CLEVER DANCERS.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17964, 8 March 1930, Page 5 (Supplement)

CLEVER DANCERS.

LIKEABLE YOUNG AMERICANS. VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND. Two interesting personalities with the Ernie Lotingu Company, to appear in Hamilton on Monday night, are John and George Hartigrove, American dancers. Their versatility in dance is surprising. Tap dancing, eccentric and burlesque dancing are presented with equal efficiency, and as they have youth, good looks, and, what is more potent, personality, their popularity is not surprising. John and George began dancing almost as soon as they could walk at Cincinnati, Ohio. Most of their stage work in America was in vaudeville, playing the Keith, Orpheum, Loew and Pantages circuits. They had one season with Irving Berlin’s “Music Box" Revue, one season with George White’s “Scandals,” and one season with a sort of glorified minstrel unit playing the better vaudeville houses A Spirit of Adventure It seems that every true and successful adventurer of the dance sooner or later develops a desire to dance his way round the world, believing also that the feet talk a universal language and dance is part, of the life of every country. Thus these clever young Americans accepted an engagement to appear in Australia in the revue, “Clowns in Clover," playing 18 weeks

between Sydney and Melbourne and winning tremendous popularity. They then joined the Ernie Lotinga Company, with whch they are making their first visit to New Zealand, and are winning just as much popularity in Auckland as elsewhere. Later they will return to Australia, and then on to Africa and London —-“that is,” they say, "if the talkies haven’t monopolised the entire theatrical field by that time!" Which is not very likely. The Value of Work. ’Despite their great success these likeable young Americans believe that work and work only, together with a concentration of effort and an intelligent comprehension of what the audience likes, are the essentials for success on the dance stage. They are linding their first tour away from America full of interest. They greatly enjoyed their visit to Australia, and their stay in Auckland has been so interesting and pleasant that they are looking forward to seeing the rest of New Zealand They speak enthusiastically ol’ the audiences in this part, of the world Of the Ilardgroves, a Sydney paper said: Novelty in dancing turns sounds impossible, but the Hardgrovo brothers give us something different. For Gatling gun stepping they have never been excelled. Style, grace and perfect rhythm distinguish all their dance efforts, and, what Is still more important, there is originality in conception and movement.