 149 150 5 6 132 139 142 145 148 150 152 153 154 5 7 136 142 146 149 152 154 156 157 158 5 8 140 146 150 154 157 159 161 162 163 5 9 144 150 154 158 162 164 166 167 168 5 10 148 154 158 163 167 169 171 172 173 5 11 153 158 163 168 172 175 177 178 179 6 0 158 163 169 174 178 181 183 184 185 6 1 163 168 175 180 184 187 190 191 192 6 2 168 173 181 186 191 194 197 198 199 6 3 173 178 187 192 197 201 204 205 206 [Illustration: FRANCES WHITE] Now first of all, weigh yourself and see how near you come to the standard, and take note how many pounds you have to add or subtract to reach the perfect mark.

Weigh yourself at regular intervals, every Sunday or Monday, but weekly, if possible, and keep a record of your weights and the dates they are taken.

First I am going to direct the too thin as to the best method for them to put on flesh, fill out hollows, become symmetrical and graceful and pleasing to the eye.

HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT

1. If you are thin, have an examination by a competent physician to be sure you have no organic trouble, before you try to put on flesh.

2. Calm yourself.

"Learn to accept the trivial annoyances and the small misfits of life as a matter of course.

To give them attention beyond their deserts is to wear the web of your life to the warp."

--Hubbard.

3. Exercise and air.

Take at least 10 minutes of Ned Wayburn exercises every morning as soon as you get up.

Begin with a small number of movements and increase gradually.

Be in the open air as much as possible.

4. Sleep.

Resistance is markedly lowered by a lack of sufficient sleep.

Have a rest period during the day if possible.

Do not sleep longer than eight hours.

For every hour you are in bed over that time the fat piles on or else you are losing flesh.

5. Avoid unnecessary exertion.

Don't talk too much.

Delete the details.

Never talk about your ailments except to your physician.

You pay him to listen (or should).

6. Avoid tea, coffee and nicotine and other stimulants.

7. Masticate your food thoroughly and leave your troubles behind when you go to the table.

8. EAT.

Stretch your stomach and train it to take care of more food.

You must eat three meals each day at regular intervals.

They must consist of what your system requires and not just what tastes good on your palate.

Never eat between meals.

Give your digestive apparatus a chance to function as it should, three times daily, at the same time each day, always giving it an opportunity to rest as well.

9. EAT.

Eat whether you enjoy it or not.

You will enjoy it later.

Don't heed the advice that you should not eat as a matter of duty.

You should.

10. EAT.

But no second helpings.

I have seen printed advice never to eat unless you enjoy your food and to avoid eating as a mere duty.

I tell you to discard that advice.

Do eat whether you enjoy it or not, and do eat as a matter of duty.

Once the food is in your system, whether you like it or not, a large part of it will be assimilated.

Perhaps not so well nor so readily, for we know that the enjoyment of food adds to the efficiency of the digestive juices.

There is a small bird called the ortolan, which is highly esteemed by the Italian gourmands.

When it is fat it is very delicious, but as it feeds normally only once a day, when the sun rises, it naturally has no fat on it.

So the Italians confine these birds in a darkened room and succeed in getting them to eat four or five times a day in the following manner: They put a lantern at a little window in the room.

The ortolans, thinking the sun has risen, hop around and eat.

The lantern is withdrawn and they are left in darkness four or five hours.

Now the lantern is again put in place.

The ortolans, evidently an unsuspicious, guileless type of bird, thinking the sun has risen again to perform its duty by telling them it is time to eat, hop down from their perches and busy themselves very seriously and dutifully with their breakfast.

Apparently they do not keep track of time and do not suspect that only four hours of the 24 have elapsed.

This same sun rises for them four or five times during the day and each time they obey its summons and gallantly eat.

The result is that they are converted into little balls of delicious fat.

You can get a lesson from these birds.

DIET TO INCREASE WEIGHT

Thick soups.

Thick gravies.

Plenty of butter and sugar.

_Fruits.

_ The best fruit to fatten is bananas, eaten slowly with cream and sugar.

Any kind of stewed fruits, cooked with sugar.

Orange juice, with plenty of sugar.

Grapefruit, with plenty of sugar.

Any kinds of berries, with plenty of cream and sugar.

_Cereals.

_ Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Corn Flakes.

Avoid bran foods.

_Meats.

_ Anything fried is good.

Roast beef, roast veal, roast pork, roast ham, veal chops, pork chops.

No lamb.

Must have steaks rare.

Ham and eggs.

_Vegetables.

_ White potatoes, creamed, hashed, any kind of fried potatoes, sweet potatoes fried, mashed potatoes with butter.

