Goodwin's Weekly : A Thinking Paper For Thinking People

ABOUT LYDIA LOPOKOVA

Dainty Lydia Lopokova, who will be seen here as premiere danceuse of the celebrated Serge de Diaghileff Ballet Russe on December 22, is the youngest premiere ever graduated from the Imperial Russian Ballet school, but in spite of her youth she is rated second only to Pavlowa. She was graduated when she was sixteen, which is extraordinary considering the rigorous demands of the curriculum.

Following the example of Pavlowa, Mlle. Lopokova, much to the displeasure of the czar, deserted her native land for the opportunities of America, shortly after securing her diploma. She was an immediate success, scoring equally in the matter of her technique and the exquisite charm of her youth.

After a year in this country, Mlle. Lopokova yearned, with all the restless yearning of her youth, to conquer other fields. She was determined to become an actress. At that time she was earning about $400 a week, but she accepted less than a quarter of that to become a star in a play written for herself. Alas! this device nearly turned New York into a one night stand, and Mlle. Lopokova returned to the art of the dance.

When the Washington Square Players, a group of radical amateurs who started a notable work by introducing different one-act plays at their little Bandbox theatre, Mlle. Lopokova saw a chance of acting in exactly the sort of plays she believed in. She volunteered her services, which were gladly accepted by this band of innovators. For a year she was one of the popular members