file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #fceej-;h4htm or #fceej-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#fceej_/pg#fceej-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#fc eej_/fceej-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/artofbal let#jjperu ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,ballet ,illustration3 ,adolph ,bolm in 8,carnival40 from a photograph by ,e4 ,o4 ,hopp ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,ballet by ,,mark ,e4 ,,perugini ,london3 ,martin ,secker ,number ,five ,john ,street ,adelphi ,first published #aiae ,,to ,,my ,,wife ,,preface ,some may possibly wonder to find here no record of ,ballet in ,italy1 or at the ,opera ,houses of ,madrid1 ,lisbon1 ,vienna1 ,buda-,pest1 ,berlin1 ,copenhagen1 ,stockholm1 ,warsaw1 or ,petrograd 7formerly ,st4 ,petersburg71 not to speak of the ,united ,states and ,south ,america4 ,this1 however1 would be to miss somewhat the author's purpose1 which is not to trace the growth of ,ballet in every capital where it has been seen4 ,to do so effectively were hardly possible in a single volume4 ,a whole book might well be devoted to the history of the art in ,italy alone1 herein only touched upon as it came to have vital influence on ,france and ,england in the nineteenth century4 ,we have already had numerous volumes dealing with ,russian ,ballet2 and since the ground has been extensively enough surveyed in that direction there could be no particular advantage in devoting more space to the subject than is already given to it in this work1 the purpose of which only is to present--as far as possible from contemporary sources--some leading phases of the history of the modern ,art of ,ballet as seen more particularly in ,france and ,england4 ,a brief series of biographical essays 8,cameos of the ,dance10 by the same writer1 was published in ,the ,whitehall ,review in #aiji2 various articles on the subject also being contributed to ,the ,evening ,news1 ,lady's ,pictorial1 ,illustrated ,sporting and ,dramatic ,news1 ,pall ,mall ,gazette and other ,london journals during #aiaj and #aiaa2 and a series of 8,sketches of the ,dance and ,ballet10 coming from the same hand1 appeared in ,the ,dancing ,times1 #aiab1 #aiac and #aiad4 ,they were based on portions of the manuscript of the present work which1 begun some years ago by way of pastime1 and written during the scant leisure of a crowded business life1 was completed at the publisher's request1 and was--save for a few brief insertions in the proofs--ready1 and announced for publication before the ,great ,war began in ,august #aiad4 ,the preparation of this book has involved the marshalling of a vast array of facts and dates1 the delving into and comparison of some three hundred or more ancient and modern volumes on dancing and on theatrical and operatic history1 the study of scores of old newspaper-files and long-forgotten theatrical 8repositories0 and souvenirs4 ,error is always possible in spite of care1 and if it should have happened here the writer will be grateful for correction4 ,in covering so wide a field a full bibliography becomes impossible from limits of space2 but to those interested the following list of leading authorities--supplemented by those referred to in the text--may be of service4 8,la ,danse ,grecque ,antique10 by ,m4 ,emmanuel2 8,roman ,life and ,manners under the ,early ,empire10 by ,l4 ,friedlnder2 8,dramatic ,traditions of the ,dark ,ages10 by ,joseph ,s4 ,tunison 7,university of ,chicago ,press72 8,orchsographie10 by ,thoinot ,arbeau 7#aehh72 8,des ,ballets ,anciens et ,modernes10 by ,pre ,menestrier 7#afhb72 8,la ,danse ,antique et ,moderne10 by ,de ,cahuzac 7#aged72 8,the ,code of ,terpsichore10 by ,carlo ,blasis 7#ahbc72 8,dictionnaire de la ,danse10 by ,g4 ,desrat 7#ahie72 8,dancing in all ,ages10 by ,edward ,scott 7#ahii72 8,histoire de la ,danse10 by ,f4 de ,menil 7#aije72 and 8,the ,dance3 ,its ,place in ,art and ,life10 by ,t4 and ,m4 ,w4 ,kinney 7#aiad74 ,,contents ,,book ,i4 ,,the ,,first ,,era ,,chapter ,,page ,,overture3 ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,ballet #ae ,i4 ,a ,,distinction1 ,,and ,,some ,,differences #ba ,,ii4 ,,egypt #be ,,iii4 ,,greece #cb ,,iv4 ,,mime ,,and ,,pantomime3 ,,rome1 ,,hippodrome--,,obscurity #da ,v4 ,,church ,,thunder ,,and ,,church ,,complaisance #dg ,,vi4 ,a ,,banquet-,,ball ,,of #adhi3 ,,and ,,the ,,ballet ,,comique ,,de ,,la ,,reine1 #aeha #ec ,,vii4 ,,thoinot ,,arbeau's 8,,orch,,sographie10 #aehh #fa ,,viii4 ,,scenic ,,effect3 ,,the ,,english ,,masque ,,as ,,ballet1 #aehe-afji #ga ,,ix4 ,,ballet ,,on ,,the ,,move #hc ,x4 ,,court ,,ballets ,,abroad3 #afji-afej #hh ,,xi4 ,,the ,,turning ,,point3 8,,le ,,roi ,,soleil ,,and ,,his ,,academy ,,of ,,dancing10 #afea-afge #ii ,,book ,,ii4 ,,the ,,second ,,era ,,xii4 ,,some ,,early ,,stars ,,and ,,ballets #aji ,,xiii4 8,,pantomime0 ,,at ,,sceaux1 ,,and ,,mlle4 ,,pr,v,t #aac ,,xiv4 ,,italian ,,comedy1 ,,and ,,the 8,,theatres ,,of ,,the ,,fair0 #aai ,,xv4 ,,watteau',s ,,debt ,,to ,,the ,,stage #acj ,,xvi4 8,,the ,,spectator0 ,,and ,,mr4 ,,weaver #adb ,,xvii4 ,a ,,french ,,dancer ,,in ,,eighteenth-,,century ,,london #adi ,,xviii4 ,,la ,,belle ,,camargo1 #agaj-aggj #aef ,,xix4 8,,the ,,house ,,of ,,vestris0 #afc ,,xx4 ,,jean ,,georges ,,noverre #aga ,,xxi4 ,,guimard ,,the ,,grand #agi ,,xxii4 ,,despr,,aux1 ,,poet1 8,,ma,,tre10 ,,and 8,,husband ,,of ,,guimard0 #aie ,,xxiii4 ,a ,,century',s ,,close #bja ,,book ,,iii4 ,,the ,,modern ,,era ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,early ,,nineteenth ,,century #bjg ,,xxv4 ,,carlo ,,blasis1 ,a ,,leader ,,of ,,the ,,modern ,,school #bac ,,xxvi4 ,,the 8,,pas ,,de ,,quatre03 ,i4 ,,marie ,,taglioni4 78,,sylphide07 #bbc ,,xxvii4 ,,the 8,,pas ,,de ,,quatre0 ,,ii4 ,,carlotta ,,grisi4 78,,giselle07 #bce ,,xxviii4 ,,the 8,,pas ,,de ,,quatre03 ,,iii4 ,,fanny ,,cerito4 78,,ondine07 #bdj ,,xxix4 ,,the 8,,pas ,,de ,,quatre03 ,,iv4 ,,lucile ,,grahn4 78,,eoline07 #bdd ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,decline ,,and ,,revival #bdi ,,xxxi4 ,,the ,,alhambra #ahed ,,to #aijc #beb ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,alhambra #aijd ,,to #aiac #bfi ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,empire ,,theatre #ahhd ,,to #aijf #bgf ,,xxxiv4 ,,the ,,empire ,,theatre #aijg ,,to #aiad #bid ,,xxxv4 ,,finale1 ,,the ,,russians ,,and--,,the ,,future #cji ,,index #cbg ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,adolf ,,bolm ,,in 8,,carnival0 ,frontispiece ,from a photograph ,,an ,,egyptian ,,male ,,dancer ,facing page #cj ,from a ,theban fresco ,,egyptian ,,dancing ,,girls 0 #cj ,from a mural painting in the ,british ,museum ,a ,,greek ,,funeral ,,dance 0 #cj ,from a coloured plaque in the ,louvre ,,stage ,,effect ,,in ,,the ,,sixteenth ,,century 0 #ef ,a scene from1 the 8,ballet ,comique de la ,royne10 by ,baltasar de ,beaujoyeux1 #aeha ,,stage ,,effect ,,in ,,the ,,seventeenth ,,century 0 #hh ,from a coloured engraving of a scene from 8,circe10 #afid ,,the ,,duchesse ,,du ,,maine 0 #aad ,,the ,,departure ,,of ,,the ,,italian ,,comedians1 #afig 0 #abh ,from an engraving by ,l4 ,jacob of ,watteau's picture ,,pierrot ,,and ,,arlequin1 ,,in ,,the ,,early ,,eighteenth ,,century 0 #abh ,from ,riccoboni's 8,histoire du ,thtre ,italien0 ,l',,amour ,,au ,,th,,tre ,,italien 0 #acb ,from the ,julienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum ,l',,amour ,,au ,,th,,tre ,,fran,,ais 0 #acb ,from the ,julienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum ,,le ,,concert 0 #acf ,from the painting by ,watteau1 ,wallace ,collection ,,la ,,le,,on ,,de ,,musique 0 #acf ,from the painting by ,watteau1 ,wallace ,collection ,,les ,,plaisirs ,,du ,,bal 0 #ach ,from the ,julienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum ,,mlle4 ,,desmares ,,en ,,habit ,,de ,p,,lerine 0 #adj ,from the ,julienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum ,l',,embarquement ,,pour ,l',,ile ,,de ,,cyth,,re 0 #adj ,from a photograph by ,e4 ,alinari of ,watteau's painting in the ,louvre ,,marie ,,sall 0 #aej ,from an engraving by ,petit1 after a picture by ,fenouil ,m4 ,,ballon ,,and ,,mlle4 ,,pr,v,t 0 #afj ,from an old print ,,camargo 0 #afj ,from the painting by ,lancret in the ,wallace ,collection ,,gaetan ,,vestris 0 #aff ,from an old print ,,jean ,,georges ,,noverre 0 #agd ,from an old engraving ,,madeleine ,,guimard 0 #aib ,from the painting by ,fragonard ,,fanny ,,elssler 0 #baj ,from an old engraving ,,carlotta ,,grisi 0 #baj ,from a coloured lithograph ,,carlo ,,blasis 0 #bah ,from a lithograph ,,marie ,,taglioni 0 #bbh ,from a lithograph dated #ahcc ,,the ,,pas ,,de ,,quatre ,,of #ahde 0 #bbh ,,fanny ,,cerito ,,and ,,st4 ,,leon 0 #bdb ,,lucille ,,grahn ,,and ,,perrot 0 #bdb ,,mlle4 ,,palladino ,,in 8,,nina0 ,,at ,,the ,,alhambra 0 #bff ,from a photograph ,,mlle4 ,,britta 0 #bff ,from a photograph ,,mme4 ,,guerrero 0 #bgd ,from a photograph ,,mlle4 ,,leonora 0 #bgd ,from a photograph ,,mlle4 ,,adeline ,g,n,e 0 #bib ,from a photograph ,,mme4 ,,lydia ,,kyasht 0 #cjd ,from a photograph ,,miss ,,phyllis ,,bedells 0 #cjd ,from a photograph ,,miss ,,isadora ,,duncan 0 #cad ,from a photograph ,,mme4 ,,karsavina ,,and ,m4 ,,adolf ,,bolm ,,in 8,l',,oiseau ,,de ,,feu0 0 #cbb ,from a photograph ,,book ,i3 ,,the ,,first ,,era ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,ballet ,,overture ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,ballet ,there may be some who could not agree that ,ballet is an 8art10 or even that it has1 or ever had1 any special charm or historic interest4 ,the charm--as in the case of any other art--will probably always remain rather a matter of individual opinion2 the historic interest is merely a matter of fact4 ,no man can hope for agreement with his fellows in all things4 ,the world were flat if it could be so4 ,he may hector1 and not convince2 he may cajole and not convert2 he may tell the simple truth in simple speech and still be misunderstood4 ,so many of his partners in the dance of life speak in different tongues2 or1 speaking the same1 use words and phrases more familiar to them than to himself4 ,in going to a foreign land we change our currency2 but it is hardly to be accounted spurious because it is not as ours4 ,there may be something to be said for the variety2 and1 also1 there may be some common basis of value which can be accepted readily by both4 ,a world-currency has not yet arrived4 ,in opinion it is much the same4 ,but the sense of 8fair play0 is so admirable1 and so truly ,british a characteristic1 that one may usually rely on it for a considerate hearing4 ,possible dissentients may be the more inclined to grant this if they are informed at the outset that this book has no specially persuasive purpose1 and that ,i am content that it should be mainly accounted a record of fact4 ,one of the facts which it chronicles is that ,ballet1 whether an 8art0 or not1 has existed1 in some form or another1 for about two thousand years4 ,an interest which can show so long a record may yet not be of such surpassing importance1 let us say1 as ,statecraft or ,religion2 but one which has thus long and widely appealed to the sthetic sense of mankind can hardly be considered worthless4 ,it were a vast and complex matter to decide the relative values of the various 8arts10 and1 certainly this book is no endeavour to pronounce thereon1 nor to persuade any that ,ballet is the greatest1 though it is unquestionably one of the oldest of the arts4 ,but it will suffice to offer the opinion that1 whether it has reached its highest level or not as yet ,ballet is an art in itself2 one that in the past has had so many judicious and sympathetic exponents1 and has so long a record of existence1 that there is really some justification for the expenditure of casual leisure by any who cares to play the chronicler or to read such chronicle4 ,this much said1 before setting out to travel the road of the past1 let us for a moment reconsider another fact1 namely1 that we have in ,london two theatres where for about a quarter of a century ,ballet was the main attraction4 ,the fact is unique in the annals of the ,british stage4 ,ballets have been produced elsewhere occasionally4 ,we have seen operas1 pantomimes1 burlesques1 of which they formed a part4 ,at earlier periods--as in the 'forties of last century--they have also been seen as separate items in the programme of an operatic season2 and there has been a quite remarkable revival of interest during the past few years4 ,but in all the history of the stage there was never before a time when it could be said that for such a period not one but two theatrical houses in ,london continuously offered this kind of entertainment as their chief attraction4 ,it has to be remembered that this sustained existence of ,ballet in ,england has been1 as in the case of all 8legitimate drama10 without ,state aid such as it has received in ,milan1 ,rome1 ,naples1 ,paris1 ,vienna1 ,petrograd1 ,copenhagen1 and elsewhere on the ,continent1 where the physical advantages of dancing and the artistic value of ,ballet are fully appreciated4 ,the arts must flourish haphazard here6 ,we have no national conservatoire in which this art of ,ballet is taught as it is abroad4 ,consequently it has been less generally understood2 and1 being so1 has had to exist in face of considerable prejudice4 ,some critics profess to despise it because it ignores the spoken word4 ,some have decried it because of the presence of dancing4 ,some will not admit that it is worthy to be called an art at all1 and there are possibly still some primly primitive people who pretend to view with moral pain the existence of any such entertainment4 ,they may patronise a theatre or tolerate an actor or actress--but a ,ballet or a ,ballet-,dancer6 ,the misunderstanding of the aims and possibilities of the ,art of ,ballet1 as seen at its best1 is to be regretted4 ,not for such critics are the music of moving lines1 the modulating harmonies of colour1 the subtleties of mimic expression1 nor all the wealth of historic associations and romantic charm which a knowledge of its past recalls4 ,austere critics would do well1 when deprecating ,ballet1 to remember that many others have found it1 as ,colley ,cibber regretfully admitted it was found in his time3 8a pleasing and rational entertainment40 ,that it is 8pleasing0 many know from witnessing some of the best of modern examples4 ,as to whether it can be considered 8rational0 depends so much on the kind of meaning that may be given to that word4 ,all rational people speak in prose2 constantly to speak in verse might be considered quite irrational4 ,but are we to banish poetry from the world because it is not the common form of speech8 ,some people might find it quite irrational to sit in a theatre and laugh or weep at the imaginary joys or woes of imaginary characters impersonated by people who are not seriously concerned therewith1 and with whom1 personally1 we are not at all concerned4 ,it might be well considered irrational to be moved by any 8concord of sweet sounds10 at least in the shape of 8opera02 or to be enspelled by the charm of a statue or a painting1 or by the wizardry of any form of art2 for once it is questioned whether it be 8rational10 there need be no end to dispute2 and one remembers how poor ,tolstoy fared in essaying to decide3 8,what is ,art80 ,that of ,ballet surely is no less rational than ,poetry1 than ,drama1 than ,music1 ,sculpture1 ,painting--all of which exist by their conventions1 all of which in principle it employs2 to all of which it is akin4 ,it is not less an art2 and when looking at a modern ballet we can hardly fail to consider the long train of reasoned thought and of artistic tradition that lie beyond the entertainment that we see to-day4 ,what is it that we see8 ,an orchestra of dancers who are also mimes1 who represent--one should rather say1 realise--the imaginative creations of an author1 or a number of authors working harmoniously together1 in terms of rhythmic movement and dramatic expression1 with the aid also of colour and music and sound4 ,every one of these dancers has had to undergo a special and arduous training1 the traditions of which reach back through centuries till lost in time's obscurity4 ,each has an allotted place at any given moment in the general scheme4 ,every grouping and dispersal of a group--like the formation and modulation of chords in music--is part of an ordered plan4 ,every step of every dancer1 every gesture1 every phrase of music1 is composed or selected to express particular ideas or series of ideas2 every colour and each change of tone in the whole symphony of hues has been appraised4 ,not a thing that happens is haphazard4 ,it is probably by reason of the number of people that must be employed1 and the labour entailed before a successful result can be achieved1 and on account of the difficulties and risks attendant on its production1 that we have had so few theatres devoted to an art so thoroughly appreciated abroad1 not only as one of ancient institution1 but as one that still offers wide scope for the creative genius of poet1 artist and musician1 apart from the interpretative abilities of dancer and of mime4 ,,chapter ,i ,a ,,distinction1 ,,and ,,some ,,differences ,the chief elements of ,ballet as seen to-day are--dancing1 miming1 music and scenic effect1 including of course in this last the costumes and colour-schemes1 as well as the actual 8scenery0 and lighting4 ,it is in the proper harmonising of these elements that the true art of ,ballet-composition1 or1 as it is called1 8choreography10 consists4 ,each has its individual history1 and all have been combined in varying proportions at various periods4 ,but it is only in the past hundred and fifty years or so that they have been harmoniously blended in the increasing richness of their development to give us this separate1 protean and beautiful art--the ,ballet of the ,theatre4 ,these four elements are the material of which ,ballet is composed1 and the result may be judged by their balance4 ,we are to think not of the worst examples that have been1 but of the best1 and of those that yet might be4 ,most of the older writers on dancing speak of almost all concerted dances as ballets and refer to the 8ballets0 of the ,egyptians1 the ,greeks and the ,romans4 ,the ,abb ,menestrier1 however1 writing in the seventeenth century1 wisely observed the distinction between dances that are only 8dances10 and those that approximate to 8ballet40 ,it should be borne in mind that it is possible to dance and not represent an idea save that of dancing1 as when a child dances for joy1 not in order to represent the joy of another4 ,that is the province of the ,mime4 ,it is equally possible to mimic without dancing4 ,the best ballet-dancer is one who has intelligence and training to do both1 whose dancing and mimicry are interpretative4 ,speaking of certain ,egyptian and ,greek figure-dances and the approach of some of them to the ,ballet as he knew it towards the end of the seventeenth century1 ,menestrier wrote3 8,j'appelle ces ,danses ,ballets parce qu'elles n'etoient pas de simples ,danses comme les autres1 mais des ,representations ingenieuses1 des mouvements du ,ciel et des ,plantes1 et des evolutions du labyrinthe dont ,thse sortit40 ,that is a distinction to be remembered by any who may look on the ,art of ,ballet as simply--dancing4 ,it is necessary to-day to make another distinction1 that between 8ballet10 and 8the ballet of the theatre40 ,in a sense the ,hindus1 the ,egyptians1 the ,greeks1 the ,romans1 indeed all peoples in past ages have had ballets2 that is1 dances which were 8representations ingenieuses10 which represented an idea or told a story4 ,there have been entertainments1 too1 of which dancing formed a considerable part--such as our ,english 8masques10 which1 contemporaneously1 were often spoken of as 8ballets40 ,but though they may for convenience have been so called1 they were never more than partly akin with the ballet of the theatre as we see it to-day4 ,they never exhibited that balance of subordinated and developed arts which the best examples of later times have shown2 and were not seen in the public theatre1 as a form of dramatic entertainment apart from others4 ,one has only to consider for an instant what were the musical and scenic resources of the ,greek and ,roman stage1 and compare them with the resources of modern orchestration and scenic effect to realise the difference between antique 8ballet0 and that of to-day4 ,setting aside this difference1 which arises from the development of the several elements through the centuries1 one may find many an ancient definition of 8ballet0 that appears apt enough to-day1 for the difference is not so much one of principle as this of resources4 ,athenus1 a second-century ,greek critic1 declared3 8,ballet is an imitation of things said and sung10 and ,lucian1 that--8,it is by the gesture1 movements and cadences that this imitation or representation is made up1 as the song is made up by the inflections of the voice40 ,this is a happy illustration4 ,inflections might well be described as 8gestures0 of the voice4 ,menestrier 7who1 besides writing an exceedingly entertaining history of ,ballet1 also wrote extensively on ,heraldry1 and was author of several solid historical works as well as numerous poems and libretti7 has said3 8,ballet is an imitation like the other arts1 and that much has in common with them4 ,the difference is1 that while the other arts only imitate certain things1 as painting1 which expresses the shape1 colour1 arrangement and disposition of things1 ,ballet expresses the movement which ,painting and ,sculpture could not express1 and by these movements can represent the nature of things1 and those characteristics of the soul which only can find expression by such movements4 ,this imitation is achieved by the movements of the body1 which are the interpreters of the passions and of the inmost feelings4 ,and even as the body has various parts composing a whole and making a beautiful harmony1 one uses instruments and their accord1 to regulate those movements which express the effect of the passions of the soul40 ,these definitions have decided value1 but hardly quite meet the case of modern ,ballet4 ,noverre1 ,blasis1 ,gardel1 and other of the older matres de ballet1 have told us in several charming books1 essays1 letters1 dialogues and libretti1 much as to what ,ballet can and should be1 but yet leave something to seek in the matter of brief yet comprehensive definition4 ,it is with some hesitancy1 therefore1 that ,i venture1 before talking of its history1 to suggest as a simple definition that3 8a ballet is a series of solo and concerted dances with mimetic actions1 accompanied by music and scenic accessories1 telling a story40 ,it is by reason of this definition that ,i propose to pass somewhat lightly over the early dawn of ,ballet1 or rather of its earliest elements1 the dance and miming2 and that ,i propose to deal more fully with the period after the advent of ,louis ,quatorze--in ,france and in ,england--which saw the development of the ,ballet du ,thtre4 ,there have1 of course1 been modern ballets that did not tell a story4 ,but the true ,ballet of the theatre should4 ,such have been the best of those of ,noverre1 of ,blasis1 of ,perrot1 ,nuittier1 ,thophile ,gautier1 and of later composers of ballet like ,taglioni1 ,manzotti1 ,coppi1 ,mme4 ,lanner1 ,wilhelm1 ,curti1 ,fokine1 and1 indeed1 all the best ballets of later years2 and such will the best always be4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,egypt ,the origin of the drama is hardly to be reckoned among the historic mysteries4 ,by serious triflers debate might be held as to what should be considered the first dramatic representation and when it actually took place4 ,some five centuries before the ,christian era the first plays of which scholarship has taken note were performed at ,athens1 those of ,thespis1 forerunner of the first great dramatists of the world--schylus1 ,sophocles1 and ,euripides4 ,for convenience the origin of ,western drama may be dated from ,thespis because it seems first to have assumed then a definite form4 ,that is not its actual origin any more than the origin of any human being is to be dated from its birth4 ,as a possibility it may be said to have existed always4 ,even ,chronology has its limitations1 and preceding any given event there must have existed principles or tendencies4 ,when it is said1 therefore1 that the origin of the ,drama is not an historic mystery it is because we are not very much in the dark as to when it began to assume a somewhat definite form2 and1 moreover1 we can be fairly clear as to what must have preceded it4 ,there seems rather more than a probability that the ,drama derived its existence from the ,poet1 in his capacity as a ,narrator4 ,for some hundreds of years the ,drama has been chiefly a representation of character and events1 whether real or fictitious4 ,in its earliest forms it was mainly descriptive4 ,it would seem to be the natural order of things that from mere description there should arise in time--possibly from a half-conscious feeling of the need of emphasis1 of a desire to impress the hearers--the attempt to illustrate or to represent the scenes or actions described4 ,the mere repetition of any story seems to tend towards that4 ,have we not observed that no 8fish0 story is ever quite complete--if not convincing--without histrionic illustrations8 ,though in ,india and ,china1 with their more ancient civilisation1 the chronologic origin of the ,drama might be more remotely placed1 it is probable that in the ,homeric bard and the ,homeric audience1 should be sought the true beginning of the ,western theatre2 while1 all the world over1 the evolution of the dramatic form has probably been much the same--namely1 a gradual transition from poetic narration to imitative representation4 ,thus at the back of the ,drama is probably the ,poet4 ,beside the ,poet1 too1 is often the ,priest4 ,greek tragedy is usually said to have had a purely 8religious0 origin1 and certainly it was from early times employed for the purposes of1 or in the service of1 ,religion2 but it would1 one feels1 be rather truer to presume its actual origin to be purely secular1 and to be found in the ,poet making his appeal to an ordinary audience1 in a word1 to the ,people1 while sometimes under the patronage of priestly and ruling classes4 ,when1 however1 we come to consider the origin of the ,dance--first and most important of the 8four elements0 of ,ballet--we are forced to the conclusion that1 even though we are on more uncertain ground1 it must1 nevertheless1 be far older than the ,drama4 ,why this should be so1 even though we have no approximate date to go upon as in the case of the ,thespian theatre1 is not difficult to see4 ,the ,drama evolved from1 and has always depended on1 the faculty of speech1 and on the growth of a language4 ,a copious vocabulary and flexibility of verbal expression are not exactly characteristics of the primitive races2 and1 without both1 the ,drama1 as we have known it for some centuries1 could not have existed4 ,but the ,dance 7with mimicry1 which has always followed close upon its heels7 has no need of words1 and is itself a kind of speech1 in which the whole body is used as a means of expression4 ,we are none of us old enough to remember1 and there is consequently no need to be dogmatic and assert that the ,dance actually did precede speech2 but it is far from improbable that it could have done2 and while one shudders to think of the ardent danse tourbillon our ,mother ,earth must have danced from the moment of her birth1 it is perhaps more amusing--and yet not wholly frivolous--to contemplate a possible origin of the ,dance in the sport some ,simian ancestors may have found in rhythmically swaying on the flexile branches of some primeval tree1 before they had acquired a vocabulary sufficiently copious for the analysis of their sensations4 ,seriously1 however1 and just because it has a rhythmic basis1 dancing in some form is among the earliest instincts of mankind1 even as it is of children4 ,in all climes1 at all periods1 men and women have danced2 and its origin is lost in the mists of prehistoric years4 ,non-civilised races still existent may offer evidence as to stages in its evolution2 but even among the more primitive races1 dancing seems to have some definiteness of form1 marking a heritage of long practice4 ,from some earliest1 uncouth leapings and gestures of savage or half savage tribes 7the effect of mere exuberant physical energy7 may have grown the idea of thus expressing joy and thankfulness2 for joy1 not sorrow1 one feels must surely have been always the first inspirer of the ,dance2 and possibly a victory over an enemy1 or gratitude for a full harvest may have come to be first the inspiration1 and then the excuse for repeating such manifestations4 ,repetition of an act tends to create a habit1 and what may be at first apparently a spontaneous experiment grows by repetition into a cult1 with set form and ritual4 ,the ritual of the ,dance seems to be as ancient as the stars1 in representing the movements of which1 it is supposed by some to have had its origin in ,egypt over two thousand years ago4 ,nowhere is it found without form4 ,all must be done in a certain way1 according to the traditions of the locality in which the dance is seen1 or according to some wider tradition4 ,always it has a ritual of its own1 but also with religious ritual the origin of the ,dance--as also of the ,drama--appears in some mysterious manner to be upbound4 ,of all the records that we have of dancing1 the earliest are1 apparently1 those of ,egypt4 ,its origin is not there2 it must be older2 but we know at least that the ,egyptians were among the first people with a civilisation that encouraged dancing4 ,one of the finest among modern historians of the art1 divides dancing1 for convenience in tracing its evolution1 into 8sacred0 and 8profane02 that is1 the ,dance forming1 as so often it did in ancient times1 part of a religious ceremonial1 and that which in any other of its forms was merely a pleasure of the people4 ,for our purpose in tracing the growth of ,ballet1 however1 it would seem advisable to divide the ,dance yet further1 into 8sacred10 8secular10 and 8theatrical40 ,the ,egyptians had no ,ballet of the theatre1 because they had no theatre4 ,they had dances which seem to have been 8representations ingenieuses10 and to that extent1 as mimetic dances1 partook of the nature of ,ballet2 but they were not organised as theatrical spectacles for private or public entertainment4 ,the ,greeks had no ,ballet of the theatre because1 though they had the theatre1 they1 like the ,egyptians1 had merely mimetic dances1 not ,ballet4 ,but if ,egypt had no popular theatre in which dancing was seen1 it appears to have existed1 nevertheless1 in three distinct forms--as a pleasure of 8the man in the street0--just as we see children dance to a barrel-organ in the ,london streets to-day2 again1 as an entertainment for the wealthy1 just as a popular singer1 dancer or other entertainer of to-day is engaged for an 8at home0 or dinner-party2 and1 finally1 as an element of the elaborate and somewhat theatrical ,egyptian religious ceremonial4 ,monuments from ,thebes and ,beni ,hassan show pictures of ,egyptian dancers performing steps very similar to some we can see to-day4 ,they appear to be performing them for the pleasure of onlookers as well as their own4 ,this acquiring of an audience has1 after all1 been always of first importance1 and without it the ,drama could hardly have come into existence4 ,most people are interested in seeing others do something they are unable to do themselves1 and when they can see it well done1 in a manner1 that is1 suggesting a difficult feat accomplished with ease1 they will even pay for the exhibition4 ,that is the popular 7with managers the extremely popular7 side of the theatrical arts1 of which dancing is one4 ,when there arises the desire to see the exhibition repeated frequently1 then must follow the special place with special facilities and accessories for the performance1 and the theatre1 or something like it1 thus comes into existence as an institution sustained by popular support4 ,there is first the thing done for pleasure--which is art2 then the exploitation of it for profit--which is commerce2 that is the brief epitaph of any art as a fruit of civilisation4 ,the ,egyptians did not reach the 8theatre0 stage4 ,but dancing1 essentially a popular art1 received encouragement as an element in religious festivals and as an entertainment of the wealthy classes4 ,considerable difference of opinion exists as to the 8religious0 dances of ,egypt4 ,enthusiastic historians of dancing seem rather too prone to expand the little store of fact we possess1 and some go to the length of speaking of the religious and popular 8ballets0 of the ,egyptians4 ,but it is certain that they had no regular theatrical spectacles in which dancing was of prime importance2 and their popular dances1 to any such extent as they could be described as 8representations ingenieuses10 were primitive in comparison with any of later times4 ,solo-dances and pas de deux were general enough1 but the dancing of massed groups1 and the dramatic representation of a story1 appear to have been unknown1 or have passed unrecorded if they were known4 ,the nearest approach to them1 though not of course performed as a theatrical spectacle1 would seem to have been an 8astronomical dance10 which was done by or under the direction of the priests of ,apis1 and is said to have been--appropriately enough6--a representation of the movements of the stars4 ,it is probable that it was employed mainly as a means of education4 ,holy ,church in medival times took advantage of the popular craving for theatrical shows1 and sought by the aid of 8mystery plays10 and 8moralities0 to extend the knowledge of religious truths4 ,it may be conjectured that the ,egyptian hierarchy similarly had some such end in view1 and that the priestly caste sought to utilise the popular taste for dancing as a means of influence1 and that the actual performance of the dance served to fix more lastingly in the minds of novices the religious and astronomical truths it embodied4 ,illustration3 ,an ,egyptian ,male ,dancer 7,from a ,theban ,fresco74 ,illustration3 ,egyptian ,dancing ,girls 7,from a mural painting in the ,british ,museum74 ,illustration3 ,a ,greek ,funeral ,dance 7,from a coloured plaque in the ,louvre74 ,in addition to the star-dance1 the ,egyptians are said to have had a 8funeral0 dance1 but it is doubtful if this1 the 8,maneros0--of which ,herodotus speaks--was a solemn dance4 ,the fact is1 however1 that information both as to the religious and ceremonial uses of dancing among the ,egyptians is very scant1 and what little record we have of their dancing is mainly on its popular side and is to be gleaned from monuments4 ,one of the frescoes in the ,british ,museum shows two girls performing1 apparently before a select audience of women1 one of whom is seen to be applauding1 or perhaps marking the time with syncopated clapping1 as negroes do to-day4 ,another representation of dancing is on a fresco from ,thebes showing three figures1 the centre of whom is apparently performing an entrechat1 as seen to-day1 the step in which the dancer crosses feet in mid-air2 while a fourth acts as orchestra with a couple of the curious curved maces which were beaten together to mark the rhythm in sonorous fashion4 ,other ,egyptian monuments also show dancers1 one from ,beni ,hassan depicting several couples1 apparently boys1 performing a dance that obviously had certain set steps1 and suggests that it was used mainly as a rhythmic athletic exercise1 as were many of the ,greek dances4 ,and yet another monument shows men apparently in the act of performing a pirouette4 ,about them all there is the air of decision1 a suggestion of trained performance that in itself1 remembering that these monuments are some four thousand years old1 and depict steps similar to some performed to-day1 is testimony to the antiquity of the art of dancing4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,greece ,there is no lack of testimony1 pictorial and literary1 to the ancient ,greek love of the ,dance4 ,among the various arts of war and peace that ,vulcan engraved upon that wondrous shield which he fashioned at the entreaty of sad ,thetis for her son ,achilles1 the ,dance was not forgotten2 and the ,homeric singer must have been a lover of the art to limn as clear a picture as is given in the eighteenth book of the ,iliad4 8,there1 too1 the skilful artist's hand had wrought ,with curious workmanship1 a mazy dance1 ,like that which ,ddalus in ,knossos erst ,at fair-haired ,ariadne's bidding framed4 ,there1 laying each on other's wrists their hand1 ,bright youths and many-suitored maidens danced40 99 99 99 99 99 8,now whirled they round with nimble practised feet1 ,easy1 as when a potter1 seated1 turns ,a wheel1 new-fashioned by his skilful hand ,and spins it round1 to prove if true it run3 ,now featly moved in well-beseeming ranks4 ,a numerous crowd1 around1 the lovely dance ,surveyed1 delighted2 while an honoured ,bard ,sang1 as he struck the lyre1 and to the strain ,two tumblers1 in the midst1 were whirling round40 ,the 8two tumblers0 is an interesting detail1 but it does not necessarily refer to the sort of acrobatic 8tumbling0 we are familiar with to-day4 ,there have always been two phases of the ,dance which can best be understood by noting the distinction marked by the use of two words in ,french--at least by their use among the masters and writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries--namely1 danser and sauter4 ,the former means to dance1 8terre--terre10 that is1 always with the feet1 or one foot at least1 on or close to the ground2 sauter1 means invariably to leap into the air1 or even to perform steps while both feet are in the air4 ,we usually speak of 8a somersault10 a 8double somersault10 and so forth4 ,the word is a corruption from the old ,french soubresault1 from the ,latin supra1 over1 and saltus1 leap4 ,early historians of the ,dance frequently speak of 8saltation10 without any reference to the 8somersault0 as we know it1 but to what we should call simply dancing4 ,the ,homeric picture must have been repeated innumerable times since it was first limned1 whenever and wherever there has been a gathering of men and maids on a village green1 dancing in a circle1 with a couple of high-leaping lads in the centre inciting all to quicken the rhythm of the whirling dance4 ,many an ,elizabethan village must have realised such a scene2 and for all the artifice of the stage1 with its paint and footlights1 does it not hold something of the antique tradition in the picture often seen1 of a circle of dancing girls enclosing two wildly turning 8stars08 ,is it impossibly un-,hellenic to presume that the 8,two tumblers1 in the midst1 were whirling round0 in pirouettes8 ,at least it may be considered--a presumption6 ,far later in ,hellenic days we have a gracious picture of the ,dance in ,theocritus' eighteenth ,idyll1 8,the ,bridal of ,helen10 which reads delightfully in ,calverley's translation3 8,whilom in ,lacedmon tripped many a maiden fair ,to gold-pressed ,menelaus' halls with hyacinths in her hair1 ,twelve to the painted chamber1 the queenliest in the land1 ,the clustered loveliness of ,greece came dancing hand-in-hand4 ,with woven steps they beat the ground in unison and sang ,the bridal hymn of triumph till all the ,palace rang40 ,the ,greek dance1 it should be noted1 was almost invariably accompanied by singing2 and the poet probably was often indebted to the dance for the rhythm of his verse4 ,the bridal dance was of very ancient institution4 ,indeed1 there were few occasions which were not celebrated with dancing1 and the ,greeks even followed the ,egyptian custom of having 8dancers0 at their funerals6 ,it is not to be thought1 however1 that the steps were exactly gay2 nor need there have been anything incongruous1 for we can be sure the instinctive taste of the people would not have admitted such a thing1 and1 moreover1 a dance and a dancer as they saw it1 were rather different from the vision we have recalled by such words4 ,to the ancient ,greeks the ,dance was a cult1 an element in the religious and physical well-being of the individual and the ,state3 and the dance that was taught to the child became an important and lasting factor in the physical growth and culture of the man4 ,we who1 most of us1 are only too apt to look on dancing as a mere trivial pastime1 may wonder that it was so seriously considered by the ,greeks1 and that it should have so earnestly engaged the attentions of such philosophers as ,plato and ,lucian4 ,but perhaps that is only because we have not considered it sufficiently ourselves and have associated it too closely with theatrical display4 ,in any form in which it is at its best the theatre is one of the noblest and most influential institutions of civilisation2 as dancing1 at its best1 is one of the finest1 because most comprehensive1 of the theatrical arts4 ,but there is a vast difference between the dance which was a means of physical and mental development1 pursued amid the health-giving surroundings of sunshine and fresh air1 and1 let us say1 some such degradation of art as some examples of the 8classic0 dance we have seen of recent years1 performed in the glare of footlights1 amid the smoke-laden atmosphere of a music-hall4 ,the contrast is an obvious one1 but the thing to consider is that we in ,england have allowed an art which held an important place in ,greek national life1 and which should be of the greatest educational value to ourselves1 to become mainly a spectacle of the theatre1 where more often than not it is seen at its best1 not necessarily because it is the result of the best system1 but because it is the fruit of the greatest practice4 ,it is obviously impossible to deal very fully with the ,hellenic dance in the space of a chapter in a volume which is not intended to trace the evolution of the ,dance but of ,ballet4 ,an entire book were needed to treat the subject adequately--and we have not such a book in ,english1 as yet4 ,but ,emmanuel's masterly technical review of ,hellenic dancing in his volume ,la ,danse ,grecque1 is invaluable1 and is testimony to the sound and catholic scholarship which in ,france scorns no subject as 8trivial0 merely because those ignorant of its history dismiss it as such2 and which finds sympathetic students in a country where all the arts are treated with a respect that is at least as great as that offered to commercialism4 ,the ,greeks are said to have derived their earlier dances from ,egypt4 ,this may be questionable1 because it is equally likely that there was a traditional1 indigenous dance in ,greece4 ,but it was through the ,greeks1 certainly1 that dancing first assumed that variety and perfection of form and style which all the arts seemed destined to attain under their quickening1 purifying1 and inspiring influence2 and it was the ,greeks1 too1 who first began to develop the art of mimicry4 ,first1 as already suggested1 there would probably have been some occasion for joy1 tending to express itself by dancing2 and a victory over an enemy1 or gratitude for a full harvest 7the more exalted when the harvest was of the grape67 would have been such occasions4 ,later must have come the idea of representing the victory celebrated1 or the imagined characteristics of the being or beings who were supposed to be the cause of the earth's fruition1 and who1 if propitiated by this tumultuous acknowledgment of gratitude1 perhaps might renew their favours4 ,thus1 in time1 out of the ritual of the ,dance would have grown the ritual of representation--,mimicry1 miming1 or 8acting10 as we call it2 and little by little1 from the wild exuberance of recurring poetic festivals1 such as those in honour of ,dionysus1 would have grown the ordered sense of ,drama1 the representation of thanksgiving1 of feelings1 events and things by ,mimicry1 the actor's art2 either allied with1 or separate from1 dancing4 ,the ,greeks1 improving on the ,egyptians1 invented and developed the idea of the ,theatre4 ,but though the ,greeks in their ,drama utilised the arts of dancing and mimicry1 it would seem that they were quite subordinated to the literary and dramatic art of the all-inspiring ,poet1 and that words1 with a meaning behind them1 words representing1 as far as words can1 thoughts1 passions1 emotions1 actions1 things1 were the essential medium of ,greek ,drama1 not the art of the ,dancer or the ,mime4 ,it should be noted that the ,greek orcheisthai 771 to dance1 implied more than mere steps with the feet4 ,it included much that goes to make a really good ballet-dancer of to-day--interpretative dancing and mimetic gesture4 ,the ,greeks in fact had some of the material1 if they did not have as we know it--the ,ballet4 ,the earliest dramatic poets1 ,thespis1 ,phrynichus1 were called 8dancers0 because in addition to providing the drama as poets1 their function was to train their choruses in the dances which1 accompanied by singing1 were introduced in the play4 ,one of the most celebrated of the actors in the plays of schylus1 ,telestes1 was said not merely to indicate feelings but to 8describe0 events with his hands2 and this1 which was really miming1 was considered as part of dancing1 which ,aristotle defined as 8the representation of actions1 characters and passions by means of postures and rhythmic movements40 ,plutarch analyses dancing as 8,motions1 ,postures and ,indications10 a 8posture0 being the attitude of the dancer at the moment of arrested movement1 and an 8indication10 the gesture which indicated an external object referred to in a poet's lines1 such as the sky2 or such as an orator would use when raising his hand heavenward invoking the gods4 ,the chief dances used in the ,greek drama were the ,emmeleia1 a stately measure2 ,hyporchemata1 lively dances2 the ,kordax1 a very coarse and rough comic dance2 and finally the ,sikinnis1 which was attached especially to satyric comedies and parodied as a rule the measure of the ,emmeleia4 ,these were all a part1 though a subordinate part1 of the classic drama1 and1 according to some authorities1 had their foundation in the rhythm of the poet's verse as it was sung by the chorus or declaimed by the chief actors4 ,but apart from these there were mimetic dances4 ,one1 in which we may perhaps even see a hint of the origin of dancing itself1 is found in ,longus' novel1 ,daphnis and ,chloe1 in which ,dryas performs a vintage-dance1 8pretending to gather grapes1 to carry them in panniers1 to tread them in a vat and pour the flowing juice into jars1 and then to drink of the wine thus newly made02 and all done so cleverly that the spectators were deceived for the time and thought they really saw the grapes1 the vats1 and the wine the actor made pretence of drinking4 ,this1 probably an incident drawn from life1 was indeed a 8representation ingenieuse10 and even suggests yet another of the many possibilities as to the origin of the ,dance1 namely--that dancing itself may have originated from the treading of grapes4 ,the famous ,pyrrhic dance was of course mimetic and represented a series of war-like incidents1 all of which had an educational purpose1 as by their means the youthful soldier was taught how to advance and retreat1 how to aim a blow or hurl a javelin and to dodge them2 and how to leap and vault1 in event of meeting ditches and walls4 ,apart from military dances in which physical culture and grace were the chief aims1 there were many dances of a purely festival character taken part in by young men and girls1 and by girls alone4 ,the close association between religion and the ,dance in ancient ,hellenic days is seen in the number of festivals in honour of the gods1 at which special dances were performed1 apart from those which formed part of the classic drama and others which were merely by way of joyous pastime4 ,certain dances were performed annually in honour of ,jupiter2 others1 such