Beets are fattening boiled--not pickled.

Spaghetti, macaroni, boiled onions, spinach, creamed, creamed carrots, lima beans, peas.

_Bread.

_ White bread, fresh bread, hot tea biscuits, plenty of butter.

_Pastries.

_ Pies, cakes, puddings, bread puddings, any sort of French pastry, and candy (in moderation).

_Beverages.

_ Sweet milk, cocoa, chocolate, malted milk.

Perhaps one cup of coffee a day, not too strong, with plenty of cream.

Weak tea with cream and sugar.

Keep your system well flushed.

Drink plenty of water, about 45 ounces a day, say nine tumblerfuls.

A glass of water before and after each meal, one in the middle of the morning, one in the afternoon, and another just before going to bed, are essential.

This induces perspiration, which opens the pores and lets out the impurities, the worn out tissues, and keeps the system healthy, incidentally relieving the kidneys.

Never take any liquids during a meal.

This interferes with the work of the digestive juices and prevents the proper assimilation of the food.

There is no hardship involved in selecting one's meals from this extensive and comprehensive menu, and if proper eating were all that is necessary to perfect your figure the process would be a joy indeed.

But we are seeking to make you not only pleasant to look upon, but also physically adapted to a stage career, which means that vigor, strength, endurance, "wind" and flexibility are demanded as well, so, in order to accomplish both, we unite exercise to diet, and the combination of the right food and habits and the Ned Wayburn Foundation Technique brings about the direct result; you become shapely, graceful, strong, and accomplished in a great art, all as the result of the same instruction, and simultaneously.

* * * * * NED WAYBURN'S DAILY MENUS FOR THE UNDERWEIGHT

MONDAY

BREAKFAST

Shredded wheat with sliced banana, 1/2 cup thin cream or top milk and 1 rounding teaspoon sugar; poached egg; 2 slices toast, 2 squares butter; coffee with 1/2 cup hot milk or cream and sugar as desired.

LUNCHEON

Cream of tomato soup; 3 saltines; Swiss cheese and rye bread sandwich;

1 square butter; prune whip, soft custard sauce; 1 glass milk.

DINNER

Vegetable soup; roast beef with gravy; baked potato; lima beans;

French roll; 2 squares butter; hearts of lettuce, French dressing; ice cream, chocolate sauce; coffee if desired.

TUESDAY

BREAKFAST

Baked apple (large) with 1 tablespoon cream; scrambled eggs with 2 slices bacon; 1 cornmeal or graham muffin; 1 square butter; coffee as above.

LUNCHEON

Club sandwich with mayonnaise; lemon meringue pie; coffee with half cup hot milk.

DINNER

Fillet of sole, Tartar sauce; boiled potato; lettuce and tomato salad, French dressing; 2 slices bread; 2 squares butter; ice cream; glass of milk.

WEDNESDAY

BREAKFAST

Grapefruit with sugar; 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/4 cup cream and 1 rounding teaspoon sugar; 2 boiled eggs; 1 slice toast; 1 square butter; cocoa.

LUNCHEON

Lamb chops (2); creamed asparagus on toast; tomato and lettuce salad, mayonnaise; 2 rolls; 2 squares butter; 1/2 cantaloupe.

DINNER

Broiled steak with gravy; scalloped or mashed potatoes; buttered beets; 2 slices whole wheat bread; 2 squares butter; ice cream; glass of milk.

THURSDAY

BREAKFAST

1 orange; 3 griddle cakes with 2 squares butter and 3 tablespoons syrup; coffee as in breakfast (1).

LUNCHEON

Fruit salad, mayonnaise; raisin bread and cream cheese sandwich;

doughnut; glass of milk.

DINNER

Substantial soup such as minestrone, chowder, petite marmite or pot au feu; roast chicken or duck with stuffing and gravy; candied sweet potatoes; green peas; 2 rolls or bread; 1 square butter; raw fruit, honey-dew melon or 1/2 cantaloupe; coffee.

FRIDAY

BREAKFAST

6 stewed prunes and juice; cornflakes with 1/2 cup top milk or cream and 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 slices hot buttered toast and marmalade or jam; 1 glass milk.

LUNCHEON

Cream of pea soup; ham omelette; French fried potatoes; 2 slices buttered toast or bread; strawberry ice cream; tea as desired.

DINNER

Breaded veal cutlet or roast leg of veal; spaghetti with tomato sauce;

string beans; celery; French roll; 1 square butter; apple brown Betty, hard sauce; glass milk or coffee with hot milk.

