1911 West 49th Ave.
Slightly out I believe
This is Hotel Walton
Philadelphia Penn.!

undated [February 28 or 29, 1938]

My darling ducks,

(Such disrespect but I always think of you both in terms like that!) I was in such a dither when I wrote to you in N.Y. I don’t know what I told you and what I didn’t tell you. However, I’ll continue from when we left N.Y. A very kind friend of Aunty’s took us to the station in her car, which we greatly appreciated. Well, we weren’t on the train 15 minutes when I’m ashamed to say I had to go to the L. Room and have a good cry – or should I say a nice quiet weep. I wasn’t exactly homesick but just low in my mind. Pat said it was just meeting Aunty in New York and talking “home”. And also, it came over me just how soon we were sailing so far away. But I bit my lip, powdered my nose, and went and sat down again. I was glad I did because Col. de Basil came up and asked how we were, and if we liked the Ballet – and so on. Of course, Pat and I went into our act like veterans and were the sweetest things, saying we loved it. “And did we want to go home?” “Why, of course not!” Did he eat it up! But really, we are much better and are keeping up our chins.

  We are staying here in Philadelphia at quite a nice hotel – not very new, but nice. It is just across the street from the theatre. Most of the company is here as they make special rates for them. We have a large room with two double beds and a cot for $3. Sid pays $1.50 and Pat and I, 75 cents each. You see, we could have got a single like we used to for 75 cents, and as Sid insisted and she had the money to spare, we let her pay half.

 I was still feeling a little low when we arrived, so Sid went to a show and Pat and I went for a long walk to see the town. It is very dull for such a large city. It is really much like Vancouver downtown, only not so peppy.

  After walking around for a couple of hours I suddenly felt I wanted to splurge myself and although we’d decided not to go to a show, I suddenly spied a sign advertising “Mannequin”, with Joan Crawford, and I said, “Let’s go.” And Pat said, “We can’t afford it.” And I said, “But it didn’t cost us anything to live in New York,” and she said, “O.K.” She didn’t need much persuasion and bore up bravely when we had to pay 42 cents admission. But it was the first show we’d had to pay for ourselves. Lichine took us before. Just to make sure we enjoyed ourselves we bought half a dozen doughnuts and a package of Dentyne gum. Although I don’t usually like Joan Crawford, I did in this. I wanted to see this picture too because I saw it advertised that night we were introduced at the Orpheum. Remember, I turned to Pat and said, “Let’s go see that next week” – and then remembered where we were going. But we did see it together somewhere, even if it was a continent away.

This afternoon there was a rehearsal at the theatre, and Mr. Grigoriev came up with our passports. They had been forwarded to somewhere or other from Cincinnati to the correct address without addressing it to S. Hurok, which meant it passed through several hands and took a couple or three days before Mr. G. got it. He said he was going to wire you. I know you’ll be so relieved, Poor G.! He has to start worrying about Sid’s passport now!

But to continue about the rehearsal. It was with Eugene Ormandy conducting. Leopold Stokowski was supposed to have conducted too, but something happened and he couldn’t. But it was marvelous. Ormandy is most untemperamental – just sat on a stool and made the orchestra jump because he wanted them to so much. We are going to rehearse the ballets each afternoon for the evening performance, so that means six rehearsals – lovely! We (the company) did “Swan Lake”, “Francesca”, “Afternoon of a Faun”, and “Scheherazade”. We performed in the last mentioned, and we both did fine! We are doing it twice more while here, too.

Baronova did “Swan Lake”. Impeccable technique but not so perfect at performance as at rehearsal. Everyone said to us, “You should have seen Danilova do it,” when we said we hadn’t seen it before.

This afternoon after watching “Swan Lake” I started to do some barre when [Paul] Petroff came up and asked me to do some pirouettes with him. I only had old shoes on but that didn’t stop me. I did the kind they do from 4th: one, then two, then three, and then as many as you can. I did very well. He said I was a good turner at the last little practice we had, and this time he said they were much better. He was telling me! Then I put on French toe shoes and I did spin, spin and double over the knee into swan pose, looking up. They had never seen that pose before and were very taken with it. (Tania was there). And then he showed me a lovely bit from “Swan Lake” which he had been doing this afternoon and did it swell. Osato was there and said I had a lovely arabesque. I love adagio and I really think it is my forte. And he gives such marvelous support. I watched Baronova do the combination tonight – perfect, but too precise. Lichine makes us work precisely or technically just so – but when I’m doing a little extra practicing (and when Tania is watching) I put a little something in it – and they liked it. Then he worked with Pat and Sid a while after running on and off the stage to do a leading role or two in between!

But he is so kind and nice. I caught on to the combination very quickly, so I demonstrated them to the other two and I got lots of practice in that way. Then he helped us with our pirouettes and it was very hard. The stage slants – it’s no joke!