as the ,procharysteri1 were in honour of ,minerva2 then there was the ,ponian dance in honour of ,apollo2 the ,ionic1 and the ,kalabis and the famous ,dance of ,innocence1 instituted by ,lycurgus1 and executed to the glory of ,diana1 by young ,lacedmonian girls before the altar of the goddess4 ,the ,delian dance1 special to the isle of ,delos1 was much the same in character and closed with the offering of floral garlands on the altar of ,aphrodite4 ,one of the most solemn incidents of the ,eleusinian mysteries was the mystical dance-drama representing the search of ,ceres for her daughter ,proserpine--practically a 8ballet10 in the older acceptance of the word4 ,the secular dance of the ,greeks was essentially an individualistic form4 ,men and women only rarely danced together1 and when they did1 the joining of hands1 or anything like chain-dancing was exceptional4 ,one of these exceptions was the ,hormos1 or ,collar-dance as it was called1 which ,lucian describes as being danced by youths and maidens advancing one by one in the form of a collar1 made up of the alternating jewels of feminine grace and manly strength1 the dance being led by a youth4 ,most of the ,greek dances had a leader1 and the favour in which the art was held is shown by the fact that they termed their ,chief ,magistrate ,pro-orchestris1 or ,leader of the ,dance4 ,as a rule1 chain-dances were performed by one or the other sex4 ,in another sense also the ,hellenic dance was individualistic4 ,we are accustomed to see entire groups1 eight1 sixteen1 or even thirty-two or more dancers all performing the same step simultaneously4 ,it is one of the conventions of ,ballet1 like the chorus in 8musical comedy40 ,but the ,greeks had not that convention4 ,although their dance was based on strict rhythm and was governed by rigid rules1 they governed the dance of the individual1 not of groups4 ,he1 or she1 was adjudged a good dancer by the grace of line displayed and rhythmic balance of movement1 and many a vase painting exhibits groups of dancers who1 though dancing in the mass1 are each doing different steps2 and equally the gestures and mimetic expression of each differed4 ,the system unquestionably had its advantages1 for while the rhythm of the song or poetic verse which accompanied the performers was the common basis of the dance for all1 the individuality of expression undoubtedly gave a vitality to the group which accounts for the vividness and charm of their representation on many an antique vase4 ,numerous indeed were the various forms of the ,hellenic dance1 sacred1 dramatic1 secular--,meursius catalogues some two hundred--but further description would detain us too long en route towards the culmination of all these earlier types of mimetic and other dances in the ,ballet of to-day1 and we have next to trace the growth of ,latin ,mime and ,pantomime4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,mime ,,and ,,pantomime3 ,,rome1 ,,hippodrome--,,obscurity ,if to ,greece modern ,ballet owes much for the encouragement of the ,dance1 to ,rome it is even more indebted for the development of the art of ,pantomime4 ,by many the word ,pantomime is associated solely with that time-honoured entertainment which children1 home for the ,christmas holidays1 are supposed to be too blas to care for1 but which they go to by way of obliging parents who feel it their duty to take them4 ,the ,christmas pantomime has long been one of our cherished institutions1 though1 like the ,british ,constitution1 it has undergone many changes4 ,it is still given at ,christmas4 ,that much of tradition remains4 ,but most of its original features have all but disappeared4 ,time was1 two hundred years ago1 when it was mainly 8,harlequinade10 and ,harlequin and his gay comrades of ,italian comedy were the heroes of the play4 ,then classical plots and allusions1 with an elaboration of scenic effect and 8machines10 brought about a gradual change4 ,in the early nineteenth century a 8topical0 and 8patriotic0 element had crept in2 but the ,harlequinade1 although shortened1 and1 shall we say1 broadened1 still remained4 ,then a craze for 8transformation0 scenes set in because the extreme gorgeousness of the tinsel productions of ,kemble and ,macready--the archological and historic 8accuracy0 of which was always emphasised6--forced the pantomime producers in self-defence to go one better4 ,and then came ,grimaldi to give a new life to the whimsies of that ,clown whose prototype dates back to ancient ,rome2 and for half a century or more the ,christmas pantomime continued much the same--a familiar nursery-story played out to the accompaniment of fairy-like and glittering scenic accessories1 concluding with a rough-and-tumble ,harlequinade1 until in recent years the introduction of the ,music-hall performer gave us the entertainment we have to-day4 ,not thus1 however1 was the antique 8pantomime10 which1 evolving from the more ancient and spoken 8,mimes10 became1 because it took all nature for its province--pan-mimicry1 or pantomime2 the stage representation1 without the spoken word1 of all that eye could see or mind of man conceive4 ,now1 it is a far step from narrative to impersonation--marking an advance in the technique of acting2 and it was some time before the ,greek ,drama had achieved this4 ,but it was not so much the impressive and noble side of the ,greek ,drama that taught the actors1 not merely to declaim situations but to act them2 it must have been the popular1 the comic side2 and it was probably the ,doric farce1 and later the early ,latin comedy derived therefrom1 that really brought to perfection under the ,roman ,empire the art of ,miming apart from the art of ,dancing4 ,the comic is so much nearer to life as we see it every day than the tragic2 and it was this ability to see the more familiar comic side of life1 and the desire to travesty the serious--whether in ,greece or ,rome--that first gave flexibility and variety to the art of miming1 or 8acting10 as we call it nowadays4 ,it is because of this nearness to the life of the time1 because of the travesty of contemporary types and public affairs1 that the ,latin actors made their wide appeal4 ,from public encouragement would come the increasing endeavour of popular actors to outshine each other in technical tours de force2 and from playing the familiar types of ,latin ,comedy1 such as ,maccus1 with his double hump1 prototype of our ,punch2 ,pappus1 forerunner of ,pantaloon1 and other characters 7some from the early ,mimi1 some from the ,atellan and ,togat of tradition71 the ,latin ,actors of the first and second centuries ,a4,d4 ultimately aspired to the wordless representation of the gods and heroes of myth and legend4 ,according to one authority1 8the ,latin ,pantomime grew out of the custom at this period--the first century of the ,christian era--of having lyrical solos1 such as interludes to flute accompaniment1 between the acts of the ,latin comedies40 ,according to that admirable historian of the stage1 ,mr4 ,charles ,hastings1 8this new mode 7,pantomime7 was a kind of mime1 in which poses and gestures constituted the fundamental portion of the play4 ,words occupied a secondary place1 and eventually disappeared altogether4 ,only the music was preserved1 and in order that the audience might understand the gestures of the actors1 little books were distributed in ,greek text1 intelligible only to the learned and to the upper classes4 ,later on the mask--rejected by the mime--was adopted1 and a chorus was employed to accompany the comedian with their voices1 and to explain the multiple gestures by which the actors created the different characters in turn4 ,moreover1 there was a company of mute players4 ,the libretti left almost unlimited liberty of detail4 ,sometimes the music broke off to enable the actor to finish his fioritura and variations4 ,sometimes1 on the other hand1 the comedian paused1 or left the stage1 while the story was taken up by the recitative and the instruments40 ,all this reads much like a description of a modern 8mimodrame10 such as 8,l',enfant ,prodigue10 or 8,sumurun40 ,again it reads not unlike a description of a modern ballet1 for with these do we not often have printed synopses distributed1 though not in ,greek text8 ,but we have to remember that the music was primitive1 the scenic effect1 though often remarkable1 was different from that of our modern stage1 with its greater mechanical resources2 and1 finally1 that all this was an innovation of the ,roman stage1 for we are talking of the period that saw the dawn of the ,christian era4 ,among the more famous of the ,latin pantomimists were ,pylades1 who was the inventor of tragic pantomimes2 and ,bathyllus1 who was the composer of livelier episodes4 ,for some time they joined forces and had a theatre of their own1 where they staged comedies and tragedies composed by themselves without words or any other aid in telling the story of the play than dancing1 pantomime and music4 ,the innovation struck the popular fancy1 and all ,rome flocked to support the new venture4 ,the two actors were received at the ,emperor's ,court1 and became the spoilt darlings of the ,roman 8smart0 set4 ,the inevitable happened4 ,they began to intrigue at ,court1 and were made the centre of intrigue2 they became as jealous of each other as rival opera singers1 and in time a financially happy partnership was dissolved1 and there were two theatres devoted to pantomimes instead of one4 ,but as this form of drama was a novelty1 and pleased the 8connoisseurs10 who were numerous and increasing in numbers1 both theatres were equally successful1 perhaps the more so in that the public is always specially interested in ventures that appear to be in rivalry4 ,the taste for existing stage-productions slackened in favour of those offered by ,pylades and ,bathyllus4 ,their 8ballets0 whether tragic1 comic or satiric were looked on as the very perfection of tragedy1 comedy or satire4 ,it was no longer a matter of declamatory style to enjoy or to criticise1 it was a matter of steps1 movements1 gestures1 attitudes1 figures or positions that were discussed by wise connoisseurs of 8the new thing10 who in ,rome1 as elsewhere to-day1 had much to say on what they presumed to understand because--it was new6 ,and such1 it is said1 was the genius of the 8producers0 of this novel form of entertainment2 the effect was so natural1 the stage-pictures were so convincing1 the pathos was so moving or the gaiety so free and infectious1 that the audiences forgot they had ears while using enchanted eyes2 and expressive gestures took the place of vocal inflections1 of the power of words and the magic of poetic verse4 ,pylades before long found a rival star arise in the person of ,hylas1 whose greatest performance was said to be in dipus4 ,if ,pylades and ,bathyllus had quarrelled1 there was evidently no love lost between ,pylades and ,hylas4 ,hylas on one occasion was giving a representation of ,agamemnon and1 at a particular line referring to that historic personage as 8the great10 he rose up on tip-toe4 8,that10 said ,pylades scornfully1 8is being tall1 not #8great'02 a criticism not only just1 but giving an excellent insight into the methods and ideas of the famous ,latin pantomimist4 ,it is somewhat uncertain whether it was the ,court intrigues of ,bathyllus or of ,hylas or of both which ultimately secured from the ,emperor the sentence of banishment for ,pylades1 or whether it was the daring1 not to say impudence of the actor in representing well-known people1 or whether again it may not have been the increasing danger of the constant brawls which were taking place daily in the streets of ,rome between the rival factions--the ,pyladians and the ,bathyllians4 ,but whatsoever the reason1 the probability is that the perpetual strife between the parties supporting the adored actors 7worse than ever was that between the ,piccinists and ,gluckists of the eighteenth century71 with the constant blood-shed it involved1 was made the excuse for the convenient removal of one of the principal factors in the disorder1 and that the influence of ,bathyllus1 possibly backed up by that of ,hylas1 was able to secure the removal of the tragic actor4 ,pylades1 however1 had his revenge1 for such was the uproar in ,rome on his banishment that the ,emperor was practically forced to recall him1 and he returned in triumph4 ,it is time1 however1 to leave the affairs of popular actors of the ancient world1 since it is less the details of their personal history we need to consider than their importance as the virtual inventors of the second element of ,ballet1 the art of the mime1 or1 to use for a moment the more comprehensive word--pantomime4 ,thus we can see that it is largely due to the perfecting by the ,italians of that art which seems to have been even more natural to them than to the ,greeks--miming1 that we have the ,ballet of to-day4 ,from the dawn of the ,christian era1 comedy gave place to a perfect craze1 first for the mime1 and then for its offspring1 pure pantomime4 ,but1 finally1 the mimetic art as a standing entertainment of the ,roman public1 came to suffer neglect in favour of circuses2 then1 together with the circuses1 it was opposed by the ,churches4 ,there were spasmodic revivals in the fourth and fifth centuries1 but from the fifth century mime and pantomime practically ceased to exist in ,constantinople1 to which the seat of the ,roman ,empire had by that time been removed2 and the arts both of the dancer and the mime fell upon a period of obscurity1 though they went into retirement with all the reluctance of a modern 8star40 ,,chapter ,v ,,church ,,thunder ,,and ,,church ,,complaisance ,it is a truism of history that opposition towards the amusements of a people only increases the desire for them1 and that the undue pressure of a law1 or of a too rigid majority1 only stimulates the invention of evasions4 ,in dramatic history there is ample proof of this4 ,in ,england during the seventeenth century the force of ,puritan opinion and of law did not crush the ,drama1 but led to unseemly licence4 ,when1 in the early eighteenth century1 ,paris was enlivened by the spectacle of the majestic ,royal ,opera1 endeavouring by legal thunder to suppress the lively vaudeville performances of the too popular ,paris ,fairs1 and even going to the length of obtaining decrees forbidding the ,fair theatres to perform musical plays in which words were sung1 were the managers of the little theatres downhearted8 ,no6 they merely evaded the law and made a mockery of pompous interference by having the music of their songs played1 while the meaning was acted in dumb-show1 and--the actual words1 printed very large1 were displayed on a screen let down to the stage from above6 ,their audiences1 catching the spirit of the thing1 enjoyed the wit of the evasion and supported the performances all the more4 ,there are many people who can only relish that which they have been told is wrong4 ,much the same spirit was abroad about sixteen hundred years ago1 when the growing power of the ,christian ,church began to be a calculable factor in 8practical politics10 and the embarrassment of successive ,roman emperors in trying to rule an unwieldy and decaying ,empire was increased by the moral warfare between the more rigid sects of the new ,church and the pleasures of the people4 ,it should1 however1 be said in justice to the early ,churchmen that many of the pleasures of the people had become entirely scandalous1 and detrimental to the manhood of the ,empire1 at least as seen in the ,empire's capital4 ,over such let us draw a veil6 ,while1 in these 8democratic0 days1 it may be doubted if there are any of the ,english-speaking race who 8dearly love a lord0 7though there is really no reason why they should not671 there were certainly some thousands of the ,byzantine populace in the third and fourth centuries to whom a successful circus-rider or gladiator1 actor or dancer1 was of far more interest than any peer of their period4 ,the histrionic favourites lacked1 of course1 the advantages of picture-postcard fame1 and had to be content with immortality in verse4 ,but as for the now hackneyed 8stage romance0 of the marriage of a youthful scion of a noble house with some resplendent star of the theatrical firmament1 did not a ,byzantine ,emperor1 ,justinian1 marry ,theodora1 once a popular dancer at the ,hippodrome6 ,yet he it was who made one of the more effective moves to suppress some of his people's excessive opportunities for amusement1 by abolishing the laws under which the expense of the performances in the ,hippodrome1 and some of the less important theatres had been met by the ,imperial treasury4 ,this1 however1 was mainly due to his beautiful wife1 who had seen all the vilest side of theatrical life in a time when the older dramatic culture had given place to banal and vulgar entertainments involving a horrible servitude of those engaged in providing them4 ,before this1 however1 the ,church's thunder had been launched at the grosser theatrical spectacles1 and the ,theatre had retaliated by mocking the adherents of the then new religion4 ,where fulmination failed1 control by influence was essayed4 ,but for all the attacks of the more advanced and severer leaders of the early ,church1 there must have been something of confusion for at least the first five centuries of the ,christian era4 ,indeed1 in the endeavour of the ,church to transmute the popular love of theatrical spectacles into something higher1 and to awaken the public interest in the service of the ,church1 what with the introduction of choral song1 with strophe and antistrophe1 and of solemn processionals1 even it is said of ceremonial dances performed by the choir--such as the ,easter dances still seen in ,spain to-day--the ,church itself must have come at times to seem perilously sympathetic towards the very things it was professing to condemn4 ,did not ,gregory ,nazianzen implore ,julian1 before he became 8the ,apostate10 to be more discreet1 saying in effect3 8,if you must dance1 and if you must take part in these ftes1 for which you seem to have such a passion1 then dance1 if you must2 but why revive the dissolute dances of the daughter of ,herodias1 and of the pagans8 ,dance rather as ,king ,david did before the ,ark2 dance to the glory of ,god4 ,such exercises of peace and of piety are worthy of an ,emperor and a ,christian40 ,in short1 wise cleric as he was1 he found no fault with the healthy exercise of the dance itself1 but only with such dance and other ,byzantine entertainment as had tended1 or might tend1 to become merely an exhibition of depraved taste4 ,indeed1 how could he have inveighed against the dance as an expression of clean rejoicing when it had been recorded3 8,and ,miriam the prophetess1 the sister of ,aaron1 took a timbrel in her hand2 and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances08#a ,had not the servants of ,achish said3 8,is not this ,david the king of the land8 did not they sing one to another of him in dances1 saying1 ,saul hath slain his thousands1 and ,david his ten thousands80#b ,had it not1 too1 been written3 8,and ,david danced before the ,lord with all his might40#c ,no1 the ,church thunder had been directed against the licence by which the arts of dancing and miming had been corrupted1 and against1 not wholesome athleticism and healthy sport1 but the hysterical brutalities and 8professionalism0 of the arena4 ,and if further proof were required of ecclesiastical interest in and practice of the thing it only attacked when seen in degraded form1 it is to be found in the fact that in #gdd1 the ,pope ,zacharias promulgated a ,bull suppressing all so-called 8religious dances10 or 8baladoires0 as he called them1 which were showing signs of becoming 8degenerate40 ,these were dances which were performed in1 or within the precincts of cathedrals and churches at certain festivals such as ,easter1 ,midsummer and ,christmas2 and of which the old ,english bonfire dances of ,st4 ,john's ,eve1 were 7and the modern carnival1 and the ,eastertide ceremonial seen in ,seville to-day1 are7 probably survivals1 though1 to be sure1 they should be accounted originally as survivals of earlier pagan dances in honour of the sun1 and of the harvest1 and not as originating with the ,christian ,church4 ,it may seem a far cry from the date of ,pope ,zacharias' edict of #gdd1 to #adfb1 when the first of the ballets ambulatoires is recorded1 but it must not be supposed that dancing1 if not miming1 is entirely lacking in history during those seven hundred odd years4 ,any history of dancing would aid us in at least partly bridging such a gap2 but it will be convenient in a chapter dealing more especially with early ecclesiastical influence on the evolution of ,ballet1 to deal now with a form of entertainment or of religious festival which was essentially a creation of the earlier ,church4 ,the famous procession of the ,fte ,dieu which ,king ,ren d',anjou1 ,count of ,provence1 established at ,aix in #adfb1 was1 as an old historian tells us1 an 8ambulatory0 ballet1 8composed of a number of allegorical scenes1 called entremets40 ,this word entremets1 which was later replaced by 8interludes10 designated a miming spectacle in which men and animals represented the action4 ,sometimes jugglers and mountebanks showed their tricks and danced to the sound of their instruments4 ,these entertainments were called entremets because they were instituted to occupy the guests agreeably at a great feast1 during the intervals between the courses4 8,the entre-actes of our first tragedies10 the writer adds1 8were arranged in this manner1 as one sees in the works of ,baif1 the interludes in the tragedy of ,sophonisbie4 ,more than five hundred mountebanks1 ,merry ,andrews1 comedians and buffoons1 exhibited their tricks and prowess at the full ,court which was held at ,rimini to arm the knights and nobles of the house of ,malatesta and others40 ,as the ftes and tournaments1 given on these occasions1 were accompanied by acts of devotion1 the festivals of the ,church often displayed also something of the gallant pomp of the tournaments4 ,these ballets ambulatoires1 however1 with all their richer pageantry1 were yet to be outshone by the two secular entertainments to which we must devote our next chapter--the banquet-dance of ,bergonzio di ,botta1 of #adhi1 and the still more famous 8,ballet ,comique de la ,reine10 of #aeha1 the last of which1 there can be little doubt1 had important effect in the development if not creation of our ,english masque1 which1 in turn1 had an immense influence on the evolution of modern ,ballet4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,the ,,banquet-,,ball ,,of ,,bergonzio ,,di ,,botta1 #adhi1 ,,and ,,the ,,famous 8,,ballet ,,comique ,,de ,,la ,,reine10 #aeha ,a superb and ingenious festivity was that arranged by ,bergonzio di ,botta1 a gentleman of ,tortona1 in honour of the wedding of ,galeazzo1 ,duke of ,milan1 with ,isabella of ,aragon4 ,the good ,bergonzio was a lover of all the best things of life1 but especially of dining and of dancing4 ,that historic gourmet1 ,brillat ,savarin1 commends him for his taste in the former matter1 as may we for the bright idea of combining a dinner with a dance1 one of somewhat nobler plan than any modern example6 ,the dinner was of many courses and each was introduced by the servers and waiters with a dance in character1 the whole constituting a sort of dinner-ballet4 ,in the centre of a stately salon1 which was surrounded by a gallery where various musicians were distributed1 there was a large table4 ,as the ,duke and his lady entered the salon by one door1 from another approached ,jason and the ,argonauts who1 stepping proudly forth to the sound of martial music and by dance and gestures expressing their admiration of so handsome a bride and bridegroom1 covered the table with the ,golden ,fleece which they were carrying4 ,this group then gave place to ,mercury who1 in recitative1 described the cunning which he had used in stealing from ,apollo1 who guarded the flocks of ,admetus1 a fat calf1 with which he came to pay homage to the newly married pair4 ,while he placed it on the table three 8quadrilles0 who followed him executed a graceful entre4 ,diana and her nymphs then succeeded ,mercury4 ,the ,goddess was followed by a kind of litter on which was a hart4 ,this1 she explained1 was ,acton1 who1 although no longer alive1 was happy in that he was to be offered to so amiable and fair a nymph as ,isabella of ,aragon4 ,at this moment a melodious symphony attracted the attention of the guests4 ,it announced the singer of ,thrace1 who was seen playing on his lyre while chanting the praises of the young duchess4 8,i mourned10 he sang1 8on ,mount ,apennine the death of tender ,eurydice4 ,now1 hearing of the union of two lovers worthy to live for one another1 ,i have felt1 for the first time since my sorrow1 an impulse of joy4 ,my songs have changed with the feelings of my heart4 ,a flock of birds has flown to hear my song4 ,i offer them to the fairest princess on earth1 since the charming ,eurydice is no more40 ,a sudden clamour interrupted his song as ,atalanta and ,theseus1 heading a nimble and brilliant troupe1 represented by lively dances the glories of the chase4 ,the mimic hunt was terminated by the death of the wild boar of ,calydon1 which was offered to the young ,duke1 with triumphal 8ballets40 ,a magnificent spectacle then succeeded this picturesque entrance4 ,on one side was ,iris1 seated on a car drawn by peacocks and followed by several nymphs1 covered in light gauze and carrying dishes of superb birds4 ,the youthful ,hebe appeared on the other side1 carrying the nectar which she poured for the gods4 ,she was accompanied by ,arcadian shepherds1 laden with all kinds of food and by ,vertumnus and ,pomona who offered all manner of fruits4 ,at the same time the shade of that famous gourmet ,apicius rose from the earth1 presenting to this superb feast all the delicacies he had invented and which had given him the reputation of the most voluptuous among ancient ,romans4 ,this spectacle disappeared and then there was a wondrous ballet of all the gods of the sea and rivers of ,lombardy2 who carried the most exquisite fish and served them while executing dances of different characters4 ,this extraordinary repast was followed by a yet more singular spectacle opened by ,orpheus1 who headed a procession of ,hymen and a troop of ,loves1 followed by the ,graces who surrounded ,conjugal ,faith1 whom they presented to the ,princess1 while offering1 themselves1 to serve her4 ,at this moment1 ,semiramis1 ,helen1 ,medea and ,cleopatra interrupted a recitative by ,conjugal ,faith to sing of the delights of ,passion4 ,then a ,vestal1 indignant that the recital of pure and true marriages should be sullied by such guilty songs1 ordered the notorious queens to withdraw4 ,at her voice1 the ,loves1 who accompanied her1 joined in a lively dance1 pursuing the wicked queens with lighted torches and setting fire to the gauze veils of their headdress6 ,lucretia1 ,penelope1 ,thomiris1 ,porcia and ,sulpicia replaced them and presented to the young ,princess that palm for chastity which they had merited during their lives4 ,their 8modest and noble0 dance1 however1 was interrupted by ,bacchus1 with a troop of revellers who came to celebrate so illustrious a bridal1 and the festival terminated in a manner as gay as it was ingenious4 ,the fte achieved a prodigious fame throughout ,italy4 ,it was the talk of every city and a full description of its glories was published1 while crowds of 8society hostesses0 of the period endeavoured to emulate the ingenuity of its originators1 and the vogue of the dinner-ballet 8arrived40 ,one effect of its fame was that for a century it set the fashion for the ,royal and ,ducal ,courts throughout ,europe4 ,every ,court had its 8ballets10 in which lords and ladies of highest degree took part2 and the movement was greatly fostered by ,catherine de ,medici1 who sought to divert the attention of her son1 ,henry ,,iii1 from political affairs towards the more congenial ways of social amusement1 of which ,court-ballets formed considerable part4 ,the culmination of these sumptuous entertainments came1 however1 in #aeha1 when in celebration of the betrothal of the ,duc de ,joyeuse and ,marguerite of ,lorraine1 sister of the ,queen of ,france1 a spectacle was arranged1 the splendour of which had never been seen in the world before4 ,this was ,beaujoyeux's famous 8,ballet ,comique de la ,royne0--or de la ,reine in modern spelling--which set all cultured ,europe aglow with praise of its designer4 ,a special account of it1 with many charming engravings1 was printed by order of the ,king to send to foreign ,courts4 ,so much did it set a fashion that the elaborate masked balls and the numerous ,court-masques and entertainments which followed in the reigns of ,henry ,,viii1 ,elizabeth and ,james were directly inspired by the success of ,beaujoyeux's ballet1 even as they in turn influenced the subsequent productions of ,louis ,,xiv in ,france4 ,the author and designer was an ,italian1 by name ,baltasarini1 famous as a violinist4 ,he was introduced by the ,duc de ,brissac to the notice of ,catherine de ,medici1 who appointed him a valet de chambre1 and subsequently he became official organiser of the ,court ftes1 ballets and concerts1 assuming the name of ,baltasar de ,beaujoyeux4 ,illustration3 ,stage ,effect in the #afth ,century 7,a ,scene from the 8,ballet ,comique de la ,royne10 by ,baltasar de ,beaujoyeux1 #aeha74 ,the account of the ballet was sumptuously published4 ,the title-page read as follows3 ,,balet ,,comique ,de la ,royne1 faict aux nopces de mon sieur le ,duc de ,ioyeuse madamoyselle de ,vau demont sa sur4 par ,baltasar de ,beavioyevlx valet de chambre du ,roy et de la ,royne sa mre4 ,paris par ,adrian le ,roy1 ,robert ,ballard1 et ,mamert ,patisson ,imprimeurs du ,roy4 ,,mdlxxxii ,avec ,privilege4 ,after a courtly dedication 8,au ,roy de ,france1 et de ,pologne10 full of praise for his prowess in arms and his taste in art1 full of graceful compliment by classic implications1 he follows with an address3 ,,au ,,lecteur4 ,povravtant1 amy ,lecteur1 que le tiltre et inscription de ce livre est sans example1 et que lon n'a point veu par cy deuant aucun ,balet auoir est imprim1 ny ce mot de ,comique y estre adapt3 ie vous prieray ne trouver ny l'un ny l'autre estrange4 ,car quant au ,balet1 encores que ci soit vne inuention moderne1 ou pour le moins1 repte si long de l'antiquit1 que l'on la puisse nommer telle3 n'estant la verit que des meslanges geometriques de plusieurs personnes dansans ensemble sous vne diuerse harmonie de plusieurs instruments3 ie vous confesse que simplement represent par l'impression1 cela eust eu beaucoup de nouveaut1 et peu de beaut1 de reciter vne simple ,comedie3 aussi cela n'eust pas est ny bien excellent1 ny digne d'vne si grande ,royne1 qui vouloit faire quelque chose de bien magnifique et triomphant4 ,sur ce ie me suis advis qu'il ne seroit point indecent de mesler l'un et l'autre ensemblement1 et diversifier la musique de poesie1 et entrelacer la poesie de musique et le plus souvent les cfrondre toutes deux ensemble3 ansi que l'antiquit ne recitoit point ses vers sans musique1 et ,orphe ne sonnoit jamais sans vers1 i'ay toutes fois donn le premier tiltre et honneur la danse1 et le second la substce1 que i'ay inscrite ,comique1 plus pour la belle1 tranquille et heureuse conclusion1 ou elle se termine1 que pour la qualit des personnages1 qui sont presque tous dieux et desses1 ou autres personnes heroiques4 ,ainsi i'ay anim et fait parler le ,balet1 et chanter et resonner la ,comedie3 et y adjoustant plusieurs rares et riches reprsentations et ornements1 ie puis dise avoir content en un corps bien proportionn1 l'il1 l'oreille1 et l'entendement4 ,vous priant que la nouveaut1 ou intitulation ne vous en face mal juger2 car estant l'invention principalement4 ,compose de ces deux parties1 ie ne pouvois tout attribuer au ,balet1 sans faite tout la ,comedie1 distinctement represente par ses scnes et actes3 ny la ,comedie sans prejudicier au ,balet1 qui honore1 esgaye et rempli d'harmonieux recits le beau sens de la ,comedie4 ,ce que m'estant bien advis vous avoir deu abondamment instruire de mon intention1 ie vous prie aussi ne vous effaroucher de ce nom et prendre le tout en aussi bonne par1 comme i'ay desire vous satisfaire pour mon regard4 ,although the quaint spelling of the old ,french may offer a passing difficulty to some readers1 ,i have felt it advisable to give the address as it stands1 for it presents several points of extraordinary interest4 ,first and foremost is the fact that it claims ,beaujoyeux's ballet to be the first ever printed6 ,his description of a ballet as 8meslanges geometriques de plusieurs personnes dansans ensemble0 is extremely interesting4 ,pylades the ,latin dancer-mime declared that no man could become a perfect mime who did not understand music1 painting1 sculpture and geometry6 ,and in recent years a well-known ,italian matre with whom ,i was discussing ,ballet remarked1 as he held up a case of drawing instruments1 8,here is the whole art of choreography10 or ballet-composition4 ,this may seem a somewhat exaggerated assertion1 but it is a fact that without some knowledge of geometry it would be difficult for a composer of ,ballet to tell the effect that would be produced by lines and groups of dancers in the sight of a huge audience all looking at the stage from different angles4 ,beaujoyeux's claim to appeal to and satisfy 8l'il1 l'oreille1 et l'entendement0 is also interesting1 and quite in accord with modern ideas of the ,ballet4 ,the entertainment itself must have been a remarkable affair4 ,it began with a fine water display by a fountain with twelve sides1 on each of which were two naiads1 with musical instruments1 for the 8concert10 which accompanied the singers4 ,above the fountain-basin1 which was full of fish1 rose another on pillars1 where twelve niches made seats for so many nymphs4 ,in the middle1 dolphins carried a crown and formed a throne for the ,queen4 ,two other basins rose again above1 formed of other dolphins grouped1 which spouted great jets of water1 and the whole was topped by a golden ball five feet in diameter4 ,it was from this 8machine10 drawn by sea-horses and accompanied by twelve tritons and as many sirens with their instruments1 that there descended the ,queen1 the ,princesse de ,lorraine1 the ,duchesses de ,mercueil1 de ,guise1 de ,nevers1 d',aumale and de ,joyeuse1 ,marechal de ,raiz1 and de l',archant and the ,demoiselles de ,pons1 de ,bourdeille and de ,cypierre--who had all been seated in golden cars1 and who were dressed in silver cloth and crpe encrusted with gold bullion and precious stones4 ,thus they made the first entrance1 arranging themselves in twelve different figures4 ,at the first entrance they were six abreast and three in front in a triangle1 of which the ,queen formed the first point4 ,after this impressive opening the ballet meandered through the story of ,circe1 with musical interludes1 songs and dances1 and elaborate allegory4 ,but as the first act began at ten in the evening and the last did not finish till after five in the morning1 it will be seen that the production was as lengthy as it was magnificent4 ,some idea of the splendour of the fte1 indeed1 may be gathered from the fact that it cost something over three and a half million francs4 ,the conclusion was graceful4 ,the ,queen and the ,princesses1 who had represented naiads and nereids1 presented gold medals to the princes and seigneurs who1 in the guise of tritons1 had danced with them--presumably as a reward for their patience6 ,this presentation of gifts became quite a custom at these courtly ballets1 and doubtless the modern cotillon is a survival4 ,the 8,ballet ,comique0 set a fashion throughout ,europe1 and various ,courts vied with each other in similar entertainments4 ,the ,english ,court had1 of course1 already had its ceremonial balls1 masked balls and 8masques10 but their splendour had been nothing to this1 and the subsequent ftes at the ,courts of ,elizabeth and ,james were directly influenced by the example of the ,french in this direction1 as we shall see when we come to deal with the ,english masque as a form of ,ballet4 ,let us first1 however1 consider the dances of the period1 for which we have an excellent authority in the work of ,thoinot ,arbeau4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,thoinot ,,arbeau',s 8,,orch,,sographie10 #aehh 8,in ,spring10 we know1 8the young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love40 ,in the winter of life it would seem that an old man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of the dances that his time-stiffened limbs can no more achieve with their earlier agility and grace1 and he takes to--writing about them4 ,for it is strange but true that some of the most entertaining volumes on the subject are those written on the history of the dance by 8grave and reverend seigneurs02 who1 one would imagine1 had long foregone all thought of youthful pastimes and turned their minds to solemner affairs4 ,three such1 at least1 ,i can recall--,thoinot ,arbeau1 ,bonnet1 and ,baron4 ,over three centuries ago--nay1 nearly four1 we come upon a somewhat sage and elderly gentleman1 ,thoinot ,arbeau1 whose book with its strange title1 ,orchsographie1 was published in #aehh4 ,was it shyness1 or sheer fraud that made him write it under a false name1 a nom de thtre it would almost seem4 ,for ,thoinot ,arbeau was not his name1 but a sort of anagram on his real one1 which was ,jehan ,tabourot4 ,moreover1 he was sixty-seven when he wrote it1 and was a ,canon of the ,church6 ,he was born at ,dijon in #aeai1 and was the son of one ,estienne ,tabourot1 a ,king's ,counsellor6 ,think of it--born four hundred years ago1 yet he speaks to our time1 telling us1 albeit in somewhat stiff and difficult ,french1 of the dances that were in vogue in his dancing days4 ,as to the strange title of his work1 its meaning will of course be apparent to all who know anything of the history of the subject1 for they will remember that the ,greek word for the dance was ,orcheisthai 7the ,orchestra being the floor-space where the dancers performed72 and so ,orchsographie is merely a treatise on the writing of dances2 that is1 the setting of them down in such form that subsequent readers could study the dances therefrom4 ,the recording of the actual steps of dances has always been a problem1 and other leading masters in ,france 7such as ,beauchamps1 ,pcourt1 ,feuillet7 and in ,england 7such as ,weaver7 had several more or less successful shots during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries at inventing a sort of dance-shorthand4 ,the very first author to attempt such a thing with any real success was apparently our friend ,arbeau2 for earlier works1 such as that of ,caroso1 are very poor4 ,into the full details of his system1 however1 ,i do not propose to enter now1 for the matter is somewhat technical4 ,the interest of ,arbeau's work1 however1 is by no means mainly technical4 ,the book1 which was published at ,lengres in #aehh1 is written in the form of a dialogue 8by which everyone can easily learn and practise the honest exercise of the dances10 to give the quaint phraseology of the original1 the two speakers being ,arbeau the author1 and ,capriol1 a youth who some few years earlier had left ,lengres to go to ,paris and ,orleans and now1 on his return1 has sought out ,arbeau to learn from him all that he can of dancing4 ,thoinot at first does not recognise him because1 as he says1 8,you have grown so1 and ,i believe that you have also enlarged your spirit by virtue and knowledge40 ,he asks the young man's opinion of the study of ,law1 remarking that he was also once a law-student4 ,capriol expresses his admiration for the law as a necessary institution1 but complains that his neglect of the polite arts1 while in the company of the ,orleans law-students1 has made him dull and wooden4 ,he says that his knowledge of fencing and tennis makes him an acceptable companion with other youths1 but he fails as a dancer to please the demoiselles1 a point on which1 it seems to him1 depends the whole reputation of a young man who contemplates marriage4 ,then follows some sound advice1 with curious details1 from ,arbeau1 on the advantages of dancing as a matrimonial agent1 and he acclaims the art as one necessary to social welfare4 ,capriol agrees and expresses his disgust that the dance should have been so subject to bitter attacks1 of which he quotes historic instances4 ,arbeau neatly responds that1 8,for one who has blamed1 an infinity have esteemed and praised the art10 also following with quoted examples1 saying1 indeed1 that 8,le ,s4 prophete royal dauid da au deut de l'arche de ,dieu10 or1 in other words1 that 8the holy prophet1 ,king ,david1 danced before the ,ark of ,god40 ,in the course of their conversation1 ,arbeau makes learned references to the derivation of the word 8,dance10 mentioning others then in use that were allied to it1 such as saulter 7from the ,latin saltare71 caroler 7hence our 8carols10 or songs which1 originally1 accompanied certain religious dances71 baler1 and trepiner1 ,capriol remembers that the ancients had three kinds of dances3 the sedate ,emmeleia1 the gay ,kordax1 and the mixed ,sikinnis1 the first of which ,arbeau likens 7quite unhistorically7 to the pavanes and basse-dance of his own period2 the second1 to the gaillardes1 voltas1 corantos1 gavottes 7note that--a reference to the gavotte in #aehh67 and branles 7or1 as ,elizabethan ,englishmen called them1 8brawls072 while the third1 he declares1 must have been similar to the branles doubles and to 8the dance which we call bouffons or matachins40 ,then1 very wisely1 he points out that most objections to dancing have been provoked not by decent but by--objectionable dancing6 ,and as ,capriol hastily assures his austere but kindly teacher that he wants none of that sort1 but that he is anxious to teach his twelve-year-old sister what ,arbeau is good enough to teach him1 the old man proceeds on most polite and methodical lines4 ,arbeau1 truly remarking that rhythm is the basis of the dance1 as it was always of all military marching and evolutions1 then goes on to give a wonderful disquisition on that glorious instrument1 the drum1 and a masterly analysis of its rhythmic possibilities1 both as an inspirer of soldiers on the march and as a stimulus to the dance4 ,the old man's enthusiasm for an instrument that has never really received its due homage is truly fine1 and he gives no less than seventy-six examples of drum-beat on a common-time basis4 ,he follows this with an exposition of fife-playing 7with musical examples72 his earnest plea for this study of drum 7tambour7 and fife being only preparatory to a study of the basse-dances1 which were properly accompanied by both instruments4 ,as several of these dances of three centuries agone have been revived in our time1 it is of interest to consider them in some detail1 more especially as they formed the choregraphic basis of all the ballets subsequently for some two centuries4 ,arbeau informs us that most of what he calls the 8recreative0 dances 7or as we might say 8social10 as opposed to the more ceremonial affairs necessitating an orchestra7 were performed in his forebears' time to the music of the flute and little drum4 ,capriol asks3 8,tell me1 what are these dances and how are they done80 ,to which ,arbeau replies that they danced1 in his father's days1 8pavanes1 basse-dances1 branles and courantes1 which have been in use some forty or fifty years40 ,capriol asks3 8,how did our fathers dance the basse-dance80 ,arbeau replied that they had two sorts1 the one common and regular1 the other irregular1 the former being danced to 8chansons rgulieres10 and the latter to 8chansons irrgulieres10 and proceeds to explain that1 for the former songs1 there were sixteen bars which were repeated1 making thirty-two to commence with2 then a middle part of sixteen bars2 and a close of sixteen1 repeated2 making eighty bars in all4 ,if the air of the song was longer than this1 the basse-dance played on it was termed 8irregular40 ,he then explains that the basse-dance proper was in three parts1 the term being really only applied to the first2 the second being called 8retour de la basse-dance10 and the third and last being termed 8tordion40 ,then comes the following3 8,memoire des mouvements pour la basse-dance4 ,r b ss d r d r b ss ddd r d r b ss d r b c40 ,not unnaturally ,capriol1 who is for ever asking quite intelligent questions1 wants a translation of this cryptic-looking array of letters4 ,it is better understood when one hears that 8,r0 stands for reverence1 8b0 for a branle1 8ss0 for deux simples1 8d0 for a double 7or three 8ddd0 for three 8doubles072 the small 8r0 stands for a rprise1 and 8c0 for cong2 all of which are terms understood by dancers of to-day4 ,he gives very careful directions not only for performing the 8reverence10 the 8simple10 the 8double10 the 8rprise10 and the 8cong10 but for performing the various movements of the basse-dance1 the retour1 and the tordion2 as1 for instance1 when he remarks that 8,you begin the dance of the tordion1 which is in triple time1 just like the basse-dance3 but it is 7to give his own words7 plus legiere and concite40 ,he describes the ,pavane as 8easy0 to dance1 and gives details of its performance1 together with the music of that famous and lovely example1 8,belle qui tiens ma vie captive10 the words being given in full1 for four voices and tambour accompaniment4 ,the ,gaillarde1 he says1 is so-called 8parce qu'il fault estre gaillard and dispos pour la dancer10 and with much detail as to its performance explains that while danced somewhat like the tordion the latter is done 8plus doulcement and avec actions and gestes moings violents40 ,he gives nearly a dozen musical examples for the gaillarde1 one called 8,la traditors my fa morire02 another 8,anthoinette02 another1 with the charming title 8,baisons nous belle02 another1 8,si j'ayme ou non40 ,capriol1 by the way1 remarks apropos after the second-named1 that 8,at ,orleans when we give ,aubades we always play on our lutes and guiternes a gaillarde called #8,la ,romanesque1'0 but that it seemed so hackneyed and trivial that he and his companions took to 8,anthoinette0 as being livelier and having a better rhythm4 ,the ,gaillarde was in triple time1 and was made up of five steps 7or four steps and a leap7 and one 8position02 the term cinq pas also being alternatively applied to it1 hence the ,shakespearean 8cinque-pace0 and 8sink-a-pace40 ,the ,volte1 from which is derived the modern valse1 was described by ,arbeau as 8a species of gaillarde familiar to the ,provenals10 danced1 like the tordion1 in triple time1 and consisting of two steps and a leap4 ,the ,volte1 or ,volta1 as it was as often called1 was popular in ,england1 as was the ,gaillarde1 and references to it are found in ,shakespeare 7,troilus and ,cressida7 and in the one really great work on the ,dance in ,english literature1 namely1 ,sir ,john ,davies' richly imaginative and finely musical poem1 ,orchestra1 or a ,poeme on ,daunciny1 which was published in #aeif1 only eight years after ,arbeau's ,orchsographie4 ,the ,courante1 ,arbeau describes as very different from the ,volte4 ,it is also 7in contrast to the ,pavanes and ,basse-dances7 a danse saute1 but in twelve time1 with running steps1 requiring from time to time not the quick1 light leaping of a volte1 but the sort of slow soaring for which ,vestris was famous in the eighteenth century and ,volinin and ,bohn can perform so superbly to-day4 ,arbeau says that in his youth the dance was given as a kind of 8ballet10 by three young men and three girls1 with grace and dignity and he bewails its subsequent decadence4 ,the old ,english term was 8current traverse40 ,in ,sir ,john ,davies' ,orchestra one finds the following reference3 8,what shall ,i name those currant travases ,that on a triple dactyl foot do run ,close by the ground in sliding passages80 ,in ,shakespeare's ,henry the ,fifth1 too1 is the following3 8,bourbon3 ,they bid us to the ,english dancing-schools ,and teach lavoltas high and swift corantos20 and ,sir ,toby ,belch1 it will be recalled1 asks3 8,why dost thou go to church in a galliard and come home in a coranto8 ,my very walk should be a jig 444 sink-a-pace40 ,there seems1 however1 considerable ground for question as to what the courante1 or coranto1 really was1 whether a slow or quick dance4 ,arbeau's directions are1 for once1 not quite clear4 ,he speaks of it being a more graceful affair in his younger days2 and he was an old man at the time his ,orchsographie was published4 ,in ,england it certainly seems to have become a fairly lively dance1 of which the main feature was its 8running0 steps4 ,in ,france that characteristic seems to have been the same though the tempo may have been slower4 ,certainly it became slower there1 for the courante under ,louis ,quatorze was considered a dull dance1 disappearing in favour of newer types requiring a more developed and quicker technique4 ,however1 dances alter in character1 like everything else1 in the course of time4 ,the waltz or valse has considerably altered since it was first introduced into ,london drawing-rooms--and considered shocking6--in the first decade of the nineteenth century2 and even to-day there is considerable difference between the valse as danced by ,swiss or ,german peasants1 and as seen in the ,london ball-room4 ,it is probable that the courante of ,arbeau's day was as varied in performance as the tango of our later time4 ,let us return1 however1 to his description of other dances of the period4 ,the ,allemande1 he explains1 8est une dance plaine de mediocre gravit1 familiere aux ,allemds1 et croy qu'elle soit de noz plus anciennes car nous sommes desendus des ,allemandes40 ,but his authority for the latter statement he does not give6 ,it was danced by two or more people1 in twelve time1 and later was a very popular dance with ,louis the ,thirteenth4 ,a lengthy description follows of the ,branle1 which is also sometimes spelt ,bransle1 and from which comes our ,english word ,brawl1 the meaning of which has sadly degenerated from its original significance4 ,saying that1 8since you know how to dance the ,pavane and the ,basse-dance1 it will be easy for you to dance the branles10 he then proceeds to give account of over a score1 including two which seem later to have assumed a right to be considered as separate dances1 namely1 the ,triory de ,bretagne 7or simply1 the ,triory7 and the ,branle de la ,haye1 sometimes called merely the ,haye1 ,hay1 or ,hey1 which was an interlacing chain-dance4 ,among the examples he gives is a ,branle d',escosse1 of which he says3 8,les branles d',escosse estoient en vogue y a environ vingt ans10 and it is much like the customary ,scotch reel4 ,the ,branles des ,lavandires1 he explains1 is so-called because the dancers make a noise by clapping their hands to represent that made by the washerwomen who wash their clothes on the banks of the ,seine4 ,another1 the ,branle du ,chandelier1 was danced with lighted candles4 ,a description of the ,gavotte follows1 and it is interesting to note that this dance which is still seen on the stage sometimes to-day1 was an established favourite as far back as #aehh4 ,then comes an account of the 8,morisque0 dance1 the origin of which ,arbeau places in the ,saturnalia of the ancient world1 not without reason1 one fancies2 and then he gives account of the ,canaries1 which1 he says1 some say takes its name from the ,canary ,isles1 while others derive it 8from a ballet composed for a masquerade in which the dancers were dressed as kings and queens of ,mauretania1 or even as savages therefrom1 with headdress of varied plumage40 ,the last chapter is devoted to the dance of ,bouffons1 a dance with sword and buckler supposedly derived from ancient ,rome and a never-failing source of delight to ,french playgoers and opera-lovers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries4 ,before the 8,dialogue0 actually closes1 young ,capriol politely thanks ,monsieur ,arbeau for the trouble he has taken to teach him dancing1 and ,arbeau responds by promising a second volume 7alas6 never written7 dealing with the ballets of the masquerades 8made0 at ,lengres4 ,he urges him meanwhile to practise 8les dances honnestement10 and so become a worthy comrade of the planets 8qui dancent naturellement03 and he closes his discourse very prettily with the words1 8,je prie ,dieu vous en donne la grace40 ,we have lingered somewhat over this old manual of dancing1 but there are some half-dozen points in the history of ballet that it is of vital importance to emphasise1 and ,arbeau's book is one of them4 ,dancing itself of course had continued to exist through all time4 ,but from the decadence of ,rome until fairly late in the fifteenth century1 ballet had only a precarious sporadic existence2 and the production of ,beaujoyeux's volume of the ,ballet ,comique de la ,royne in #aehb1 and ,arbeau's ,orchsographie in #aehh1 made a turning-point in the history of ballet--the point where a popular amusement was once again taken up by men of intellect and given a new form and a new spirit4 ,beaujoyeux created an interest in ballet1 ,arbeau assisted an advance in the technique of one of the chief elements of the art1 namely1 dancing2 and there can be little doubt that both men were largely instrumental in forwarding that movement towards popular delight in the theatrical masque and ballet which were to become an outstanding feature of the next two centuries1 the seventeenth and the eighteenth4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,scenic ,,effect3 ,,the ,,english ,,masque ,,as ,,ballet ,in considering di ,botta's elaborate feast1 and ,beaujoyeux's 8ballet10 one is struck by their similarity to the ,english 8disguisings0 and masques1 which1 first introduced to the ,court of ,henry the ,eighth in #aeab as a novelty from ,italy1 only began to assume definite literary form about a century later4 ,that century contributed towards the development of scenic effect4 ,in studying ,arbeau's manual of contemporary dance and music1 one is struck by another thing3 he is dealing with a social amusement of the upper classes4 ,the dances he describes were mainly the proper accomplishment of the well born1 or were such of lower origin as might with adaptation become worthy of performance by more courtly dancers4 ,it is certain he does not describe all the types of dance known to his period4 ,the old ,provenal 8,rigaudon0 which was later to come into such favour owing to ,camargo1 is not referred to by ,arbeau2 nor the languorous 8,sarabande10 which was probably of ,moorish origin derived through ,spain--or possibly earlier through ,augustan ,rome2 the lively 8,chaconne0 is another omission2 the 8,tresca0 yet another4 ,these1 and perhaps others1 must have existed in ,arbeau's time and long before2 but would be among the traditional amusements of the people1 and were not yet elected to the company of courtly dances4 ,it is needful to linger over these points here1 for they account for much that we find in the subsequent development of theatrical ballets in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4 ,speaking of ,beaujoyeux's 8,ballet ,comique10 ,castil ,blaze1 the scholarly historian of the ,paris opera1 remarks that it 8became the model on which were composed a number of ballets1 sung and danced1 a kind of piece which held the place of ,opera among the ,french and ,english for about a century40 ,that century was1 roughly1 from about #aejj to #afjj4 ,and he adds3 8,the ,english gave them the name of masque40 ,in the few years after ,henry ,,viii came to be crowned the young monarch spent considerable time and spared no expense in entertaining himself and his ,queen with 8disguisings10 8revels0 and masqued balls4 ,on ,twelfth ,night1 #aeaa1 before the banquet in the ,hall at ,richmond1 so records the contemporary chronicler1 ,edward ,hall1 there 8was a pageant devised like a mountain1 glistering by night as though it had been all of gold and set with stones2 on the top of which mountain was a tree of gold1 the branches and boughs frysed with gold1 spreading on every side over the mountain with roses and pomegranates2 the which mountain was with 7de7 vices brought up towards the ,king1 and out of the same came a lady apparelled in cloth of gold1 and the children of honour1 called the henchmen1 which were freshly disguised and danced a ,morris before the ,king1 and that done re-entered the mountain3 and then was the wassail brought in and so brake up ,christmas40 ,the next year the ,king himself took part in a similar pageant2 and in the next1 i4e4 in #aeac1 so ,hall tells us1 8the ,king with eleven others were disguised after the manner of ,italy1 called a ,mask1 a thing not seen before in ,england4 ,they were apparelled in garments long and broad1 wrought with gold1 with visors and caps of gold2 and after the banquet these masquers came in with six gentlemen disguised in silk1 bearing staff-torches1 and desired the ladies to dance40 ,a little later came the introduction of singing1 and dialogue as well as dancing1 some allegorical story forming the basis of the masque4 ,in ,beaujoyeux's 8ballet0 of #aehb1 we have all this4 ,up to then in ,england the masque made no great advance beyond those of ,henry ,,viii's early years4 ,in ,beaujoyeux's 8ballet10 however1 we have all that had been1 and more4 ,we have dancing1 singing1 dialogue1 elaborate scenic effect1 all in illustration of a mythic and allegorical story2 and achieving a definiteness and grandeur of form hitherto unequalled1 as well as publicity which made it famous throughout ,europe4 ,in some ways it was as much masque as 8ballet10 and as much opera as masque4 ,actually it did stimulate the development of the ,masque in ,england2 and ,opera in ,france4 ,at the ,english ,courts of ,henry ,,viii and ,elizabeth1 the masque developed in the direction of scenic elaboration and splendour 7with music7 that made up for its literary shortcomings1 at least in its earlier period4 ,at the ,french ,courts of ,henry ,,iv and ,louis ,,xiii1 what were known as ,opera-ballets 7later to be separated as opera and ballet7 developed a musical richness 7with scenic effect7 that made up for similar literary shortcomings4 ,yet again came another form in the ,comedie ,ballet of ,molire4 ,with the accession of ,james ,i of ,england came the real efflorescence of the ,english masque1 which under the hands of ,ben ,jonson was to become a fairly balanced harmony of the three arts--the poet's1 the musician's1 and the painter-designer's4 ,it must of course be understood that in both the masque and ballet there was dancing2 but at the period with which we are now dealing1 namely the last decade of the sixteenth and first few decades of the seventeenth centuries1 the technique of that art was--for stage purposes--comparatively so primitive as to make it almost a negligible quantity4 ,there was dancing of course--that of 8henchmen0 and men and boys who performed a ,morris1 or bouffon-dances2 and that of courtier1 ,court-lady1 or even1 it might be1 a ,royal personage1 who would take part in the stately ,pavane or ,almain1 now and then unbending sufficiently to dance a ,trenchmore 7once ,queen ,elizabeth's favourite7 or ,canary4 ,but it was all either an intrusion1 alien to the general purport of the production1 or else vastly overshadowed by the chief design1 which was to present1 with the aid of 8disguisings0 and elaborate 8machines10 a sort of living picture or series of living pictures1 expressing some mythological1 allegorical episodes or complimentary idea4 ,the chief aim was splendid pageantry2 something mainly to please the eye2 and secondarily to charm the ear2 without making too great claims upon the intellect4 ,among the leading ,english masque writers during the period we are considering were ,george ,gascoigne1 ,campion1 ,samuel ,daniel1 ,dekker1 ,chapman1 ,william ,browne1 ,beaumont and ,fletcher and ,jonson4 ,in ,france1 at the ,court of ,henri ,quatre1 and under the direction of his famous minister1 the great and grave ,sully--who himself took part in them--some eighty ballets were given between #aehi and #afaj1 apart from state balls and bals masqus4 ,in ,england among the more notable masques produced during about the same period were the following3-- #aehe4 ,the ,masque of 8,lovely ,london10 performed before the ,lord ,mayor4 #aehi4 ,a ,masque planned by order of ,queen ,elizabeth in honour of the wedding of ,king ,james ,,vi of ,scotland and ,anne of ,denmark4 #aeid4 ,a ,masque before ,queen ,elizabeth at ,whitehall4 #afjd4 ,a ,masque by ,samuel ,daniel1 8,the ,twelve ,goddesses10 arranged by ,queen ,anne1 ,consort of ,james ,i1 in honour of the ,spanish ,ambassador1 at ,hampton ,court4 #afje4 8,the ,masque of ,blackness10 by ,ben ,jonson 7his first real masque7 given on ,twelfth ,night at ,whitehall4 #afjf4 ,ben ,jonson's 8,masque of ,hymen10 for the marriage of ,robert ,devereux1 third ,earl of ,essex1 with the ,earl of ,suffolk's younger daughter1 ,frances ,howard4 #afjh4 ,ben ,jonson's 8,masque of ,beauty0--a sequel to the 8,masque of ,blackness0 at the request of the ,queen ,consort1 who1 with the ,ladies of the ,court1 took part in the performance4 ,this was followed in the same year by his 8,hue and ,cry after ,cupid10 given at ,court on ,shrove ,tuesday1 in celebration of ,lord ,viscount ,haddington's marriage4 #afji4 ,ben ,jonson's 8,masque of ,queens0 at ,whitehall on ,twelfth ,night4 ,all these were elaborate productions2 those of ,jonson being indeed beautiful4 ,their literary value has long been realised1 and one sees in them some of his finest work4 ,the introductory descriptions and the stage-directions are singularly minute and careful1 and1 in their way1 are quite as well worth study as the beauties of his strong and noble verse4 ,he writes of scenes and costumes as if he loved them3 as when1 in 8,the ,masque of ,blackness10 he describes the ,moon1 8triumphant in a silver throne4444 ,her garments white and silver1 the dressing of her head antique1 and crowned with a luminary or sphere of light2 which1 striking on the clouds1 and brightened with silver1 reflected1 as natural clouds do1 the splendour of the moon4 ,the heaven about her was vaulted with blue silk1 and set with stars of silver1 which had in them their several lights burning40 ,and again3 8,the attire of the masquers was alike in all1 without difference3 the colours azure and silver2 but returned on the top with a scroll and antique dressings of feathers1 and jewels interlaced with ropes of pearl4 ,and for the front1 ear1 neck1 and wrists the ornament was of the most choice and ,orient pearl3 best setting off from the ,black40 ,for the scenery and mechanical effects or 8machines0 as they were called--there was ,inigo ,jones1 the travelled artist-architect who had seen many a masking in ,italy2 for the music there was ,alfonso ,ferrabosco1 son of the ,italian composer1 appointed music-master at the ,court of ,james ,i2 and for ,matre de danse1 there were ,thomas ,giles and ,hieronimus ,herne4 ,it was a noble company who took part in the performances4 ,in 8,the ,masque of ,blackness10 though there were only three speaking parts1 ,oceanus1 ,niger and thiopia--the impersonators of which are not recorded--there was no less a personage than ,queen ,anne herself1 ,consort of ,king ,james1 who appeared as ,euphoris1 supported by the ,countess of ,bedford 7,aglaia71 ,lady ,herbert 7,diaphane71 the ,countess of ,derby 7,eucampse71 ,lady ,rich 7,ocyte71 ,countess of ,suffolk 7,kathare7 and other fair ladies of title4 ,the 8,masque of ,beauty10 a superb spectacle given at the ,court some three years later by express command of ,her ,majesty1 had for speaking parts only three1 namely those of ,boreas--8in a robe of russet and white mixed1 full and bagged2 his hair and beard rough and horrid2 his wings grey1 and full of snow and icicles2 his mantle borne from him with wires and in several puffs02 ,januarius--8in a throne of silver2 his robe of ash colour1 long1 fringed with silver2 a white mantle2 his wings white and his buskins02 and ,vulturnus--8in a blue coloured robe and mantle1 puft as the former1 but somewhat sweeter2 his face black1 and on his head a red sun1 showing he came from the ,east40 ,following the entrance of ,vulturnus1 bringing--in reference to the former 8,masque of ,blackness0--the good news of his discovery of a lost isle whereon the black but lovely daughters of ,niger had been languishing in obscurity1 there came a fine pageant4 8,here10 as ,jonson's stage directions describe it1 8a curtain was drawn in which the night was painted1 and the scene was discovered which 7because the former was marine1 and these1 yet of necessity1 to come from the sea7 ,i devised should be an island floating on a calm water4 ,in the midst thereof was a ,seat of ,state1 called the ,throne of ,beauty1 erected2 divided into eight squares1 and distinguished by so many ,ionic pilasters4 ,in these squares1 the sixteen masquers were placed by couples2 behind them in the centre of the throne was a tralucent pillar1 shining with several coloured lights1 that reflected on their backs4 ,from the top of which pillar went several arches to the pilasters1 in front1 little ,cupids in flying posture1 waving of wreaths and lights1 bore up the cornice2 over which were eight figures1 representing the elements of ,beauty1 which advanced upon the ,ionic1 and1 being females1 had the ,corinthian order40 ,they were3 ,splendour1 ,serenitas1 ,germinatio1 ,ltitia1 ,temperies1 ,venustas1 ,dignitas1 and ,perfectio4 ,minute description is given of their garments1 but is too lengthy for inclusion here4 ,the stage directions then proceed3 8,on the top of all the throne 7as being made out of all these7 stood ,,harmonia1 a personage whose dressing had something of all the others1 and had her robe painted full of figures4 ,her head was compassed with a crown of gold1 having in it seven jewels equally set4 ,in her hand a lyra1 whereon she rested4 8,this was the ornament of the throne4 ,the ascent to which1 consisting of six steps1 was covered with a multitude of ,cupids 7chosen out of the best and most ingenious youth in the kingdom1 noble and others7 that were torch-bearers2 and all armed with bows1 quivers1 wings1 and other ensigns of love4 ,on the sides of the throne were curious and elegant arbours appointed2 and behind1 in the back part of the isle1 a grove of grown trees laden with golden fruit1 which other little ,cupids plucked1 and threw at each other1 whilst on the ground1 leverets picked up the bruised apples and left them half eaten4 ,the ground-plat of the whole was a subtle indented maze2 and in the two foremost angles were two fountains that ran continually1 the one ,hebe's and the other ,hedone's2 in the arbours were placed the musicians1 who represented the shades of the old poets1 and were attired in a priest-like habit of crimson and purple1 with laurel garlands4 8,the colours of the masques were varied2 the one half in orange tawny and silver2 the other in sea-green and silver4 ,the bodies of short skirts on white and gold to both4 8,the habit and dressing for the fashion was most curious1 and so exceeding in riches1 as the throne whereon they lay seemed to be a mine of light1 struck from their jewels and their garments4 8,this throne1 as the whole island moved forward on the water1 had a circular motion of its own1 imitating that which we call motum mundi1 from the east to the west1 or the right to the left side4444 ,the steps whereon the ,cupids sat had a motion contrary1 with analogy ad motum planetarum1 from the west to the east2 both which turned with their several lights4 ,and with these three varied motions1 at once1 the whole scene shot itself to the land40 ,after a chorus with echoing refrain1 8,vulturnus the wind spake to the river ,thamesis1 that lay along between the shores1 leaning upon his urn1 that flowed with water1 and crowned with flowers2 with a blue cloth of silver robe about him2 and was personated by ,master ,thomas ,giles1 who made the dances4 8,vul4 ,rise1 ,aged ,thames1 and by the hand ,receive the nymphs1 within the land1 ,and in those curious squares and rounds ,wherewith thou flow'st betwixt the grounds ,of fruitful ,kent and ,essex fair ,that lends the garlands for thy hair2 ,instruct their silver feet to tread1 ,whilst we1 again1 to sea are fled4 8,with which the ,winds departed2 and the river received them into the land1 by couples and fours1 their ,cupids coming before them4 8,these dancing forth a most curious dance1 full of excellent device and change1 ended it in the figure of a diamond1 and so1 standing still1 were by the musicians with a second ,,song1 sung by a loud tenor1 celebrated4 8,so ,beauty on the waters stood1 ,when ,love had severed earth from flood6 ,so when he parted air from fire1 ,he did with concord all inspire6 ,and then a motion he them taught1 ,the elder than himself was thought4 ,which thought was1 yet1 the child of earth1 ,for ,love is elder than his birth4 8,the song ended2 they danced forth their second dance1 more subtle and full of change than the former2 and so exquisitely performed1 as the king's majesty 7incited first by his own liking to that which all others there present wished7 required them both again after some time of dancing with the lords4 ,which time1 to give them respite1 was intermitted with a song4 8,this song was followed by others4 8,after which songs they danced galliards and corantos2 and with those excellent graces1 that the music appointed to celebrate them1 showed it could be silent no longer2 but1 by the first tenor1 admired them thus3 8,,song4 8,had those that dwelt in error foul1 ,and held that women have no soul1 ,but seen these move2 they would have then ,said1 women were the souls of men2 ,so they do move each heart and eye ,with the world's soul1 true harmony4 8,here they danced a third most elegant and curious dance1 and not to be described again by any art but that of their own footing1 which ending in the figure that was to produce the fourth1 ,,january from his state saluted them thus3 8,janu4 ,your ,grace is great1 as is your ,beauty1 dames2 ,enough my feasts have proved your thankful flames ,now use your seat2 that seat which was1 before1 ,though straying1 uncertain1 floating to each shore1 ,and to whose having every clime laid claim1 ,each land and nation urgd as the aim ,of their ambition1 ,beauty's perfect throne1 ,now made peculiar to this place alone2 ,and that by impulsion of your destinies1 ,and his attractive beams that lights these skies2 ,who1 though with ocean compassed1 never wets ,his hair therein1 nor wears a beam that sets4 ,long may his light adorn these happy rites1 ,as ,i renew them2 and your gracious sights ,enjoy that happiness1 even to envy1 as when ,beauty1 at large1 brake forth and conquered men6 8,at which they danced their last dance into their throne again40 ,these quotations1 though necessarily brief1 illustrate the characteristic elements in the construction of the masque--dancing1 music1 song1 spoken verse and elaborate scenic effect4 ,the reference to ,thomas ,giles1 8who made the dances10 to the dances themselves1 8galliards and corantos10 and that charming admission as to 8a third most elegant and curious dance0 not to be described again 8by any art but that of their own footing02 the reference to the arbours in which 8were placed the musicians1 who represented the shades of the old poets1 and were attired in a priest-like habit of crimson and purple1 with laurel garlands02 the song of the 8first tenor0--8,had those that dwelt 4440 and ,january's speech apostrophising women's beauty2 above all the loving descriptions of the scenery and mechanical effects1 must all be of uncommon interest to those who know anything of the history of the ,french ballet1 because it is so closely paralleled in the descriptions given some seventy years later by the ,abb ,menestrier of the entertainments at the ,court of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,the ,english 8masques0 of the early seventeenth were1 in effect1 the ,french 8ballets0 of the early eighteenth century4 ,to return1 however1 to the ,english ,court of ,james ,i4 ,the ,queen and ,ladies of her ,court once again took part in the entertainment of ,his ,majesty as representatives of the various types of ,beauty introduced in the course of the masque1 and yet again were they found in the noble 8,masque of ,queens10 celebrated from the ,house of ,fame1 by the ,queen of ,great ,britain with her ,ladies1 at ,whitehall1 ,february #bnd1 #afji1 which was dedicated to the young ,prince ,henry1 as to the origin of which ,ben gives the following interesting note3 8,it increasing10 he says1 8to the third time of my being used in these services to ,her ,majesty's personal presentations1 with the ladies whom she pleaseth to honour2 it was my first and special regard1 to see to the dignity of their persons4 ,for which reason ,i chose the argument to be ,a celebration of honourable and true ,fame bred out of ,virtue40 ,all of which in a sense foreshadowed the various symbolic ballets later at the ,court of ,france1 such as ,la ,verit1 ennemie des apparences1 which we shall come to consider in due course4 ,the thing to realise now is that these masques of ,ben ,jonson and of other men of his period were the finest flowering of a form of entertainment which had been struggling for definite shape throughout the previous century1 indeed from the days of di ,botta's fte in #adhi1 and had received its most recent and most effective stimulus from ,france in the production of ,beaujoyeux's wondrous symbolic and mythologic 8ballet0 some twenty odd years before ,ben ,jonson's first 8masque0 was produced4 ,the ,english masque--partly dramatic 8interlude0 with song1 music and dance introduced1 was in effect a ballet1 and was a direct influence in the formation of the 8opera-ballets0 which were subsequently to be the delight of the ,french ,court for a century or more4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,ballet ,,on ,,the ,,move ,if the masque was a kind of ballet that did not move from its appointed place within sight of the ,royal and ,courtly audience1 by whom it was commanded as a spectacle for private entertainment1 there was a 8ballet0 which did1 and became1 like the 8carrousels0 and 8triumphs10 a very public spectacle1 namely the ballet-ambulatoire1 or peripatetic 8ballet10 said to have originated among the ,portuguese1 and much encouraged by the ,church4 ,the ,beatification of ,ignatius ,loyola in #afji is an instance of peripatetic 8ballet0 famous in the history of the dance4 ,interesting account of it is given by the invaluable ,menestrier1 who writes3 8,as the ,jesuits had a war-like character1 they chose the ,siege of ,troy for the subject of their ballet4 ,the first act took place before the church of ,notre ,dame de ,lorette4 ,it was there they stood the wooden horse4 ,full of ,jesuits1 the machine began to move1 while numerous dancers acted the most remarkable feats of arms of ,achilles1 ,ajax1 ,hector and neas4 ,the monstrous horse and its retinue advanced1 preceded by a brilliant orchestra4 ,they arrived at the ,place ,st4 ,roch1 where the ,jesuits had their church4 ,the city of ,troy1 or at least a part of its towers and ramparts1 constructed of wood1 occupied a third of this place4 ,a piece of wall was broken down1 to give entrance to the horse1 the ,greeks descended from the machine and the ,trojans attacked them with guns4 ,the enemy defended with the same arms1 and the two sides fought--while dancing6 ,eighteen great staves filled with fireworks caused the burning and the ruin of ,troy60 ,one might be puzzled to know how the author of such a drama would introduce ,saint ,ignatius ,loyola on the scene4 ,the maker of the 8book10 however1 had no qualms1 and1 leaving the ,greeks and ,trojans buried beneath the ruins of ,ilium1 on the following day1 he led the spectators to the seashore4 8,four brigantines10 the chronicler proceeds1 8richly decorated and fenced1 painted and gilded1 covered with dancers and #8choirs of music1' present themselves at the ,port4 ,they bring four ambassadors1 who1 in the name of the four quarters of the globe1 come to swear homage and fidelity1 to offer presents to the newly beatified1 to thank him for his benefits and to beg his protection for the future4 ,all the artillery of the ,forts and of the vessels salute the brigantines on their entrance4 ,the ambassadors then mount the cars in waiting and advance towards the ,college of the reverend fathers1 with an escort of three hundred ,jesuits on horseback1 dressed as ,greeks6 ,four troops of inhabitants of the four quarters of the world1 dressed in national costumes1 dance round the cars4 ,the realms1 the provinces1 represented by their genii loci1 march before their ambassador4 ,the troop from ,america is the first1 and among the dancers are many children disguised as monkeys and parrots1 and twelve dwarfs1 mounted on little nags4 ,the car of ,asia is drawn by two elephants4 ,six superb horses form the team of the others40 ,the diversity1 the richness of the costumes was not the least ornament of this singular ballet1 for it is said that several of the actors had on their garments precious stones of great value4 ,it is the ,portuguese who claim to have invented the true ambulatory ballets1 which--designed in imitation of the ,thyrennian 8pomp0 described by ,appius ,alexander--were danced in the streets of a town proceeding from place to place1 with movable stages and properties4 ,the performances were given on saints' days and with the greatest solemnity4 ,in the year #afaj ,pope ,paul ,v4 canonised ,cardinal ,st4 ,charles ,borrome1 who1 under the pontificate of ,pius ,,iv41 his uncle1 was patron of the kingdom of ,portugal1 and that grateful nation wished to honour him publicly4 ,in order that it should be done with the greater solemnity1 they put his image on board a ship1 as if he were coming back once more to assume the protection of the kingdom of ,portugal4 8,a richly decorated vessel with flying sails of divers colours and silk cordage of magnificent hues1 carried the image of the saint under a canopy of gold brocade4 ,on its appearance in the roads all the vessels in port1 superbly arrayed1 advanced to meet it1 and rendering military honours1 brought it back with great pomp1 and a salute from the guns of ,lisbon and all the vessels in ,port4 ,the reliquaries of the patron ,saints of ,portugal1 carried by the nobles of state and followed by the religious1 civil and military bodies1 received the new ,saint on disembarcation40 ,as soon as the image was landed1 it was received by all the monks and the whole of the ecclesiastical body1 who went to meet it in procession with four large chariots containing different tableaux4 ,the first car represented ,fame1 the second the town of ,milan1 the third ,portugal1 and the fourth the ,church4 ,besides the chariots1 each company of monks and each ,brotherhood carried its own particular ,saint on rich litters1 called by the ,portuguese 8andarillas40 ,the image of ,st4 ,charles was ornamented with precious stones to the value of twenty-six to twenty-seven thousand crowns2 several others to the value of sixty1 seventy and eighty thousand crowns1 and the jewels that were displayed at this fte were estimated at more than four millions4 ,between each chariot were troops of dancers1 who represented1 in dancing1 the more notable of the acts of the ,saints4 ,octavio ,accoromboni1 ,bishop of ,fossombrone1 who obtained these honours for ,st4 ,charles1 was at this time in the town of ,lisbon1 where he had gone to collect certain monies that ,portugal was giving to the ,pope4 ,he has left us a description of this fte1 in which he remarks that 8the ,italians and more especially the ,romans1 should not be surprised to read that dances and ballets formed a part of so sacred a ceremony1 because in ,portugal processions and ftes would not seem elevated nor serious enough unless accompanied by these manifestations of joy40 ,in order to prepare for these ftes1 dances1 ballets and processions1 the ,lisbon folk had decorated1 several days beforehand1 big masts erected at the doors of the churches where the service was to be held1 and at different places on the roads where the processions and performances would pass4 8,these masts were of pine1 gilded and decked with crowns1 streamers and banners of different colours1 similar to the masts put up in ,france at the doors of the magistrates' houses on the first of ,may in several towns of the kingdom1 a custom which has given to these masts the name of #8,maypole4' ,the ,spaniards call them #8,mayos1' or #8,arboles de ,enamorados' 7,lovers' trees7 because young men plant them on the first of ,may at the door of their mistresses' houses40 ,the procession passed through triumphant arches1 and the streets were hung with tapestries and strewn with flowers4 ,three masts were planted at the places of the actual performance1 one at the spot at the port where the procession was to start after the landing of the image of ,st4 ,charles1 another in the middle of the route1 and the third at the door of the church where the procession was to end1 and where the image of the saint was to be placed4 ,these masts marked the places for the performances1 for it was there the procession stopped1 and the dancers made their chief entrances in the 8ballet40 ,needless to say immense sums were spent on the fte4 ,these are but two instances of the ballet-ambulatoire4 ,more might be given1 but these will suffice to afford some idea of a type of spectacle which the older historians speak of as a 8ballet10 but which is of special interest to us by reason of the contrast it forms to the masque1 which was the reverse of 8ambulatory10 and from the fact that though in direct contrast on another score1 namely1 that it was not a private but a public spectacle1 it was under the 8immediate patronage0 of the ,church6 ,neither the masque nor the ballet-ambulatoire1 was yet a theatrical entertainment2 but it is curious1 is it not1 to note that they had a certain kinship with theatrical tradition1 for these magnificent peripatetic 8ballets0 of the ecclesiastics had had a primitive forerunner in the performance of ,thespis with his travelling car in ,grecian towns and villages some six centuries before the ,christian era6 ,even as1 later1 we in fourteenth-century ,england had our ,mystery and ,miracle plays travelling from 8station0 to 8station0 in similar fashion1 and our 8mummers0 or mimers2 while1 on the other hand1 the masque itself1 as a private entertainment of the ,english ,court1 with its stage1 and 8machines10 scenery1 dancing1 music and song1 not to mention its ,royal and ,courtly audience1 was forerunner of similar entertainments which a century later were to become the features of the ,courts of ,louis ,,xiv and ,,xv1 and from that to develop under ,royal ,patronage into the ,ballet of the ,theatre4 ,,chapter ,x ,,court ,,ballets ,,abroad3 #afji-afej ,while the ,english ,court was enjoying its masques1 during the reigns of ,henry ,,viii1 ,elizabeth and ,james1 and the ,french were labouring forth their heroic ballets under ,henri ,quatre--more than eighty having been given from #aehi to #afaj1 without counting insignificant balls and masquerades--,italy was similarly keeping up in the movement which her example had originally inspired4 ,it was the custom there to celebrate the birthday of the ,princess by an annual public fte4 ,as one old historian records1 the more usual spectacles of these celebrations were in the form of 8,carrousels1 ,tournois1 des ,comedies1 des ,actions en ,musique1 des ,festins1 des ,feux d',artifice1 des ,mascarades quand ces ,ftes se trouvent au temps du ,carnaval1 des ,presens1 des ,illuminations1 des ,chasses1 des ,courses sur la ,neige et sur la ,glace suivant la saison1 des ,promenades et des ,jeux sur les ,eaux40 ,the ,court of ,savoy was particularly devoted to such entertainments4 ,in #afji there was a ballet d'armes1 entitled1 8,il ,sol nascente nell' oscurit dell ,tile10 danced by the 8,serene0 ,princes of ,savoy1 the occasion being the anniversary of the birth of their ,royal father1 the ,duke ,charles ,emannuel4 ,again1 in #afaa1 the ,prince of ,piedmont gave a fte in honour to his father's birthday1 representing 8,the ,taking of the ,isle of ,cyprus40 ,illustration3 ,stage ,effect in the #agth ,century 7,from a coloured engraving of a scene from 8,circe10 #afid74 ,in the year #afae was produced a mounted ballet at this same ,court 7,savoy7 for the arrival of the ,prince d',urbin4 ,this was an attack and a combat to music against three hundred men on foot1 who formed different companies of various shapes1 lunated1 oval1 square and triangular4 ,they had drilled their horses so well that they were never out of step with the rhythm of the music4 ,there were numerous cars drawn by lions1 stags1 elephants1 rhinoceroses1 etc41 and as they represented the triumph of ,love over ,war1 the ,four ,quarters of the ,world followed the cars of the victors mounted in as many chariots4 ,the ,car of ,europe was drawn by horses1 that of ,africa by elephants1 that of ,asia by camels1 that of ,america by 8unicorns06 ,the cars of this festival had engraved work on them by ,callot4 ,in #afah1 8,the ,elements10 a grand ballet and tourney was represented by the ,duke of ,savoy and his son1 the ,prince of ,piedmont1 on the former's birthday4 8,the ,temples of ,peace and ,war on ,mount ,parnassus10 a ballet and tourney 8avec un ,festin la ,chinoise10 formed the entertainment of the following year4 8,the ,judgment of ,flora on the ,dispute of the ,nymphs over the ,crown of ,flowers presented to ,mme4 ,royale on her ,birthday10 is the long and stately title of a fte given at ,turin in #afbj4 8,the ,tribute of the ,divinities of the ,sky1 ,air1 ,sea and ,infernal regions10 was a grand ballet and tourney of #afba4 8,the ,ballet of the ,seven ,kings of ,china0 was another4 8,the ,joy of ,heaven and ,earth10 a fte in honour of the ,duke's birthday in #afbd1 was followed by 8,bacchus triomphant des ,indes1 avec une ,action en ,musique et une ,chasse ,pastorale10 in the same year4 ,this was a fte in honour of the ,duke ,charles ,emmanuel's birthday1 and was performed by the pages of the ,prince ,cardinal ,maurice of ,savoy1 at ,rome on ,january #bbnd1 #afbd4 8,mount ,parnassus and the ,muses10 8,the ,quarrel of the ,defenders and the ,enemies of the ,muses10 took place in ,february1 #afbd4 8,cadmus1 victorieux du ,serpent10 and 8,prometheus0 were notable ballets in #afbg4 ,one of the most remarkable1 and1 according to contemporaries1 beautiful mounted ballets ever composed was that of 8olus1 ,king of the ,winds10 which ,alfonso ,ruggieri ,sansoverino presented at the wedding of the ,prince of ,tuscany in the year #afbh in the ,st4 ,croix ,square1 in ,florence4 ,on one of the sides of this square was a large reef with a cave hollowed out of its rock and closed by a great door secured with padlocks4 ,don ,anthony de ,medici1 who took the part of master of the combat1 having reconnoitred the course1 olus1 ,king of the ,winds1 entered1 accompanied by twelve watermen to whom he 8had taught the use of sails and the nature of the winds40 ,twelve ,tritons walked before him blowing their trumpets4 ,eight ,sirens replied on other instruments1 accompanied by ,hoar-frost4 ,eight pages represented the many effects of the ,winds1 causing cold1 hot1 damp1 dry1 clear1 dull1 serene or cloudy weather4 ,the two sponsors walked behind their pages4 ,the chariot of the ,ocean followed1 drawn by two big whales4 ,it represented a rock covered with seaweed1 coral and different kinds of shells4 ,nymphs of the sea1 rivers and springs were seated on this rock1 and gave a musical concert with wind instruments presided over by ,dolopea1 wife of olus4 olus1 having passed in his chariot and arrived in front of the ,prince's box1 saluted the bride1 and after offering her his kingdom and all his troops1 took a lance in his hand2 then1 suddenly departing1 went and thrust against the door of the ,cave of the ,winds4 ,the padlocks broke1 and the door being opened1 thirty-two mounted men and a hundred and twenty-eight on foot were set at liberty4 ,the men1 rushing like the winds they represented1 ran to the other side of the square4 ,here olus stopped them and gave them orders to arrange themselves into a triangular figure4 ,he led them in this order to salute the ,princess for whom the fte was arranged4 ,after having taken their places1 they began to manuvre their horses in a ring on the right2 they went in single file to make a chain1 and sixteen of them having broken it1 they formed a smaller one1 from which eight more detached themselves1 making a still smaller one4 ,the first horsemen1 curveting1 manuvred their horses to perform voltes and half-voltes1 joining again without a halt1 and1 forming twos1 fours and eights1 8they mingled capers at the galop1 with caracolling in figures1 performing a marvellous labyrinth with their intertwinings and evolutions40 ,in the year #afbh1 the students of the ,college at ,rheims danced a ballet in joyful commemoration of the taking of ,la ,rochelle1 the design of which1 after ancient ,roman models1 was 8,the ,conquest of the ,car of ,glory by the great ,theander40 ,unlike modern musical comedy1 or 8revue10 there purported to be a plot4 ,the ,giants of the ,black ,tower1 trusting in the might of their magic1 published a challenge 8full of empty pride10 by which they summoned all ,knights-errant to the conquest of the ,car of ,glory4 ,lindamor1 wishing to chastise the insolence of these fiends1 arranges with three of his friends to go and fight them4 ,the ,black ,tower is full of sorceries1 and there was no means of opening it1 except by the sounding of an enchanted horn which the ,giants had fastened to the ,gate4 ,lindamor sounds it2 the ,giants issue forth upon him and his comrades1 and the contest being unequal1 ,lindamor is compelled to withdraw and to leave his comrades in the hands of the ,giants1 who load them with chains1 and fasten them to the ,castle ,gate to serve as a trophy to their vanity4 ,some country shepherds who had seen the adventure of ,lindamor and the ,giants1 persuade ,caspis to take a part in favour of these unhappy knights4 ,this shepherd1 who was above the power of all magic1 presents himself before the captives1 and first of all breaks their chains and sets them at liberty4 ,lindamor1 well pleased at the courtesy of ,caspis1 discusses with him the means of avenging himself on the ,giants of the ,black ,tower4 ,he learns from this shepherd that the sword of ,cloridan is necessary for this enterprise1 and that1 in order to get it1 it is necessary to put to sleep the ,dragon to whom the ,giants have given the charge of it4 ,the shepherd offers1 himself1 to do this and succeeds4 ,but to get the sword of ,cloridan something more was wanted than to put the ,dragon to sleep4 ,the shepherd evokes the shade of ,cloridan to find out from him what must be done to make use of this sword successfully4 ,the shade when called forth1 informs him that ,theander alone is capable of using it4 ,the rumour of this oracular response having got abroad1 ,vulcan with his ,cyclops prepares arms for ,theander1 who being preceded by ,renown and followed by ,lindamor1 reaches the place where the sword of ,cloridan is guarded1 seizes the sword1 after having chained the ,dragon1 presents himself with it at the gate of the ,black ,tower1 causes the gate to open at the sound of the horn1 defeats the ,giants1 draws from the ,tower the ,car of ,glory1 harnesses the ,giants to it and triumphs finally over the arms and the enchantments of his enemies4 ,the story1 which smacks of some medival romance of ,chivalry1 was really allegorical of the capture of ,la ,rochelle4 ,the late king was ,theander2 the shepherd ,caspis was the ,cardinal ,richelieu1 his prime minister2 ,lindamor1 the ,king1 ,henry ,,iii1 who1 being as yet only ,duc d',anjou1 had attempted this siege in vain4 ,the sword of ,cloridan was that of ,clovis2 the ,black ,tower was ,la ,rochelle2 and the magic charms were ,heresy and ,rebellion4 ,again1 in the year #afbh1 a ballet of 8,the ,court of the ,sun10 by an ,abb ,scotto1 was danced at the ,court of ,savoy4 ,night played the overture1 and at her command spirits and goblins made a 8pleasing0 entrance1 coming on from different directions4 ,night1 however1 warning them to be careful that ,day did not surprise them1 they retired into their caves1 when the ,morning ,star introduced visions of the ,morning1 bright ,dreams issuing from the ivory gate4 ,the ,star of ,venus rose from the sea to announce the arrival of the loveliest ,aurora ever seen1 and ordered the ,zephyrs to rise and to strew flowers1 the ,dew to sprinkle perfumed water and the sweetest and most healthful influences4 ,aurora followed them1 and having descended from ,heaven1 suddenly caused the ,palace of the ,sun 7in ,ionic architecture7 to appear2 the seven ,planets and the twelve ,hours were seen in niches1 from which they emerged to dance2 the ,muses in other niches performed concerted movements1 ,time1 the ,year1 the ,seasons1 the ,months and the ,weeks providing the music in the boxes of this palace4 ,from the last examples1 it is seen that philosophic1 poetical and classic allegories were often used as the basis of ballets4 ,the philosophic were 8those in which causes and effects1 peculiar qualities and the origin of things1 were expressed in a suitable story by the devices of the ballet40 ,several ballets of this kind were seen at the theatre of the ,college of ,clermont1 principally1 those of 8,curiosity10 8,dreams10 8,comets10 8,illusion10 8,the ,empire of the ,sun10 8,fashion40 ,in that of 8,curiosity0 it was desired to show that the good or bad use made of it contributes to the perfecting or spoiling of the mind4 ,curiosity was represented by four characters1 each forming a part of the ballet4 ,the first of these was ,useless ,curiosity1 which occupies itself only with trifles2 the second1 ,dangerous ,curiosity1 which seeks forbidden and harmful things1 and it was shown that these are the two kinds of curiosity to be avoided6 ,among ,useless ,curiosities1 was seen ,idleness1 with a troop of loiterers who ran about hunting for gossip and false rumours1 merely to pass the time and 8to find out what was going on in the world02 others who consulted almanacks to discover what the weather would be2 and also sleepers1 who1 awakening1 entertained each other with their dreams1 from which they foretold what was about to happen6 ,mistakes1 ,new ,opinions1 ,alchemy1 ,sorcery1 ,magic and ,superstition were some of the 8characters0 in the scene showing ,dangerous ,curiosity4 ,the third and fourth parts showed ,useful and ,necessary ,curiosity1 respectively4 ,useful ,curiosity was represented by travellers whose desire to learn all about the manners and customs of different nations drove them into foreign countries2 also 8by physicians who work to gain experience40 ,in ,necessary ,curiosity was introduced the art of navigation1 instanced by sailors1 who1 under the guidance of ,tiphys1 helmsman of the ,argo1 set out 8to discover new worlds02 another example of 8necessary curiosity0 being the fire brought from ,heaven by ,prometheus for people eager to discover its use4 ,the poetical allegories were not less ingenious than the philosophic1 although 8they did not pretend10 as one old chronicler informs us1 8to so much precision40 ,in the same year at the ,savoy ,court1 8,alce10 a ballet of fishermen1 with intermezzi and some superb presents brought to ,mme4 ,royale for her birthday by the ,prince of ,piedmont and his ,cavaliers1 was a grand water entertainment in which appeared1 to quote an old historian1 8,le ,vaisseau de la ,felicit accompagn de toutes les ,deitez 7sic7 avec les ,concerts de ,musique1 des quatres ,elemens avec leur machines2 de la ,representation en ,music 7sic71 d',arion1 du ,temps avec les annes heureuses1 des quatres parties du monde avec des ,entres de ,ballets1 des quatres ,saisons avec le tribut de toutes leurs douceurs pour le ,festin40 ,this was given by the ,duke