Chapter 13 Adesua Ridley
Adesua Ridley
If there was one thing the upper echelon of New York City loved, it was the ballet, especially the grand opening of Swan Lake.
The happiest New Yorker was none other than Mother.
The housemaids gleamed as they gave the pristine black-and-gold envelope to Mrs. Darla.
She clipped down the hallway so quickly that she nearly bumped into her husband, Mr. Jenkins.
Mother sipped her tea as Mrs. Darla walked in with a wide smile.
“It’s addressed to Miss Adesua, but I was sure you’d want to give it to her yourself, as I saw who it was from,” Mrs. Darla said in a high-pitched voice.
Mother flipped the card and held it to her heart in joy. Moments later, Adesua trailed in and heard the young maids whispering about the invite.
“Mother, what’s this fuss about the ballet?” Adesua said, irritated. “You know I told you I will never perform again after—”
“Dusie, darling, I think it may be an invitation. Oh, won’t you please open it! I can’t bear to wait another moment,” Mother said excitedly.
The Manhattan Ballet
September 5, 1927
Dear Miss Adesua Louise Ridley,
The Manhattan Ballet Society is delighted to hear about your return from college in Atlanta.
Everyone here at Manhattan Ballet misses your radiant smile.
We would love to showcase your art and everything you are doing for the city.
We cordially invite you and your family to the opening night of Swan Lake on the evening of September 23, 1927, at our prime location, the Metropolitan Opera House.
We will host you all in our prized box seats. There will be a lounge for you and our distinguished guests to enjoy delectable hors d’oeuvres. Please be sure to RSVP as soon as possible so we can ensure you all have a pleasant evening.
Warmest regards,
Elena Fontaine
Director, the Manhattan Ballet
Adesua smiled and drooped a little while reading the letter.
The slightly empty feeling she’d had when she left her last ballet class had returned.
After dozens of performances, she knew she was constantly the only one to stick out in a row of swans.
She was always the black sheep—or, in this case, the black swan.
Elena had tried her best by putting her in the ensemble instead of casting her as the lead, even though she was great.
The donors and members of the ballet society suggested blending her in.
Still, society was dismayed at the sight of her.
She was a blister in the donors’ eyes. Who cared if she was the wealthiest heiress of all the dancers? She was never going to be one of them.
She’d felt a slight ache when she realized there was no need to waste her time in the world of ballet, which wasn’t ready for change.
She was staring at her flesh-pink tights, which were not the color of her flesh but of others’.
Her face peeked out in the pale swarm that rushed to take the stage.
No amount of powder helped, as it made her look like a clown, and the other young children at the ballet would taunt her.
Although this was many years ago, no one had known who Adesua Ridley was then.
She was no one except a lucky colored girl from a new-money family.
The donors all secretly prayed for the Ridleys’ downfall.
Now she felt a sense of power. Here, they were flocking to her, wanting her to appear at their ballet for good publicity.
Why would she say yes to a society that once clamored against the thought of her?
To return that feeling and make them feel the same uncomfortable ache she had experienced in their own playground.
“I will attend, Mother and Mrs. Darla. Can you get that designer you found again? Her name was Ann Lowe. I would like her to make my dress for the ballet opening,” Adesua said with a slight smile.
Mrs. Darla rushed out of the room, looking back with amusement. “Oh yes, certainly!”
Within hours, Mrs. Darla returned with Ann, hand in hand.
Adesua and Mother sat in the main dressing room, where the girls frequently congregated.
A room filled with chaise longues, clothes for different seasons, light-up vanity mirrors with an excess of makeup, jewelry, and perfumes.
Father wanted the girls to acclimate to each other, as he’d noticed them secluding themselves in their own rooms, especially Adesua.
Mrs. Darla motioned toward her and Mother.
“Miss Ann, this is Adesua, whom I was telling you about, as well as her mother,” Mrs. Darla said as if she were a proud mother herself.
Ann, very timid, nodded and smiled as she looked back and forth between Adesua and Mother.
“Forgive me if I may seem forward, but I am most pleased to meet someone like you, as some believed your story to be a tale,” Ann said with a slight bow of her head, trying to conceal her smile.
“I must say, Ann, when I saw your work on my sister Mellie’s dress, I had a tinge of jealousy at how marvelous it looked. My apologies for the short notice. This is an event that’s very personal for me. I know you will make me look my best.”
