January 19, 1921: Duluth Dancer “Lada” makes her triumphant return to the Zenith City

On this day in Duluth in 1921, Duluth native and modern dancer Emily Schupp—better known across the globe as “Lada”—returned to her home town for an appearance at the Shrine Auditorium. The performance marked her triumphant return to the Zenith City. A New York Times reviewer had called her “the latest of American pioneers in dancing, and the one on whom has descended their mantle.” A capacity crowd greeted her at the Shrine, which the Duluth News Tribune described as, “gaily draped with flags as a tribute to the internationally famous dancer who returned to the scenes of her childhood.” Earlier that week the Duluth News Tribune described Lada as a “dainty, captivating dancer [and] the epitome of all that is graceful and fascinating.” The crowd burst into applause the moment she took the stage—the newspaper opined that “probably not in London or Paris has [Lada] ever had a more enthusiastic or sympathetic audience than the one which welcomed her” at the Shrine. She performed seven dances—all of which she choreographed herself—and changed costumes for each number. Since the event was sponsored by the American Legion, she closed with “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” during which she “wield[ed] a dainty parasol with all the preciseness with which a brigadier general handles a gun.” The report added that “the Legion boys were audibly amused.” You can read much more about Lada here.

Emily “Lada” Schupp photographed when she was a solo dancer for the Russian Symphony. (Image: Public Domain)