in honour of ,mme4 ,royale on her birthday1 and it was declared that a fte 8plus complette1 plus magnifique et plus agrable0 had never been seen4 8,eternity0 was the title of a ballet given in #afbi2 8,le ,temps ,eternel0 following next year2 8,la ,felicit ,publique0 the next2 and in #afcb1 8,la ,chasse ,theatrale1 represente en ,ballet10 by the ,cardinal of ,savoy at his country mansion was given in honour of his brother1 the ,duke's birthday4 ,among the 8moral0 ballets1 there is hardly one more pleasing than that composed to commemorate the birthday of the ,cardinal of ,savoy in #afcd4 ,the subject of this ballet was 8,truth1 the ,enemy of ,appearance1 as proved by ,time0--,la ,verita ,nemica della ,apparenza sollevata dal ,tempo4 ,this ballet opened with a chorus of ,false ,rumours and ,suspicions1 followed by ,appearance and ,lies6 ,they were curiously represented by characters dressed as cocks and hens1 who sang a dialogue half in ,italian and half in ,french1 mingled with the cluckings of cocks and hens4 ,the chorus by the latter ran as follows3 8,su gli albori matutini ,cot1 cot1 cot1 cot1 cot cantando ,col cucurrii s'inchini ,e bisbigli mormorando ,fra i sospetti1 e fra i ,rumori ,cu1 cu1 cu1 cu1 cu1 cu1 cu1 ,salutiam del novo sol gli almi splendori40 ,the cocks replied3 8,faisant la guerre au silence ,cot1 cot1 cot1 avec nos chants1 ,cette douce violence ,ravit les ,cieux et les ,champs4 ,et notre inconstant hospice ,cot1 cot1 cot1 cot1 cot1 con ,couvre d'apparence un subtil artifice40 ,after this quaint song1 the scene opened1 and a large ,cloud was seen1 accompanied by the ,winds4 8,appearance0 also made her entrance at this moment4 ,she had wings and a long peacock's tail and her dress was hung with a number of mirrors4 ,she was brooding over some eggs1 from which hatched out--,pernicious ,lies1 ,deceits and ,frauds1 ,white-,lies1 ,flatteries1 ,intrigues1 ,mockeries1 ,ridiculous ,lies and ,idle ,tales6 ,an eternal crew6 ,the ,deceits were dressed in dark colours with serpents concealed among flowers2 the ,frauds1 clothed in hunters' nets1 struck bladders as they danced2 the ,flatteries were dressed as monkeys1 ,intrigues as lobster-catchers with lanterns in their hands and on their heads2 ,ridiculous ,lies were represented by beggars who pretended to be cripples with wooden legs4 ,time1 having driven away ,appearance with all her ,lies1 opened the nest on which she had been sitting and there appeared a great hour-glass from which ,time ordered ,truth to come forth2 the latter then calling back all the ,hours1 danced with them the finale of the 8grand ballet40 ,surely1 the time is ripe for a revival of such a production6 8,pris0 7#afce71 8,le ,thtre de la ,gloire0 7#afcg7 and 8,la ,bataille des ,vents0 7#afdj7 were notable productions at the ,court of ,savoy2 but one of the most interesting of these seventeenth-century entertainments was that on ,february #aith1 #afdj1 when at the same ,court was given a 8,ballet of ,alchemists0 in which1 under a charming allegory1 they made fun of those seekers of the philosopher's stone who pretend to make gold4 ,hermes ,trismegistus1 dressed as a philosopher1 with the master's ring1 introduces some of the most celebrated chemists of different nations3 ,morieno1 an ,italian2 ,bauzan1 a ,greek2 ,krner1 a ,german2 ,untser1 a ,swede2 ,calid1 a ,turk2 ,sandivoge1 a ,pole2 ,raymond ,lulli and ,hortulaus1 ,spaniards2 ,dolcon and ,beguin1 ,frenchmen2 ,pierre1 a ,lorrainer2 ,rasis1 a ,jew2 and ,geber1 an ,arab4 ,the ,italian and the ,greek brought in a furnace of five storeys and octagonal in shape4 ,the ,german and the ,swede brought in the alembics2 the ,turk and the ,pole came with flowers for distilling1 which they carried in baskets2 the two ,spaniards brought charcoal2 the ,french came with bellows to blow up the fire2 the ,lorrainer carried sieves for sifting2 the ,jew and the ,arab had in front of them leathern aprons with various pockets1 where they carried alum1 vitriol1 sulphur and ingots of metal4 ,for the grand ballet they all worked together around the furnace1 whence they drew a thousand pretty novelties to give to the ladies in the audience--essences1 liqueurs1 glass jewellery1 mirrors1 bracelets1 ,cyprus powder1 paint and other treasures1 very much as presents are given at ,cotillons and big fancy dress balls to-day4 ,yet another delightful production of this period must be chronicled1 namely1 the 8,ballet of ,tobacco10 danced at ,turin1 the last day of ,carnival1 #afej4 ,the scene represented the ,isle of ,tobago1 8from which tobacco took its name1 and gave happiness to the nations to whom the gods had given this plant4 ,first entered four ,high ,priests of that country1 who drew forth snuff from certain golden boxes which they carried1 and threw this powder in the air to appease the ,winds and ,tempests4 ,then with long pipes they smoked around an altar1 making of their smoking tobacco a sort of sacrifice to their favourite ,deities4 ,for the second entry two ,indians were twisting into a rope tobacco leaves4 ,two others were pounding it in mortars to reduce it to powder1 and made the third entrance scene4 ,the fourth was of snuff-takers1 who sneezed and presented the snuff to each other1 taking it in pinches with amusing ceremony2 while the fifth was a band of smokers gathered together in an ,academy or place set apart for smoking1 wherein ,turks1 ,spaniards1 ,poles and other nationalities received the tobacco from the ,indians and proceeded to take it in their different ways40 ,such1 in brief1 were some of the continental ballets of the first half of the seventeenth century1 a period1 it must be admitted1 not lacking in ingenuity1 or resource in means of entertainment4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,turning ,,point3 ,,le ,,roi ,,soleil ,,and ,,his ,,academy ,,of ,,dancing1 #afea-afge ,for some two centuries ,italy had amused herself with ,ballet as a courtly entertainment2 and so1 during one1 had ,england and ,france4 ,now1 in #afea1 it was ,france who was to give the lead to ,europe1 for in ,february of that year ,louis-,quatorze1 then a lad of thirteen1 appeared in a ballet by ,benserade1 entitled 8,cassandra10 and this was the first of many in which he took part until1 at the age of thirty1 he withdrew from the stage and gave his farewell performance in the ballet of 8,flora0 in #affi4 ,strange1 is it not1 to think of a king as a ballet-dancer8 ,yet1 had not our own ,king ,henry ,,viii been among the joyous masquers8 ,but ,louis ,,xiv was to become more than a mere participant in ,ballet--he was to become the virtual founder of modern ,ballet as seen on the stage2 for it was he--universal patron of the arts--who was to found a ,royal ,academy of ,dance and ,music1 to the existence and encouragement of which the modern development of both arts is largely due4 ,all these ballets had been either the principal object or the supplement of superb ftes given at ,versailles or in the other royal palaces4 ,historians have described the ftes which ,fouquet1 the ,comptroller of ,finances1 offered to ,louis ,,xiv4 ,as a sidelight on the ,comptroller's magnificence and extravagance1 the following is of interest4 ,the king left ,fontainebleau one evening in ,september1 #affj1 with his entire ,court1 in order to have supper at the castle of ,vaux-le-,vicomte4 ,the route1 five leagues long1 was illuminated with waxen torches2 and booths1 put up at intervals1 were laden with all kinds of refreshment for the travellers4 ,the castle1 blazing with light1 seemed to ,louis like some palace of faerie4 ,a magnificently furnished suite was set apart for ,his ,majesty1 and the ,court was put up in the minister's house4 ,an immense sideboard1 laden with gold and silver plate1 was a feature of the room in which the king was to have supper1 with a fountain playing in the middle4 ,a splendid banquet was served1 and a band placed in a gallery discoursed sweet music4 ,numerous other tables were set out for the ,court2 and the whole of the king's guard1 even to the famous livery servants1 were entertained most sumptuously during the two days that the fte lasted4 ,after supper the king took a walk by a lake the shores of which were decorated with orange trees1 lemon trees1 and pomegranates1 planted in gilded tubs1 the fruit being available to all who wanted any4 ,thousands of torches diffused a brilliant light4 ,a theatre1 built in the middle of the lake1 offered yet further entertainment with a representation of 8,the ,triumph of ,venus10 a ballet of a new kind1 in which ,tritons and ,nereids1 having swum about in the waves1 afterwards proceeded to sing eulogies of ,king ,louis4 ,all the best musicians of ,paris had been added to the king's orchestra1 and they were hidden behind the scenery of the theatre1 and in the neighbouring thickets4 ,on the following day there was a royal hunt1 with tables served at all the meeting-places4 ,there was fishing in the lake1 from which the net brought in enormous fish2 there was a play1 then a ball1 and finally fireworks2 not to mention the sumptuous and delicate fare2 the exquisite wines and delicious liqueurs which were provided on the same scale of unlimited extravagance4 ,on the first day ,louis1 whilst admiring the gardens and park from his window1 had remarked on its beauty1 but said that the view would be still more lovely if it were not shut in by a wood of tall trees that he pointed out4 ,next morning ,fouquet drew the king to the same window and led the conversation in such a way that ,louis might repeat the remark he had made the evening before4 8,sire1 since that wood has the misfortune to displease you1 it shall fall immediately40 ,then at a given signal the forest disappeared with a crash as if by magic1 and the royal eye could see to the horizon4 ,sawn through during the night and attached to ropes that a hidden army of peasants pulled all at the same time1 the trees fell at the voice of command4 ,all this magnificence and extravagance astonished the courtiers1 but served also to arouse considerable suspicion4 ,the king's brother remarked that the name of the castle should rather be ,vol-le-,roi than ,vaux-le-,vicomte4 ,this fte1 an act of homage1 as imprudent as it was ambitious1 hastened the downfall of its author1 and from that very day his doom was assured4 ,among the many ballets in which ,louis ,,xiv himself took part1 the more notable were 8,le ,triomphe de ,bacchus10 8,le ,temps10 8,les ,plaisirs10 8,l',amour ,malade10 8,alcibiade10 8,la ,raillerie10 8,l',impatience10 8,vincennes10 and 8,les ,amours ,dguiss10 as well as some of the comdie-ballets of ,molire4 ,louis represented only the more exalted characters1 such as ,jupiter1 ,neptune1 ,apollo2 though on occasion1 to display the variety of his talent1 he essayed an experiment in genre bouffonesque4 ,among the entres in the 8,triomphe de ,bacchus10 for instance1 there was one for some filous1 traneurs d'pe1 sortant du palais de ,silne1 chauffs par le vin1 and the ,king playing the rle of one of the 8filous10 sang the following stanza3 8,dans le metier qui nous occupe ,nos sentiments sont assez beaux1 ,car nous prisons plus une jupe ,que nous ne ferions vingt manteaux40 ,the ,duc ,mercour1 the ,marquis de ,montglas1 the ,messieurs ,sanguin and ,lachesnaye1 garbed as attendants on ,bacchus1 addressed the following verses to the ladies of the ,court1 and the author had carefully indicated that they were to be spoken to the 8demoiselles03 8,il n'est pas mal ais d'acqurir nos offices1 ,et pour y parvenir le chemin en est doux2 ,mais vous ne sauriez mieux vous adresser qu' nous1 ,si vous voulez apprendre devenir nourrices40 ,copies of the 8book0 of the ballet are1 ,i believe1 extant2 and the designs for the costumes of the actors are still more curious4 ,the members of ,his ,majesty's ballet1 if they were not expert ballet dancers1 could at least give ample proof of their nobility4 ,louis ,,xiv counted marquises and marchionesses1 dukes and duchesses1 even princes and princesses and queens among his subjects1 that is1 his dancing subjects4 ,it was in #affa that the king founded the ,dancing ,academy4 ,a room in the ,louvre was assigned to this learned society1 which1 however1 preferred to gilded ceilings the smoky walls of an inn having for its sign 8,l',epe de ,bois40 ,it was in this favourite retreat that the members of the new ,academy met together4 ,it was here that the interests of the kingdom of the rigaudon and the minuet were regulated1 where elections were held1 and1 without breaking up the session1 without even leaving their academic chairs1 dinner was served to the members on the table where each had just cast his vote4 ,a tablecloth covered the green cloth2 the bottle followed the inkhorn2 supper replaced the ballot-box2 and the assembly drank long draughts to the health of the new member4 ,the letters patent for the foundation of the ,dancing ,academy read curiously4 ,in the preamble1 for instance1 the king thus expressed himself3 8,although the art of dancing has always been recognised as one of the most honourable1 and the most necessary for the training of the body1 to give it the first and most natural foundations for all kinds of exercises and amongst others to those of arms2 and as it is1 consequently1 one of the most useful to our nobility and others who have the honour of approaching us1 not only in times of war in our armies1 but also in times of peace1 in the performance of our ballets1 nevertheless1 during the disorder of the last wars1 there have been introduced into the said art1 as in all others1 a great number of abuses likely to bring them to irretrievable ruin4 8,many ignorant people have tried to disfigure the dance and to spoil it1 as exhibited in the personal appearance of the majority of people of quality3 so that we see few among those of our ,court and suite who would be able to take part in our ballets1 whatever scheme we drew up to attract them thereto4 ,it being necessary1 therefore1 to provide for this1 and wishing to re-establish the said art in its perfection1 and to increase it as much as possible1 we deemed it opportune to establish in our good town of ,paris a ,royal ,academy of ,dancing1 comprising thirteen of the most experienced men in the said art1 to wit3 ,,mm4 ,galant du ,dsert1 dancing-master to the ,queen2 ,prvt1 dancing-master to the ,king2 ,jean ,renaud1 dancing-master to ,his ,majesty's brother2 ,guillaume ,raynal1 dancing-master to the ,dauphin2 ,nicolas de ,lorges2 ,guillaume ,renaud2 ,jean ,picquet2 ,florent ,galant du ,dsert2 ,jean de ,grigny40 ,these1 let us note1 are the names of the patriarchs of the ,french dance4 ,in #affi the ,abb ,perrin1 who was official introducer of ,ambassadors to ,gaston1 ,duc d',orlans81 having obtained exclusive rights from the king1 went into theatrical management1 taking as his colleagues the ,marquis de ,sourdeac to direct the scenic and mechanical effects1 and ,cambert to supply the music4 ,a certain ,champeron advanced the money1 and on ,march #bhth1 #afga1 8,pomone10 a pastoral in five acts1 words by ,perrin1 music by ,cambert1 dances by ,beauchamps1 was produced at the theatre of the ,rue ,mazarine4 ,the whole thing was poor1 but this did not prevent the house being crowded for eight months1 so that at the end of this time ,perrin drew out thirty thousand francs as his share3 but the various members of the little syndicate disagreed when it came to sharing out4 ,lulli profited by their disputes1 cleared out ,perrin and his partners1 and started again in a disused tennis-court known as the ,bel ,air1 situated in the ,rue de ,vaugirard1 near the ,luxembourg4 ,he had as colleagues ,quinault for the poetic libretti1 and an ,italian named ,vigarani for the mechanical effects1 one of the cleverest stage managers in ,europe at the time4 ,they produced there in #afgb the 8,ftes de ,bacchus et de l',amour40 ,when ,molire died in the following year1 the hall of the ,palais-,royal1 which he had occupied1 was given to ,lulli4 ,louis ,,xiv1 by letters patent1 dated #afgb1 concerning the non-forfeiture of nobility of ladies and nobles who were prepared to figure in the scene at the opera1 authorises his 8faithful and well-beloved ,jean-,baptiste ,lulli to add to the ,royal ,academy of ,music and ,dancing1 instituted by these presents1 a school suitable to educate pupils as much for dancing as for singing and also to train bands of violins and other instruments40 ,the ,sun-,king1 in fact1 exerted his care to such a point that he himself superintended and wrote with his own hand the budget of the corps de ballet at the ,opera4 ,the order is dated ,january #aath1 #agac4 ,the male dancers were twelve in number4 ,their united salaries amounted to #hdjj francs4 ,two of them had #ajjj francs4 ,four1 #hjj francs4 ,four1 #fjj francs4 ,two others1 #djj francs4 ,the ten female dancers earned together #edjj francs4 ,the two principals had #ijj francs4 ,the four seconds had #ejj francs4 ,the four last #djj francs4 ,there were besides3 ,a master of the dancing-room1 at #ejj francs4 ,a composer of ballets1 at #aejj francs4 ,a designer1 at #abjj francs4 ,and a master-tailor1 at #hjj francs4 ,the king busied himself even with the author's royalties1 and it must be confessed that he showed himself more generous proportionately towards the authors than towards the artists4 ,according to a rate fixed by him1 a hundred and twenty francs were paid for a ballet for each of the first ten performances and sixty francs for each following4 ,la ,bruyre1 author of 8,les ,caractres10 has spoken of the virtuosi of the dance who shone in his time1 and in criticising their methods1 he sheds light on the difficulties which had already been surmounted in #afge4 8,would the dancer ,cobus please you1 who1 throwing up his feet in front1 turns once in the air1 before regaining the floor80 ,again1 8,do you ignore the fact that he is no longer young80 says ,la ,bruyre1 when speaking to the susceptible ladies of the ,court4 ,it was ,beauchamps or ,le ,basque1 dancers at the ,opera1 that he meant4 ,the famous ,pcourt is also described under the name of ,bathyle4 8,where will you find1 ,i do not say in the order of knights which you look down upon1 but among the players in a farce1 a young man1 who leaps higher into the air whilst dancing1 or who cuts better capers8 ,as for him1 the crowd is too great1 he refuses more women than he accepts40 ,pcourt1 the adored of the beauties of the time1 was the favoured lover of ,ninon de l',enclos4 ,one day1 the ,marchal de ,choiseul1 his rival1 met1 at the house of their common mistress1 the popular dancer1 who was dressed in what was apparently a uniform4 8,ah10 said he ironically1 8since when have you turned soldier1 ,m4 ,pcourt8 ,and in what corps are you serving80 8,marshal10 was the reply1 8,i command a corps in which you have long served40 ,blondi1 ,beauchamps' nephew2 ,feuillet1 ,desaix1 ,ballon1 ,baudiery-,laval1 and his son ,michel-,jean1 a good dancer and an excellent mechanical contriver2 ,mesdemoiselles ,subligny1 ,prvt1 ,carville1 and ,le ,breton1 were also stars of the period1 of some of whom there will be more to say presently4 ,,book ,,ii3 ,,the ,,second ,,era ,,chapter ,,xii ,,some ,,early ,,stars ,,and ,,ballets ,for some time after the founding of the ,king's ,dancing ,academy the ,french ,opera stage was ungraced by the feminine form1 though women took part in the performance at some of the minor theatres1 such as the famous ,theatres of the ,fair in ,paris4 ,for the entertainment of the more exalted sections of ,society the more exalted ladies themselves performed2 at ,court1 however1 not on the public stage1 where1 as in our own theatre in ,elizabethan times1 youths played the women's rles4 ,such was the case in the production of a ballet by ,lulli and ,desbrosses in #afgb1 8,les ,ftes de l'amour et de ,bacchus10 in which ,m4 le ,duc de ,monmouth1 ,m4 le ,duc de ,villeroy1 ,m4 le ,marquis de ,rassen1 and ,m4 ,legrand1 executed various dances 8supported0 by ,beauchamps1 ,m4 ,andr1 ,favier and ,lapierre1 professional male dancers at the ,opera4 ,of these the leader was ,beauchamps1 director of the ,royal ,academy of ,dancing1 composer of1 and superintendent of1 the ,court ,ballets of ,louis ,,xiv in #affa1 and made matre des ballets to the ,academy in #afga4 ,he danced with the king in the entertainment at ,court1 and though ,la ,bruyre says of him1 8qu'il jetait les jambes en avant1 et faisait un tour en l'air avant que de retomber terre10 showing that even in those days the public loved 8sensation10 he was ordinarily a grave and dignified executant4 ,he was one of the first experimentalists in the direction of inventing a system of ,choreography1 or the writing down of dances in a kind of shorthand1 so that a dance once designed should never be lost1 but could be read and repeated as easily as a piece of music4 ,in this he was only following on the track of old ,arbeau1 but his system was different1 and1 if not ideal1 at least it paved the way to a better4 ,beauchamps died in #agje4 ,pcourt1 who was 8premier danseur et matre des ballets de l',opra10 made his dbut only in #afgb4 ,his style was what is known as 8demi-caractre10 and he is said to have had notable effect on the ladies of his day1 his amazing lightness fairly turning their heads4 ,blondi1 a nephew of ,beauchamps2 ,ballon1 who became matre danser to ,louis ,,xv2 ,baudiery-,laval1 a nephew of ,ballon1 who succeeded his uncle as dancing-master to the ,royal ,family and matre des ballets at ,court2 ,michel-,jean ,baudiery-,laval1 son of the last-named1 who was not only a matre danser1 but is said to have been the first stage manager to have used lycopodium powder1 which used to be the chief means of producing stage lightning2 these were some of the lesser stars of the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries in ,france1 and they were to be followed by ,louis-,pierre ,dupr1 who came to be known as ,le ,grand ,dupr1 and who surpassed all his forerunners by the grace and the dignity of his dancing1 and the noblesse of his poses4 ,he made his dbut in #agbj1 was long the premier danseur at the ,opera1 and did not retire till #aged4 ,to hark back1 however1 to #afgb1 when there were only men to play the women's parts4 ,the reason for the dearth of feminine stars was quite simple4 ,the ,academy was in its infancy4 ,there were no properly qualified professional danseuses1 and the courtly amateurs were too courtly--and too much amateurs--to appear to advantage on the stage4 ,the ,academy came to alter all that4 ,it revived a genuine interest in dancing as an art worthy of serious consideration2 and ,lulli1 that inspired monkey of a dancing-musician1 did the rest2 for it was his opera-ballet1 8,le ,triomphe de ,l',amour10 produced on ,may #afth1 #afha1 which brought the presence of women dancers to the boards4 ,various high ladies of the ,court1 the ,dauphine1 la ,princesse de ,conti1 ,mlle4 de ,nantes1 and others1 formed a useful background1 but the entire feminine personnel of the dancing school numbered only four--,mlle4 ,lafontaine1 ,mlle4 ,le ,peintre1 ,mlle4 ,fernon1 and ,mlle4 ,roland1 the first-named being the leader1 the premire des premires danseuses1 and accorded the title so often granted to successive premires since then1 of ,reine de la ,danse4 ,that admirable historian of ,french opera1 ,castil-,blaze1 has given excellent account of the state of affairs towards the end of the seventeenth century4 8,the lack of good dancers10 he says1 8was doubtless an obstacle in the way of the introduction of grand ballet at the ,royal ,academy4 #8,les ,ftes de ,l',amour et de ,bacchus1' #8,le ,triomphe de ,l',amour1' and all productions of the same kind commonly called at that time ,ballets1 were really nothing less than ,operas treated in such a way as to give a little more freedom for the introduction of dances1 the singing being nevertheless still the main object4 ,pcourt1 who made his dbut in #8,cadmus1' shared the honours of the dance with ,beauchamps1 with ,dolivet1 a capital mime1 and another good dancer named ,l',etang4 ,the company of singers also included some notable personalities1 and though the functions of singer and dancer were usually kept pretty well apart1 one actress1 ,mlle4 ,desmatins1 managed1 in the opera of #8,perseus1' to score a double success as singer and dancer1 a very unusual combination1 as it is seldom indeed that a dancer is good for much as a vocalist4 ,vigarani1 an ,italian theatrical machiniste1 of great talent1 had charge of the theatres of the ,court2 and another ,italian1 ,rivani1 and ,francis ,berein1 fulfilled a similar function with regard to the ,opera40 ,italian ballets1 executed by ,italian dancers1 were among the favourite diversions of the ,french ,court towards the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries1 which accounts for the frequency with which they appear in the paintings of ,watteau1 ,lancret1 and other artists of the period4 ,that of 8,l',impatience0 had been partly translated into the ,french in order that ,louis ,,xiv might take part in it1 and was1 like all the comedy-ballets of the time1 a series of detached scenes quite independent of each other1 merely depicting the various amusing examples of impatience which one usually finds--in other people6 ,the taste1 however1 for the ,italian ballet1 by no means interfered with the development of the native type1 which received not only the support of the nobility1 but increasing support on the professional and technical side1 for authors1 musicians1 and dancers were beginning to realise that ballet was a form of art which had long been too neglected1 and that it was worthy of attention4 8,le ,temps de la ,paix10 represented at ,fontainebleau1 was given by the corps de ballet of the newly founded ,acadmie ,royale1 illustrious dancers and scions of the nobility all taking their share in the production4 ,the women dancers from the theatre1 who mingled with the princesses and ladies of the ,court1 were termed femmes pantomimes1 in order to distinguish them from the titled dilettanti4 ,among the amateurs one finds the name of the ,princesse de ,conti2 ,duchesse de ,bourbon2 such good old names as ,mlle4 de ,blois1 ,d',armagnac1 de ,brienne1 ,d',uzs1 ,d',estres2 on the theatrical side such artists as ,hardouin1 ,thvenard1 and the amazing ,mlle4 de ,maupin--heroine of a hundred wild and questionable adventures--were among the more illustrious of the singers2 while ,ballon1 whom we have already named1 won applause for the energy and vivacity of his dance1 and ,mlle4 ,subligny was equally admired for the grace and dignity of hers4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,pantomime ,,at ,,sceaux3 ,,and ,,mlle4 ,,pr,v,t ,the mention of ,subligny recalls the interesting fact that during the reigns of ,louis ,,xiv and ,louis ,,xv of ,france there was a considerable importation of ,french and ,italian actors1 singers1 dancers1 and musicians into ,england4 ,we all know the complaints in ,the ,spectator and other journals of the period against the craze for ,italian opera4 ,a little earlier than that ,cambert1 who had been ,director of the ,king's ,music to the ,court of ,louis-,quatorze and organist at the ,church of ,st4 ,honor in ,paris1 and who1 after breaking fresh ground in ,french opera1 was also one of the first to experiment with ,ballet1 became attached to the ,court of our own ,charles ,,ii in #afgg4 ,he died in ,london1 whence he had withdrawn out of jealousy towards his pushing young rival ,lulli4 ,desmarets1 ,campra1 ,destouches1 ,rebel1 ,bourgeois1 ,mouret and ,monteclair are also names of ,french composers of opera and ballet1 from about #afic to #agaf1 well known to students of musical history1 perhaps their only successor worthy of mention being ,quinault1 until all1 from ,lulli onwards1 were to be eclipsed by the greater ,rameau1 who was composer of nearly a score of notable ballets1 and who made his appearance on the musical horizon in the 'thirties of the eighteenth century4 ,to return1 however1 to the dancers4 ,nivelon was one of the more famous ,french dancers who visited ,london towards the end of the seventeenth century1 and had considerable success2 as did another of the early danseuses1 ,mlle4 ,subligny1 who came to ,london with influential introductions to ,john ,locke1 of all people in the world1 author of the famous but soporific ,essay on the ,human ,understanding1 which1 however1 omits any reference to that of the charming dancer4 ,it can readily be imagined that the introduction of women to the ,french stage made for improvement in many directions besides access of grace4 ,the little rivalries and successes of women dancers induced a general spirit of emulation that had its effect on technique4 ,now1 following on the introduction of women dancers to the stage1 we come to another interesting point in the history of the dance and ballet2 for1 once again1 it was due to a woman that we had the invention--or rather the revival--for it had not been seen since the days of ,bathyllus and ,pylades in ,augustan ,rome--of ballet-pantomime1 a ballet acted entirely pantomimically1 or in dumb-show4 ,it was the happy idea of the learned and extravagant ,duchesse du ,maine1 whose ,nuits de ,sceaux have been chronicled by that fascinating bluestocking1 ,mlle4 ,delaunay1 who was later to become famous as ,madame de ,stal4 ,among the endless round of ftes and entertainments at ,sceaux1 at the little theatre in which she took such prominent part1 the ever-restless ,duchess never presented her guests with a greater novelty4 ,day and night--and especially night--they had all been requisitioned to invent ingenious amusements4 ,sleep had been banished from the exigent little ,court4 ,dialogues1 8proverbs10 8literary lotteries10 songs and comedies had been turned out without cessation as from a literary factory4 ,always it had been 8words1 words1 words10 and play on words4 ,now1 for the first time for centuries--as it was1 in fact1 and must certainly have seemed to the ,duchess's house-parties6--there was to be silence on the stage at ,sceaux4 ,illustration3 ,the ,duchesse du ,maine ,having chosen the last scene of the fourth act of ,corneille's 8,horace10 the ,duchess commanded the composer ,mouret to set it to music as if it were to be sung4 ,the words were then ignored1 the music was played by an orchestra1 and the two well-known dancers1 ,m4 ,ballon and ,mlle4 ,prvt1 of the ,royal ,academy1 mutely mimed the actions and emotions of the leading characters1 so dramatically and with such intensity of feeling that1 it is said1 both they and their audience were moved at times to tears6 ,franoise ,prvt1 or ,prvost1 was born about #afhj1 made her dbut at the age of eighteen1 and when ,subligny retired in #agje1 took her place as premire danseuse4 ,for some twenty odd years she was the joy of all frequenters of the ,opera1 for her grace and lightness of style4 ,she retired in #agcj1 and died eleven years after4 ,among the more famous of her pupils were ,marie ,sall and ,marie-,anne de ,cupis de ,camargo1 of both of whom there will be more to say in due course4 ,meanwhile1 among the dances mainly in vogue during ,prvt's earlier period were the ,courantes1 ,allemandes1 ,gigues1 ,contredanses2 and in her later years1 ,chaconnes1 ,passacailles1 and ,passepieds4 ,for the dancing of the last ,prvt was especially famed4 ,in the preface to his 8,matre ,danser10 published four years after the dancer's retirement1 ,rameau describes her in the following terms3 8,dans une seule de ses danses sont renfermes toutes les rgles qu'aprs de longues mditations nous pouvons donner sur notre art1 et elle les met en pratique1 avec tant de grce1 tant de justesse1 tant de lgret1 tant de prcision qu'elle peut tre regarde comme un prodige dans ce genre40 ,again1 ,noverre1 in his ,lettres sur la ,danse1 published later1 makes graceful reference to ,prvt in recalling his impressions of famous dancers whom he had seen in earlier years1 and gives us1 too1 an interesting criticism of the methods of the composers of ballet in the mid-eighteenth century4 8,la plupart des compositeurs10 he says1 8suivent les vieilles rubriques de l'opra4 ,ils font des passe-pieds parceque ,mdlle4 ,prvt les courait avec elegance2 des musettes parceque ,mdlle4 ,sall et ,m4 ,dumoulin les dansaient avec autant de grace que de volupt2 des tambourins parceque c'tait le genre o ,mdlle4 de ,camargo excellait2 des chaconnes et des passacailles parceque le clbre ,dupr s'tait comme fix ces mouvements2 qu'ils s'ajoustaient son got1 son genre et la noblesse de sa taille4 ,mais tous ces excellents ,sujets n'y sont plus2 ils ont t remplacs et au-del1 dans des parties et ne le seront peut tre jamais dans les autres44440 ,though ,noverre was writing this about #agfj1 we have to remember that he cannot actually have seen ,prvt1 since he was only born #agbg1 and she retired in #agcj4 ,but he records an interesting tradition in complaining that the greater number of the composers of his time still followed the older canon of the opera1 and composed passepieds because 8,mdlle4 ,prvt les courait02 for it shows that the technique of the dance had already begun to outgrow that of the composer4 ,musicians were following in their forerunner's tracks2 dancers were advancing on the road of invention4 ,indeed1 we shall see that this was so when we come to consider the differences between the styles of ,prvt and her later successors4 ,for the moment it suffices to record that ,prvt1 star of the ,french opera from about #agjj to #agcj1 was famous for her elegance1 for her 8grace10 8lightness10 8precision10 as revealed in the comparatively slow dances of her period1 when the technique was obviously not immature 7or ,rameau could not have noted such qualities in her dancing71 but evidently had not yet developed in the direction of speed1 or of tours de force such as some of the later dancers were to exhibit4 ,the passepied1 of which an old ,french dancer-poet wrote3 8,le lger passe-pied doit voler terre terre10 was a dance in three-four time1 a species of minuet1 performed1 as the poet records1 8terre terre10 hence ,noverre's description3 8,mdlle4 ,prvt les courait avec elegance40 ,a modern versifier has--perhaps presumptuously--put the following lines into the dancer's mouth3 ,,pr,v,t ,,speaks 8,though others by ,courante may swear ,or some the grave ,allemande prefer1 ,or vow for ,gigues alone they care1 ,or ,contredanse's vulgar stir3 ,for me--who am no villager6-- ,i love not dances rough and free1 ,nor yet too slow6 ,without demur ,the ,passepied's the dance for me4 8,hark to its gentle1 plaintive air6 ,was music ever mellower1 ,more full of grace1 more sweetly fair8 ,no dancer1 sure1 could wish to err ,from the staid rhythms that recur-- ,as softly as a breath may be-- ,with base like a pleased kitten's purr3 ,the ,passepied's the dance for me6 8,no other music now may share1 ,with this my favour1 or could spur ,my feet new measures now to dare4 ,what of ,camargo8 ,as for her-- 7,of passing fancies harbinger67 ,quickness1 but naught of grace has she4 ,she dance8 ,that plain1 fast foreigner8 ,the ,passepied's the dance for me60 ,,envoi 8,lovers of dance1 let naught deter ,your love from graces all can see ,in ,passepied6 ,and all aver ,the ,passepied's the dance for me60 ,of the jealousy which might have impelled ,mlle4 ,prvt to speak thus of her young rival ,camargo and her quicker style there will be more to say presently4 ,it is necessary for a while to turn aside 7even to hark back a little1 perhaps1 since in dealing with a period of transition there must be several threads to trace back and gather up71 and to glance at another phase of theatrical history than that of the premire danseuse and the august ,royal ,opera1 namely1 the less exalted--and more popular--theatre2 one which proved often the antechamber to the greater stage and ,royal favour1 to wit--the ,italian ,comedy and the ,theatres of the ,fair4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,italian ,,comedy ,,and ,,the ,,theatres ,,of ,,the ,,fair ,humanity1 like history1 repeats itself in its recurring moods4 ,some years ago ,london playgoers went rather mad over what was a comparatively new thing to that period1 the production of a delightful play without words1 namely1 ,,mm4 ,carr and ,wormser's 8,l',enfant ,prodigue10 acted to perfection by a cast headed by ,mlle4 ,jane ,may1 as ,pierrot1 with ,mlle4 ,zanfretta as ,pierrette4 ,about two thousand years ago the playgoers of ancient ,rome began to go mad about what was then thought to be a really new thing--pantomime acting without words4 ,the two pantomimists1 ,bathyllus and ,pylades1 then set a standard in mimetic representation never achieved before4 ,the two ,roman actors were 8dancers10 but it was because they were panto-mimes of such brilliant quality that they became famous4 ,had they been merely dancers they would hardly have made the impression they did4 ,the modern ballet-dancer--as we understand the word--knows1 or should know1 that dancing without the ability to mime is not enough to win the fame of a ,taglioni1 a ,grisi1 ,gne or ,karsavina1 in ballet4 ,in opera a voice of the loveliest tone1 together with an acquired technical excellence in the use of it1 has not the power to move the hearers if expression is lacking4 ,it is the art of the mime which gives expression and significance to the art of the dancer2 and it was as dancer-mimes that ,pylades and ,bathyllus moved their audience to something like worship4 ,it is1 of course1 a pretence1 this doing without words4 ,i say 8pretence0 because you cannot do away with words4 ,you may have a 8wordless0 play1 but behind the dumb-show there are still the words4 ,it is so in life4 ,behind all things is--the ,word4 ,things are only representative of thoughts2 and thoughts are inconceivable without words4 ,we may not always speak with tongue and voice2 but1 if we have the impulse to speak1 the instrument matters not1 and we may 8speak0 with our hands4 ,so doing1 a look or gesture becomes a word1 a series of gestures a sentence4 ,now1 in ancient ,roman days when the ordinary spoken comedy merged first into a sort of musical comedy1 and then1 at the dawn of the ,christian era1 into unspoken comedy or pantomime2 and when1 in addition1 all the ,greek plays and stories of the ,greek and ,latin myths were drawn upon for pantomime1 some of the original characters stayed and others were incorporated in the general make-up of the purely wordless play as this form of entertainment grew increasingly popular2 and among the new-comers was probably ,mercury1 who became a sort of ,harlequin1 with gift of invisibility and magic wand4 ,the spoken comedy of ancient ,rome becoming superseded1 first by the pantomimes and secondly by the craze for the circus1 finally died down with the fall of the ,empire itself1 and did not revive for some hundreds of years1 until the world's great reawakening1 in the ,middle ,ages1 to the wonders of the classic past4 ,but it is more than probable that this dumb comedy1 or panto-mime1 any more than dancing1 did not die4 ,in ,sicily and ,southern ,italy more especially it would have survived2 for expressive pantomime was always as much a means of speech among the ,southern ,latins as verbal language itself4 ,in the old ,latin ,comedy the same set of characters were often made to appear in other guises1 and in different comic situations4 ,maccus1 for instance1 though still called so1 would appear at one time as an old maid1 at another as a raw soldier3 ,pappus would be a doting old husband1 or father whose daughter was abducted3 and he was usually outwitted whatever the situation he was in4 ,these and various other types1 and this custom of making them each a kind of 8quick-change0 artist1 survived1 or at least revived4 ,in ,italy1 as time went by1 various local types were added to the original cast of the pantomime4 ,the old man would be a ,venetian2 the ,doctor1 from ,bologna1 famous for its ,university and--poisons2 the ,clown would be a peasant-servant from ,bergamo2 the braggart soldier1 a 8,capitan10 would be from ,spain2 sometimes they would each speak in their own particular dialect1 and fun would be made thereof4 ,throughout the fifteenth1 sixteenth1 and seventeenth centuries the fame of the ,italian comedians spread throughout the world4 ,troupes found their way to ,paris and ,london1 and no slight traces of their influence are to be found in ,shakespeare and ,molire4 ,pre-,shakespearean comedy in ,england was often impromptu and pantomimic2 and the actors worked much as the ,italian players had always done4 ,in #afaa a well-known ,italian comedian1 ,flaminio ,scala1 printed a book of plays performed by his company4 ,there was no dialogue6 ,they were simply something like what we know as 8plots10 though the ,french word 8canevas0 expresses it better4 ,it was merely the outline of the play1 entrances1 exits1 8business0 written on canvas and hung up in the wings as a reminder to the actors1 who 8gagged0 the play throughout1 each usually introducing his own stock tricks or business 7lazzi was the ,italian word7 as the play proceeded4 ,in one of the ,flaminio ,scala's plots we find a ,pantalon1 a ,dottore or ,doctor1 a ,captain 7a braggart such as ,pistol71 a ,pedrolino1 later to become better known to us after various changes of spirit as ,pierrot4 ,in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century ,paris the ,italian players had a sensational success1 being honoured by ,louis ,,xiv and his successor2 and were regularly introduced into the lighter operas1 were copied by the players in the ,paris ,fair ,theatres1 and were often the subject of the brush of ,watteau and other artists4 ,in a little volume ,i have1 ,le ,thtre ,italien 7published #afie71 by the famous actor1 ,evariste ,gherardi1 the author explains that 8the reader must not expect to find in this book entire comedies1 because the ,italian plays could not be printed1 for the simple reason that the players learn nothing by rote1 and it suffices for them merely to have seen the subject of the comedy a moment before stepping on the stage40 ,he says that 8the charm of the pieces is inseparable from the action1 and their success depends wholly on the actors1 who play from imagination rather than from memory1 and compose their comedy while playing40 ,among the titles of the plays we find3 8,arlequin1 ,emperor in the ,moon02 8,colombine1 ,advocate02 8,arlequin ,proteus02 8,arlequin ,jason02 8,the ,cause of ,woman02 8,divorce02 and 8,arlequin1 ,man of ,fortune40 ,in most we find ,arlequin assuming various disguises--8,arlequin en ,more10 8,arlequin deguis en ,baron10 8,arlequin deguis en ,comtesse0 being among stage directions1 for instance1 to 8,the ,cause of ,woman40 ,by the early eighteenth century the leading characters had become ,arlequin1 ,pantalon1 ,punchinello1 the ,doctor1 the ,captain1 ,scaramouche1 ,scapin1 ,leandre1 and ,mezzetin2 and women had become incorporated in the generally enlarged cast1 the chief being ,isabelle1 ,octavie and ,colombine4 ,reference has already been made to the ,duchesse du ,maine1 who in #agjh revived the art of pure pantomime by producing an act of ,corneille's 8,horace10 which was performed entirely in dumb show by the dancer-mimes1 ,mdlle4 ,prvt and ,monsieur ,ballon1 to music by ,mouret4 ,soon after1 ,nivelon1 and other dancers who were also mimes1 such as ,sall1 began to come to ,london2 and in the early eighteenth century was seen the birth of the first real ,english pantomime1 which bore some resemblance to that of ancient ,rome1 owed something to the ,italian comedy and to the more recent ,french theatre1 with certain new ideas of its own--especially in the way of costume and elaborate staging4 ,this was due to the enterprise of ,john ,rich4 ,by ,rich's time ,arlequin had become the all-important character of the ,french comedy-stage1 and he followed a then recent custom 7also the ancient ,latin custom7 of placing one character in various sets of circumstances4 ,his first production at the ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields ,theatre in #agag was 8,harlequin ,sorcerer10 which was followed by several others with ,harlequin as the hero4 ,their form was always much the same4 ,a serious1 classic or fabulous story1 such as one from ,ovid1 was the basis of the work2 while between the serious scenes1 and partly woven into them1 ran a lighter story1 consisting mainly of ,harlequin's courtship of ,columbine1 with interference from other characters1 on whom in turn ,harlequin played tricks with his magic wand4 ,rich played ,harlequin1 and made him dumb1 for the simple reason that1 though a clever actor1 he could not speak well enough for the stage4 ,thus he gave us once again the ancient classic art of pantomime1 which now became the true wordless ,english ,harlequinade2 and he taught his players of the other parts1 ,pantaloon1 ,pierrot1 ,clown1 ,columbine1 an art of wordless acting equal to his own4 ,he realised the value of fine mounting1 and his productions were gorgeously staged and almost invariably successful4 ,it would be interesting1 of course1 to trace with some detail the history of ,italian comedy and its influence on the ,french and ,english stage2 indeed1 to go fully into the vexed question of its origin4 ,certain modern scholars1 such as ,miss ,winifred ,smith in her extremely able and interesting volume on the ,commedia dell' ,arte1 issued by the ,columbia ,university of ,america1 holds the view that it was not derived from the classic stage at all1 but was a spontaneous growth of fifteenth-century ,italy4 ,another view is that there was an unbroken thread of tradition from ,greece1 through ,sicily and the ,greek settlements in south-eastern ,italy1 and that when the ,commedia attained its great vogue in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries1 spreading through ,italy and thence through western ,europe1 the charm and complexity of its texture was due to the numerous strands that had been gathered up from various localities in the progress of years4 ,yet another possibility is1 that this central idea of pantomime1 or dumb acting1 may merely have occurred again and again through the centuries1 as a 8new0 idea1 without direct impulse from tradition4 ,personally ,i feel that acting without words implies a greater technical advance in the art of representation than acting with them1 for it makes the actor more than merely repeater1 or even interpreter1 of an author2 it makes him partly creator1 or author4 ,it is impossible1 however1 to go fully now into the question of the origin of the art of pantomime4 ,whatsoever diverse theories students may hold1 the fact remains that it was known in classic days1 and that the form of it which we know under the ,italian title of the ,commedia dell' ,arte flourished in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries1 and certainly had its influence on the ,french and ,english stage1 literature and art1 and also on ,ballet4 ,the ,duchesse du ,maine in her pantomime production of ,corneille's 8,horace0 was deliberately harking back to a form of entertainment which she believed had held the classic stage2 and the production was not without effect on the history of ,ballet4 ,the appearance of ,italian pantomime actors in ,paris had additional influence4 ,look at some of the pictures of ,watteau1 ,lancret and ,fragonard4 ,you will see there the types of the ,italian ,comedy2 turn to the scores of the opera-ballets of the early eighteenth century and you will note that1 more often than not1 the ,italian players were introduced2 just as we to-day1 in our revues1 have introduced ,russian dancers1 or ,english players impersonating1 or parodying1 the ,russians--simply because the ,russians have in recent years attained a vogue similar to that attained by ,italian singers in the 'forties of last century1 and to that attained by the ,italian comedy troupes of two centuries ago4 ,these things are introduced into current dramatic productions just because they have their vogue1 just because they are 8topical40 ,equally they influence art and literature4 ,even the ,french critics seem hardly to have realised the extent to which ,french art of the early eighteenth century was influenced by the contemporary stage4 ,all