Ann, as if reading her mind, pulled out a brown bonded leather book filled with sketches of her art and fashion.
“Oh, Adesua! I may have felt too much excitement when Mrs. Darla came and said that I had to make some sketches of your dress before she brought me here. Whatever you want changed or added, I will do it. I work very well under pressure and with tight deadlines. In fact, I find pleasure in it.”
Ann flipped through the pages and landed on one sketch. In her excitement, it slipped out of her hands to the marble floor. As it fell, Adesua knew immediately that this was the sketch that Ann had made for her. It was the dress.
“When Mrs. Darla told me it was for the ballet’s Swan Lake, I immediately went to work.
I really wanted to envision every little piece of your dress.
What does a swan capture in my eye? I see beauty.
I think grace. A swan has a certain regalness that you already possess even at your young age,” Ann said with enthusiasm.
She continued, “I wanted something classy but intricate: a white satin dress with an exposed, daring back. The front shall have intricate beading reminiscent of the feathers on a swan’s wings.
You gonna glide through that place like you’re on water, you hear me?
” Ann was clearly delighted. Her Southern twang reverberated through the room.
Adesua and her mother smiled, holding up the sketches.
“That will do, and you shall be paid graciously for your immaculate work,” Mother assured her.
Ann nodded and grabbed her hand with happiness. Most of the work she had done before ended up free after the toil and labor she put in, but seeing Adesua in that dress in front of all those people would be the prize for her.
The Manhattan Herald
September 12, 1927
Metropolitan Musings
Ridley Heiress Dizzies Back to Her First Love
Oh, I know we wish this was an announcement of a grand wedding of our favorite heiresses, but for now, we see the lovely Adesua preparing for a night at Swan Lake with a new designer, Ann Lowe. We hope to see her gliding through the stage. One can wish!
The two weeks flew as fast as Ann Lowe’s hands meticulously threaded every bead on the bodice of Adesua’s dress. And, oh, was it lovely. Adesua stepped out of the grand dressing room with her sisters. Mother, Mrs. Darla, and Ann stood before her in complete awe.
“My heavens, I thought it was a vision on the hanger, but on you, my dear girl . . . Those bastard donors will regret not letting you be the prima ballerina,” Mother insisted as she paced in glee at the sight.
Mother loved to stand out in a crowd, but she loved seeing her children in the spotlight even more.
Adesua sauntered over to Ann and hugged her ever so tightly.
“As an aspiring artist myself, you have inspired such a profound multitude that brings such peace to my heart tonight. I thought I’d never step foot in a ballet production again due to the shame, but you have made me a beautiful swan. And I thank you . . . my friend.”
Ann placed a kiss on both of Adesua’s cheeks.
“It’s time for you glamorous ladies to depart. I don’t want you all to be too fashionably late. I’m sure I will see you in the near future,” Ann said while heading out the door.
The flashing lights from the camera bulbs made the dark night sky bright as photographers rushed to get the perfect shot of all the New York elite, from the Astors and Grants to the Ridleys, the most awaited guests of the night.
The crowd all leaned in toward Adesua as Mr. Pierre opened the door.
It was as if the whole world went silent as the lights bounced off every crystal on her dress.
The opera house’s grand foyer was the perfect backdrop as Adesua was placed in the center of her sisters. The slim figure of the director extended her hand as she greeted Adesua.
“Adesua, we are all delighted that you accepted this invitation tonight. I hope we will be turning over a new leaf in the near future. I never doubted you, as your beauty and talent always shone through a mist of coals, if I may be so frank. The donors and council, of course, would be elated to have you return if you so choose. Enjoy the show.” She hesitated before flashing her bright smile.
“Thank you, for now. I shall enjoy seeing the prima ballerina who succeeded me,” Adesua said with a newfound confidence.
Elena nodded and rushed back to the entrance as she waved goodbye. A tall man with gaudy glasses approached Adesua. He was a journalist at one of the magazines downtown.
“Miss Adesua, we all must know who the mastermind behind this dress was, and are they here tonight?”
Adesua laughed through her smile, happy that her dress was mentioned.
“It was none other than my dear friend and designer Ann Lowe; she has done mesmerizing work for my family and me.”