SATURDAY

BREAKFAST

1 serving strawberries, raspberries or sliced peaches with 2 tablespoons cream and 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 cup wheatena with 4 tablespoons cream and 1 teaspoon sugar; 3 slices bacon; 1 French roll;

1 square butter; cocoa.

LUNCHEON

Chicken or egg salad with mayonnaise; 2 rolls; 2 squares butter; baked apple with cream; glass of milk.

DINNER

Cream of asparagus soup; baked ham; potato salad; mayonnaise; fresh green or red cabbage, cooked; 2 slices rye bread; 1 square butter;

raspberry sherbet or peach ice cream.

Coffee.

SUNDAY

BREAKFAST

1 glass orange juice; 3 tablespoons grapenuts with 4 tablespoons cream; cocoa; creamed eggs on toast.

[Illustration: NED WAYBURN SHOW GIRLS, FOLLIES OF 1922. ] LUNCHEON

Macaroni and cheese; spinach with oil and vinegar; 2 slices whole wheat bread; 2 squares butter; chocolate cornstarch pudding with cream.

DINNER

Beef stew with vegetables; red beet or cabbage salad, French dressing;

2 rolls; 2 squares butter; strawberry short cake; glass of milk or coffee with hot milk.

Note: If underweight is marked, it may be advantageous to take additional nourishment at 10 A. M.

and 4 P. M.

, such as a glass of milk or cocoa with 2 graham crackers and a glass of hot milk and crackers at bedtime.

This will add 750 to 1000 calories to the day's total.

Any one of the above breakfasts contains 800 calories.

Any one of the above luncheons contains 1000 calories.

Any one of the above dinners contains 1200 calories.

This gives a day's total of approximately 3000 calories of heat or energy.

* * * * * HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT

To get rid of superfluous avoirdupois is one of the necessary steps to beauty.

A ponderous actress has a limited field.

Certain character parts, a few vaudeville acts, a singing turn, or a burlesquing of her own abnormality (if she has the personality to carry it off with), and there her availability for stage purposes ends.

But you cannot dance and waddle at the same time.

"It isn't done."

If you aspire to be the kind of stage dancer that the public demands and that we produce in our courses, you will have to submit to diet and exercise, the only coin of the realm that will buy physical beauty and perfect development.

There is no other way.

Medicines for this purpose are dangerous, because they contain poisons, like arsenic and mercury.

Make up your mind to either abandon all hope of a dancing career, or to faithfully follow the prescribed routine of proper exercise and non-fattening foods.

If you continue to take into your body the foods that build fatty tissue, no exercise alone will dispose of the excess fat that is sure to result.

While our exercises in the studio do help greatly, they cannot entirely correct a basically wrong condition unless supplemented by proper diet.

And diet alone is not sufficient, either; you must have the exercises along with it.

DIET TO DECREASE WEIGHT

You must partake of no soups, nothing that is fried, no gravies.

The only meats that you will be permitted to eat are roast lamb, lamb chops, broiled or boiled white fish, or white meat of chicken or turkey; no other meats of any kind, no other fish of any kind.

_Vegetables.

_ You may have any green vegetables, especially plain spinach, carrots, string beans, lettuce, celery, onions, sliced tomatoes, never any stewed tomatoes or beets.

But you can have beet tops.

Radishes are hard to digest.

You are not permitted to have any pastry, and by that is meant pie, cakes or cookies; no candies of any kind; no ice cream or ice cream sodas, no sarsaparilla or ginger ale, no liquor, no smoking, no cigarettes.

_You are not to take any liquids while having your meals.

_ You are not to partake of whole milk, cream, or white bread.

Use _little_ or _no_ sugar or butter.

The only kind of bread that you are permitted to eat is the whole-wheat bread, gluten bread, or whole rye bread.

You may take stale bread toasted.

Gluten bread is good when toasted.

You are prohibited from taking coffee.

You may take very weak tea--very weak--but there should be no sugar in the tea, nor should there be any cream in it.

You may have a slice of lemon in your tea.

Lemon juice can be squeezed on the lettuce instead of using sugar or rich dressing.

Vinegar on the lettuce or spinach, and plenty of it, is permissible.

Buttermilk is excellent, and so is postum, but the postum should be taken without sugar and used with hot skimmed milk, not cream.

For fruits: take baked apple, applesauce, grapefruit, orange juice, raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, a few strawberries--not many--occasionally.

About potatoes: no potatoes except a baked white potato, occasionally--no sweet potatoes, no French fried, home fried, hashed or creamed potatoes--no mashed potatoes; the only kind you are permitted to partake of being the _well-baked_ white potato, and you may eat the skins if you like, but do not butter the potato.