can see1 of course1 that it was influenced1 to the extent of introducing the types of ,italian comedy4 ,one has only to glance at ,watteau's 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,italien0 to see that patent fact4 ,but the fact also that1 except for his earlier landscapes and camp scenes1 several of ,watteau's pictures were1 in all probability1 derived from ballets actually seen on the ,french stage seem to have been overlooked4 ,one of the earlier works attributed to ,watteau is a picture representing the 8,departure of the ,italian ,comedians40 ,the engraving of it by ,l4 ,jacob in the wonderful ,jullienne collection of engravings from ,watteau's works plainly gives the date of the incident as #afig4 ,watteau1 however1 did not arrive from ,valenciennes to take up his abode in ,paris until after #agjb1 when he came to reside and work with ,claude ,gillot1 the engraver4 ,so either this seems a mistake on ,jullienne's part1 or the picture is not by ,watteau1 but is worked up from sketches and descriptions by ,gillot or some other person who was an eyewitness of the incident2 for it is quite obvious that ,watteau cannot have seen what took place in ,paris before he arrived there1 and when he was only thirteen years old1 as he would have been in #afig4 ,let us turn aside for a while from this minor problem and consider who1 exactly1 were these ,italian comedians4 ,from the sixteenth century1 in #aegj as a fact1 when ,catherine de ,medici invited a company of ,italian players to ,paris1 there had been several troupes arriving from time to time1 under ,court patronage4 ,one of the earliest of importance came in #aegf1 and were known as ,gli ,gelosi1 ,les ,jaloux1 that is1 according to one authority1 folk jealous of pleasing2 though they may also have been so called from the fact that they achieved their success first in a comedy of that name1 ,gli ,gelosi1 or ,les ,jaloux4 ,nearer the dates which are our concern was ,fiorelli's troupe1 which in #affj was properly established at the ,palais ,royal1 where they played alternately with ,molire's company1 and received the title of 8,comdiens du ,roi de la troupe ,italienne40 ,in #afhd it was established by order of the ,dauphin that the troupe should always be composed of twelve members1 four women and eight men1 made up as follows3 two women for 8serious rles10 two for comic1 two men for lovers1 two for comic parts1 two 8pour conduire l'intrigue10 and two to play fathers and old men generally4 ,these kept the traditional names respectively of3 ,isabelle1 ,eularia2 ,columbine1 ,marinette2 ,octave1 ,cinthio2 ,scaramouche1 ,arlequin2 ,mezzetin1 ,pascariel2 ,pantalon1 and the ,doctor4 ,in #afig1 however1 the ,italian comedians1 who by now had begun to develop1 from the ,commedia dell' ,arte1 or purely improvised dumb show play of an earlier period into a more or less written 8literary0 comedy1 had the audacity to produce under the title of 8,la ,fausse ,prude10 a play1 the title of which seemed to suggest foundation on a novel 7published in ,holland7 which had attacked the ,king's mistress1 ,madame de ,maintenon4 ,for this they were banished1 and were not recalled to ,royal favour until #agaf4 ,hence the problem of deciding ,watteau's connection with the painting of an incident that occurred in #afig1 five years before he can have reached ,paris2 and also of 8placing0 the rest of his avowedly theatrical pictures1 when apparently the ,italian comedians were not to be seen1 or if seen1 not until #agaf2 thus giving ,watteau only five years before his death in #agba to account for the fairly extensive collection of works dealing expressly with these stage types4 ,speaking of the period shortly after ,watteau arrived in ,paris1 one critic has declared 7though it in no way lessens the value of his decisions concerning ,watteau's art73 8,indeed1 during these early years ,watteau could have had no opportunity of studying the ,italian comedy1 otherwise than through the works of his new preceptor and friend03 this 8preceptor and friend0 being1 of course1 ,gillot1 by whose enthusiasm for the stage ,antoine's own was unquestionably awakened4 ,the same writer goes on to say3 8,it can hardly be doubted that from him--and not1 as legend has it1 from the stage itself--,watteau obtained his first peep into the strange realms of the ,commedia dell' ,arte40 ,but the plain fact is that there was every opportunity1 despite this earlier banishment of the ,royal troupe of ,italian comedians1 for ,watteau to have obtained not only his first peep into the realms of the ,commedia dell' ,arte and to have been influenced throughout his ,paris life1 especially by ,ballet4 ,from the time ,antoine reached the city in #agjb until his death in #agba there were four marked opportunities for stage influence1 namely1 the legitimate and royally patronised ,french comedians2 the ,opera1 still flushed with ,lulli's magic1 and not despicably illumined by ,campra2 the ,ballet1 then finding wings to soar2 and finally1 the ,theatres of the ,fair1 which1 with their gay quarrel against authority1 with their reckless parodies and splendid spectacles1 have been strangely neglected by ,watteau's biographers as a contributory influence on his choice of subject4 ,let us consider first the ,theatres of the ,fairs4 ,the fairs themselves1 of ,st4 ,germain and ,st4 ,laurent1 were of ancient institution1 and from early times they had their side-shows of tumblers1 rope-dancers1 trained animals1 such as performing bears1 monkeys1 and white mice1 as well as balladists and marionettes1 which were the chief attraction by the middle of the seventeenth century4 ,towards the end of the century each ,fair had one or more troupes of actors1 especially ,italian1 who played improvised pieces in dumb-show1 as well as written farces1 vaudevilles and parodies in ,italian1 ,french1 and sometimes a mixture of both languages4 ,these troupes were quite apart from those which from time to time had been brought from ,italy by special invitation from the ,french ,court4 ,it was the ,royal ,troupe only that was expelled in #afig1 for its performance of 8,la ,fausse ,prude02 and it was really their expulsion which aroused the ,theatres of the ,fair to a new and more vigorous life4 ,illustration3 ,the ,departure of the ,italian ,comedians1 #afig 7,from an engraving by ,l4 ,jacob of ,watteau's picture74 ,illustration3 ,pierrot and ,arlequin in the early #ahth ,century 7,from ,riccoboni's 8,histoire du ,thtre ,italien074 ,the ,fair of ,st4 ,germain was open from ,february #crd to ,easter ,sunday2 the ,fair of ,st4 ,laurent began at the end of ,june and closed in ,october1 so that for the greater part of the year both offered opportunities for amusement of a less expensive and more popular sort than did the aristocratic ,comdie ,franaise and ,comdie ,italienne2 in fact1 so popular were they that1 on suppression of the ,comdie ,italienne1 the aristocracy themselves patronised the foreign troupes of the ,theatres of the ,fair4 ,from the dawn of the eighteenth century1 however1 this very popularity became a source of worry to the managers of the troupes at the ,fairs1 for it involved the jealousy of the ,comdie ,franaise and the still youthful ,opera2 and the attempts of grandiose ,authority to smother these minor theatres 7which had public sympathy wholly on their side7 and the amazing resource shown by their managers in meeting each fresh legal thunderbolt by some new and more hilarious evasion1 is a veritable comedy in itself1 but must not detain us now4 ,all we need to consider at the moment is that1 despite attempts to suppress them there were these troupes1 at the ,theatres of the ,fair1 from before #agjb1 when ,watteau came to ,paris1 until after #agba1 the date of his death4 ,there was the troupe of ,madame ,jeanne ,godefroy1 widow of ,maurice ,von der ,beck1 from #afid to #agji2 that of ,christopher ,selles1 from #agja to #agji2 that of ,louis ,nivelon 7who1 by the way1 was a theatrical visitor to ,london71 from #agjg to #agga2 that of ,saint-,edm from #agaa to #agah2 and1 most important of all1 that of ,constantini1 known as ,octave1 from #agab to #agaf4 ,thus from the time he arrived in ,paris ,watteau could1 for a few pence1 have seen any of these companies1 and in view of the fact that the first thing any young man up from the country usually does is to see the 8sights0 of the town1 and more especially in view of the fact that soon after his arrival ,watteau was in the studio of ,gillot--popular engraver of such popular subjects1 and himself a lover of the stage--what was more probable than that ,antoine did include the ,theatres of the ,fair among the sights he saw1 and so was influenced to choose1 as some of the earlier subjects of his brush1 the ,italian players he could see there4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,watteau',s ,,debt ,,to ,,the ,,stage ,the stage has from time to time been indebted to ,watteau for costume and dcor4 ,but ,watteau's debt to the stage of his period1 to the ,opera1 to the ,italian ,comedy1 and to the ,theatres of the ,fair1 has hardly been considered sufficiently4 ,here is not the place to bring forward all the evidence that could be produced4 ,only an indication of some of the leading possibilities can be given4 ,but while the subject has an interest of its own1 on the purely critical side1 it is also of interest to students of the ballet1 for they may trace in some of the famous ,french pictures of the early eighteenth century the influence of ballet on contemporary art4 ,again1 history 8repeats itself0 to-day1 for have not many artists of our own time found inspiration in many of the productions of the ,russian ballet8 ,it is interesting first to compare ,watteau's picture of 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,italien0 with the reproductions given here from an old volume in my possession1 ,riccoboni's ,histoire du ,thtre ,italien1 which was not published until six years after ,watteau's death1 but which may be regarded as a contemporary work since it describes the stage of his time4 ,these prints represent the various types of the ,italian comedy as they were actually costumed1 and comparing these with the figures in ,watteau's group1 one sees in their close resemblance proof that the master was painting from things seen1 from life itself 7albeit stage life71 not some graceful creations of his own imagination1 as some of us to-day have been too apt to think4 ,in 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,italien0 we have a faithful record of costumes actually worn2 but the whole attitude of the group of figures suggests something vastly more than merely an artist's study of costume4 ,the figures are alert1 the moment dramatic4 ,something is happening1 or rather has happened1 and there is a suggestion of culmination1 as if the interruption of a song by the entry of a character had called forth1 or was about to call forth1 some whimsical comment from ,pierrot1 the singer4 ,it seems a captured moment in a comedy4 ,comparing it with the obviously companion picture1 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,franais10 one might well be somewhat puzzled by the title1 since in neither is there any apparent love-scene taking place4 ,the one suggests an interruption in a comedy1 the other--a dance in progress4 ,beneath the engravings of these two by ,c4 ,n4 ,cochin in the ,jullienne collection1 however1 are inscribed a couple of six-line stanzas1 one beneath each1 in which the treatment of love themes in ,italian and ,french comedies respectively is contrasted4 ,l',,amour ,,au ,,th,,tre ,,fran,,ais 8,l'amour badine en ,france2 il se montre un grand jour ,il ne prend point de masque1 il se parle sans detour2 ,il vit dans les festins1 aux plaisir il s'allie1 ,c'est une libert que le noeud qui nous lie ,nous servons sans constrainte e ,bacchus e l',amour4 ,et nos tristes voisins nous taxent de folie4 ,m4 ,,roy40 ,l',,amour ,,au ,,th,,tre ,,italien 8,la jalouse ,italie effrayante les amours1 ,les fait marcher de nuit1 les constraint au mistre ,mais une ,serenade y supplie aux discours2 ,un geste1 un sel regard conclud on rompt d',affaire1 ,l'impatient ,francois en intrigue prfere1 ,des chemins moins couverts1 les croye--vous plus courts8 ,m4 ,,roy40 ,these stanzas are by ,roy1 a contemporary poet who was a librettist for the ,opera1 two of whose operas were produced in #agab4 ,one thing is certain1 that ,watteau's own eyes must have noted the contrast between the ,italian and ,french comedy to have painted such pictures4 ,he could not have painted them without being an observant theatre-goer4 ,what1 then1 did he see1 and when could he have seen such productions as might suggest such works8 ,while acknowledging that positive evidence is still to be sought1 ,i cannot help feeling that these two pictures1 and one or two others1 could fairly safely be placed as work done about #agaa-agab4 ,in #agji ,antoine1 still with ,audran at the ,luxembourg1 competed for entry1 and was admitted with four other students1 for the ,academy4 ,then he left ,paris for ,valenciennes1 defraying expenses by selling a military picture1 8,dpart des ,troupes10 to the dealer1 ,sirois1 who urged him to paint a similar picture1 which he did at ,valenciennes4 ,illustration3 ,l',amour au ,thtre ,italien ,illustration3 ,l',amour au ,thtre ,franais 7,from the ,jullienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum74 ,there is no direct evidence that ,watteau painted any stage-pictures before this period2 and it would seem that his work in the country was mainly on military and naturalistic subjects4 ,we do know that he was again in ,paris at a date uncertain in #agab1 and went to live with a ,monsieur ,crozat1 by whom he was engaged to paint a series of panels of ,the ,seasons4 ,it is extremely likely that he would have returned to ,paris refreshed by his country sojourn and with a new zest for work1 and for theatre-going1 which was then beginning to be particularly interesting1 a crisis in the ,fair ,theatre troubles being over by #agaj1 and some new productions there as well as at the opera being well worth seeing4 ,as ,i would trace his movements1 still admitting that positive evidence is required1 ,watteau returned to ,paris early in #agaa1 took up his quarters for a time with ,sirois the dealer1 who would have the disposing of work done at ,valenciennes4 ,one of his first pictures of this period was probably 8,gilles and his ,family10 in the ,wallace collection1 which is supposed to be a portrait of ,sirois dressed as a ,pierrot or ,gilles 7the names being synonymous at the period7 in a costume supplied by ,watteau's own wardrobe4 ,then would come visits to the ,fairs of ,st4 ,germain and ,st4 ,laurent1 whence he would return reinspired with a love for the gay1 reckless1 satiric ,italian comedy4 ,one has only to compare the ,hertford ,house 8,gilles0 with the central figure of ,pierrot in the 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,italien0 to see that one is an earlier work and is the figure of a man somewhat self-conscious and not quite used to the clothes he is wearing2 the other a maturer work1 representing a vivid impression of a born comedian1 momentarily master of the scene4 ,doubtless at this time1 too1 would be done some1 but only some1 of the remaining works dealing with the ,italian stage types1 such as 8,les ,jaloux10 8,arlequin ,jaloux10 8,comdiens ,italiens10 and 8,pierrot ,content40 ,a little after1 ,i think1 would come such works as 8,arlequin et ,colombine10 7in the ,wallace collection71 8,mezzetin10 and the maturer 8,gilles10 in the ,louvre4 ,in #agab there were at the ,theatres of the ,fair in ,paris two famous players of ,gilles or ,pierrot1 namely1 ,hamoche1 who made his dbut in that year with the ,st4 ,edm troupe2 and ,belloni1 who was also a lemonade-seller1 quite a popular character1 notable1 as one chronicle tells us1 8for the grand simplicity of his acting and for his nave and truthful speech40 ,the most famous of the players of ,arlequin was ,pierre-,franois 7otherwise ,domenique7 ,biancolelli1 who was also of the ,st4 ,edm troupe1 somewhere between #agaj-agab4 ,thus it was not unlikely that ,watteau saw these actors1 as he may have seen another1 ,delaplace1 as ,scaramouche1 and ,desgranges1 who came to ,paris from ,lyons1 in #agab1 as 8the ,doctor02 though the ,mezzetin offers a minor problem in that ,angelo ,constantini1 the most famous impersonator of the character1 after suffering banishment with the ,italian comedians in #afig1 went to ,poland1 where an intrigue with the ,queen resulted in his imprisonment for twenty years1 by which time ,watteau was no more4 ,him1 therefore1 ,watteau cannot have seen4 ,but the character was a familiar one on the stage at the time1 #agaj-agab1 and must have been played by other popular actors1 even if not of sufficient note to be chronicled4 ,to turn from the ,italian actors to other theatrical characters which form the subjects of some of ,watteau's pictures1 it is of interest to note that one of the engravings in the ,jullienne collection represents 8,poisson en habit de paysan40 ,poisson was a familiar name in the annals of the ,french stage1 for it was borne by three generations of ,parisian actors1 ,raymond ,poisson1 who died in #afij1 ,paul1 his son1 and ,franois1 grandson4 ,watteau's picture is presumably that of the second1 ,paul4 ,another interesting point to note is that a portrait of ,raymond ,poisson1 painted by ,netscher1 was engraved by ,edelinck 7who was employed by ,watteau's employer--,audran7 and represents the actor in the character of ,crispin1 one of his most famous parts 7that of a sort of black-dressed ,pierrot1 a messenger distinguished by his long boots1 worn by ,raymond ,poisson to increase his stature71 which was successively played by his son ,paul1 and grandson ,franois1 and became a traditional type4 ,watteau cannot have seen ,raymond1 who died twelve years before the artist came to ,paris1 but he may well have seen ,paul1 and it is significant that he should have drawn a figure representing not 8,poisson en habit de ,crispin0 7whose costume was now a tradition7 but 8en habit de ,paysan0 as if it was the very fact that the part was one different from that especially associated with the ,poisson family which made it of interest to ,watteau4 ,in connection with the same portrait there is one point that is particularly noteworthy1 namely1 that it is exactly like the central figure in 8,le ,concert10 or 8,les ,charmes de la ,vie0 in the ,wallace collection2 and close consideration of the latter inclines me to the belief that the picture represents--as certain others not unusually so considered may well do--a scene from an opera4 ,another of the engravings in the ,jullienne collection of 8,mdlle4 ,desmares en habit de ,pelerine40 ,mlle4 ,desmares was a well-known ,danish actress2 and 8pelerines0 appear in ,watteau's 8,l',embarquement pour l',ile de ,cythre40 ,one has only to pass in review a succession of ,watteau's works1 or reproductions thereof1 to notice how very frequently he repeats himself in matters of detail4 ,in a general way1 for instance1 it is curious to note how frequently dancing and music are repeated in the course of his life's work4 ,in 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,franais0 is a couple dancing2 in the 8,bal sous une ,colonnade0 another2 in 8,le ,contrat de ,mariage0 and its variants--another1 and very similar2 in 8,le ,menuet0 7at the ,hermitage1 ,petrograd7 another2 in 8,amusements ,champtres0 7,chantilly71 and in the 8,ftes ,vnitiennes0 7,edinburgh7 are more such couples2 while there is1 of course1 the dainty single figure of the child in 8,la ,danse10 in the ,royal ,palace1 ,potsdam2 and the famous 8,l',indiffrent10 in the ,louvre1 also represents a young man dancing4 ,dancers and musicians are thus a constant theme for ,watteau's brush4 ,there are1 however1 more distinctive and more curious repetitions to note than these obvious evidences of a general taste for music and the dance2 the repetitions of figures or groups in particular positions1 and of details in mise en scne4 ,the well-known 8,joueur de ,guitare10 in the ,muse ,cond1 reappears in almost exact facsimile in 8,la ,surprise0 7in ,buckingham ,palace7 and also in the 8,fte ,galante10 or 8,fte ,champtre10 in the ,royal ,gallery1 ,dresden4 ,the couple in 8,la ,gamme d',amour0 is simply a detail from the centre of the 8,assemble dans un ,parc10 in the ,royal ,gallery at ,berlin4 ,the musician in 8,la ,leon de ,musique0 7,wallace collection7 is repeated in 8,le ,concert10 also in the ,wallace collection4 ,to turn now to details of mise en scne1 it is curious to note that the pillars seen in the last-named picture also occur in the 8,bal sous une ,colonnade10 in the ,dulwich ,gallery4 ,the reclining statue to the right of the picture1 known as 8,les ,champs ,elyses10 in the ,wallace collection1 is another1 presumably an earlier version of the 8,jupiter and ,antiope10 in the ,louvre4 ,the statuette and amorini in the 8,fte d',amour0 at the ,dresden ,royal ,gallery are variants of those in the 8,embarquement pour l',ile de ,cythre02 while the terminal statue of ,pan seen in the 8,arlequin et ,colombine10 in the ,wallace collection1 reappears again and again in the ,italian ,comedy series4 ,illustration3 ,le ,concert 7,from the painting by ,watteau1 ,wallace ,collection74 ,illustration3 ,la ,leon de ,musique 7,from the painting by ,watteau1 ,wallace ,collection74 ,to some1 unaware1 perhaps1 of the influence which the stage of ,watteau's time was exerting in other directions1 these comparisons may possibly seem unnecessary4 ,but in considering the extent to which that influence may have expressed itself in the painter's work1 it is just these details which1 taken in conjunction with the trend of theatrical taste at that time1 are likely to be of importance4 ,there was never an artist yet--whether in colour1 sound1 or spoken or written word--who created a new world out of nothing4 ,the spirit of art can only find its expression in the manipulation of existing material4 ,every work of art must surely be the culmination of a long series of impulses due to external stimuli the connection of which1 perhaps over a lengthy period1 consciousness has failed to analyse and memory to record4 ,now ,watteau's work as a whole exhibits the frequent repetition of certain motifs1 but they were never of something he can never have seen in reality4 ,it was not automatic reiteration of some pictured or imagined type1 group or material object4 ,his earliest impressions of stage-life1 it is true1 may well have been those conveyed by the prints or paintings of his master ,gillot4 ,but there was no necessity for him to subsist for the rest of his life for inspiration on second-hand impressions4 ,when1 therefore1 we find in works other than those avowedly theatrical1 a repetition of certain details which are found in those dealings obviously with the theatre1 it may be conceded1 perhaps1 that the direct influence of stage scenes and stage effects upon his art was somewhat more extensive than might be thought merely from a study of those pictures which are ostensibly studies of dramatic types and subjects2 and for an instance we may take the introduction of a group of ,italian comedians among the bystanders in the 8,bal sous une ,colonnade10 already referred to4 ,they need a little looking for amid so many figures1 but when discovered one might question what ,pierrot1 ,arlequin and their fellows are doing 8dans cette galre40 ,when we come1 again1 to consider the picture called 8,le ,concert0 7in the ,wallace ,collection7 and find1 in the central figure1 a striking likeness to another picture by ,watteau of 8,poisson0 in the costume of a peasant3 and observe also a repetition of a scenic detail such as the terrace-columns1 which are similar to those of the ,colonnade3 further noting that the treatment of the distance between these same columns is strangely suggestive of the flatness of a stage 8back-cloth10 it begins to seem not improbable that we have here a pretty faithful translation of actual stage scenes4 ,in one of these1 the 8,ftes ,champtres10 also known as 8,les ,ftes ,vnitiennes0 7in the ,national ,gallery1 ,edinburgh71 it is possible that we have a clue4 ,can it be mere coincidence that from #agaj--the year after ,watteau had become a student at the ,academy--one of the most popular and most frequently revived ballets at the ,opera was ,campra and ,danchet's 8,les ,ftes ,vnitiennes80 ,true1 ,watteau must be presumed to have been at ,valenciennes from about the end of #agji until shortly before #agab1 when he took up his abode with ,crozat1 but the ballet was revived again in #agab2 not to mention a pastiche called 8,fragments de ,lulli10 which included an entre entitled 8,la ,vnitienne10 produced in ,january1 #agaa1 which1 as has already been suggested1 was the more likely time than #agab for ,watteau's return to town after his stay at ,valenciennes4 ,at this time1 in any case1 there were several productions at the ,opera which may have easily proved an influence in the thoughts of an impressionable young artist4 ,it was in #agab that two operas were produced1 namely1 8,crse l',athnienne0 and 8,callirho10 the libretti of which were by ,roy1 whose stanzas form the inscriptions already referred to as appearing under the engravings of 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,franais0 and 8,l',amour au ,thtre ,italien40 ,in one of the few of ,watteau's letters quoted by the ,goncourts is one to ,gersaint in which ,antoine accepts an invitation to go 8avec ,antoine de la ,roque10 and dine next day4 ,it is not insignificant that the first opera of which ,de la ,roque was librettist was produced in ,april1 #agac1 and entitled 8,mde et ,jason40 ,illustration3 ,les ,plaisirs du ,bal 7,from the ,jullienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum74 ,to return1 however1 to 8,les ,ftes ,vnitiennes40 ,the score of this ballet1 or rather 8opera-ballet10 was published by the great ,french printer ,ballard in #agad1 and an examination of it reveals further possibilities of its having influenced not only the picture of the same name1 but the 8,bal sous une ,colonnade10 8,le ,concert10 and possibly others of ,watteau's composition1 just as yet others might have been partly inspired by ,monteclair's ballet 8,les ,ftes de l',et10 published in #agaf1 and ,bertin's 8,les ,plaisirs de la ,campagne10 published in #agai4 8,les ,ftes ,vnitiennes0 was in four acts or entres1 with a prologue4 ,the third act was entitled 8,de l',opra10 and opens with a music-lesson1 practically the rehearsal of a duet between ,lontine1 the prima-donna1 and her music master1 just before the production of a miniature opera2 and the fourth is headed 8,du ,bal40 ,the stage directions for this are3 8,le ,thtre reprsente un lieu prpar pour un ,bal02 and in a bragging duel between the music-master and the dancing-master the latter boasts3 8,je scais l'art de tracer aux yeux ,les sons qui frappent les oreilles10 which the other counters by saying that he can raise a storm musically1 which he proceeds to do1 giving a musical representation of the rising wind1 of thunder1 and so on4 ,this1 however1 is by the way4 ,the one thing important is that there are these two acts devoted to illustrating the charms of music and the dance1 that the opera contains an 8air pour les ,arlequins10 an 8air des ,polichinelles10 an 8air ,champtre10 and closes1 as several other ballets of the period also did1 with a sort of divertissement1 introducing the ,italian players1 and a general gathering of all the dramatis person on the stage while the dances of this divertissement final are in progress2 all of which suggests the 8,bal sous une ,colonnade0 of ,watteau4 ,monteclair's 8,les ,ftes de l',et0 is of special interest in that it was produced in #agaf4 ,in #agag ,watteau1 after requests from the ,academy authorities1 painted his diploma picture1 the immortal 8,embarquement pour ,cythre40 ,it would seem that ,monteclair's ballet contains the first suggestions which culminated in that picture4 ,it is in three acts1 with a prologue1 and the stage directions for this are3 8,le ,thtre reprsente une ,campagne dont les beauts commencent fletrir3 ,le ,printemps y paroit environn d',amants et ,amantes qui lui font la cour40 ,in the course of the act one of the lovers1 expatiating on this charm of their surroundings1 sings3 8,et la mre du ,dieu des ,amants a quitt ,cythre pour ces lieux charms40 ,the second act has the following stage directions at the start3 8,le ,thtre reprsente un relais de chasse1 on y voit un char dor1 une ,meute et une partie de l'equipage des ,chasseurs40 ,one of the characters introduced is a young man1 ,lisidor1 who is remarkable for his indifference to feminine charms1 and might well be the origin of ,watteau's exquisite 8,l',indiffrent40 ,another of the characters1 ,dorante1 is counselled to imitate him2 and in a discussion between ,agatine and ,cephise1 the former is advised by the latter 8pour s'assurer de ce qu'on aime1 la feinte indiffrence est d'un puissant secours40 ,in #agcj1 by the way1 a play was produced at the theatre of the ,st4 ,laurent ,fair called 8,l',indiffrence10 in which the hero preaches the doctrine of indifference to love6 ,watteau1 of course1 cannot have seen this play1 but it is significant that both in #agaf and #agcj1 the stage should be found dealing with what was evidently a current type of character4 ,illustration3 ,mlle4 ,desmares en habit de ,plerine 7,from the ,jullienne engravings from ,watteau1 ,british ,museum74 ,illustration3 ,l',embarquement pour l',ile de ,cythre 7,from a photograph1 by ,e4 ,alinari1 of ,watteau's painting in the ,louvre74 ,in the third act of ,monteclair's ballet1 the opening directions are3 8,le ,thtre reprsente les ,rives de la ,seine4 ,on voit le soleil prt se coucher0 7which might possibly account for the soft1 warm tone of ,watteau's ,embarquement7 and one of the characters comes to warn some lovers with a song3 8,tendres amants1 la ,barque est prte02 and the ballet concludes with a dance divertissement1 as was usual at the period4 ,one cannot dogmatically assert that these operas did directly inspire the pictures named1 but that ,watteau caught his first suggestion of some from such performances as his own taste and his association with a theatrical and musical set would have led him to frequent1 must seem1 at the least1 probable4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,spectator ,,and ,,mr4 ,,weaver ,queen ,anne had long been dead1 but she can never have been very lively when alive1 for her period was one when political intrigue1 theological controversy1 and the ,war of ,spanish ,succession were the chief subjects that occupied everybody's attention1 especially her own1 and--could anything be duller8 ,moreover1 she was of somewhat portly proportions1 had a solemn husband1 and--unlike ,queen ,elizabeth--was really no dancer4 ,with such a queen on the throne1 at such a time of stress1 can it be wondered at that theatrical dancing was at a comparatively low ebb8 ,why1 there were only two theatres1 ,drury ,lane and ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields6 and they were striving hard to outdo each other--in dullness4 ,indeed1 it was not until practically the close of ,queen ,anne's reign that stage-dancing began to come to its own2 for though the craze for pantomimes 7and his importation of ,french dancers7 started by ,john ,rich in ,anne's last year1 were mainly responsible for this1 ,i cannot help thinking that ,steele and ,addison's ever lively ,spectator1 together with the works of ,mr4 ,john ,weaver1 had considerable effect in rousing the attention of playgoers as to the possibilities of dancing on the stage2 for while there are four papers in ,the ,spectator in which dancing as a social accomplishment is discussed1 ,steele1 in one of them1 makes the interesting suggestion that 8,it would be a great improvement1 as well as embellishment to the theatre1 if dancing were more regarded1 and taught to all the actors02 and another calls special attention to ,an ,essay towards an ,history of ,dancing1 by ,john ,weaver 7a #abmo4 volume published in #agab71 who was also author of a very interesting ,history of ,pantomimes4 ,these literary efforts cannot have been without their influence on current taste in things theatrical4 ,before the appearance of ,the ,spectator1 however1 ,addison had made amusing reference to a dancing-master in one of his papers for ,the ,tatler4 ,the date is #agji4 ,he heads it as written 8,from my own ,apartment1 ,october #ca10 and goes on3 8,i was this morning awakened by a sudden shake of the house2 and as soon as ,i had got a little out of my consternation1 ,i felt another1 which was followed by two or three repetitions of the same convulsion4 ,i got up as fast as possible1 girt on my rapier1 and snatched up my hat1 when my landlady came up to me and told me that the gentlewoman of the next house begged me to step thither1 for that a lodger she had taken in was run mad2 and she desired my advice2 as indeed everybody in the whole lane does upon important occasions10 he slyly adds4 ,with much detail and delightful humour ,addison goes on to describe his adventure1 at greater length than can be given here4 ,suffice it to say that he went in next door and upstairs1 8with my hand upon the hilt of my rapier and approached this new lodger's door4 ,i looked in at the keyhole and there ,i saw a well-made man look with great attention at a book and1 on a sudden1 jump into the air so high that his head almost touched the ceiling4 ,he came down safe on his right foot1 and again flew up1 alighting on his left2 then looked again at his book and1 holding out his right leg1 put it into such a quivering motion that ,i thought he would have shaken it off40 ,eventually1 of course1 he discovers the lodger is a dancing-master1 and on asking to see the book he is studying ,addison 8could not make anything of it40 ,whereupon the matre explains that he had been reading a dance or two 444 8which had been written by one who taught at an academy in ,france10 adding the interesting comment 8that now articulate motions1 as well as sounds1 were expressed by proper characters2 and that there is nothing so common as to communicate a dance by a letter40 ,ultimately ,addison begs him to practise in a ground-room1 and returns to his own residence 8meditating on the various occupations of rational creatures40 ,to return1 however1 to the later publication1 ,the ,spectator1 in which ,addison was also assisted by ,steele and other writers of such varied character as ,motteaux 7debauchee1 tea-merchant and translator of ,don ,quixote71 ,ambrose ,philips 7whom ,swift nicknamed 8,namby ,pamby071 and ,isaac ,watts--the famous hymn-writer4 ,in a comparatively early number a short note introduces in very learned fashion a quaint letter purporting to be from 8some substantial tradesman about #8,change1'0 in which the writer grows querulous over the way in which his daughter 7who 8has for some time been under the tuition of ,monsieur ,rigadoon1 a dancing-master in the city071 has been taught to behave at a ball he takes her to4 ,with some of the dancing the old man is delighted1 as he is with the art generally1 but presently he has to complain3 8,but as the best institutions are liable to corruptions1 so1 sir1 ,i must acquaint you that very great abuses are crept into this entertainment4 ,i was amazed to see my girl handed by and handing young fellows with so much familiarity10 and he finds that fault especially with 8a most impudent step called #8,setting4'0 ,there can be little doubt1 however1 that the good citizen was shocked by a dance that was probably quite innocuous1 and only seemed to suggest a familiarity of behaviour unusual to his prim eyes1 viewing a ball-room for the first time4 ,almost the whole of one issue of ,the ,spectator is taken up with a letter from ,john ,weaver1 to whom ,steele gives a fine advertisement by not only printing the letter in extenso1 but introducing it with sapient comments from himself4 ,one point he makes somewhat recalls to mind the complaint of ,arbeau's young friend1 the law-student ,capriol1 who had grown dusty over his studies4 ,speaking of dancing1 ,steele says3 8,i know a gentleman of great abilities1 who bewailed the want of this part of his education to the end of a very honourable life4 ,he observed that there was not occasion for the common use of great talents2 that they are but seldom in demand2 and that these very great talents were often rendered useless to a man for want of small attainments40 ,one can hardly perhaps consider dancing to-day as a 8small attainment10 however it may have been considered in the reign of ,queen ,anne4 ,weaver's own letter is too long to quote in its entirety1 but ,i cannot refrain from giving at least the following1 since1 while speaking of his own work1 he offers incidentally several peculiarly interesting glimpses as to the state of the art in #agab4 8,,mr4 ,,spectator1 8,since there are scarce any of the arts or sciences that have not been recommended to the world by the pens of some of the professors1 masters1 or lovers of them1 whereby the usefulness1 excellence1 and benefit arising from them1 both as to the speculative and practical part1 have been made public1 to the great advantage and improvement of such arts and sciences2 why should dancing1 an art celebrated by the ancients in so extraordinary a manner1 be totally neglected by the moderns1 and left destitute of any pen to recommend its various excellencies and substantial merit to mankind8 8,the low ebb to which dancing is now fallen is altogether owing to this silence4 ,the art is esteemed only as an amusing trifle2 it lies altogether uncultivated1 and is unhappily fallen under the imputation of being illiterate and #8mechanic4' ,and as ,terence1 in one of his prologues1 complains of the rope-dancers drawing all the spectators from his play2 so may we well say1 that capering and tumbling is now preferred to1 and supplies the place of1 just and regular dancing in our theatres4 ,it is1 therefore1 in my opinion1 high time that someone should come to its assistance and relieve it from the many gross and growing errors that have crept into it1 and overcast its real beauties2 and to set dancing in its true light1 would show the usefulness and elegance of it1 with the pleasure and instruction produced from it2 and also lay down some fundamental rules1 that might so tend to the improvement of its professors1 and information of the spectators1 that the first might be the better enabled to perform1 and the latter rendered more capable of judging what is 7if there be anything7 valuable in this art4 8,to encourage1 therefore1 some ingenious pen capable of so generous an undertaking1 and in some measure to relieve dancing from the disadvantages it at present lies under1 ,i1 who teach to dance1 have attempted a small treatise as an ,essay towards an ,history of ,dancing2 in which ,i have enquired into its antiquity1 origin and use1 and shown what esteem the ancients had for it4 ,i have likewise considered the nature and perfection of all its several parts1 and how beneficial and delightful it is1 both as a qualification and an exercise2 and endeavoured to answer all objections that have been maliciously raised against it4 ,i have proceeded to give an account of the particular dances of the ,greeks and ,romans1 whether religious1 war-like or civil2 and taken particular notice of that part of dancing relating to the ancient stage in which the pantomimes had so great a share4 ,nor have ,i been wanting in giving an historical account of some particular masters excellent in that surprising art2 after which ,i have advanced some observations on the modern dancing1 both as to the stage1 and that part of it so absolutely necessary for the qualification of gentlemen and ladies2 and have concluded with some short remarks on the origin and progress of the character by which dances are writ down1 and communicated to one master from another4 ,if some great genius after this would arise1 and advance this art to that perfection it seems capable of receiving1 what might not be expected from it40 ,all modern students of dancing will be interested especially in the passages ,i have italicised in the foregoing excerpt1 for one gets a significant glimpse as to the state of theatrical dancing 7they had no native ballet7 in ,london during the reign of ,anne2 such a contrast to ,paris1 where ,louis ,,xiv's ,acadmie ,royale de la ,danse was beginning to bring forth 8rare and refreshing0 fruit and the ,ballet was beginning to be understood as a genuine work of art4 8,the art is esteemed only as an amusing trifle60 ,in an earlier paper had not 8,mr4 ,spectator0 introduced the subject with a little apology for dealing at all with a reputedly trivial theme1 and had he not backed himself up with scholarly reference to classic writers on the ,dance1 such as ,lucian8 ,oh6 ,anne6 ,that the art should have been1 in your reign1 8esteemed only as an amusing trifle60 ,and when you might have followed a royal example and1 emulating your contemporary ,louis1 ennobled the art by founding an ,english 8,royal ,academy of ,dancing40 ,well1 ,weaver1 at any rate1 knew that the art was something more than an 8amusing trifle0 when he wrote almost prophetically3 8,if some great genius after this would arise and advance this art to that perfection it seems capable of receiving1 what might not be expected from it40 ,what would he have said had he lived to see the triumphs of ,noverre1 of ,blasis1 and of the ,british1 ,french or the ,russian ,ballet of modern times8 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,a ,,french ,,dancer ,,in ,,eighteenth-,,century ,,london ,we have seen that the state of dancing in ,england was nothing to boast of in the early eighteenth century4 ,we have seen that ,london had not yet what ,paris had had some fifty years--,state-aided ,opera and ,ballet4 ,but the public appreciation of art was there all the same1 and an astute manager of that day was as capable of realising1 quite as well as any modern1 that where there was no home supply it might be profitable to import foreign talent4 ,strange1 is it not1 that there was not then1 any more than to-day1 anyone clever enough1 apparently1 to realise that since foreign talent would prove attractive to a dance and spectacle-loving public 7had not the ,english proved their innate love of spectacle in ,elizabethan times87 it might be less expensive and still more profitable1 to encourage native talent4 ,still that is our way4 ,we let the foreign artist discover ,england1 and then discover the foreign artist4 ,we never seem to discover ourselves4 ,we shirk the horrible revelation that the ,english really are an artistic1 an art-loving nation4 ,but whatsoever the foreigner may have or have had against us1 he can never accuse us of lack of enthusiasm1 of indifference to his efforts to please4 ,in the early eighteenth century--,french actors1 dancers1 and acrobats2 in the later eighteenth and mid-nineteenth--,italian opera singers and ballet2 in the later nineteenth--light ,french ,opera 7at the ,criterion1 ,gaiety and ,opera ,comique72 and in the twentieth--,russian ,opera and ,ballet2 these ,london has had1 and more1 and always greeted with generous praise and enthusiastic approval4 ,whatsoever may be said of the ,english as a nation of 8shopkeepers0 slow to adopt new ideas1 there is nothing small or hesitating about their adoption and praise of foreign art and artists2 and so it was that the delectable ,french dancer ,mlle4 ,marie ,sall1 one of the two chief pupils of the famous ,prvt1 found a warm welcome when she visited ,london in the reign of ,george ,i4 ,mlle4 ,sall1 born in #agjg1 was the daughter of one minor theatrical manager1 niece of another1 and made her first appearance at the age of eleven in an opera-comique by ,le ,sage--author of the lively 8,gil ,blas0--entitled 8,la ,princesse de ,carisme10 at the ,st4 ,laurent ,fair1 in ,paris1 in #agah4 ,she spent the next few years in touring1 or1 when not on tour1 in playing at the ,fair theatres in ,paris4 ,it is just possible that ,watteau may have seen her as a young girl at the ,fair theatres before he died in #agba4 ,that1 however1 though pleasant to contemplate as a possibility1 is less our concern than the circumstances of her dbut1 and her subsequent appearance in ,london4 8,la ,princesse de ,carisme10 a romantic-satirical1 three-act musical comedy1 dealt with the love-affairs and adventures of a ,persian ,prince and his boon companion and 8confident0--,arlequin4 ,there was some charming music in it1 and so great was its success at the theatre of the ,st4 ,laurent ,fair that it was put on at the ,opera in ,paris by ,royal command4 ,by the year #agah1 it will be remembered1 old ,christopher ,rich had died1 leaving his theatre in ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields in ,london to his son ,john ,rich1 who made himself famous and increased his wealth by producing the first pantomimes ever seen in the great metropolis1 which were mounted on the stage with all the attractions of gorgeous scenery and dresses1 grand 8mechanical effects10 appropriate music1 and striking ballets2 the various acts of the spectacle being interspersed with a comic or serio-comic element1 supplied by the eternal love-affairs of ,arlequin and ,columbine4 ,illustration3 ,marie ,sall 7,from an engraving by ,petit after a picture by ,fenouil74 ,this form of entertainment became so popular as to rival seriously the power of ,london's two chief theatres1 ,drury ,lane and ,haymarket1 mainly through ,rich's enterprise in securing all the best opera-singers1 dancers1 acrobats and other performers from the ,continent4 ,in fact1 he may fairly be described as ,london's earliest music-hall manager1 for the entertainment provided at the ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields theatre was much like that of a modern variety house4 ,it was thus he came to engage ,mlle4 ,sall and her brother1 who made their first appearance here as dancers in an ,english comedy1 8,love's ,last ,shift10 in ,october1 #agbe4 ,next year also they appeared in ,london1 and in ,april1 #agbg1 ,mlle4 ,sall was given a complimentary benefit1 in which she and her brother introduced some of their youthful pupils4 ,in that same year she made her dbut at the ,paris ,opera1 where she remained till1 for some obscure reason1 she broke therefrom1 and in ,october returned to ,london1 once more under ,john ,rich's management4 ,the reason for the break may have been that professional jealousy did not give her the place which her talents should have justified2 or may have been over the question of costume-reform1 which was a matter of burning interest to some of the younger spirits in those days4 ,or it may have been merely as the result of managerial changes at the ,opera in #agbh4 ,but whatsoever the reason1 what ,paris lost ,london gained1 and her greatest triumph here came at the end of #agcc1 when she made her first appearance at ,covent ,garden1 following it up with still greater success in the spring of the following year1 when she achieved a striking success in a classic ballet1 8,pygmalion10 in more or less correct costume1 instead of in the absurdly befrilled garb1 with laced cuirasse1 powdered hair and plumed helmets1 which were considered de rigueur on the stage at that absurdly artificial period4 ,marie ,sall was not only a dancer of exquisite lightness and grace1 she was a woman of taste and sense1 and1 forestalling ,noverre's fight on the same ground1 had tried to bring about costume-reform at the ,acadmie ,royale in ,paris1 only to find that those in authority were strong in--authority1 and convention6 ,she rejoiced1 therefore1 in a return to ,london1 that gave her more scope for the expression of her artistic ideas1 and two ballets of her own composition1 8,pygmalion0 7,february1 #agcd7 and 8,bacchus et ,ariane0 7,march1 #agcd71 were mounted with more regard for classic feeling4 ,her appearance in both caused a furore4 ,royalty came to ,covent ,garden on the nights she danced4 ,the whole town flocked to