Battin High School - Red and White Yearbook (Elizabeth, NJ)

Page 15 text:

I am now attending an institution for dancing in the big city. There is a sure-iire method for singling out ballerinas. They spring down 57th Street with elastic steps. Their ebony hair streams dramatically behind them. They stare sophisticatedly through long lashes, literally dripping with mascara, and their scarlet lips are painted into an expression of boredom. Being a member of the Arteestes, I do some pretty unconventional things, although at one time I was a slave to convention and if anyone dared to do anything the least bit shocking in public, I would stare in horror. Convention is now a word that is slowly being eliminated from my vocabulary. I have been rejuvenated. You can see me wandering down 57th Street in a black leotard underneath a gray coat, with a huge black poclcetbook clasped in my gloved hands. A glance downward reveals my feet clad in socks and ballet-slippers. And often the wind mischiev- ously tugs at the hem of my coat, suddenly whipping it away to reveal a pair of bare legs. People's eyes bulge and I have the greatest desire to tap them on the shoulder and say, Pardon me, your eyeballs are showing! If you see me pirouetting through the halls of Battin, think nothing of it, for I merely have delusions of grandeur. I hope to pirouette some day in the halls of fame. For the present, however, let's leave this dancer posed in as graceful an arabesque as she can execute. IANET GOLD, '51 The ballet! The orchestra! On with the show! Be quiet! The footlights Are starting to glow. NANCY HOFFACKER, '50

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Y l .fdcfagio Applause filled the air. Excitement reigned. I was making as grace- ful a curtsey as I could manage with a pair of very wobbly knees. Happi- ness mingled with weariness surged through me as the curtain descended slowly. I Hitted off the stage with my net skirts bouncing about my legs. My mother greeted me with open arms. Doting relatives and friends, puffing with pride, emitted exclamations of joy: Success! You were wonderful! But a nagging worry lay at the pit of my stomach. I won- dered how Well I had really done, but I let my worry be turned aside to join the glitter and excitement of being a dancer. From the moment I had seen the sparkling sequins and the stiff skirts that made powder puffs of the beautiful slender ballerinas, I had wanted to join their clan. Nothing seemed more glamorous and exciting to me than to go through life, twirling on shimmering pink satin toes. fl have since learned, unhappily, that those stiff perky suits become sag- ging strips of limp cheesecloth, that sparkling sequins soon lose their sparkle and fall off, one by one, and that the whole costume droops in a state of utter dejection. But there are always new costumes and new glitterj One sight of those enchanting ballerinas and I was on a ra.mpage. I imitated the dancers constantly. I kept exclaiming resolutely to my mother that I was going to become a famous dancer. With a knowing smile, she condescendingly said, Yes, dear. 1 Dear passed through her childhood, prancing mercilessly on the polished Hoors of her home. My mother's patience finally wore out and I was sent to dancing school to do my prancing. I had embarked on my career! . I started twirling on my pink satin toe shoes that turned into a sullen gray after the first few wearings. I said, twirling, but more than once I found myself not on my toes, but on the floor. I soon discovered that there is more to dancing than a fluffy costume. I had many a chance to dance for admiring audiences of my long-suffering relatives and schoolmates. With confident heart and deter- mined eye, I exclaimed to my mother that I was ready to conquer New York. .

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Jade .J47Ql96lfC0l'Lg, efe 0 GW!! ! It ,was an impossibility for a family of our size ftwelve childrenj to be ready for a trip any earlier than ten-thirty in the morning, but inevit- ably Marc and David, my younger brothers, would shake me at eight, whispering, Hurry and put on our bathing suits. We'll be late. Oh, but kids, it's so early! We're not going swimming for a long time yet, would come my annoyed reply. But they always had their way and with their bathing suits on, they would keep crying, Momma, aren't you ready yet? The preparations for our trip to Lake Hopatcong were varied. I really dreaded walking into the kitchen. It was in such turmoil, with Momma running everywhere at once. She told Lee to wash the jug for lemonade, but when she was finally ready for it, we discovered he had gonewith Daddy. One could hardly blame Mom for being upset. Leona, where are the lemons? There are not enough ice cubes. Where is the wax paper? I had it here just a minute ago. ' lt's under the funnies, Ma. Why can't you have things ready for me when I need them? Soon the time came to awaken the three sleeping beauties, my older sisters. This was not so easy as it sounds! The kids would do almost everything but throw cold water into their faces. Finally, the three would stumble down' the steps, half-asleep, complaining about those bad kids: They were getting up right away and there was no need to rush them. When we heard the chugging of the big Buick, we knewthat the rest of the food had arrived. It wouldn't be too long now. Then we heard that dreaded sound just as Marc, David, Diane, Iudy, and Lee were emerging from the car: S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s! A FLAT! Amid the Ohs and Goshes came the calm statement of Daddy: It's better that we have it now than when we get started. Then we had to listen for live minutes to Carole's dramatics as she insisted she wouldn't go swimming if she had to wear that ugly suit. fAt eight Carole wants to be a bathing beautyj. A large family must economize and new bathing suits cannot be bought each year for every- one. The suits were handed down and were often far from being a perfect fit. Last-minute orders were being given by Momma. Diane was carry- ing a bag of food out to the car when she stopped, aghast. uludy! My pants fell! We had our embarrassing moments. Now all that was left for Momma to do was check the kids and miscellaneous items. I Is the food in the trunk? Bring the papers for me to read. Abe, did all the children use the bathroom? I'm not going to stop on the way.