For cereals: take bran, bran flakes or hominy--but the hominy must be cooked for one hour and a half.

That is the best cereal for your diet.

The hominy should be flavored with about one-half teaspoonful of currant jelly, put into the hominy and stirred up, just to give it a little taste.

Do not use any cream, milk or sugar on your hominy, which is really the most nutritious cereal when cooked this length of time.

I am reproducing here the Ned Wayburn daily menu for a reducing diet.

It is one I have worked out carefully and studiously and used successfully on many of my pupils and myself.

By means of this diet and my studio exercise I reduced myself from 262 pounds to 207 pounds in twelve weeks--a loss of 55 pounds, and felt better when I got through than I did when I began, but, I do not advise anyone taking off weight too fast.

With my method of reducing all of the unhealthy fatty tissue will be gotten rid of before the remaining firm muscular tissue will be distributed about the body.

You may get thinner in the face first, and about the thighs last.

Be patient; it may take you six months or longer.

Unless you have gland trouble or some other serious disorder it will go in time, provided you will work to get rid of it and stick to the diet for not less than three months.

Those taking the conditioning work lose an average of about one pound per week, while those who are trying to build up gain about one-half pound each week after they have gotten rid of all the unhealthy unnecessary tissue, those underweight frequently losing five pounds before they begin to show any gain.

It will surely bring back youthful buoyancy and insure your health and figure for the future.

After you have succeeded in getting down to the right poundage you can go on my balanced diet for those who have reduced, but you will still have to do about ten minutes of my exercises every morning, and you must never over-eat again.

* * * * * NED WAYBURN'S DAILY REDUCING MENUS

MONDAY

BREAKFAST

Orange (without sugar) 1 medium; 1 poached egg on thin slice toast; 1 small pat butter; coffee with 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cream or coffee with 1/4 cup hot skimmed milk.

LUNCHEON

Lettuce, tomato and cream cheese salad, with 1/2 tablespoon French dressing; 2 thin slices whole wheat bread; 1 small pat butter; 1 glass skimmed milk.

DINNER

Bouillon, clear; lean roast beef; 1 medium baked potato; spinach; 1 small pat butter; pear or apple.

TUESDAY

BREAKFAST

1/2 grapefruit (without sugar); 1 egg and 1 thin slice crisp bacon; 1 thin slice toast; 1 small pat butter; coffee with hot skimmed milk.

LUNCHEON

Cheese sandwich; asparagus salad with 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise; tea with lemon.

DINNER

Roast or broiled chicken (no stuffing or gravy); green peas; lettuce and cucumber salad with 1/2 tablespoon French dressing; baked apple (no cream).

WEDNESDAY

BREAKFAST

3/4 cup strawberries with rounding teaspoon powdered sugar; 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/4 cup skimmed milk and 1 level teaspoon sugar; glass of skimmed milk.

LUNCHEON

Cream of tomato soup; medium serving cold meat; 2 thin slices rye bread; 1 small pat butter; 1/2 small cantaloupe.

DINNER

Broiled sirloin steak, moderate serving; 1 ear corn on cob; tomato and lettuce salad, with 1/2 tablespoon French dressing; 1 small pat butter; cup custard (small).

THURSDAY

BREAKFAST

1 apple; 1 egg omelet; 1 bran muffin; small pat butter; coffee with hot skimmed milk.

LUNCHEON

Macaroni and cheese; lettuce with French dressing; fruit gelatine pudding (clear).

DINNER

Beef or lamb stew with vegetables; 2 thin slices whole wheat bread;

small pat butter; tapioca cream pudding; black coffee.

FRIDAY

BREAKFAST

1 peach, with 1 rounding teaspoon powdered sugar; shredded wheat with 1/2 cup milk; 2 thin crisp slices bacon; thin slice dry toast.

LUNCHEON

1 French lamb chop; 1 medium baked potato; lettuce with 1/2 tablespoon French dressing; lemon ice.

DINNER

Vegetable soup; broiled halibut or other white fish with lemon; 1 medium baked potato; 1 slice bread; 1 small pat butter; French ice cream (small serving).

SATURDAY

BREAKFAST

1/2 orange; 1 French roll; small pat butter; glass of skimmed milk.

LUNCHEON

Clam or corn chowder; 3 saltines; moderate serving peach or strawberry ice cream, or apple, cream, or custard pie.

DINNER

2 small lamb chops or 1 large one; tomato salad with French dressing;

mashed turnips; 1 thin slice whole wheat bread; 1 small pat butter;

raw peach.