see her1 and numerous duels were fought by ardent young gentlemen who trod on each other's toes when jammed in the crowds that endeavoured to enter the theatre4 ,mlle4 ,sall must have been a woman of character4 ,in a loose era she was cordially detested by her stage colleagues in ,paris for her virtue6 ,it was such a reflection on them that one should not be as they6 ,another aspect of her is revealed in a significant little anecdote4 ,the great ,handel1 having admired her in ,paris1 had offered her three thousand francs to appear at ,covent ,garden1 and specially composed for her a ballet1 8,terpsichore40 ,hearing of this1 ,porpora1 ,handel's great rival and manager of the ,king's ,theatre1 ,haymarket1 promptly offered her three thousand guineas1 and had the tact to suggest that she might accept it as she had not yet signed a contract with ,handel4 ,to which proposal ,sall replied with quiet scorn3 8,and does my word then count for nothing80 ,london was delighted with the novelty of ,mlle4 ,sall's ideas in the production of ,ballet1 and with the personal grace of the young dancer herself4 ,one of the older historians of the dance has described her in the following glowing terms3 8,une figure noble1 une belle taille1 une grce parfaite1 une danse expressive et voluptueuse1 tels taient les avantages de ,mademoiselle ,sall1 la ,taglioni de #agcj40 ,as an influence in the revolution of the ,dance and ,ballet she might perhaps not incorrectly be described as the ,isadora ,duncan of her period4 ,true1 she did not dance barefoot1 but she came to loosen the bonds of tradition1 and to free the spirit of the ,dance from the stiffening conventionalities which had grown up around ,ballet as seen at the ,paris ,opera4 ,in ,london she had greater freedom1 and--greater success2 indeed1 so triumphant was her final season that when she did return to ,paris she was welcomed by ,voltaire with the following verses3 8,les ,amours1 pleurant votre absence1 ,loin de vous s'taient envols2 ,enfin les voil rappels ,dans le sjour de leur naissance40 ,in yet another poem he pays tribute to her virtue in describing her thus3 8,de tous les curs et du sien la matresse1 ,elle alluma des feux qui lui sont inconnus4 ,de ,diane c'est la prtresse ,dansant sous les traits de ,vnus40 ,later there was to come a change and the idealistic young dancer was to be attacked for the very virtues her adoring poets--for ,voltaire was not the only one--had celebrated4 ,her austerity got on the ,parisian nerves6 ,a more modern scribe has pictured her thus3 ,,sall 8,the perfect dance needs music sweet ,as dreams2 seductive1 so the feet ,are led to move as by some spell2 ,or music as of murmuring shell4 ,true dance shows naught of haste or heat1 ,nor trick1 nor any kind of cheat4 ,beauty and ,joy1 twin souls1 should meet ,to make that lovely miracle1 ,the perfect dance4 8,a field of wind-kissed waving wheat2 ,a swaying sea1 scarce waked to greet ,the dawn2 clouds drifting2 these things tell ,what dance may be--if it excel4 ,men said they saw in hers complete1 ,the perfect dance60 ,but if the ,parisians did not quite appreciate her as they should have done at first1 her return to ,paris after her ,london successes was triumphant4 ,her portrait was painted by ,lancret2 her every appearance was greeted with enthusiasm4 ,she remained at the ,opera for some years1 retired therefrom in #agdj1 but made frequent appearances after1 at ,versailles and at ,fontainebleau1 until a few years before her death in #agef4 ,it is interesting to think that her personal dignity had won her the respect1 and her beauteous art the homage of ,london before her qualities came to be recognised in ,paris4 ,it is possibly just the suggestion of austerity about her performance that appealed to the ,london audience4 ,she had a poetic distinction above the average4 ,she was an expressive mime1 and her dancing was marked by supreme refinement1 a magnetic reserve1 a strange suggestion of pictured stillness1 an exquisite simplicity and grace4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,la ,,belle ,,camargo ,some say that ,camargo had no right to be described 8,la ,belle40 ,contemporary accounts of her appearance differ4 ,it was a time when people took sides1 and duelled for their opinions4 ,it is a curious fact that several famous dancers have been of questionable beauty--at least1 as to face1 and when in repose2 for it is another curious thing that no dancer ever did or possibly ever could1 look plain when dancing1 that is1 if dancing really well4 ,the animation or gentle grace of the dance1 whether quick or slow1 seems inevitably to confer a beauty that otherwise might not be apparent4 ,this fact in itself would appear to suggest that in dancing1 as in other arts1 and in life itself1 it is the 8spirit which quickeneth02 and1 where that sufficiently illumines the body1 what the body itself may otherwise be profits little4 ,but if some of her more jealous colleagues may have found ,camargo too dark for their taste--8swarthy10 said some--you may in turn criticise her critics and see for yourself what she was like if you go to view her portrait by ,lancret1 in the ,wallace collection in ,hertford ,house4 ,marie-,anne de ,cupis de ,camargo was born at ,brussels early in ,april1 and baptised in the parish of ,st4 ,nicholas--it is well to be exact in matters of such importance6--on the #aeth of that month1 in #agaj4 ,she was the daughter1 and first child1 of a gentleman who had 8seen better days0--and1 through his daughter1 was to see them again4 ,at the time of her birth he was a teacher of music and dancing1 and was employed by1 or dependent on1 the ,prince de ,ligne4 ,through her father the little dancer claimed descent from an exalted ,roman family1 which from time to time had given a bishop1 an archbishop1 and a cardinal to ,holy ,church2 while on her mother's side she was descended from a famous and ancient ,spanish house4 ,romance was ever ready to find in the earliest years of a popular star predictions of future fame1 and it is probably only romance that tells how ,camargo danced1 on hearing a violin played1 when she was but six months old6 ,it is rather more certain1 though1 that her first lessons were from her father1 and that under his tuition she did well enough1 by the time she was nearly ten1 to deserve the patronage of the ,princesse de ,ligne1 when that lady paid the expenses of some few months' study under the then famous ,mlle4 ,prvt4 ,even so she must have been remarkably precocious1 for before she was eleven she had returned to ,brussels finished enough to achieve a remarkable success on her first appearance4 ,an auspicious dbut was followed by an engagement at ,rouen1 but1 through no fault of ,marie-,anne be it said1 the manager failed4 ,as the ,camargo luck would have it1 however1 there was a new director at the ,acadmie ,royale in ,paris1 by name ,francine1 and from him the little dancer received the welcome chance of appearing at the ,opera1 where she made her ,paris dbut on ,may #eth1 #agbf1 in 8,les ,caractres de la ,danse10 and achieved an instant and emphatic success4 ,over the new-comer the impressionable capital fairly lost its head1 and soon every fashion--shoes1 hats1 fans1 coiffures1 everything--was 8 la ,camargo10 of which craze relics survive1 for even to-day we have ,camargo shoes4 ,such a threatened eclipse of her own popularity not unnaturally made poor ,prvt--now about forty-six1 and having been before the public over twenty years--furiously jealous1 and for the next year or so ,marie-,anne's progress was made difficult by intrigue1 and ere ,paris set its seal of favour on her art by imitating her fashions1 the young dancer had to find herself more than once occupying the comparative obscurity of the 8back row40 ,her chance came1 though1 when one of the famous male dancers1 ,dumoulin1 for some reason failed to make his entry1 and ,camargo1 in a sudden devil-may-care mood1 taking up his cue1 leapt forward and went through his dance with such dazzling brilliance and won such universal acclaim that henceforth any intrigue for the suppression of the youthful artist was impossible1 and it was ,prvt1 not ,marie-,anne1 who eventually had to go4 ,while ,sall--also a pupil of ,prvt--was making a bid for fame in ,london1 ,camargo was taking ,paris by storm1 and creating another of which she was temporarily the unhappy centre4 ,furious at this second obtrusion on the public notice ,mlle4 ,prvt bitterly upbraided her pushing young pupil1 refused to give her any more lessons1 and even to dance with her in an entre in which the ,duchesse de ,berri had asked her to appear4 ,a well-known male dancer of the ,opera1 seeing ,camargo in tears1 said to her3 8,leave this severe and jealous mistress1 who seeks only to mortify you4 ,i will give you lessons1 and will compose the entre which the ,duchesse requires and you shall dance in it40 ,under the careful direction of ,blondi the young dancer--then only sixteen--made rapid progress4 ,she combined noblesse and brilliance of execution1 with grace1 lightness1 and a gaiety which was natural to her--on the stage4 ,one who had seen her described her in the following terms3 8,c'tait une femme d'esprit2 fort gaie sur la scne et fort triste la ville2 qui n'tait ni jolie ni bien faite1 mais lgre1 et la lgret tait alors un mrite fort rare4 ,elle excutait avec une extrme facilit la #8royale' et #8l'entrechat' coup sans frottement44440 ,there was for a little time considerable rivalry between ,sall1 ,camargo and a third young dancer named ,roland1 of whose record history has been neglectful4 ,but the rivalry was testified by an anonymous scribe whose verses may be translated as follow3 8,of ,camargo1 ,roland1 ,sall ,the connoisseurs have much to say6 ,one holds 'tis ,sall's grace that tells1 ,and one--,roland in joy excels4 ,but each is struck by the display ,of nimble steps and daring way ,of ,camargo4 8,equal the balance 'twixt the three ,but were ,i ,paris1 forced to choose1 ,only ,i know ,i could not use ,but crown the dance1 sublime and free1 ,of ,camargo40 ,there was of course the inevitable tribute from ,voltaire1 whose poem1 apart from the ingenuity with which he divides his favours between the rival stars1 is of unusual interest1 since it gives a useful impression of their contrasted styles in apostrophising the dancers thus3 8,ah6 ,camargo1 que vous tes brillante6 ,mais que ,sall1 grand dieux6 est ravissante6 ,que vos pas sont lgers1 et que les siens sont doux6 ,elle est inimitable1 et vous tes nouvelle2 ,les nymphes sautent comme vous ,et les ,grces dansent comme elle40 ,it is all safe praise of course1 but when we separate the qualities one finds that he is only versifying the current opinion--,camargo is 8brillante10 her steps are 8lgers10 and the 8nouvelle0 refers less to her than to the novelty of her steps1 with the clever invention of which she delighted her audience2 and the nymphs1 you observe1 8sautent comme vous10 an appropriate phrase for one whose entrechats amazed a generation to which such things were new4 ,on the other hand1 ,sall was 8ravissante10 her steps were 8doux02 she was 8inimitable10 and 8les ,grces dansent comme elle10 a point of special significance when we recall the historic distinction between the words sauter and danser4 ,voltaire's admiration was not exactly fevered--could the icy 8intellectual0 ever have been that8 ,not so the rest of ,paris4 ,rumour soon gave her countless lovers--as it will a pretty actress to-day8--but history does not record that she succumbed to their protestations4 ,certainly duels were fought on her behalf2 but probably she was unaware that she was the cause2 and certainly she did not provoke them4 ,was she a pretty actress8 ,setting aside the opinion of her feminine contemporaries1 unbiased colleagues thought not4 ,yet painters such as ,lancret1 ,vanloo1 and ,pater sought for the honour of depicting her graceful figure and--was it her face8 ,well1 as to actual features perhaps she was not faultlessly beautiful1 but with that mingled ,italian and ,spanish blood1 even if she were swarthy as some said1 she must have been striking1 temperamental1 full of fire and 8interesting0 as we might say to-day4 ,much of her fascination must have been in expression1 and one feels that she had that quality which often makes a dancer--sheer joy in dancing4 ,illustration3 ,m4 ,ballon and ,mlle4 ,prvt 7,after an engraving reversed in the ,bibliothque de l',opra74 ,illustration3 ,camargo 7,from the painting by ,lancret in the ,wallace ,collection74 ,her style was noted by contemporaries as combining quickness with grace to a degree not previously achieved1 and she won special credit for her invention of new steps4 ,her improvisation of new dances was remarkable1 and it is important to note that she was the first to perform an entrechat1 which1 only for the benefit of non-dancing readers1 may be described as the step in which a dancer actually crosses her feet rapidly while in mid-air4 ,this historic innovation took place in #agcj1 and she could make four crossings2 while eight are said to be as many as any dancer has since performed4 ,another interesting point to note is that until the advent of ,camargo the ballet skirts reached nearly1 or quite1 to the ankles4 ,she was the first to shorten it1 not1 of course1 to the brevity one can only regret has been too often seen since1 but to such degree as to enable the steps to be better seen and the dancer to have greater freedom of movement4 ,her favourite dances were the ,tambourin1 ,gavotte1 and ,rigaudon1 or ,rigadoon1 as it is known in ,english4 ,but for all the shortening of the skirt and the rapidity of her steps1 ,marie-,anne was never accused from departing from modesty1 grace1 and refinement of deportment4 ,a curious personal characteristic was1 that while on the stage she was the incarnation of gaiety1 yet in private life she was for the most part strangely grave1 and even sad2 though1 with all the advantages of talent1 position1 and wealth of which she was possessed1 it might have been expected she should be quite otherwise4 ,no one ever discovered the reason4 ,one imagines it to have been that modern disease1 8the artistic temperament10 and a steady perception of the pitiful fact that all stage triumphs are but transient2 and that1 popular as she might be1 and was1 on her retirement in #agea1 her fame would not long endure after her death1 which actually occurred in #aggj4 ,yet to-day she lives for us in ,lancret's exquisite picture1 for all to see who visit ,hertford ,house4 ,,camargo ,,speaks 8,talk to me not of poor ,prvt1 ,with all her peevish airs and graces2 ,her day is past6 ',tis sad1 ,i know1 ,but then--we cannot all be aces6 ',tis time she learned her proper place is ,a little lower in the pack2 ,for all in favour now my pace is3 ,of ,rigaudons ,i have the knack4 8,though some still like a vogue that's slow1 ,formal1 and stiff1 the present craze is ,all for the dance that has some #8go2' ,and ,minuet enjoys all praises4 ,but yet my dance the more amazes1 ,and none can follow on my #8track1' ,as step with swift step interlaces4 ,of ,rigaudons ,i have the knack4 8,when in my aerial flight ,i go1 ,high leaping1 see the people's faces6 ,how round their eyes begin to grow1 ,and what a shout each one upraises6 ,perchance some jealous girl grimaces4 ,but what of that6 when1 smiling back1 ,i see the one thing she betrays is-- ,of ,rigaudons ,i have the knack6 ,,envoi 8,but oh6 one fear my soul abases4 ,time will some day my fair limbs rack6 ,who then will reck that now the phrase is-- #8,of ,rigaudons ,i have the knack'80 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,vestris ,it is recorded that during one of the many revolts indulged in by the dancers of the ,paris ,opera against managerial control1 which incidentally meant1 of course1 ,state and ,royal control1 some of the leaders were sent to ,fort l',evque--including ,auguste ,vestris4 ,so melodramatically pathetic was the farewell scene with his father1 ,gaetan1 that even his colleagues laughed6 8,go my son10 said le ,diou de la ,danse4 8,this is the most glorious moment of your career4 ,take my carriage1 and ask for the cell which was occupied by my friend the ,king of ,poland4 ,i will meet every expense40 ,and the great ,gaetan is said to have added1 with an air of injured dignity1 that this was the first time in history that there had been 8any difference of opinion between the ,house of ,bourbon and the ,house of ,vestris60 ,what was the--8,house of ,vestris80 ,well1 it was a fairly numerous one1 of which1 so far as our interest is concerned1 ,gaetan was virtually the founder4 ,he had a father it is true1 who1 being employed1 it is believed1 in a ,florentine pawnbroker's1 got into some trouble and with his young family 8cleared0 to ,naples4 ,there being no trains1 8wireless0 or ,scotland ,yard in those days1 they stayed there in safety for a while2 the children1 who had been taught music and dancing1 being made to exercise their talents in that direction for their general support4 ,palermo was the next move1 where two of the girls1 ,marie-,therese and ,violante1 with one of the sons1 ,gaetan1 entered the ,opera4 ,after that they seem to have scattered and travelled over most of cultured ,europe1 appearing now in one opera house1 now in another1 and always deeply engaged in love affairs4 ,it is with their arrival in ,paris1 and with ,gaetan more especially that we now have to do4 ,he was one of the eight children of ,thomas ,vestris and his wife1 ne ,violante-,beatrix de ,dominique ,bruscagli1 but only of three of the family have we much record1 namely1 ,gaetan and the two sisters already mentioned4 ,gaetan-,appolino ,balthazar ,vestris was born at ,florence in ,april1 #agbi1 and in importance--though far from it in physique--was the ,mordkin of his era4 ,there1 however1 the resemblance ceases4 ,he was a little man1 with the biggest ideas of his own talents4 ,but his size did not detract from his merits1 his sheer style as a dancer2 and from all accounts he is to be ranked as one of the finest male dancers the world has ever known4 ,indeed1 it is hardly an exaggeration to say that he is one of the most important factors in the history of the modern dance and that his influence as a teacher is seen to-day in the real classic school1 that is1 the school which is based on ages of tradition4 ,for ,gaetan was in his time the supreme leader of the ,dance1 and undoubtedly gave a new standard and tradition to ,paris1 the influence of which spread to every ,opera ,house on the ,continent4 ,he is a link in a chain4 ,one of the first dancing masters to assist ,louis ,,xiv in establishing his ,royal ,academy of ,music and ,dance--and modern theatrical dancing dates from that event--was ,beauchamps1 whose pupil was 8the great0 ,dupr4 ,he taught ,gaetan ,vestris4 ,gaetan in turn taught his son ,auguste1 of whom1 in his later years1 ,carlotta ,grisi was a pupil1 and there may be some to-day who have studied under pupils of ,carlotta ,grisi1 who herself died comparatively recently4 ,according to a contemporary biographer ,gaetan made his dbut at the ,royal ,academy of ,music and ,dance 8sans retribution10 in #agdh2 entered there for study in #agdi1 became a solo dancer in #agea1 a ,member of the ,acadmie ,royale de ,danse in #agec2 matre de ballet in #agfa until #aggj1 and composer and master of ,ballet from that year until #aggf4 ,from time to time he visited ,stuttgart--as the ,russian dancers to-day have visited ,london--in vacation1 and in the theatre there under the direction of that master of ballet-composition and stage reformer1 ,jean ,georges ,noverre1 found greater scope for his artistic abilities than in the more conventional work of the ,paris ,opera4 ,we have seen that by her invention of new and rapid steps1 ,camargo infused new life into the technique of theatrical dancing some years before the rise of ,gaetan ,vestris to supremacy4 ,he1 in turn1 came to bring a new influence mainly in the direction of a certain largeur of movement and gesture1 a certain grandiosity1 as well as setting a new standard in perfection of execution4 ,a contemporary critic declared3 8,when ,vestris appeared at the ,opera one really believed it was ,apollo who had come to earth to give lessons in grace4 ,he perfected the art of the ,dance1 gave more freedom to the #8positions' already known1 and created new ones40 ,undoubtedly he learnt much from ,noverre1 even as the latter had learnt much from ,david ,garrick4 ,noverre conceived the idea of creating the dance with action1 in short1 the ballet-pantomime2 at least its creation was claimed1 and by some of his contemporaries1 attributed to him2 though we have seen that he had forerunners in the ,duchesse du ,maine1 and1 too1 in ,sall1 who was an ardent stage-reformer and seems to have influenced ,noverre4 ,but it was the latter who took practical steps towards instituting the real ballet in action1 the true ballet-pantomime as we have seen it to-day4 ,up to this time1 opera-ballet had had a somewhat rigid form3 there were music1 singing and dancing2 but the dances were detached items in the general effect4 ,the regulation form was3 passe-pieds in the prologue2 musettes in the first act2 tambourins in the second2 chaconnes and passacailles in the third and fourth4 ,in all this it was not the plot of the opera which decided the introduction of the dances1 but quite other considerations1 such as the particular excellence of particular dancers in their special dances--the best performers usually appearing last4 ,it was routine1 not the action of the story by which these things were ordered2 and the poet who had provided the plot1 the musician who had composed the music1 the costumier and scenic artist1 and even the ballet master1 each worked detachedly1 without regard to consultation and cooperation towards an artistic unity of effect4 ,the lines had been set1 the routine laid down for all time2 any deviation therefrom seemed impossible1 a thing vainly imagined only by a heretic1 who could not hope to win in a fight against the established form and authority of the ,opera4 ,yet the reformation came4 ,noverre1 the reformer1 found in ,gaetan ,vestris a technical exponent who responded to his influence2 and in ,dauberval1 another2 and at ,stuttgart the time and place for artistic experiment4 ,it is to this triumvirate that credit was given in their own time for the reform of the scne chorgraphique1 a reform which had to struggle against and overcome tradition1 prejudice1 ignorance and the obstinacy of authority4 ,slow progress was made at first4 ,stuttgart had its effect1 but the ,paris ,opera still clung to the bizarre accessories which were then regarded as inherent to the dignity of the theatre--the masks1 under which the faces were hidden1 the towering wigs by which the heads were bowed2 the absurd panniers2 the puffed skirts2 the great breastplates1 all forming the heroic panoply by which the leading histrions were known for hero and heroine1 and traces of which may be found in those spangled figures beloved of our grandfathers and grandmothers in their childhood1 during the first half of last century4 ,illustration3 ,gaetan ,vestris 7,from an old print74 ,gaetan ,vestris was the first dancer who dared to discard that absurd convention--the mask1 and so reveal that expressive play of feature which made acted ballet possible4 ,this was in #aggj1 when he appeared in a ballet-pantomime on the story of ,medea and ,jason4 ,he astonished the audience by the dramatic force of his miming and by the nobility of his physiognomical expression4 ,one critic wrote3 8,le mrite particulier de ,vestris1 c'tait la grce1 l'lgance et la dlicatesse4 ,tous ses pas avaient une puret1 un fini dont on ne peut se faire une ide aujourd'hui et ce n'est pas sans quelque raison qu'on compare son talent celui de ,racine40 ,for all his artistic talent as dancer and mime1 however1 ,gaetan was practically illiterate2 ignorant of all save the art in which he excelled2 and his conceit was colossal4 ,one day1 when he was coming from a rehearsal at the ,opera1 a somewhat ample lady happened1 in passing1 to tread rather heavily on one of his feet4 ,in deep concern she apologised profusely1 and expressed an earnest hope that she had not seriously hurt him4 8,hurt me1 ,madam60 he answered4 8,me8 ,you have merely put all ,paris into mourning for a fortnight60 ,his pride in his son was stupendous1 and he once declared that1 8,if ,auguste occasionally descends to touch the earth it is merely out of consideration for the feelings of less talented colleagues40 ,as to himself1 on one occasion he volunteered the assertion that his century had produced but three really great men--,frederick the ,great1 ,voltaire and himself6 ,of the many susceptible ladies who succumbed to the questionable fascination of this 8,diou de la ,danse0--as in his ,italianate-,french he called himself--the most notable--apart from his legitimate wife1 the beautiful danseuse ,heinel1 whom he married in #ageb--was ,mlle4 ,allard4 ,born of poor and none too honest parents1 ,marie ,allard first drew breath on ,august #adth1 #agdb1 at ,marseilles1 where at an early age she entered the local theatre4 ,on the death of her mother1 she decided to leave a disreputable father and made her way to ,lyons1 where she found another not very brilliant theatrical engagement4 ,at the age of fourteen1 tiring of ,lyons1 she set out to win fame in ,paris1 where she entered the ,comdie ,franaise4 ,in the course of time1 she came to know ,gaetan ,vestris1 and with him she studied dancing4 ,she made her dbut at the ,opera in ,june1 #agfa1 and delighted the audience with the verve1 grace and gaiety of her dancing4 ,though she shone especially in comedy1 she was noted as a clever actress in tragedy2 and while 8,sylvie10 in the comedy-ballet of that name1 was one of her most successful parts1 she is said to have moved beholders to tears by her performance in ,noverre's 8,medea40 ,in the lighter rles1 however1 she was especially popular1 and from the moment of her entre 7she was the only dancer at the ,opera who was allowed to compose her own entres1 not edible67 her gaiety of manner was such as almost to eclipse the real talent displayed in her dancing4 ,unfortunately1 her public career came to a close all too soon for her admirers1 from a cause which even she with all her agility and incessant exercise1 was unable to control--a tendency to embonpoint6 ,she retired in #agha1 and died in #ahjb2 not before she had seen the success of her and ,gaetan ,vestris' son1 ,auguste1 who1 known as ,vestr'-,allard1 seemed to combine within him the respective choreographic perfections of mother and father4 ,gaetan ,vestris1 having retired in #aghb1 lived until #ahjh1 and rejoiced to see his son acknowledged as supreme4 ,on him he graciously conferred the title of ,le ,diou de la ,danse2 and he declared that it was1 after all1 only natural that ,auguste should excel1 since the young man possessed one advantage over himself--he 8had ,gaetan for his father60 ,auguste1 or ,marie-,auguste1 to give his full name1 was born at ,paris in #agfj4 ,he made his dbut at the age of twelve in a divertissement entitled 8,cinquantaine0 with a chaconne1 which he danced in a manner such as had never been seen4 ,in #aggc he made a strikingly successful appearance as ,eros in the ballet of 8,endymion20 and though already recognised as a master he entered the ,academy school in #agge and the ,opera in the following year4 ,for some time he accepted subordinate rles1 but gradually his consummate ability in all he undertook brought him forward1 and as he became more and more the pet of the ladies of the ,opera and the admiration of its patrons he began to develop his father's traits1 especially conceit4 ,on one occasion the ,director1 de ,vismes1 annoyed at some impertinence of the young man1 said1 8,monsieur ,vestris1 do you know to whom you speak80 8,yes10 ,auguste replied1 8to the farmer of my talent40 ,it says much for that talent that his appearance at the ,opera during some thirty-five years1 under ,louis-,seize1 the ,republic and the ,empire1 largely accounted for its prosperity in those amazing times4 ,he had his father's grace1 precision1 suppleness1 and style1 but more spirit and vivacity2 a greater gift of mime2 and was as good in genre as in the nobler rles4 ,he paid several visits to ,london1 always with success4 ,he married in #agie1 a young dancer1 ,anne-,catherine ,augier1 who had made her dbut at the ,opera two years before under the nom de thtre of ,aime1 but his infatuation for her modesty and charm and many good qualities did not last any longer than had his other infatuations for worse qualities in less desirable ladies1 and his infidelities led her to attempt suicide1 with results that left her more or less an invalid until death put an end to her unhappy existence in #ahji4 ,auguste ,vestris himself died in #ahdb1 and left one son ,auguste-,armand4 ,he made his dbut at the ,opera1 as did a cousin1 ,charles ,vestris1 both being pupils of ,auguste2 and both went abroad2 but neither added greater brilliance to the family name than had been achieved for it by first ,gaetan1 and then ,auguste1 the first and most distinguished upholders of the ,house of ,vestris4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,jean ,,georges ,,noverre ,supreme above all other writers on the dance and ballet is ,jean ,georges ,noverre1 whose genius has been praised by ,diderot1 ,voltaire1 by ,d',alembert1 ,dorat1 and by ,david ,garrick1 the last of whom described him as 8the ,shakespeare0 of the dance4 ,born at ,paris in ,april1 #agbg1 he was the son of a distinguished ,swiss soldier1 who had served as an adjutant in the army of ,charles ,,xii1 and intended his son for a military career4 ,jean1 however1 early developed a passion for the stage1 and especially for dancing1 so was apprenticed by his father to the famous ,parisian dancer and matre de ballet1 ,dupr4 ,in ,august1 #agdc1 young ,noverre made his dbut at the ,court of ,louis-,quinze in a fte at ,fontainebleau1 but with only moderate success4 ,not discouraged1 however1 he went a little later to the ,court of ,berlin1 where he became a favourite with ,frederick the ,great and his brother1 ,prince ,henry of ,prussia4 ,he returned to ,france in #agdg1 and two years later obtained the post of matre de ballet at the ,opra ,comique1 where the success of his 8,ballet ,chinois0 aroused considerable jealousy among his colleagues and brought him some distinction in the art world4 ,but the success was not great enough for his ambitious spirit1 and he again travelled1 and did not return to ,paris for nearly twenty years4 ,noverre and such are seldom recognised as prophets in their own country1 until their genius has received recognition abroad4 ,as ,castil-,blaze1 the historian of opera in ,france1 has neatly expressed it3 8,noverre and the two ,gardels effected in the dance the same revolution that ,gluck and ,sacchini achieved some years later in ,french music40 ,but ,noverre was unable to do this as a young man in ,paris fighting against the sheer dead weight of convention and hide-bound authority4 ,he was unable to do it until he had won his laurels abroad4 ,sall1 one of the most exquisite and 8intellectual0 of danseuses1 had left ,paris for a more appreciative audience in ,london because the ,paris ,opera disliked her attempts to discard the ridiculous conventions of stage costumes then ruling and to 8reform it altogether0 in favour of something more congruous4 ,noverre visioned to himself a theatre devoted to a kind of ballet as different from that he saw in ,paris1 as the ,russian ballet we have seen to-day differs from that which ,london had seen in the 'thirties of last century2 a ballet that should be informed by a technique so perfect as to be unobtrusive1 and combining the arts of dance1 pantomime1 music and poesy into a new1 subtle1 resourceful and comprehensive means of artistic expression4 ,he wanted to see swept away all the mechanical rules of ballet composition1 the stereotyped and unimaginative story1 the conventional arrangement of stage groups1 the stilted 8heroic0 style of the dancers1 the formal sequence of their entres1 and above all1 the bizarrerie of their masks1 their panniers and helmets with waving1 funereal plumes4 ,he wanted to infuse a new spirit of art and efficiency into what he found about him and--he had to go elsewhere6 ,an invitation from the ,duke of ,wrtemberg to become matre de ballet at the luxurious ,court of ,stuttgart gave him his chance1 and he founded here the school which was to influence ,european ,ballet in that and the successive generation1 as the school of ,petrograd seemed like to do to-day4 ,the publication of his ,lettres sur la ,danse et sur les ,ballets1 in #agfj1 dedicated by permission to this same ,duke of ,wrtemberg and ,teck1 caused a sensation among dancers in ,paris and other capitals1 and having produced ballets in ,berlin1 ,london 7#agee71 ,lyons 7#ageh71 and ,stuttgart1 he was reintroduced to ,paris by ,vestris 7who had been in the habit of visiting ,stuttgart every year to dance during his vacations7 in #agfe1 when he achieved a success with his tragic ballet of 8,medea40 ,later he was to visit ,vienna1 to superintend the ftes on the occasion of the marriage of the ,archduchess ,caroline 7,queen of ,naples71 produce there a dozen ballets1 and become appointed ,director of ,court ftes and ,matre de ,danse to the ,empress ,maria ,theresa and ,imperial ,family1 the ,empress heaping favours upon him and granting a lieutenancy to his son4 ,from ,vienna he went to the ,court of ,milan1 where he was created ,chevalier of the ,order of the ,cross2 then to the ,courts of ,naples and ,lisbon2 then to ,london1 and finally again to ,paris1 in #agge1 on the invitation of his old pupil1 ,marie ,antoinette1 who made him ,matre des ,ballets en ,chef at the ,imperial ,academy of ,music1 and ,director of the ftes at the ,petit ,trianon2 finally retiring at the outbreak of the ,french ,revolution1 to ,london1 where it is possible--or1 at any rate1 in ,england--some of his descendants may yet be living4 ,a translation of these wonderful ,lettres sur la ,danse et sur les ,ballets was published in ,london in #aghj1 and was dedicated to the then ,prince of ,wales1 later ,george ,,iv4 ,in the preface the anonymous translator says3 8,the works of ,monsieur ,noverre1 especially the following letters1 have been translated into most of the ,european languages and thought worthy of a distinguished place in the libraries of the literati40 ,to which1 let me add1 they should be so thought to-day1 at least in their original ,french form1 for they are of uncommon interest and literary charm4 ,in the somewhat stiff manner of the ,english of the late ,georgian period1 his translator remarks of ,noverre's work in the original3 8,his manner of writing is chaste1 correct and elegant2 perfectly master of his subjects1 he treats of them with the utmost perspicuity2 and by the connection which he proves to exist between the other arts1 and that of dancing1 the author lays down rules and precepts for them all2 so that the poet1 the painter and the musician may be greatly benefited by the perusal of his works40 ,the translator follows with a short history of dancing1 and three extremely interesting epistles to ,noverre from the great ,voltaire1 in the first of which1 apropos the publication of ,noverre's ,lettres1 he says3 8,i have read1 sir1 your work of genius3 my gratitude equals my esteem4 ,you promise only to treat of dancing1 and you shed a light on all the arts4 ,your style is as eloquent as your ballet is imaginative40 ,in another he remarks3 8,i have for admiring you1 a reason personal to myself2 it is that your works abound with poetical images4 ,poets and painters shall vie with each other to have you ranked with them40 ,again he says3 8,i am surprised that you have not been offered such advantages as might have kept you in ,france2 but that time is no more when ,france sets the example to all ,europe02 but elsewhere remarks1 curiously enough3 8,i believe that your merit will be fully recognised in ,england1 for there they love ,nature40 ,illustration3 ,jean ,georges ,noverre ,it was just this love of ,nature and 8natural0 acting which brought ,noverre and ,garrick together in mutual admiration and friendship1 to the latter of whom1 by the way1 the ,french matre pays the highest tribute in his tenth letter4 ,to turn1 however1 to the first3 8,poetry1 painting and dancing are1 or ought to be1 the faithful copy of ,nature 444 a ballet is a piece of painting1 the scene is the canvas2 in the mechanical motions of the figures we find the colours 444 the composer himself is the painter4 8,ballets have hitherto been the faint sketch only of what they might one day be4 ,an art entirely subservient1 as this is1 to taste and genius1 may receive daily variations and improvements4 ,history1 painting1 mythology1 poetry1 all join to raise it from that obscurity in which it lies buried2 and it is truly surprising that composers have hitherto disdained so many valuable resources4444 ,if ballets are for the most part uninteresting and uniformly dull1 if they fail in their characteristic expression which constitutes their very essence1 the defect does not originate from the art itself1 but should be ascribed to the artists4 ,are then the latter to be told that dancing is an imitative art8 ,i am indeed inclined to think that they know it not1 since we daily see the generality of composers sacrifice the beauties of the dance and forego the graceful navet of sentiment1 to become servile copyists of a certain number of figures known and hackneyed for a century or more4444 ,it is uncommon and next to impossible now to find invention in ballets1 elegance in the forms1 neatness in the groups1 or the requisite precision in the means of introducing the various figures40 8,ballet masters should consult the productions of the most eminent painters4 ,this would bring them nearer to ,nature and induce them to avoid as often as possible that symmetry of figures which1 by repeating the object1 presents two separate pictures on one and the same canvas4 ,a ballet1 perfect in all its parts1 is a picture drawn from life1 of the manners1 dresses1 ceremonies and customs of the various nations4 ,it must be a complete panto-mime and through the eyes speak1 as it were1 to the very soul of the spectator4 ,if it wants expression1 if it be deficient in point of situation and scenery1 it degenerates into a mere spectacle1 flat and monotonous4 8,this kind of composition will not admit of mediocrity2 like the art of painting it requires a degree of perfection the more difficult to attain in that it is subordinate to a true imitation of ,nature1 and that it is next to an impossibility to achieve that all-subduing truth which conceals the illusion from the spectator1 carries him1 as it were1 to the very spot where the scene lies2 and inspires him with the same sentiments as he must experience1 were he present at the events which the artist only represents4 8,ballets1 being regular representations1 ought to unite the various parts of the drama4 ,most of the subjects1 adapted to the dancer1 are devoid of sense1 and exhibit only a confused jumble of scenes1 equally unmeaning and unconnected2 yet it is in general absolutely necessary to confine oneself within certain rules4 ,the historical part of a ballet must have its exposition1 its incidents1 its dnouement4 ,the success of this kind of entertainment chiefly depends on choosing good subjects1 and dealing with them in a proper manner40 ,the above brief quotations are all of interest as bearing on particular points in dancing and ballet-composition1 but ,i cannot refrain from giving one more and a lengthier excerpt1 the sound common sense of which applies to-day and will appeal to all modern dancers who realise that the finest opportunities of displaying their skill are1 and can only be1 found in ballets worthy of their art4 8,every ballet10 he says1 8complicated and extensive in its subject1 which does not point out1 with clearness and perspicuity1 the action it is intended to represent1 the intrigue of which is unintelligible1 without a program or printed explanation3 a ballet1 in fine1 whose plan is not felt1 and appears deficient in point of exposition1 incident and dnouement2 such a ballet1 ,i say1 will never rise1 in my opinion1 above a mere divertissement of dancing1 more or less commendable from the manner in which it is performed4 ,but it cannot affect me much1 since it bears no particular character1 and is devoid of expression4 8,it may be objected that dancing is now in so improved a state that it may please1 nay1 enchant without the accessory ornaments of expression and sentiment4444 ,i readily acknowledge that1 as to mechanical execution1 the art has attained the highest degree of perfection3 ,i shall even confess that it sometimes is graceful3 but gracefulness is but a small portion of the qualities it requires4 8,what ,i call the mechanical parts of dancing are the steps linked to each other with ease and brilliancy1 the aplomb1 steadiness1 activity1 liveliness1 and a well-directed opposition between the arms and legs4 ,when all these parts are managed without genius1 when the latter does not direct these different motions1 and animate them by the fire of sentiment and expression2 ,i feel neither emotion nor concern4 ,the dexterity of the dancer obtains my applause2 ,i admire the automaton1 but ,i experience no further sensation4 ,it has upon me the same effect as the most beautiful line1 whose words are uncouthly set asunder1 producing sound1 not sense4 ,as for instance1 what would a reader feel at hearing the following detached words3 ,fame-lives-in-dies-he-cause-who-in-virt ue's8 ,yet these very words aptly joined by the man of genius1 by ,shakespeare1 express the noblest sentiment3 #8,he lives in ,fame who dies in ,virtue's cause4' 8,from the above comparison we may fairly conclude that the art of ,dancing has in itself all that is necessary to speak the best language1 but that it is not enough to be acquainted only with its alphabet4 ,let the man of genius put the letters together1 form the words1 and from these produce regular sentences2 the art shall no longer be mute1 but speak with true energy1 and the ballets will share with the best dramatic pieces the peculiar advantage of exciting the tenderest feelings2 nay1 of receiving the tribute of a tear2 while1 in a less serious style1 this art will please1 entertain and charm the spectators4 ,dancing thus ennobled by the expression of sentiment1 and under the direction of a man of true genius1 will1 in time1 obtain the praises which the enlightened world bestows on poetry and painting1 and become entitled to the rewards with which the latter are daily honoured40 ,the closing lines of the above are so curiously prophetic one questions whether we have not already reached the period when an 8enlightened world0 bestows on dancing--at any rate on dancers--the 8rewards0 with which poetry and painting have been 7or ought to have been7 hitherto honoured4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,guimard ,,the ,,grand3 #agdc-ahaf ,for some thirty of ,madeleine ,guimard's seventy-three years of life she was the idol of ,paris1 having risen from obscurity to power1 and returned again from a joyous life set in high places to a lonely death in obscurity4 ,authorities differ1 as authorities so often do over the advent of new stars in the firmament of life1 as to the date of ,guimard's birth4 ,one says the #bnd1 and another the #ajth1 and yet a third the #bjth of ,october4 ,edmond de ,goncourt--not infallible on other points--gives the date of her baptism correctly as ,december #bgth1 #agdc4 ,she made her dbut before the ,parisian public when she was about sixteen1 at the ,comdie ,franaise4 ,she was received into the ,academy in #agfb1 at the age of nineteen1 and at a salary of six hundred livres4 ,in face she was not beautiful2 some have described her even as ugly4 ,she certainly had not ,sophie ,arnould's shrewish wit1 though she had humour2 but her gestures1 her face1 above all her expressive eyes spoke eloquently1 her dancing seemed ever the true and spirited expression of sentiments really felt1 and in whatsoever rle she was always brilliant1 entrancing4 ,she had that glamour which makes up for lack of looks1 and had1 too1 caprice of mood and a commanding manner1 both qualities which susceptible men find adorable4 ,her historians have not always been kind4 ,a contemporary wrote3 8,la ,guimard a des caprices entre nous4 ,on ne peut compter sur elle4444 ,son arrogance n'a pas de nom4444 ,ce que la ,guimard veut1 bon gr1 mal gr1 il faut qu'on le veuille40 ,and there you have it6 8,what ,guimard wishes1 willy-nilly one must wish40 ,that is a touch that tells2 the words ring true4 ,intriguing1 capricious--masterful6 ,what wonder1 then1 that she came to rise by her own buoyancy1 of manner and morals1 and sought the rarefied1 but1 in the days of ,louis ,,xv1 far from inaccessible atmosphere of ,court circles4 ,guimard made her dbut at the ,opera in ,may1 #agfb1 as ,terpsichore in a ballet called 8,les ,caractres de la ,danse10 and achieved a triumph4 ,from that time until she retired from the stage she was practically without a rival in the affections of the ,parisian audiences4 ,one testimony to her popularity is found in the promptitude with which she was nicknamed4 ,guimard1 if not beautiful in face1 had1 nevertheless1 a beautiful figure1 was quite unusually graceful1 carried herself nobly1 was altogether a commanding and magnetic personage1 but for all her beauty of figure ,guimard was amazingly slim4 ,seeing her in a classical ballet dancing as a nymph between two fauns--impersonated by the celebrated male-dancers ,vestris pre and ,dauberval--,sophie ,arnould said it reminded her of 8two dogs fighting for a bone40 ,another of her footnotes on ,guimard was her description of her as 8,le ,squelette des ,grces10 which also had the saving grace of being partly a compliment1 and it was by this nickname that ,madeleine was generally known throughout ,paris4 ,to judge from this insistence on ,madeleine's thinness one might imagine that she could not be as attractive1 certainly hardly as graceful as has been said4 ,but such nicknames are1 though emphasising some special characteristic1 usually only marks of popularity1 and that ,guimard really was graceful can be gathered from the summing-up of ,noverre who had seen her dance for years and knew1 as only a great ballet-master could1 what he was talking about when he said that 8444 from her dbut to her retirement she was always graceful1 naturally so4 ,she never ran after difficulties4 ,a lovable and noble simplicity reigned in her dance2 she designed it with perfect taste1 and put expression and sentiment into all her movements40 ,of her performance in ,gardel's ballet1 8,la ,chercheuse d',esprit10 in which she played the title-rle1 a contemporary wrote that 8her eloquent silences surpassed the vivid1 easy and seductive diction of ,mme4 ,favart20 and he mentions one point that is of interest when he remembers that the struggle that ,noverre had had to achieve some reform of costume on the opera-stage1 namely1 that ,guimard1 8following the example of ,mme4 ,favart1 discarded the panniers and the cuirasse of conventional costume40 ,in the ballet of 8,les ,ftes de l',hymen et de l',amour10 in #agff1 ,guimard had the misfortune to have one of her arms broken by a piece of falling scenery4 ,such was her place in public regard even at this time1 that a ,mass was said at ,notre-,dame for her recovery4 ,it was not long after success came to her that ,guimard accepted the protection of the notorious ,prince de ,soubise4 ,one of her first acquisitions1 in #agfh1 was a superb residence at ,pantin1 just outside ,paris1 which was decorated by ,fragonard4 ,it was visited by everybody who was anybody1 for1 apart from the charms of its mistress1 there was a theatre in the mansion1 where entertainments of a very special kind were staged1 little poetic trifles or risky comedies1 which while delighting a circle of appreciative connoisseurs would not have