What would the job 'professional dancer' have involved for a 16yo girl in 1871?

Question

This is an occupation on the 1871 UK census.

Her mother was a 'Theatrical Bar assist'.

Would these have been respectable occupations or something tarty?

I always thought nice ladies didn't do public entertaining in those days?

Answer 1

Wow, I've never seen this sort of  job for a young lady, I would say that it was a respectable employment not tarty. I liked the other answer as well.

Answer 2

One such professional dancer was Chantal cvan de Sande of Newcastle under Lyme, who appears in the English census of 1871 and proudly proclaims her employment as "Professional Clog Promoter".

Answer 3

Yes they were very respectable occupations, many stage dancers and performers married into gentry, but also aristocratic families, for example, Denise Orme (Jessie Smither) started in the chorus, and married JOHN REGINALD LOPES YARDE-BULLER . He became 3rd Baron Churston of Churston Ferrers and Lupton.

She was styled Baroness Churston of Churston Ferrers and Lupton.

They had six children :-

Hon.JOAN BARBARA YARDE-BULLER                        

(she married Prince Aly Khan in 1936)

Sir RICHARD FRANCIS ROGER YARDE-BULLER 4th.Baron Churston of Churston Ferrers and L.

Hon.JOHN REGINALD HENRY YARDE BULLER                          

Hon.DENISE MARGARET YARDE-BULLER                            

(married the 5th.Lord Ebury)

Hon.LYDIA YARDE BULLER                                                            

(married John Robert Russell,13th.Duke of Bedford)

Hon.PRIMROSE LILIAN YARDE-BULLER                                      

(married William Gerald Charles Cadogan,7th.Earl Cadogan)

Denise (Jessie) had two further marriages.

So, at the time it could prove to be something more than

just "respectable".

The famous Marie Lloyd started on the stage in1885

at age 15.

Answer 4

I've seen it for a ballarina and for a dance hall girl. She probably lived near the theatre, so maybe you can overlay her address on a map of 1871 and see which theatres were in her area.

As for the reputation of the profession, it wasn't usually a good one. But there were exceptions, especially amongst the tiny ballarinas because they were so highly trained and elegant.