Mr. Grigoriev Sr. then told us we should be practicing “Choreartium”, which we did for quite a while, and then just when we started to again, he came back and was quite angry because we should still be doing “Choreartium”. But we had done an hour! How can you practice something you don’t know? (I do know it now, by the way.) We did some fouettés for Tania. I found the toe shoes very nice except that they wear out so quickly and have to be doctored with shellac, etc. What with darning, cleaning and shellacking, they’re a full time job!!

By that time it was time to do “Scheherazade”, and that being fine we got dressed and went shopping. Got such a lot of necessaries which the girls said are expensive or hard of get in Europe: 12 nets, eyelashes, darning thread, and a suitcase for make-up (50 cents each – we have one each now: one big and one smaller which we both use between us). I gained 2 lbs. while I was at Aunty’s, all on my seat, too. Still, it’s all good reserve.

Tues. morning
I was too tired to tell you about the lesson last night, but I will now. I had received your notes on concentration this afternoon and I tried hard to follow them. In other words, I relaxed. I did much better but twice after doing perfectly behind Lichine, I tensed when he looked at me, and I did it wrong. But by way of encouragement he told me that although the step was all wrong (which it wasn’t) there was some improvement because at least it had some resemblance to the step. And he wasn’t being sarcastic, either. But I did do much better, and my technique in leaps is much improved. He gave us some toe work, and I got one combination very well. In fact, he said “Perfect, perfect!” I just happened to get the knack of it because the others couldn’t get it. He really is very sweet when I can do something right and said, “Come on Natasha, do it again – you were the star today.” But later on in the lesson we were doing something with toe-runs and before I knew it I was “emoting”. He liked it but got after me because I mustn’t do it until I’m positive of my technique. It’s hard to do but I realize he is right.

In just a little while we are going to rehearse “Choreartium”, and I’m scared stiff. I don’t know it. Here’s hoping!

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get a programme of my debut or any since. My name is not on it anyway; as soon as it is, I’ll send you some, of course. I’m sorry you don’t quite like my name. I like “Natasha”, and I’m not quite so crazy about Sobinova (pronounced So-bee-nova) but that is what they gave me and I don’t like to make a fuss. They didn’t call me Devona, etc. because of Pat being Denisova. Too much alike. Sobinoff was the name of a Russian writer, I believe.

I got my cabin trunk, and I’m going to fix everything up as soon as I can. I think I’ll wear the Tango dress on the boat. Pat and Sid have very “old” evening dresses, too. I hate to spend the money on having it cleaned, though. Aunty Hannah gave me some money to buy oddments – make-up, etc., – so I still have $5 left out of my last traveller’s cheque. Which means I have $165 left (counting Grigoriev’s $100).

When do we start getting paid? Uncle wants to know if we are paid our whole salary in marks or if we could just be paid as much as necessary for expenses, with the rest kept to our credit. This is because you cannot take any money out of Germany, and we would have to spend our full salary. And I’m sure it won’t cost us the equivalent of $35 a week. I want to save a little that month as I’m going to buy tights ($10) when I get to France. I’m going to ask Mr. Grigoriev Jr. about this.

When we arrived at the theatre this afternoon Lichine took Pat and me into his dressing room and told me I must watch “Lac des Cygnes” very carefully – Baronova’s part (or Danilova’s old one) – because as soon as I learned it and was able to do it, I could do it!! I am to ask Petroff to show me the combinations from it (the pas de deux) but not in front of everyone. Not to say a word. Of course, he said it would take some time, but as soon as I learn it, I can do it.

He then turned to Pat and told her to watch Grigorieva in “Cent Baisers” – it has fouettés in it, you know. And she must also learn Baronova’s part of the Top in “Jeux d’Enfants”. Isn’t that marvelous!

I was hoping that I might do “Cent Baisers” some day, so I’m going to watch it very carefully, too. In fact, I’m going to try and learn them all – in time.

  “Swan Lake”, however (I saw it in costume for the first time last night) is the most beautiful ballet I’ve ever seen. And the pirouettes you have to do! And from so many positions. Baronova has the most gorgeous arabesque in it. So I’m pulling mine up as hard as I can. Tania told me I had a gorgeous arabesque today when I was practicing them! Of course, Pat and I were terribly thrilled about it. Particularly Pat – I don’t know why, but I didn’t get excited.

By the way, they’ve started to criticize my fouettés. But I didn’t understand for ages that the only thing that wasn’t right was that I didn’t have enough speed. So I practiced on them for 1/2 hour and of course soon got that. I believe I was a little out of practice on them. Pat, of course, makes them gasp when she does fouetté triples. I think I could if I practiced long enough on them, but mentally I seem satisfied for the time being with doubles. What do you think?

I’m evidently being lined up for Danilova-ish parts, and I think I’ll concentrate more on pirouettes, etc. They think I’m rather like her when I dance.

I must get this off tonight. I may phone you later on this evening. It is now 6 o’clock, and I’m getting the usual touch of homesickness, I get it every night at this time – isn’t it funny. 

Good-bye, darlings.

I have both your pictures in front of me – how I long to really see you.

P.S. I’m taking my Tango dress to be cleaned.