been staged in the ordinary way1 as being caviare to the general4 ,the place at ,pantin1 however1 did not suffice the exigent ,madeleine1 and a town-house was taken also in the ,chausse d',antin1--next to that of ,sophie ,arnould by the way--where another theatre was built and where even more festive entertainments were provided1 a theatre which could seat five hundred persons 7only present by invitation7 which received the name of ,the ,temple of ,terpsichore4 ,it was designed by the architect ,ledoux1 decorated by ,fragonard1 who did numerous lovely panels in which ,guimard appeared2 and by ,david1 then a youthful assistant1 whom ,madeleine's generous aid is said to have sent to ,rome for the furtherance of his art education4 ,here in the course of time all ,paris came4 ,here ,guimard held her famous receptions--three a week1 to the first of which were invited members of the ,court circles1 the aristocracy of the aristocracy2 to the second--artists1 actors1 actresses1 musicians1 poets1 the aristocracy of the world of intellect2 to the third--all the polished rakes and rous1 with their attendant ,phrynes1 the aristocracy of vice4 ,there seem to have been wild times in the ,chausse d',antin ,htel1 and some of ,madeleine's private theatrical productions must have been worthy of tottering ,rome4 ,well might discreet ,abbs1 and reputedly virtuous ladies of the ,court hide behind the curtains of the darkened and mysterious boxes with which her theatre was provided4 ,not be seen while seeing was their only chance to retain a virtuous reputation6 ,it was now doubtless that after having long danced le genre srieux1 ,guimard abandoned it as one record says for the genre mixte1 and was 8inimitable0 in 8les ballets ,anacrontiques60 ,one example of the sort of dramatic fare ,madeleine was giving her guests on occasion at ,pantin1 or at the ,chausse d',antin residence1 will suffice4 ,in #agba at the ,chteau of ,st4 ,cloud1 in the presence of the ,duc d',orlans as ,regent1 there had been given a ballet called 8,les ,ftes d',adam40 ,some of her friends suggested that ,madeleine should go one better and produce a ballet on a classic subject with herself as ,venus rising from the sea4 ,but the ,archbishop of ,paris got news of the affair and managed to nip the suggestion in the bud4 ,perhaps it was never seriously intended2 it may have been 8merely a suggestion--nothing more40 ,one of her first lovers was ,delaborde the financier1 poor only as an amateur musician1 who directed her theatre at ,pantin till it was closed in #aggj2 and only of greater importance in her life1 financially1 was ,soubise4 ,but ,madeleine had a particular penchant for bishops it seems1 and incidentally some of her later and most devoted friends were ,de ,jarente1 ,bishop of ,orleans1 ,de ,choiseul1 the ,archbishop of ,cambrai1 and ,desnos1 ,bishop of ,verdun4 ,the first-named of these clerical worthies had the disposal of a whole sheaf of livings1 that is to say1 he was supposed to have1 but it was really ,madeleine who allotted them--abbeys1 priories1 chapels and so forth4 ,she did not forget her friends1 and ,de ,jarente found himself unable to resist4 8,what ,guimard wishes one must wish60 ,it was this allotment of the bishops' feuille des bnfices which drew from ,sophie ,arnould the whimsical remark that 8,ce petit ver soie 7,guimard7 devrait tre plus gras4 ,elle ronge une si bonne feuille40 ,another favour which1 through the ,prince de ,soubise1 ,madeleine was able to dispense among her friends was permission to hunt in the ,royal forests1 and it led to trouble on more than one occasion--her friends were so much of a genre mixte4 ,but if men were weak where ,guimard was concerned1 there is no need to consider her as infamous4 ,there is so often a tendency among chroniclers to consider that because a pretty woman1 with every inducement to succumb to temptation1 had a 8protector10 all her men friends found her equally ready to receive their attentions4 ,nothing could be more unjust4 ,there may have been reasons why ,madeleine did not marry sooner than she did1 and she may not have been quite that paragon of virtue our present time prefers1 but in an age notorious for its callousness and cruelty as well as for its moral laxity she was distinguished as a woman not merely of fascination but of good heart and generous impulses4 ,did not one writer say of her that 8,en quittant le thtre1 cette virtuose emporta le genre agrable avec elle80 ,did not ,marmontel1 referring to her well-known acts of charity1 write of her the poem beginning3 8,est-il bien vrai1 jeune et belle damne ,que1 du thtre embelli par tes pas1 ,tu vas chercher dans le froid galetas1 ,l'humanit plaintive abandonne80 ,did not a preacher speak of her in the pulpit as 8,magdalen not yet repentant1 but already charitable80 and add1 too1 that 8,the hand which gives so well will not be refused when knocking at the gates of ,paradise80 ,and why8 ,because all who were in trouble had but to turn to ,guimard for help--poor players1 artists1 poets1 all4 ,because1 though every year she received a handsome present from ,soubise1 one year1 in #agfh1 when the winter had dealt cruelly with the ,paris poor1 she begged that instead of sending her jewellery1 the ,prince would send her the equivalent in money1 and when she received it she added more1 and herself went to all the poor folk in her neighbourhood and fed the starving2 went unostentatiously1 from simple good-heartedness and sympathy2 and it was the populace who spoke of it1 not she4 ,she had her foibles1 her little vanities perhaps1 as when at ,longchamps one summer she appeared in an equipage most gorgeously embellished with somewhat startling arms--mistletoe growing out of a gold mark1 which glowed in the middle of a shield1 the ,graces serving as supports1 with a group of ,cupids as a crown4 ,guimard could be jealous on occasion4 ,a ,mlle4 ,dervieux1 appearing as a singer at the ,academy without success1 had the audacity to reappear as a dancer and triumph4 ,this ,madeleine would possibly not have minded1 but her own pet poet ,dorat celebrated ,mlle4 ,dervieux's success in verse1 and this poetic infidelity was more than ,madeleine could stand1 with the consequence that all the pamphleteers of ,paris were forthwith ranged on sides and a paper war took place between the rival supporters of the two fair dancers1 characters were torn to rags1 and in the course of time the battle burnt itself out1 as such usually do1 without anyone being seriously the worse4 ,strangely enough it was just at this time that ,guimard herself elected to make an appearance as a singer4 ,when there was a revival of some of the old pieces in the repertoire of the ,royal ,academy1 including 8,les ,ftes d',hb ou les ,talents ,lyriques10 for which ,rameau had written the music1 ,guimard appeared in this as ,aglaia1 one of the three ,graces--8with song and dance10 as one might say to-day4 ,but it was1 as so often the case in modern days1 only the charm of the dance that made it possible to forgive the disillusion of the song1 for ,madeleine's voice was thin and hard4 ,it was as a dancer and always as a dancer that ,guimard excelled4 ,it was as a dancer she won her chief successes in the ballets 8,la ,chercheuse d',esprit0 7#aggh71 8,ninette la ,cour0 7#aggh71 8,mirza0 7#aggi71 8,la ,rosire0 7#aghd7 and 8,le ,premier ,navigateur0 7#aghe71 all of which1 by the way1 were by ,maximilien ,gardel4 ,of her work in these one historian has written3 8,her dance was always noble1 full of life1 light1 expressive and voluptuous2 her acting nave1 gay1 piquante1 tender and pathetic40 ,connoisseurs reproached her at times for having grown a little 8mannered10 but she always preserved in her dance that finish1 even preciosity1 and those delicate nuances of style of which later times have proved the rarity4 ,it was as a dancer she had the good fortune to please the ,king who1 always a generous patron of the arts--with the nation's money6--gave her for one dance she performed before him and the ,queen1 a pension of six thousand livres a year1 giving at the same time a pension of one thousand a year to the man who danced with her1 ,despraux1 who later became her husband4 ,this pension came to her the year following her appearance in 8,le ,premier ,navigateur10 in #aghf1 apparently just at a time she was much in need of money4 ,one may believe that ,madeleine's impulsive generosity had helped to bring about that need1 as well as her known extravagance4 ,for one thing1 apart from her being ready to assist less fortunate artists1 she had been the prime mover in an act of wholesale renunciation4 ,the ,prince of ,soubise1 in the manner of his ,king1 a generous patron of the arts1 had been allowing a handsome annual pension to a number of dancers at the ,opera1 as well as treating them all to periodical supper-parties of most sumptuous kind4 ,suddenly the supper-parties ceased1 the ,prince was no longer seen among the audiences at the ,opera and it came to be known that his son-in-law1 the ,prince de ,guemn1 had become bankrupt1 disastrously so1 and that the entire family were doing their best to meet the creditors honourably4 ,when this was known all the dancers foregathered in ,madeleine's loge at the ,opera and a stately1 kindly1 tactful letter was drawn up and signed by all the pensionnaires1 some thirty or more1 headed by ,guimard4 ,the length of it precludes entire quotation in a chapter all too short to cover ,madeleine's crowded seventy-three years1 but after referring to their regret at the ,prince's absence1 to a delay in approaching him due to fear lest they be thought wanting in consideration1 and to the urgent motive which had overcome such delicate scruples on hearing the news of the bankruptcy confirmed on all sides1 the writers of the letter proceed that1 finding there can be no prospect of the position improving1 they feel they would be guilty of ingratitude were they not to imitate the ,prince's exemplary renunciations on behalf of his relative1 and restore the pensions with which his generosity had provided them4 8,apply10 the letter continues1 8these revenues1 ,monseigneur1 to the relief of so many old soldiers1 poor men of letters1 and such unhappy retainers as the ,prince de ,guemn draws with him in his downfall4 ,as for us1 other resources remain4 ,we shall have lost nothing1 ,monseigneur1 if we retain your esteem4 ,we shall even have gained if in refusing to-day your kindly gifts we force our detractors to acknowledge that we were not unworthy of them4 ,we are1 with deep respect1 ,monseigneur1 your ,serene ,highness's very humble servants1 ,guimard1 ,heinel1 ,peslin1 ,dorival1 etc41 etc40 ,the letter is dated #fth ,december1 #aghb4 ,it was now that ,guimard was paying periodical summer visits to ,london for the ,opera seasons4 ,edmond de ,goncourt in his monograph on the dancer gives two very interesting letters written by ,guimard apropos to these ,london sojourns1 one to ,perregaux the ,banker1 dated #bjth ,june1 #aghd1 the other to ,m4 de la ,fert1 ,director of the ,acadmie1 dated #bfth ,may1 7#aghf7 and both addressed from ,no4 #aj1 ,pall ,mall4 ,in the former she gives a spirited and amusing account of the way in which ,gallini and ,ravelli1 then directing the ,opera in ,london1 had sought to take advantage of a fire at the old ,opera ,house in order to break through the contract with ,guimard by which she was to receive six hundred and fifty guineas for the season4 ,the fire seemed at first likely to put a closure on the season1 but ,covent ,garden was placed at the disposal of the ,opera4 ,gallini1 making alleged losses the excuse1 tried to persuade ,madeleine to lower her terms for the rest of the season4 ,finding she would only agree to providing her own costumes--no light consideration--he pretended satisfaction and departed4 ,ravelli1 however1 followed and1 evidently by arrangement1 informed her that ,gallini was several kinds of idiot1 and that he had been deposed in favour of ,ravelli who1 as the new stage-manager1 came to offer her fresh terms--twenty-five louis a performance1 on behalf of ,gallini4 ,guimard smiled and expressed astonishment that ,ravelli should make such propositions from ,gallini since the latter was no longer in power1 and added that she held them to her contract4 ,when she turned up at rehearsal with a couple of witnesses and having consulted solicitors1 ,ravelli 8looked green0 and ,gallini 8stupefied40 ,they offered fresh proposals and tried hard to wriggle out of their contract but ,guimard won1 of course1 and the more so in that though her chief friends among the ,english aristocracy1 notably the ,duchess of ,devonshire1 were out of town1 enough were left to make things uncomfortable for ,gallini1 who found his conduct the talk of the town4 ,the second letter1 to ,m4 la ,fert1 is mainly good advice on the direction of the ,opera and encouragement of rising talent1 and for this giving of counsel she begs that he will excuse her since it is out of friendship for him and also on account of her desire1 in her own words1 8ne pas voir dtruire entirement la belle danse1 que j'ai vu exister l',opra40 ,in both letters she sends--in the inevitable postscript6--charming messages to the wives of her correspondents and mentions some little commissions with which they had entrusted her4 ,that she did not have a bad time in ,london may be gathered from the fact that she excuses herself for not having written sooner because since she arrived in town she had not been left a minute to herself by 8les plus grandes dames10 and principally by the ,duchess of ,devonshire with whom she spent most of the time that she had away from the theatre2 and of the ,london audiences generally she remarks3 8,ils m'aiment la folie1 ces bons ,anglais60 ,not the first time a charming foreign dancer has been beloved of 8ces bons ,anglais60 ,but with all the friendship of the great and the love of the populace and her six hundred and fifty guineas for the ,london season1 ,guimard's financial position was not what it had been4 ,the ,soubise pension had been relinquished2 that she received from the ,king in view of twenty years' service at the ,opera hardly sufficed her rather magnificent requirements1 and the time came1 in #aghf1 when she found it convenient to dispose of her mansion in the ,chausse d',antin4 ,this she did by arranging1 without police sanction1 a lottery1 the tickets for which numbered two thousand five hundred1 at a hundred and twenty livres each1 a total sum of three hundred thousand livres4 ,there was a fierce demand for the tickets1 and twice the number could have been sold4 ,the drawing took place in a salon of the ,htel des ,menus-,plaisirs1 ,rue ,bergre1 on the #ast of ,may1 #aghf1 and ,madeleine's mansion with all its furniture went to the ,comtesse du ,lau1 who1 by the way1 had only taken one ticket6 ,it is worth noting now that ,madeleine had reached the age of forty-three1 that she had never been pretty and that she was marked with smallpox1 with which--a current danger at those times--she had been attacked in #aghc4 ,to a clever and magnetic personality age matters not1 nor do looks mean everything since in any case they are bound to alter in the course of a few decades2 and even smallpox is not fatal to fascination4 ,but these things1 nevertheless1 have to be admitted when one comes to years of discretion1 and forty-three may be accounted such4 ,one wonders whether ,madeleine1 who was eminently a woman of sense1 began about now to face facts and the future1 and whether the doing so1 or else mere circumstances1 political and social1 impelled her to the next step in her career4 ,people had wondered how ,guimard had managed to keep exactly the same appearance for so many years4 ,this was the secret6 ,when she was twenty she had a portrait painted that was true to life and afterwards1 for some twenty years or so1 every morning she would study this and make herself up to resemble it exactly2 and neither lover nor friend was ever admitted to this toilette4 ,this was an ingenious idea1 but it could not last for ever4 ,it is all the more interesting then to note the next important incident in ,guimard's career4 ,ninon de l',enclos1 acting on the principle that it's never too late to have a lover1 flirted when she was ninety4 ,guimard gave up lovers when she was past forty and took a husband1 a man1 moreover1 whom she had known for years4 ,in #aghi1 ,guimard retired from the ,opera2 in #aghi she married ,jean ,despraux1 dancer and poet2 and in #aghi the gathering storms of ,revolution broke and ,paris1 smitten first by famine1 became for the next few years a hell1 in which strangely enough1 there was still a demand for entertainment lighter and less fervid than massacre4 ,when ,guimard and ,despraux--comrades for at least twenty-five years--married1 they settled down1 on a fairly comfortable income1 derived from their pensions and acquired property1 at ,montmartre and one of ,jean's poems gives a charming picture of their retreat in those troubled times4 ,but during the ,revolution1 ,state finances were in disorder1 and pensions were curtailed or discontinued and all the old favourites of the ,opera were more or less involved in difficulties4 ,in #agib1 the city of ,paris having confided the care of the ,opera to ,francoeur and ,celerier1 they nominated ,despraux director of the theatre and a member of the administrative committee1 but this did not last4 ,the following year ,francoeur and ,celerier were imprisoned1 the actors were authorised to manage the theatre themselves and ,despraux--whose father1 by the way1 who had been leader of the orchestra at the ,opera1 killed himself the same year from despair at the general ruin around him--was allotted some part in the management of the public ftes4 ,in #agif--the year of the establishment of the ,directory--,madeleine made a reappearance at a benefit given on ,january #bcrd for the veteran performers at the ,opera who had all suffered grievous losses in the ,revolution4 ,in #ahjg1 three years after the crowning of ,napoleon1 by which time the national ferment had begun to settle down a little and the languished arts to take hope again1 an ,imperial decree dated ,july #bith1 reduced the number of theatres in ,paris to eight1 and the ,acadmie ,impriale de ,musique--as it was now called--had for ,director1 ,picard1 the comic poet1 and for 8inspecteur0--,despraux4 ,but these casual and precarious employments were not enough to remedy the losses that husband and wife sustained in the lean and fevered years from #aghi1 when they settled down in their high-perched nest overlooking all ,paris in ,montmartre until #ahjg1 when ,despraux became again attached to the ,opera1 and that this employment too did not last we know from a letter which ,madeleine wrote to a friend in #ahad imploring him to use his influence with people at ,court to obtain from ,louis ,,xviii some position for her husband1 a letter in which she mentions the loss of their entire fortune owing to the ,revolution and pleads that 8nos besoins sont bien urgents40 ,there is then every probability that their needs really were urgent4 ,guimard had never been charged with thrift2 and ,despraux was a poet4 ,both started married life with a fair capital--all things henceforth held in common of course1 according to the law--but fortune was against them1 and though they might perhaps have weathered the storm had they been twenty years younger1 it was almost inevitable that1 their pensions gone1 their capital diminishing1 they should find the struggle growing yearly harder and their chances of replenishing their coffers less and less4 ,de ,goncourt gives what one cannot but feel is a too idyllic picture of the last years of the old couple1 mainly on the basis of ,jean's poems 7and he was ever an optimist67 but he also gives us one true1 interesting1 and poignant glimpse of ,madeleine as an old lady who1 with her toy theatre1 would1 for the amusement of friends who chanced to drop in1 go through the scenes of former splendour and with her frail fingers perform the steps that had made her famous in many a ballet of the past4 ,apparently ,madeleine's appeal to friends at ,court must have had some success for ,despraux4 ,in the following year1 #ahae1 he was appointed inspector-general of the ,court entertainments1 and professor 8de danse et de grces0 at the ,conservatoire4 ,but it is probable that only the last three or four years of their married life brought them any return of fortune4 ,illustration3 ,madeleine ,guimard 7,from the painting by ,fragonard74 ,madeleine died on ,may #dth1 #ahaf1 and1 for years out of sight of a public which had long had other and less gracious objects for thought1 her death passed almost unnoticed by the populace for whose amusement she had worked so loyally in her prime4 ,four years later1 on ,march #bfth1 #ahbj1 ,despraux followed her who had been his adored comrade for the greater portion of their lives4 ,he had seen her1 as little more than a child1 win her earliest triumphs at the ,opera1 had seen her growing splendour as a woman of fashion1 watched her through many years1 danced with her1 written for her and about her1 seen her worst and best1 and loved her well enough all through to wait till she would consent to marry him and with him retire from the stage they had so long adorned2 and through the years1 troublous for no fault of theirs1 which followed their marriage1 he cheered and consoled her for all she had relinquished1 for the public worship all foregone1 and for the neglect of the rising generation4 ,he it was who1 though their means can hardly have permitted it1 instituted the little djeuners and supper-parties of kindred spirits1 where songs were written and ballads sung in praise of love and wine and 8la ,gloire0--the one cry of the ,french ,romanticists2 all1 one may well think1 to cheer his beloved whose charm and goodness1 poet himself1 he never ceased to sing4 ,all this could not have been had not ,guimard1 with all her faults had more reserves of goodness than her earlier circumstances can have given opportunity for developing4 ,guimard had been grand2 ,guimard had been gay2 but through it all ,guimard must have been good in heart1 full of sympathy and courage and generous charities of mind and soul2 and ,despraux1 gentle1 wise1 humorous1 idealistic1 honest1 must have found her so1 to speak and write of her as he always did1 with ardour and a kind of boyish awe1 even after she had passed away4 ,no note of discord marred their married years1 and when ,guimard came to make her exit from the stage of life1 silently1 with nothing but ghostly memories of applause1 her comrade1 well we may be sure1 waited only with impatience for his cue to follow her4 ,,guimard ,,speaks 7tat4 #gj7 8,yes1 ye may laugh at ,mre ,guimard1 ,laugh well1 my girls1 while laugh ye may6 ,but none of ye will fare as far ,as ,i1 who long have had my day4 ,time was when ,paris all did pray ,because ,i broke my arm6 ,and yet ,who now recalls my queen-like sway ,o'er those whom ,death did not forget8 8,time on my visage many a scar ,hath graven deep4 ,no longer gay ,my voice1 that once could make or mar ,the ,minister who failed to pay ,just tribute to my charms4 ,decay ,my once slim1 rounded limbs doth fret2 ,and scarce my feet could tread their way ,o'er those whom ,death did not forget4 8,yet ere ,i dance to where they are1 ,take heed1 my girls1 the words ,i say6 ,i had a power none might bar1 ,a court that rivalled the array ,of aught ,versailles could best display1 ,for at my ,court ,versailles was met6 ,and still ,i triumph1 old and grey1 ,o'er those whom ,death did not forget4 ,,envoi 8#8,squelette des ,grces' they called me6 ,yea1 and now8 ,sans-graces6 ,a mere #8,squelette6' ,but grace ,i had1 and have1 to-day ,o'er those whom ,death did not forget40 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,despr,,aux1 ,,poet ,,and--,,husband ,,of ,,guimard ,there can be nothing more irksome to a man than to be known merely as the husband of his more famous wife4 ,in speaking1 however1 of ,despraux as 8husband of ,guimard10 it is not my intention to cast any slight on an estimable and1 in his own time1 well-known personality2 but ,i do so merely that the reader will thereby be able to 8place0 her genial and accomplished husband1 ,m4 ,despraux to whom reference has already been made4 ,he was born in #agdh1 five years after ,mlle4 ,guimard1 and was the son of a musician at the ,paris ,opera1 where he himself was entered as a supernumerary-dancer in #agfd4 ,he made rapid progress in the art of his choice and won increasing reputation until1 unhappily a wound in the foot completely closed his career as a 8star10 and being a man of much theatrical experience and general culture1 he then became a matre de ballet and also gave dancing lessons4 ,in #aghi he married ,madeleine ,guimard1 whom he had long worshipped1 and the two retired1 as we know1 at the opening of the ,revolution to a cosy nest on the heights of ,montmartre4 ,so high1 indeed1 were they and so steep was the roadway approaching their dwelling1 that the patrols refrained from troubling them1 and save for financial losses1 and rumours of revolution and distant guns1 the couple remained untroubled by the red and raging ,anarchy in the city stretched at their feet4 ,edmond de ,goncourt makes out--on what authority ,i cannot fathom--that ,despraux was born in #ageh1 and not #agdh1 thus making him out to be fifteen years the junior of ,guimard when they married in #aghi4 ,as on other points he writes with such accuracy and copious wealth of detail one might suppose him to be correct1 but seeing that ,despraux was undoubtedly entered a supernumerary-dancer in the ,opera in #agfd1 and could hardly have been so at the age of six1 one can only infer a slip of the pen1 and that ,goncourt really meant #agdh1 which would make the young male dancer's age the likelier one of sixteen on appearing at ,opera as a super1 although he would1 of course1 have been training earlier4 ,the question of age1 however1 is comparatively small4 ,the thing that matters for us is that ,despraux1 following modestly in the footsteps of his far greater predecessor ,boileau-,despraux 7not an ancestor1 by the way7 had cultivated a taste for poetry1 and during his retirement at ,montmartre1 divided his time between amusing his wife and friends with cutting silhouettes--at which he was an expert--and singing songs and parodies which he wrote himself4 ,it seems an odd thing1 does it not8 that a man should be thus amusing himself and his friends--should be sufficiently undistracted to do so--while the greatest revolution then known to history should be in progress4 ,but what could he do8 ,he was a dancer1 a singer1 an artist2 and could have had little weight had he meddled in the risky game of politics4 ,as it was1 perhaps1 he chose the saner course1 and when most were losing their heads he kept his own1 and1 as ,richard ,cur de ,lion had when in prison1 wiled away the hours in song4 ,his poems were collected and published in two volumes under the title3 8,mes ,passe-,temps3 ,chansons1 suivies de l',art de la ,danse1 pome en quatre chants1 calqu sur l',art ,potique de ,boileau ,despraux40 ,they were 8adorned0 with engravings after the design of ,moreau ,junior1 and the music of the songs appears at the end of the second volume4 ,the work was published after the ,revolution fever had subsided1 in #ahjf1 and perhaps the very strangest comment on the ,revolution is implied in ,despraux's preface1 which calmly opens with the following3 8,in #agid ,i suggested to a number of friends that we should meet once or twice a month to dine together1 under the condition that politics should never be mentioned1 and that each should bring a song composed upon a given word4 ,my proposition was taken up2 we decided that the words should be drawn by lot1 after being submitted to the judgment of the gathering1 in order to eliminate subjects which might only present needless difficulties40 ,and so the year #agid1 being one of the worst of all those red years of ,revolution1 this little centre went placidly through it1 dining and wining and rhyming1 as if there were nothing worse than a sham fight raging round the distant horizon4 ,it positively makes one wonder if there was a ,french ,revolution after all4 ,but no1 there evidently was1 for our author had a nice little library1 and in the following year1 owing to monetary losses occasioned by the general dbcle1 had to sell many of his beloved volumes4 ,of course he made song about it--8,ma ,bibliothque1 ou ,le ,cauchemar0--in which he pictures the spectre of want asking him what he will do1 and urging him to sell his books for food4 8,que feras-tu1 ,despraux80 the nightmare questions3 8,ni bois ni vin dans ta cave ,de chandelle pas un bout3 ,faussement on fait le brave ,lorsque l'on manque de tout6 99 99 99 ,une tartine de beurre ,vaut plus que jadis un buf ,dans un mois1 pareille heure ,quel sera le prix d'un uf8 ,par dcade mille livres ,ne peuvent payer ton pain ,mon ami1 mange tes livres ,pour ne pas mourir de faim40 ,the spectre points out that the prospect of having to do so is no mere dream and urges him to sell 8tous tes auteurs fameux10 pointing out that he could live on the 8divine0 ,homer for at least a day or two1 while on the 8pensif0 ,rousseau he could exist a long time4 ,he could count on his precious ,virgil for the rent1 while the translation 8de ,delille0 should yield his old gardener's wages4 ,among the many works mentioned in indiscriminate order are ,plutarch1 ,la ,fontaine1 ,don ,quichotte1 ,anacreon1 ,newton1 ,milton1 ,cicero1 ,horace1 ,juvenal1 ,boccaccio1 ,erasmus1 ,montesquieu1 ,boileau1 ,corneille1 ,voltaire1 ,racine1 ,favart1 ,molire1 ,plato1 ,dorat1 ,seneca1 and a set of the ,british ,drama6 ,it should be noted1 by the way1 that ,despraux had some knowledge of ,english and had paid occasional visits to ,london with his wife1 who was rather a favourite of the then ,duchess of ,devonshire1 and in one of his poems he gives an amusingly bitter 8,tableau de ,londres10 in which he complains of-- 8,cette atmosphre de cendre ,qui ne cesse de descendre10 speaks of the lower classes as 8insolent0 and chaffs the ,english taste for beer and the eternal 8roast-biff0 7sic72 while as to the ,english ,sunday1 the stanza must really be given in full3 8,deux cents dimanches anglais1 ,n'en valent pas un franais1 ,ce jour1 si joyeux en ,france1 ,est le jour de pnitence2 ,et lorsqu'un ,anglais se pend ,se pend1 se pend1 ,c'est un dimanche qu'il prend2 ,a ,paris1 le dimanche on danse4 ,vive la ,france60 ,our poet's range of subject was remarkable--high philosophy1 discussed with smiling raillery2 curious life-contrasts1 like that of his wife being a popular dancer and his sister a nun2 charades1 dialogues1 charming and pathetic little word-pictures like 8,la ,neige10 a 8,bacchic0 song on 8,the ,end of the ,world10 and so forth1 nothing seemed to come amiss that could be turned into song4 ,throughout his varied work there runs a consistent strain of ,gallic gaiety--itself a form of bravery2 and if his ,muse has not the hard1 biting intensity of a ,villon1 nor the lofty rhetoric of a ,victor ,hugo1 it manages to keep a middle course of sanity and pleasantry with invariable success and an infallible though limited appeal4 ,among his many ingenious poems are two of special interest to stage-folk of all time1 one 8,le ,langage des ,mains10 ,chanson ,pantomime1 the other 8,le ,langage des ,yeux02 both of which require to be illustrated by the actor who sings them and emphasise the need of facial and manual expression4 ,as he truly says3 8,le comdien ou l'orateur1 ,sans mains1 serait un corps sans me40 ,in one of the poems appears the phrase1 8,la ,walse 7sic7 aux mille tours10 while among the notes at the end of the volume is a definition which may be translated as follows3 ,walse--a ,swiss dance the music of which is in #c-d time2 but it has only the value of two steps4 ,it is done by a couple pirouetting while circling round the salon4 ,it has nothing in it of complexity2 it is the art in its infancy4 ,when its rhythm is in #b time it is called 8sauteuse40 ,the word 8sauteuse0 suggests the ordinary polka in #b-d time1 in the customary manner1 for any dance described as 8sauteuse0 means one in which the feet are raised from the ground1 or in which leaping is indulged in1 not when the feet glide on the ground1 as in the modern waltz4 ,the old volta1 from which the modern waltz is derived1 was1 it will be remembered1 a leaping dance4 ,the greater part of the second volume is mainly devoted to his lengthy paraphrase of the great ,boileau's 8,l',art ,potique10 under the title of 8,l',art de la ,danse10 which is full of sound instruction to dancers and interesting criticism of his contemporaries4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,a ,,century',s ,,close ,we have lingered somewhat over these sketches of the eighteenth century2 let us hasten over that century's close1 for was it not steeped in blood8 8,revolution10 did they not call the madness which seized ,france8 ,heralded by fair promises of universal brotherhood1 what did all the fine talk of her 8intellectuals0 and 8philosophs0 end in8 ,a state of anarchy1 national madness2 in which no man's life was safe1 and no woman's honour4 ,war is horrible enough between nations4 ,what1 then1 is universal war between individuals1 8men1 brother men80 ,strange1 is it not1 that while the dying century was performing its dance of death1 theatres should be open2 operas1 comedies1 and ballets be performed4 ,before ,guimard and her literary husband had begun to find their fortunes affected by the advent of the popular madness called ,revolution1 there were few theatres in ,paris4 ,indeed1 there were only five of any importance giving daily performances in #agge and of these the ,opera was of course the leading house as of old--the work of ,gluck1 ,grtry1 ,piccinni and ,sacchini holding the bill in ,opera1 for a period of some thirty years onward1 the work of ballet composition being mainly in the hands of ,noverre and the brothers ,maximillian and ,pierre ,gardel4 ,it was from the end of that year1 too1 when ,noverre's 8,mde et ,jason0 was produced that the novelty of ballet-pantomime1 having come to replace the earlier opera-ballet1 now became generally known simply as ballet4 ,in #agha the ,paris ,opera was the scene of a tremendous conflagration1 in which1 owing to the presence of mind of ,dauberval1 one of the leading dancers1 in quickly lowering the curtain1 during a performance of the ballet1 the audience were able to escape1 but several of the dancers were burnt1 and ,guimard herself1 discovered cowering in one of the boxes clad only in her underwear1 was rescued by one of the stage hands4 ,the famous house was ruined1 and the company removed to a provisional house erected by the architect ,lenoir by the ,porte ,st4 ,martin4 ,ten years later1 in #agia1 a ,royal decree establishing the freedom of the drama did away with the former paucity of ,paris in regard to places of amusement1 and in that year alone eighteen new theatres were added to those already in existence1 and old ones sometimes changed their names4 ,the ,opera was known as ,l',acadmie ,royale de ,musique4 ,then the ,king having displeased his people and fled to ,varennes1 it became simply the ,opera4 ,then the ,king having pleased his subjects they graciously permitted a return to ,l',acadmie ,royale4 ,then1 a month later1 in ,october1 #agia1 it became the ,opera-,national2 and later the ,thtre des ,arts1 all of which changes foreshadowed in a way the advent of blind ,revolution2 and the next change of title to ,thtre de la ,rpublique et des arts2 which yet was not its final title4 ,meanwhile1 what of the dancers8 ,guimard had left the stage in #agij4 ,two years later the leaders of the ballet were ,mlle4 ,miller 7later to become ,madame ,pierre de ,gardel71 ,mlle4 ,saulnier1 ,mlle4 ,roze1 ,madame ,prignon1 ,mlle4 ,chevigny4 ,pierre ,gardel1 born in #ageh at ,nancy1 had been matre de ballet at the ,opera from #aghg1 and had produced 8,tlmaque10 8,psych10 and other ballets out of which he made a fortune4 8,psych0 alone was given nearly a thousand times6 ,in most of them ,madame ,gardel appeared and with remarkable success4 ,at fifty1 as at twenty1 she was still admired4 ,she was an excellent mime1 a graceful dancer in all styles1 seemed in each new rle to surpass herself1 and ,noverre1 describing her feet1 said 8they glittered like diamonds40 ,then there were the brothers ,malter1 the one known as 8the bird10 the other as 8the ,devil10 because he usually played the rles of demons4 ,madame ,prignon1 who succeeded ,madame ,dauberval 7ne ,mlle4 ,theodore71 was a dancer of talent1 but was considerably surpassed by ,mlle4 ,chevigny of whom an eyewitness of her dancing remarked3 8,quelle verve6 quelle gat dans le comique6 dans les rles srieux1 quelle chaleur6 quel pathtique6 ,tout le feu d'une vritable actrice brillait dans ses beaux yeux40 ,then there were ,miles4 ,allard1 ,peslin1 ,coulon1 ,clotilde1 ,beaupr1 ,brancher1 ,chameroy2 ,gosselin1 who was1 despite embonpoint1 so supple as to win the nickname 8the ,boneless02 ,fanny ,bias1 and ,bigottini2 and ,m4 ,laborie1 who in #agij had 8created0 the title-rle in 8,zephyre20 ,messieurs ,lany1 ,dauberval2 ,deshayes1 a marvel of soaring agility2 ,henry1 whose mobile figure recalled 8le grand ,dupr02 ,didelot1 ,duport2 ,auguste ,vestris1 with whom we have already dealt2 and ,lepicq1 known as the ,apollo of the ,dance4 ,throughout the ,revolution the theatres had been open1 and had been full4 ,the people had gone mad with lust of blood and lust of power2 but the dancers continued to maintain their aplomb in difficult poses1 and pick their steps1 more carefully amid the lit and flowered splendours of the theatre1 than statesmen could theirs upon the blood-stained slippery mire of current 8politics40 ,france might hold its fantastic ,state ballet1 the ,fte of the ,supreme1 indeed might go stark mad1 and all ,law and ,order and ,reason be overthrown1 but one man1 the greatest world-man known to history1 was gathering strength to bring order out of chaos1 to remake a nation and a nation's laws2 to set the world a-wondering if he should master it4 ,strangest of all1 perhaps1 that he1 the great ,napoleon1 should have found time to flirt with a ballet-dancer--the famous ,bigottini1 of whom the ,countess ,nesselrode in her letters said that the effect she produced with her dancing and miming was so moving as to make even the most hardened man weep4 ,but she seemed rather to have amused ,napoleon1 more especially when1 having told the ,president of the ,legislative ,chamber1 ,fontanes1 to send her a present1 she received a collection of ,french classics2 and on being asked later by ,napoleon--unaware of the nature of the gift--if she was content with ,fontanes' choice1 she exclaimed that she was not entirely4 8,how so80 asked ,napoleon4 ,bigottini's reply must be given in the original4 8,il m'a paye en livres2 j'aurais mieux aim en francs40 ,in spite of the library1 ,mlle4 ,bigottini became a millionaire--in francs4 ,,book ,,iii3 ,,the ,,modern ,,era ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,the ,,early ,,nineteenth ,,century ,though it had not died during the ,revolutionary period1 either in ,paris or ,london1 the art of ,ballet1 from the death of ,louis ,,xv was really of little artistic interest1 and was to remain so until the famous ',forties of last century4 ,the dancers were mostly mechanical2 the ballets uninspired2 the mounting meretricious2 and it was not till the 'forties of last century that a new and all-surpassing danseuse1 ,marie ,taglioni1 came to infuse a new spirit into the art and found a tradition that holds to-day4 ,in ,london ,ballet was in almost the same state as in ,paris1 but not quite1 possibly because having been always imported at its best1 it had had less opportunity of becoming hide-bound by tradition at its worst1 as in the case of an old-established continental school4 ,for the continued production of soundly artistic ballet the existence of a good school is a necessity1 a school founded and sustained on right principles4 ,but in its continued existence there is inevitably danger of ultimate stultification from the 8setting0 of the very tradition it has created1 unless there is a perpetual infusion of new ideas4 ,in ,paris the new idea was not then encouraged1 if it came counter to the traditional technique of which the ,vestris1 father and son1 were the supreme exponents4 ,in ,london there was more freedom1 because there was less of tradition2 and while we had to wait until the mid-'forties for the productions which were to the ,londoners of the early ,victorian period what the ,russian ballet has been to ,londoners in recent years1 there was some fairly sound work being done here from #agie to #ahdj4 ,i have1 among my books1 a volume of libretti of ballets composed by ,didelot and produced at the ,king's ,theatre1 ,haymarket1 from #agif to #ahjj4 ,it contains 8,sappho and ,phaon10 grand ballet rotique1 en quatre actes2 8,l',amour ,veng10 ballet pisodique1 en deux actes1 dans le genre anacrontique2 8,flore et ,zephire10 ballet-divertissement1 in one act2 8,the ,happy ,shipwreck1 or ,the ,scotch ,witches10 a dramatic ballet in three acts2 8,acis and ,galatea10 a pastoral ballet in one act2 and 8,laura et ,lenza1 or ,the ,troubadour10 a grand ballet in two acts1 8performed for the first time for the benefit of ,madame ,hilligsberg10 who played ,laura4 8,laura and ,lenza10 is of particular interest to us to-day1 for among the performers1 in addition to ,m4 ,didelot1 who played the troubadour hero1 ,lenza1 was a ,m4 ,deshayes--a capable dancer and producer of ballet in ,london and ,paris--and a ,mr4 d',egville1 bearer of a name which is well-known in both cities at the present day4 8,flora et ,zephire10 was the most popular1 and was frequently revived even as late as the 'thirties1 when ,marie ,taglioni made her dbut in it at ,king's ,theatre1 for ,laporte's benefit1 on ,june #crd1 #ahcj4 ,both in ,paris and ,london1 however1 during the first two decades of the nineteenth century ,ballet was comparatively undistinguished and it was not really until the 'thirties that it began to assume new interest4 ,true1 there were in ,paris1 some remarkable exponents of advanced technique as regards dancing1 but in the glamour of technical achievement the greater idea of the art of ,ballet was somewhat obscured4 ,at the ,paris ,opera the dieux de la danse were ,,mm4 ,albert ,paul and ,ferdinand1 all of whom visited ,london from time to time and the second of whom was known as l'arien1 a descriptive nickname emphasised by the quaint criticism of a contemporary who wrote3 8,paul used to spring and bound upwards1 and was continually in the clouds2 his foot scarcely touched the earth or rather the stage2 he darted up from the ground and came down perpendicularly1 after travelling a quarter of an hour in the air60 ,m4 ,paul1 by the way1 later became a celebrated dancing-master at ,brighton1 in good ,queen ,victoria's early days4 ,then1 too1 there was ,paul's sister who became ,madame ,montessu1 hardly less celebrated than her brilliant brother4 ,then1 too1 ,mlle4 ,brocard1 who so won ,queen ,victoria's girlish admiration that some of her dolls were dressed to represent the pretty dancer in character4 ,brocard1 however1 was more remarkable for her beauty than for her dancing4 ,another famous artist of the period was ,m4 ,coulon1 to whose careful tuition the graceful1 and lgante ,pauline ,duvernay owed much of her success1 as did also the sisters ,noblet--,lise and ,alexandrine1 the latter of whom forsook the dance to become an actress4 ,of ,lise ,noblet a contemporary chronicler wrote in #ahba3 8,encore un phnix6 ,une danseuse qui ne fait jamais de faux pas1 qui prfre le cercle d'amis la foule des amants1 qui vient au thtre pied1 et qui retourne de mme60 ,in #ahbh1 she created1 with immense success1 the rle of ,fenella1 in ,la ,muette de ,portici1 and was described as 8le dernier produit de l'cole franaise aux poses gomtriques et aux carts angle droit02 the same critic drawing an interesting comparison between the old school and the rising new one1 in adding3 8,dj1 ,marie ,taglioni s'avancait sur la pointe du pied--blanche vapeur baigne de mousselines transparentes--potique1 nbuleuse1 immatrielle comme ces fes dont parle ,walter ,scott1 qui errent la nuit prs des fontaines et portent en guise de ceinture un collier de perles de rose6444 ,lise ,noblet se rsolut non sans combat-- prouver qu'il y a au monde quelque chose de plus agrable qu'une femme qui tourne sur l'ongle de l'orteil avec une jambe parallle l'horizon1 dans l'attitude d'un compas fare4 ,elle cda1 ,fanny ,elssler1 #8,fenella' de ,la ,muette qu'elle avait cre1 et lui prit en change--#8,el ,jales de ,jrs4' #8,las ,boleros de ,cadiz' #8,la ,madrilea1' et toutes sortes d'autres cachuchas et fandangos4 ,grce ces concessions1 ,mdlle4 ,noblet resta jusqu'en #ahdj1 attache l' ,opra40 ,these references to contrast of styles1 to ,scott1 and to ,spanish dances are particularly interesting as illuminating the change which was coming over the ,ballet about #ahbj-ahcj4 ,mere technique as the chief aim of ,ballet was beginning to fail4 ,it had become too academic and needed the infusion of a new spirit of grace and freedom4 ,it came in a sudden craze for national dances1 particularly ,slav and ,spanish1 and in the craze for ,scott and all his works1 which undoubtedly became an influence on ,opera and ,ballet1 as they did on the forces which led to the growth of the great ,romantic movement1 of which ,hugo was to be hailed as leader and of which the effects passing on through the ,art and ,literature of the 'fifties1 'sixties1 and 'seventies1 can still perhaps be traced to-day4 ,much of the popularity of the ,spanish and ,slav dances during the early part of the nineteenth century was due to their frequent performance by ,pauline ,duvernay1 ,pauline ,leroux and the ,elsslers4 ,there were two ,elsslers1 sisters1 the elder of whom1 ,thrse1 was born in #ahjh1 and ,fanny in #ahaj1 both at ,vienna4 ,thrse was less brilliant a dancer than her sister--whom she 8mothered0 always--but had a charming personality4 ,she eventually gave up the stage to marry1 morganatically1 ,prince ,adalbert of ,prussia1 and was afterwards ennobled4 ,illustration3 ,fanny ,elssler 7,from an old engraving74 ,illustration3 ,carlotta ,grisi 7,from a lithograph74 ,at the outset of her career ,fanny achieved distinction1 or had it thrust upon her1 by becoming an object of the 8grande passion10 on the part of l',aiglon1 the ,duc de ,reichstadt1 ,napoleon's ill-fated son4 ,but it was said that the rumour was only put about by her astute manager1 in order to get the young dancer talked about1 and as an advertisement the manuvre succeeded admirably4 ,both sisters1 after acquiring a favourable reputation in ,germany1 came to ,london1 and it was here1 in #ahcd1 that ,vron1 the manager of the ,paris ,opera1 came over to tempt them to appear in ,paris with a salary of forty thousand francs1 twenty thousand each4 ,thinking to impress the young ,viennese with an example of ,parisian magnificence1 ,vron gave a dinner-party in their honour at the ,clarendon1 in ,bond ,street1 to which the best available society was invited1 and the menu1 the wine and the equipage were of unparalleled quality4 ,at dessert an attendant brought a silver salver piled high with costly presents for the ladies of the company--pearls1 rubies1 diamonds1 superbly set--a miniature ,golconda4 ,but somehow it all fell a trifle flat4 ,the ,elssler girls1 true to their simple ,german training1 drank only water with their dinner1 and with dessert merely accepted1 the one a hatpin1 and the other a little handbag2 and they would not agree to sign their contract until the day of ,vron's departure6 ,both in ,paris and ,london the sisters were triumphantly successful1 and when in #ahda they toured through ,america they met with a reception that was sensational4 ,it was 8roses1 roses all the way02 and in some of the towns triumphal arches were erected4 ,at ,philadelphia their horses were unharnessed and their carriage drawn by the admiring populace1 headed by the ,mayor6 ,fanny was an especial favourite1 and when the sisters left ,new ,orleans1 some niggers1 who were hoisting freight from the hold of an adjacent steamboat--and niggers are notoriously apt at catching up topical subjects--thus chanted1 as the vessel bearing the dancers left the wharf3 8,fanny1 is you going up de ribber8 ,grog time o' day4 ,when all dese here's got ,elssler fever8 ,oh1 hoist away6 ,de ,lor' knows what we'll do widout you1 ,grog time o' day4 ,de toe an' heel won't dance widout you4 ,oh1 hoist away6 ,day say you dances like a fedder1 ,grog time o' day4 ,wid t'ree t'ousand dollars all togedder4 ,oh1 hoist away60 ,fanny ,elssler was at her best in the ballet of 8,le ,diable ,boiteux10 the plot of which is founded on ,le ,sage's famous romance4 ,an enthusiastic contemporary described her in the following quaint terms3 8,la ,fanny is tall1 beautifully formed1 with limbs that strongly resemble the hunting ,diana1 combining strength with the most delicate and graceful style4 ,her small and classically shaped head is placed on her shoulders in a singularly elegant manner2 the pure fairness of her skin requires no artificial whiteness2 while her eyes beam with a species of playful malice1 well-suited to the half-ironical expression at times visible in the corners of her finely curved lips4 ,her rich1 glossy hair1 of bright chestnut hue1 is usually braided over a forehead formed to wear1 with equal grace and dignity1 the diadem of a queen1 or the floral wreath of a nymph2 and though strictly feminine in her appearance1 none can so well or so advantageously assume the costume of the opposite sex40 ,as a dancer she excelled in all spirited dances1 such as the ,fandango1 and the ,mazurka1 while in the ,cachucha and the ,cracovienne1 she stirred her audience to a frenzy of admiration4 ,thrse ,elssler retired from the stage in #ahej4 ,fanny1 a year later1 married a rich banker1 withdrew1 and died in #ahhd4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,carlo ,,blasis ,the ,dance and ,ballet had made progress during the past two centuries and had reached the point when1 unable to attain to greater perfection of technique1 it needed some fresh artistic inspiration4 ,italy1 however1 had long been degenerate as regards the ,dance1 her whole artistic ambition having expressed itself in ,opera and an unrivalled excellence in vocal technique4 ,so that towards the end of the eighteenth century and for half the nineteenth1 her singers were unmatched throughout the world4 ,the introduction of ,french dancers and the production of some of the ballets of ,french composers turned the attention of the lovers of bel ,canto to the possibilities of the sister art4 ,noverre had produced some of his ballets at ,milan1 and his methods and artistic taste gradually spread through ,italy1 his influence being further extended by several of his ,italian pupils1 such as ,rossi and ,angiolini4 ,it was not1 however1 until ,carlo ,blasis came to preside over the ,imperial ,academy of ,dancing and ,pantomime at ,milan1 #ahcg1 that the ,italian ballet began to assume any importance1 and the ,milan ,academy1 becoming recognised as the first in ,europe1 came in turn to influence ,paris1 ,london and other capitals of the world4 ,indeed1 it is hardly too much to say that probably every opera house which has been established a century owes something directly or indirectly to the genius of ,carlo ,blasis1 who in his enthusiasm for1 and appreciation of1 the ,dance and ,ballet1 and in his ability to write thereon was another ,noverre1 but with an even wider range of talent and scholarship4 ,in the history of art there can be few records of such amazing power of assimilation1 combined with a high standard of achievement4 ,we have but to glance at a list of his works1 to realise this4 ,while the theory and practice of dancing were his leading theme1 one to which he returned again and again1 few things failed to stimulate his interest and his pen4 8,observations sur le ,chant et sur l',expression de la ,musique ,dramatique0 were a series of essays contributed to a ,london paper4 ,he wrote considerably on the art of ,pantomime4 ,he contributed biographies of ,garrick and of ,fuseli to a ,milan periodical2 and another of ,pergolesi to a ,german paper4 ,a dissertation on 8,italian ,dramatic ,music in ,france10 was another of his subjects4 ,he left in manuscript works on ,franois ,premier2 on ,lucan and his poem of ,pharsalia2 on ,alexander the ,great2 on the ,influence of the ,italian ,genius upon the ,world2 on the then ,modern ,greek ,dances2 on 8,la ,grande ,epoque de ,louis ,,xv en ,france1 en ,italie1 et en ,angleterre02 a 8,lexicon of ,universal ,erudition02 while perhaps the greatest of his works--according to contemporary criticism--was 8,l',uomo ,fisico1 ,intellettuale e ,morale10 a book of some thousand pages4 ,his education had been of a kind that should incline him to take1 as ,bacon did1 8all knowledge10 for his province4 ,madrolle1 the famous ,french publicist of his period1 described ,blasis as 8a man of the most comprehensive mind that he had ever known10 and further declared him 8a universal genius40 ,indeed1 though he achieved fame as a matre de ballet1 he seems really to have been a sort of super-matre of all the arts4 ,he was born at ,naples on ,november #dth1 #ahjc1 the son of ,francesco ,blasis and ,vincenza ,coluzzi ,zurla ,blasis1 both1 it is said1 of noble descent4 ,the family claimed an ancestry reaching back beyond the reigns of ,tiberius and ,augustus1 when there were patricians known as the ,blasii4 ,machiavelli mentions the same family1 and various monuments in ,italy and ,sicily bear the name of ,de ,blasis4 ,when ,carlo was two years old1 his father1 who had forsaken the ancestral profession of the sea for literature and music1 took his family from ,naples to ,marseilles1 where the ,de was dropped1 for political reasons1 and the name became simply ,blasis4 ,having studied the tastes and tendencies of his children somewhat carefully ,francesco determined to give his son ,carlo a thorough grounding in the classics and the fine arts4 ,his daughter ,teresa was taught singing and the pianoforte2 and his younger daughter ,virginia1 who was born at ,marseilles1 was destined to ,opera4 ,it must be set to the credit of the fond father's discernment and influence that each of his children achieved distinction in their own sphere and day4 ,the education of ,carlo1 we are told in a contemporary biography1 8was at once literary and artistic and theatrical40 ,he showed such enthusiasm and ability in his studies that it was said that he might easily have become a painter1 a composer of music1 or a dancer and ballet-master4 ,he finally chose the last as his profession owing to the fact that it offered more lucrative prospects as well as combining all the varied opportunities for artistic expression which his young soul craved4 ,in other directions1 however1 his general education was not neglected1 and the subjects he studied all came to be employed in the profession he had chosen1 rendering him valuable assistance in dancing1 pantomime and the composition of ballets4 ,in later life when asked how he came to get through such masses of work as he did he used to declare3 8,le temps ne manque jamais qui sait l'employer10 and to add ,tissot's saying3 8,dormons1 dormons1 trs peu2 vivons toute notre vie1 et pendant trois semaines que nous avons vivre1 ne dormons pas1 ne soyons pas morts1 pendant quinze jours40 ,indeed1 he lived every minute of his incessantly active life1 and in his later years seldom worked less than fifteen hours a day4 ,as a lad he studied music1 in all its branches1 with his father4 ,drawing1 painting1 modelling1 architecture1 geometry1 mathematics1 anatomy1 literature and dancing he studied with some of the best available masters of his period1 at ,marseilles1 ,rome1 ,florence1 ,bordeaux1 ,bologna and ,pavia2 and when he came to practise his profession as ballet-master and composer1 he was able not only to evolve the plot of the ballet1 and explain every situation1 teach every step and gesture and expression1 but to furnish designs for the costumes1 scenery1 and mechanical effects4 ,he was avid of learning1 and absorbed something of value from all with whom he came in contact4 ,he haunted the artists' studios and made a special point of visiting all he could in any town in which he happened to stay1 ,thorwaldsen1 ,longhi and ,canova being among the more prominent of the sculptors and artists whom he came to know4 ,he became a connoisseur and collector of paintings1 sculpture carvings1 cameos1 jewellery1 old instruments2 had a remarkable library1 not only of books in ,greek1 ,latin1 ,italian1 ,french1 ,english1 ,german and ,spanish1 but an interesting collection of music1 from ,palestrina to his own time1 his library and gallery being valued at somewhere about ten thousand pounds4 ,he started his professional career and travels at the age of twelve1 when he appeared as a dancer in the leading theatre at ,marseilles1 then at ,aix1 ,avignon1 ,lyons1 ,toulouse2 finally settling with his family for some time at ,bordeaux1 where he had a very successful dbut and where--under the able direction of ,dauberval1 of whom we have already heard--most of the best dancers in ,france appeared preparatory to an engagement in ,paris4 ,blasis then received an invitation to the capital1 where his dbut was so extraordinarily successful that he was promptly placed in the front rank1 and for a time studied under the famous ,gardel1 who thought so highly of him that he selected for him as partner in several ballets1 ,mlle4 ,gosselin1 one of the leading dancers at the ,opera1 followed by ,mlle4 ,legallois1 a dancer of the classic school4 ,on account of intrigues and cabals--which are not1 alas1 unusual in the theatrical profession1 or in any other perhaps--,blasis left the ,opera and was next engaged at ,milan1 first going on a successful tour1 during which he composed various ballets1 notably 8,iphignie en ,aulide10 8,la ,vestale10 8,fernando ,cortez10 8,castor and ,pollux10 8,don ,juan0 and 8,les ,mystres d',isis40 ,his appearance at ,la ,scala1 ,milan1 was triumphant1 and he remained there for fourteen seasons1 as dancer and ballet-composer4 ,then followed a successful ,italian tour4 ,painters1 sculptors and engravers as well as various poets celebrated his progress1 and one ,venetian painter1 having seen him dancing some pas de deux with his famous partner ,virginia ,leon1 in which they entwined and enveloped themselves in rose-coloured veils--presumably very much as ,mordkin and ,pavlova did in the 8,l',automne ,bacchanale10 made sketches of the various graceful groupings and afterwards introduced them into the decorations of an apartment in the house of a rich ,venetian nobleman4 ,there can be no doubt that the appeal of ,blasis' work to artists was greatly due not merely to his technical excellence as a dancer but to the fact that--steeped as he was in the study of music1 sculpture and painting--his work was a living expression of a classic art-spirit4 ,again and again in his writings he emphasises the necessity the young dancer is under of studying not only music1 but drawing1 painting and sculpture4 ,in one interesting passage1 especially1 he remarks3 8,it is in the best productions of painting and sculpture that the dancer may study with profit how to display his figure with taste and elegance4 ,they are a fountain of beauties1 to which all those should repair who wish to distinguish themselves for the correctness and purity of their performances4 ,in the ,bacchanalian groups which ,i have composed1 ,i have successfully introduced various attitudes1 arabesques and groupings1 the original idea of which was suggested to me1 during my journey to ,naples and through ,magna ,grecia1 on viewing the paintings1 bronzes and sculptures rescued from the ruins of ,herculaneum40 ,the publication at ,milan1 of his first work1 in ,french1 ,a ,theoretical1 ,practical and ,elementary ,treatise on the ,art of ,dancing1 brought ,blasis into prominent notice throughout the ,continent and in ,london1 owing to press notices and demands for translations of a work that was unrivalled of its kind and is valuable to-day4 ,in #ahbf ,blasis came to ,london1 where1 at the ,king's ,theatre1 ,haymarket1 he was triumphantly received as dancer1 actor and ballet-composer4 ,he remained here for some time1 and in #ahbi-ahcj published his still more important work1 in ,english1 namely1 ,the ,code of ,terpsichore in which the whole subject of dancing is dealt with exhaustively4 ,the book was 8embellished0 with numerous line-engravings1 accompanied by music1 composed by his sisters1 ,virginia and ,teresa ,blasis1 and was dedicated to ,virginia1 then ,prima ,donna of the ,italian ,opera at ,paris4 ,the work was an instant success and did much to further the aim which ,blasis had in all his writings1 namely1 the raising of the art of the ,dance and ,ballet nearer to a level with the other imitative arts4 ,illustration3 ,carlo ,blasis 7,from a lithograph74 ,the matre now divided his time between ,england and ,italy1 sometimes appearing as a dancer1 sometimes producing ballets of his own composition2 or yet again as journalist and author1 contributing articles to leading reviews1 or seeing some fresh volume through the press1 always occupied in propagating his school and principles1 demonstrating his method1 and putting into practice wherever he went every new improvement or suggestion which could advance the cause he had at heart2 always encouraging and inspiring all those of his profession with whom he came in touch1 with a newer and higher idea of the possibilities of theatrical dance and ballet4 ,it was now said1 indeed1 that 8all who followed the same profession became either his disciples or imitators40 ,his triumphs as a dancer1 however1 were unhappily cut short during an engagement at the ,san ,carlo1 ,naples1 by an accident which occurred during rehearsal1 some unaccountable injury to the left leg1 for which every remedy was tried without avail4 ,though he was not unable henceforth to perform the simpler and more natural movements he found himself handicapped by a certain stiffness that made anything like a cabriole or entrechat impossible1 and wisely decided to retire rather than diminish the fame he had already acquired as a dancer4 ,hereafter it was as a composer of ballets and as a widely informed writer on the arts that he elected to occupy himself1 and in ,italy1 ,france and ,england--notably at ,drury ,lane--his productions both on the stage and in the ,press1 won him increasing recognition and respect4 ,in #ahcg ,blasis was appointed by the ,italian ,government ,director of the ,imperial ,academy of ,dancing and ,pantomime at ,milan1 where the reforms he introduced and the new artistic ideal he created shortly raised it to the position of the leading ,academy of the world4 ,by the end of the eighteenth century dancing and ballet at the ,paris ,opera1 had grown1 as we have seen1 a stiff1 formal1 dull affair4 ,carlo ,blasis' rule at the ,milan ,academy1 which put new life into the art1 had a tremendous influence throughout the ,continent1 so much so indeed that ,russia1 ,austria1 ,france1 and even ,england all to-day owe something to the traditions of style and efficiency his genius laid down at that time4 ,the system of training he instituted then is still much the same in present-day opera-houses1 from which most of the famous dancers are drawn4 ,pupils entered the ,milan ,academy at an early age4 ,no one was admitted before the age of eight years1 nor after twelve1 if a girl1 or fourteen1 if a boy4 ,they were to be medically examined1 and be proved to have a robust constitution and to be in good health4 ,they had to be children of respectable parents2 and1 when admitted1 were to remain in the school1 devoted to its service and to the service of the theatre for eight years4 ,for the first three years they were to be considered as apprentices and receive no salary2 those who were qualified for performance in the theatre came to receive progressive salaries4 ,their daily practice in the school was for three hours in the morning1 from nine to twelve1 at dancing2 after which they were to be exercised in the art of pantomime for one hour4 ,to-day the training is just as severe and much the same4 ,for the ,russian ballet pupils enter the ,academy at ,petrograd at the age of nine and remain till eighteen4 ,madame ,karsavina1 one of the most finished dancers in the world1 has told us how1 even now1 she continues to practise a couple of hours or more every day4 ,a well-known ,italian matre de ballet at a famous ,west ,end theatre once told me that he always practised dancing from two to three hours a day1 and 8pantomime0 or 8mime10 as it is usually called1 from one to two hours4 ,mlle4 ,gne1 too1 has stated that she practises from two to three hours daily4 ,such practice is necessary1 not merely to a pupil1 but to a finished and successful dancer to keep the limbs absolutely supple and enable the artist to give that impression of consummate ease in performing the most difficult steps1 which is the true test of the really great dancer2 while the study of 8miming0 is equally necessary1 since it is the art which gives life and expression to the dance4 ,before a dancer has achieved the distinction of becoming a 8star10 it may be safely reckoned that she has had from eight to ten years daily drudgery1 and that her earlier years have been without financial reward1 and may even have involved her parents or relatives in considerable expense for her training or apprenticeship4 ,given the physique1 the instinct for dancing1 and the intelligence1 what then must the prospective 8star0 expect before she can become a premire danseuse1 or even a 8seconde08 ,go into any large school where 8toe-dancing0 is taught and what will you see8 ,a large1 barely furnished room1 on one or two1 or perhaps on all sides of which is fixed a bar or pole1 some four feet from the ground4 ,here1 having already been thoroughly grounded in the 8five positions10 which every dancer learns1 the pupils1 perhaps a dozen or more in number1 ranging from eight upwards1 will be found at 8side practice10 as it is called1 going through the various 8positions0 and steps1 while one hand rests on the bar4 ,here she goes through the fatiguing and endless training known as practice 8on the bar10 learning 8battements10 which consist in moving one leg in the air1 now forward1 now back1 while the other1 on tip-toe1 supports the body2 learning the even more difficult ronds de jambes1 or circles made by one leg while resting on the other2 learning all the while to get the legs free and supple1 to keep the shoulders down and the elbows loose1 before proceeding to the more complex steps and poses4 ,after incessant drilling at the bar comes the 8centre practice10 in which many of the same positions and steps are repeated with new and more difficult ones1 away from the bar2 until little by little after months1 indeed1 it may be years1 of incessant practice1 the young dancer becomes qualified to take a place in the minor ranks of the ballet where1 in watching the more finished work of the premire danseuse1 she is further inspired to yet more arduous practice in the school or at home1 in the hope of achieving a perfection that shall bring her similar rewards--a princely income1 unlimited bouquets1 and the clamorous applause of an adoring audience4 ,all this is severe enough training2 but the dancer's training always has been severe4 ,the hard thing1 from the ballet composer's point of view is--that the individuality and artistic spirit of the dancer is1 only too often1 crushed by the training or at least subordinated to an exaltation of mere technique4 ,technique is a necessity1 of course4 ,but it was in the power of such men as ,noverre and ,blasis to inspire in their disciples something more than an emulation for technical efficiency1 and to give them an artistic ideal which made the drudgery of their training seem worth while as a means of attaining to greater ease of artistic expression4 ,blasis' influence undoubtedly ran like a quickening spirit through the capitals of ,europe and led the way to that great revival of romantic ballet which marked the era of the 'forties and found its fullest and most poetic expression in the idealism of ,taglioni4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,marie ,,taglioni 78,,sylphide07 ,the great theatrical sensation of the mid-'forties was the famous ,pas de ,quatre1 composed of ,lucile ,grahn1 ,fanny ,cerito1 ,carlotta ,grisi1 and ,marie ,taglioni1 the last-named making a welcome return to the stage after an absence of some years4 ,this was in #ahde4 ,taglioni's reappearance and a dispute between the dancers as to the order of their entre gave the event a handsome advertisement4 ,in the end the difficulty was settled by ,lumley1 the manager of the ,opera1 deciding that1 as ,mlle4 ,taglioni herself was indifferent as to when she made her entrance1 they should appear according to age1 the youngest first2 and in consequence ,lucile ,grahn led the quartette1 a crescendo of applause finishing in a terrific climax as ,taglioni1 greatest of them all1 appeared1 and1 as one witness declared1 8the whole house went clean mad40 ,marie ,taglioni1 greatest of the four1 was the first to give the impulse towards the creation of that new school which the others represented4 ,the technique of all four was virtually the same1 that which had always been traditional4 ,in the foundations of their art all were of the old school4 ,all had been thoroughly drilled in the eternal 8five positions40 ,but in the spirit of this art all were as new for their period1 and by contrast with the eighteenth-century school1 as ,camargo had been when she first quickened that school by the introduction of a fresher inspiration and new miracles of execution2 and as ,sall had been when she had striven to replace the convention of pannier and cuirasse for classic hero and heroine1 with a costume nearer to ,hellenic truth and beauty4 ,and of the four who made theatrical dancing in the 'forties of last century what it was1 ,taglioni was the pioneer4 ,she was one of a family of ,taglionis4 ,there was ,louise1 who had won distinction at the ,opera under the ,empire1 and who had a sister so beautiful that when she left the stage to marry an ,italian gentleman and settle down at ,venice1 it came to be a proverb1 8,to see ,venice and the beautiful ,contarini40 ,marie was the niece of these two4 ,born at ,stockholm in #ahjd1 she was the daughter of ,philip ,taglioni 7#aggg-ahga71 a ballet-master from ,milan1 and a ,swedish mother1 ne ,anna ,karsten1 whose grandfather had been a famous actor and singer at the ,swedish ,court4 ,in these two strains probably we have one of the secrets of ,marie ,taglioni's art1 for1 while from the ,italian side she would have inherited that passion for technique which is innate in the ,latin races1 from the maternal she would have received the impulse towards a poetic and dreamy idealism which is characteristic of the ,north4 ,add to this the fact that her father was not only a really accomplished teacher of dancing but was steeped in the romantic legends and poetry of ,scandinavia1 and we are better able to understand how it was the stiff formalism and poetic conventionalities of ,ballet in the pre-,taglioni period had to succumb to the new breath of inspiration which was to set all ,london and ,paris raving of its beauty in the 'forties1 and fire even so temperate and cynical an observer as ,thackeray to enthusiastic expressions of admiration of ,marie ,taglioni in 8,sylphide40 ,as a child she was unprepossessing to look at and had physical defects4 ,it is said that when the famous dancing master1 ,coulon1 was consulted as to the teaching of the child1 he exclaimed3 8,what can ,i do with that little hunch-back80 ,nevertheless1 her father intended that she should become a dancer1 and1 taking her in hand himself1 a dancer she became2 with the result that--to adapt the expression of an ingenious ,french critic--between them they ultimately taglionised the ,ballet4 ,marie made her first appearance at ,vienna in #ahbb1 in a ballet bearing the lengthy title1 8,rception d'une jeune nymphe la cour de ,terpsichore40 ,her father had arranged a pas for her dbut1 but in her confusion1 it is said1 she forgot it1 and substituted another of her own invention1 which proved a triumphant success4 ,from ,vienna she went to ,stuttgart1 where the ,queen of ,wrtemberg became so attached to her that she treated her like a sister1 and was seen to shed tears on the occasion of ,taglioni's last appearance at the ,stuttgart ,opera ,house4 ,she next proceeded to ,munich1 where she was equally well received by the royal family1 finally making her dbut at ,paris on ,july #bcrd1 #ahbg1 in a ballet called 8,le ,sicilien40 ,her appearance was an immediate success1 and was followed by fresh triumphs in 8,la ,vestale10 8,fernando ,cortez10 8,les ,bayadres0 and 8,le ,carnaval de ,venise10 this first engagement terminating on ,august #ajth4 ,one critic of her time writes enthusiastically of the effect she created with3 8sa grce nave1 ses poses dcentes et voluptueuses1 son extrme lgret1 la nouveaut de sa danse1 dont les effets semblaient appartenir aux inspirations de la nature au lieu d'tre les rsultats des combinaisons de l'art et du travail de l'cole1 produisirent une sensation trs vive sur le public4 ,le talent d'une virtuose qui s'loigne de la route battue par ses devanciers1 trouve des opposants que la continuit des succs ne dsarme pas toujours3 il n'y eut qu'une voix sur ,mlle4 ,taglioni3 tout le monde fut enchant1 ravi40 ,the ,ballet had grown formalised1 stale4 ,taglioni came as spirit from another sphere to infuse new vitality and idealism into its wearied splendour1 and she provided jaded opera lovers with a new thrill4 ,after her ,parisian dbut1 she was re-engaged for the following year and returned in the ,april of #ahbh to win further admiration in 8,les ,bayadres10 and 8,lydie0 and 8,psych02 then1 the year after1 in 8,la ,belle au ,bois dormant10 a fifteen years' engagement being finally offered to her at the ,opera1 with intervals of absence sufficient to enable her to pay visits to ,germany1 ,russia1 ,italy and ,england1 when1 in every country1 she achieved fresh triumphs4 ,her ,london dbut at the benefit of ,laporte1 manager at ,her ,majesty's ,theatre1 took place on ,june #crd1 #ahcj1 in ,didelot's ballet of 8,flore et ,zephire40 ,a contemporary account of her dancing says3 8,taglioni unquestionably combines the finest requisites for eminence in her art4 ,the union she displays of muscular ability with the most feminine delicacy of frame and figure is truly extraordinary4 ,a charming simplicity1 the principal characteristic of her demeanour on the stage--an utter absence of that false consequence and bombast of carriage and manner which have so peculiarly marked too many artistes of our time2 and a native grace and matchless precision in her movements1 even those in which the most astonishing difficulties are conquered1 and which yet appear to demand of her no effort1 leave us delighted with the fairyism of the lovely being before us 444 and enchant us into forgetfulness of the unwearied perseverance and application by which1 in aid of the lavish gifts of ,nature1 such unrivalled excellence has been attained40 ,every contemporary account of ,taglioni insists always on that one note1 the idealism of her art4 ,the late ,mme4 ,katti-,lanner1 who saw her dance1 told me once that she appeared like some fairy being always about to soar away from the earth to which she seemed so little to belong4 ,was it not ,victor ,hugo who inscribed a volume which he sent to her3 8 vos pieds-- vos ailes08 ,it was but natural then that she should be the ideal exponent of the title-rle in that graceful ,ballet 8,sylphide10 which was produced at ,paris on ,march #adth1 #ahcb4 ,the importance of the new influence brought to bear on the art of ,ballet by the advent of ,taglioni and the contrast between the older and the newer schools was well defined by ,thophile ,gautier who1 writing of 8,sylphide0 said3 8,ce ballet commena pour la chorgraphie une re toute nouvelle et ce fut par lui que le romantisme s'introduisit dans le domaine de ,terpsichore4 ,a dater de la #8,sylphide1' les #8,filets de ,vulcain1' #8,flore et ,zephire' ne furent plus possibles3 l',opra fut livr aux gnomes1 aux ondins1 aux salamandres1 aux elfes1 aux nixes1 aux willis1 aux pris et tout ce peuple trange et mystrieux qui se prte si merveilleusement aux fantaisies du matre de ballet4 ,les douze maisons de marbre et d'or des ,olympies furent relgues dans la poussire des magasins1 et l'on ne commanda plus aux dcorateurs que des forts romantiques1 que des valles claires par le joli clair de lune allemand des ballades de ,henri ,heine44440 ,the poet ,mry remarked of the new dancer3 8,avec ,mlle4 ,taglioni la danse s'est leve la saintet d'un art40 ,that is just what she achieved4 ,dancing1 which had become a mechanical display of technical tours de force1 was restored to the dignity--or sanctity--of an art4 ,but her influence extended further4 ,she enlarged the perspective of the stage effects4 ,the stiff formalism of 8classic0 scenes1 of neat temples and trim vistas gave place to mysterious lakes and umbrageous forests1 vast spaces that stirred the imagination and prepared the mind for the entre of visionary dancers4 ,the story of 8,sylphide0 is of the love of a sylph for a handsome young ,highland peasant1 who is haunted by visions of her in his dreams and memories of the vision on awaking1 so much so that the heart of his own betrothed is broken and his brain is turned by the manifestation of his aerial love1 who herself becomes the victim of an unhappier fate by a terrible spell cast on her by infernal powers and woven during a witches' sabbath1 which forms one of the more impressive scenes of the ballet4 ,the plot was adapted from ,charles ,nodier's story1 ,trilby1 by ,adolphe ,nourrit1 and the music by ,schneitzhffer was pronounced 8excellent0 by ,castil-,blaze1 who remarked that it was an 8uvre infiniment remarquable dans un genre qui peut devenir important lorsqu'un homme de talent et d'esprit veut bien l'adopter40 ,he also reports of the first production of 8,sylphide0 in ,paris1 that it had a succs merveilleux4 ,elsewhere ,taglioni's success was no less remarkable4 ,indeed1 wheresoever she went she achieved a triumph4 ,at ,petrograd such tempting offers were made by the ,emperor and ,empress that she prolonged her stay for three years1 and left laden with gifts from their ,imperial ,majesties4 ,at ,vienna1 on one occasion1 having been called before the curtain twenty-two times1 when she finally got away from the ,opera ,house her carriage was drawn to her hotel by forty young men of the leading ,austrian families4 ,in ,london she was worshipped by the public1 and was one of the special admirations of the youthful ,queen ,victoria1 some of whose dolls 7as in the case of ,brocard1 ,pauline ,leroux1 and other dancers7 were dressed to represent the characters ,taglioni played1 and may be seen to-day in the ,london ,museum4 ,illustration3 ,marie ,taglioni 7,from a lithograph dated #ahcc74 ,illustration3 ,the ,pas de ,quatre of #ahde 7,lucille ,grahn1 ,fanny ,cerito1 ,carlotta ,grisi1 and in the centre ,marie ,taglioni74 ,taglioni was married to ,gilbert1 ,comte de ,voisins1 in #ahce1 but the marriage was not a happy one and was dissolved in #ahdd4 ,she retired for a little time1 but returned to the stage again and appeared in ,london1 with triumphant success1 in #ahde4 ,the climax of a great season came in ,july of that year1 when1 at the request of ,her ,majesty1 ,queen ,victoria1 the ,pas de ,quatre1 to which reference has already been made1 was arranged for the four great dancers1 ,taglioni1 ,cerito1 ,carlotta ,grisi and ,lucile ,grahn4 ,one critic remarked that the appearance of four such stars on the same boards and in the same pas was 8truly what our ,gallic neighbours call une solennit thtrale1 and such a one as none of those who beheld it are likely to witness again40 ,it was1 he declared rightly1 8an event unparalleled in theatrical annals1 and one which1 some two score years hence1 may be handed down to a new generation by garrulous septuagenarians as one of the most brilliant reminiscences of days gone by40 ,without being a septuagenarian1 or being in a position to remember an event about which to grow garrulous1 all who have studied theatrical history at all can freely endorse the remark4 ,probably never in any theatre was seen such excitement as there was on this occasion4 ,contemporary testimony1 when authoritative1 is always valuable in such cases1 and as there is no better account of the famous 8,pas de ,quatre0 than that given by the ,illustrated ,london ,news of that day1 ,july #aith1 #ahde1 it may be quoted at length with advantage4 ,speaking of the curiosity which so unusual an event must necessarily excite1 and which led him to 8hurry0 to the theatre1 the writer declared that3 8curiosity and every other feeling was merged in admiration when the four great dancers commenced the series of picturesque groupings with which this performance opens4 ,we can safely say we have never witnessed a scene more perfect in all its details4 ,the greatest of painters1 in his loftiest flights1 could hardly have conceived1 and certainly never executed1 a group more faultless and more replete with grace and poetry than that formed by these four danseuses3 ,taglioni in the midst1 her head thrown backwards1 apparently reclining in the arms of her sister nymphs4 ,could such a combination have taken place in the ancient palmy days of art1 the pencil of the painter and the song of the poet would alike have been employed to perpetuate its remembrance4 ,no description can render the exquisite1 and almost ethereal grace of movement and attitude of these great dancers1 and those who have witnessed the scene1 may boast of having once1 at least1 seen the perfection of the art of dancing so little understood4 ,there was no affectation1 no apparent exertion or struggle for effect on the part of these gifted artistes2 and though they displayed their utmost resources1 there was a simplicity and ease1 the absence of which would have completely broken the spell they threw around the scene4 ,of the details of this performance it is difficult to speak4 ,in the solo steps executed by each danseuse1 each in turn seemed to claim pre-eminence4 ,where every one in her own style is perfect1 peculiar individual taste alone may balance in favour of one or the other1 but the award of public applause must be equally bestowed2 and1 for our own part1 we confess that our penchant for the peculiar style1 and our admiration for the dignity1 the repose1 and exquisite grace which characterise ,taglioni1 and the dancer who has so brilliantly followed the same track 7,lucile ,grahn71 did not prevent our warmly appreciating the charming archness and twinkling steps of ,carlotta ,grisi1 or the wonderful flying leaps and revolving bounds of ,cerito4 ,though1 as we have said1 each displayed her utmost powers1 the emulation of the fair dancers was1 if we may trust appearances1 unaccompanied by envy4 8,every time a shower of bouquets descended1 on the conclusion of a solo pas of one or other of the fair ballerines1 her sister dancers came forward to assist her in collecting them2 and both on ,saturday and ,tuesday did ,cerito offer to crown ,taglioni with a wreath which had been thrown in homage to the queen of the dance4 ,we were also glad to see on the part of the audience far less of partisanship than had been displayed two or three years since1 on the performance of a pas de deux between ,elssler and ,cerito4 ,the applause was universal1 and equally distributed4 ,this1 however1 did not take from the excitement of the scene4 ,the house1 crowded to the roof1 presented a concourse of the most eager faces1 never diverted for a moment from the performance2 and the extraordinary tumult of enthusiastic applause1 joined to the delightful effect of the spectacle presented1 imparted to the whole scene an interest and excitement that can hardly be imagined40 ,yet another triumph for ,ballet was scored in the following season1 ,july1 #ahdf1 when ,taglioni's appearance in 8,la ,gitana0 having been hailed with quite extraordinary enthusiasm1 there came a piece of managerial enterprise equalling that of the famous ,pas de ,quatre4 ,a new ballet by ,perrot1 8,les ,tribulations d'un ,matre de ,ballet10 was arranged for production and during the performance a pas was to have been introduced1 combining the matchless three--,grahn1 ,cerito and ,taglioni1 supported also by the niece of the last named1 ,louise ,taglioni2 and ,st4 ,leon1 husband of ,cerito2 and ,perrot1 husband of ,carlotta ,grisi4 ,this pas for the leading dancers was intended to form part of a divertissement entitled 8,le ,jugement de ,pris10 which the aforesaid matre de ballet was supposed to be arranging and to be having 8tribulations0 about4 ,but on putting the divertissement into rehearsal the idea was found to be so attractive and to assume such importance as to overshadow the rest of the production and the 8,jugement de ,pris0 was therefore detached and staged as a separate ballet in itself with the happiest result4 ,the pas so isolated was of course the famous ,pas des ,desses1 the goddesses naturally being the fair rivals ,juno1 ,minerva and ,venus1 impersonated by the three great ballerines1 who contended for the apple thrown by the ,goddess of ,discord1 and awarded by ,paris to the most beautiful of the three4 ,needless to say1 with such dancers1 the production found favour with audiences and critics1 one of whom wrote3 8,the idea of this pas is an excellent one2 for it is an important qualification in choregraphic compositions1 that the dancing should appear to be a necessary result of the action--that an intelligible idea should be conveyed by it1 and a story kept up throughout4 ,without this1 dancing1 however beautiful in itself1 loses half its charm to those who look for something more in it than mere power and grace of motion4 ,here there is a purpose in the varied attitudes and graceful evolutions of each danseuse1 as she is supposed to be endeavouring to outstrip her rivals1 and vindicate her right to the disputed apple2 and the effect is a charming one1 independently of the interest and excitement that must inevitably attach to the combined performance of such unequalled artists as these4 ,the ,graces1 enacted by ,louise ,taglioni1 ,demississe1 and ,cassan2 ,cupid1 by that graceful child1 ,mdlle4 ,lamoureux2 ,mercure1 by ,perrot1 etc41 etc41 are all numbered amongst the dramatis person of the ballet1 and a more charming combination could hardly be met with4 8,taglioni is1 however1 the principal #8star' at the present moment4 ,those who have visited ,her ,majesty's ,theatre predetermined to find her marvellous talent diminished1 and to #8regret' her reappearance on the ,english stage1 have come away enchanted1 despite themselves1 at that marvellous union of unrivalled agility1 with the most perfect grace and elegance1 in which no dancer has as yet equalled her4 ,if there is any change perceptible1 she seems to have advanced in her art--in person1 an increase of embonpoint has proved decidedly favourable to her appearance4 ,it is1 no doubt1 in the danse noble that she excels2 but in every style of dancing the je ne sais quoi of peculiar refinement and grace1 for which she is remarkable in her style1 distinguishes her4 ,as long as ,taglioni continues to dance1 she will continue to excite an enthusiasm of applause1 as the famous ,guimard1 styled in #aggj1 #8,la ,reine de la ,danse1' had done before her4 ,a peculiar gentleness and amiability of look1 and a dignity of manner which never abandons ,taglioni1 is in admirable keeping with the style of her dancing2 and1 if we may believe report1 these do not belie her real character40 ,as a matter of fact1 the appearances and 8report0 did not belie her character1 for ,taglioni always won the respect and love of all she met4 ,she had done so abroad1 where crowned heads and royal families had made a friend of her1 enchanted with her sweetness and modesty1 and won to equal respect by her innate dignity of character4 ,it was the same in ,london1 where1 it is said1 she received not only the generous homage of her stage colleagues and was offered a superb testimonial at the close of the season of #ahdf1 but also met with special favour from ,queen ,victoria herself1 who was as much a connoisseur of good dancing as she was of virtuous conduct4 ,it may have been by reason of this that ,taglioni was appointed teacher of dancing and deportment to some of the younger members of the ,english ,royal ,family2 and later undertook the tuition of a few favoured young dancers4 ,yet ,fortune did not favour her always1 and she died at ,marseilles on ,april #beth1 #ahhd2 like ,guimard1 also neglected and in poverty4 ,but while there is one to read the records of the stage her name will survive as one of the founders and supreme exponents of the idealistic school of ,ballet4 ,,taglioni 78,,sylphide07 8,slim1 virginal1 upon the stage she springs3 ,and joy forthwith relumines weary eyes ,that1 looking ever on dull mundane things1 ,long had forgot youth's heritage of joy3 ,slim1 virginal1 clad in resplendent white ,with floral coronal and fluttering wings ,she stands serenely poised2 then1 swift to rise1 ,gleams like a sunlit dove in sudden flight3 ,so1 once again1 return to our dulled sight ,dreams of a golden age without alloy4 8,how many sages sought in ancient time ,some magic stone transmuting all to gold2 ,elixirs rare have many yearned to find1 ,recalling refluent youth ere life depart2 ,how many strove to conjure from the air1 ,from water1 earth or fire with subtle art ,the elemental beings therein divined6 8,but thou1 with art more potent and sublime1 ,transmutest all6 ,none seeing thee is old6 ,all hearts forlorn1 from dross of woe are freed6 ,and in the magic glamour of thy grace1 ,hope's listless wings win strength once more to fare ,towards that ,ideal whose lineaments we trace ,importally incarnate in--#8,sylphide6'0 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,carlotta ,,grisi 7,,giselle7 ,seldom is a good dancer also a born singer2 and still more rarely do both talents develop simultaneously to such a point that there can be any serious doubt as to which to relinquish in favour of the other4 ,yet such was the happy fate of ,carlotta ,grisi1 the cousin of the two famous singing sisters1 ,giuditta and ,giulia ,grisi4 ,carlotta at one time showed such promise of becoming a vocalist that no less a person than the great ,malibran advised her to devote her life to singing4 ,but when ,perrot1 the famous ballet-master1 who had received his cong from the ,paris ,opera1 saw her1 when she was earning her living as a dancer at ,naples1 he was clever enough to suggest that she should develop both talents1 fully intending that under his encouragement and tuition she should become at least a finished danseuse1 for he saw in the future of such a pupil an opportunity of securing his own return to the ,opera4 ,moreover1 although--as a famous matresse de ballet of our time once described him to me--8ogly as sin10 he managed to become her husband6 ,carlotta ,grisi was born in #ahba at ,visnida1 in ,upper ,istria1 in a palace built for the ,emperor ,francis ,,ii4 ,when a mere child of five years old she was dancing1 with other children1 at the ,scala1 ,milan1 where she danced with such grace that she was nicknamed ,la petite ,heberl1 a ,mlle4 ,heberl then being a very popular star4 ,subsequently she toured with a company through ,italy appearing at ,florence1 ,rome1 ,naples1 and it was here she met and became the pupil and then wife of ,perrot4 ,brief visits to ,london1 ,vienna1 ,milan1 ,naples followed1 the young dancer gathering fresh triumphs at each1 until finally she made her ,parisian dbut at the ,renaissance on ,february #bhth1 #ahdj4 ,here she appeared both as singer and dancer in 8,le ,zingaro10 but on the closing of the theatre she went in ,february1 #ahda1 to the ,opera1 and achieved an instant success in 8,la ,favorita40 ,from that moment her career was one of continued triumph4 ,in ,june of that year she appeared in 8,giselle1 ou les ,willis1 ballet en deux actes1 de ,,mm4 de ,saint ,georges1 ,th4 ,gautier et ,coralli1 musique de ,m4 ,adam1 dcors de ,m4 ,ciceri10 as it is described on my copy of the original libretto4 ,carlotta's appearance in it was the artistic sensation of the ,continent4 8,giselle0 is founded on one of those romantic legendary themes in which ,germany was once so rich1 and tells of the fate of a village girl who falls a victim to the mysterious ,willis1 or spirits of betrothed girls who in life were passionately fond of dancing1 who have died ere marriage1 and are doomed after death to dance every night from midnight to dawn1 luring whom they may to the same fate4 ,this1 and the story of shattered hope and love forlorn1 which bring about poor little ,giselle's destruction1 are the two leading themes of a ballet which1 touching both the heights of gaiety and depths of tragedy1 is rich in every element that can interest or charm1 and presents many dramatic situations that demand from a supremely accomplished dancer a power of mimic expression1 intensity and poetic sympathy that are rare4 ,carlotta ,grisi was ideally equipped1 and she was par excellence--,giselle4 ,a revival of the second act1 under the title of 8les ,sylphides10 was given by the ,russian dancers at the ,coliseum a few seasons ago4 ,gautier's admiration for ,grisi was enthusiastic4 8,qu'est-ce que ,giselle80 he asked the day after the first performance1 thus answering his own question3 8,giselle1 c'est ,carlotta ,grisi1 une charmante fille aux yeux bleus1 au sourire fin et naf1 la dmarche alerte1 une ,italienne qui a l'air d'une ,allemande s'y tromper1 comme l',allemande ,fanny avait l'air d'une ,andalouse de ,sville4444 ,pour la pantomime1 elle a dpass toutes les esprances4 ,pas un geste de convention4 ,pas un mouvement faux4 ,c'est la nature prise sur le fait40 ,another of her admirers described ,carlotta in the following quaint terms3 8444 a blonde beauty2 her eyes are of a soft and lovely blue1 her mouth is small1 and her complexion is of a rare freshness and delicacy4444 ,her figure is symmetrical1 for1 though slight1 she has not that anatomical thinness1 which is so common among the danseuses of the ,acadmie ,royale4 ,her grace is not more surprising than her aplomb4 ,she never appears to exert herself1 but can execute the most incredible tours de force with a perfect tranquillity40 ,grisi's success in ,london was stupendous4 ,she appeared here at ,drury ,lane1 and later at ,her ,majesty's1 for the ,opera seasons4 ,on her farewell appearance in 8,the ,peri0 7by ,thophile ,gautier1 ,coralli and ,burgmller7 at the end of the season in ,november1 #ahdc1 the ,illustrated ,london ,news gave the following note3 8,carlotta ,grisi took her farewell of an ,english audience on ,saturday night 7i4e4 ,november #ahth1 #ahdc7 in the popular ballet of #8,the ,peri1' when a brilliant company was present to bid adieu to their favourite dancer4 ,on the entrance of ,mdlle4 ,grisi1 there was one unanimous burst of applause1 and each movement of her graceful figure was the signal for renewed approbation4 ,when the famous leap was given1 cries of encore re-echoed from every part of the house1 and once again the favourite1 with a spirit undaunted1 leaped into the arms of the lover in the ballet4 ,the applause continued undiminished until the fall of the curtain--then the enthusiasm became a furore1 and the name of #8,grisi' was uttered by a thousand voices4 ,she soon appeared1 led on by ,petipa1 and in looks more expressive than words1 spoke her thanks for the kindness which she has received and merited4 ,wreaths and bouquets were plenteously showered on the dancer1 and our artist has attempted a representation of the enthusiastic scene4 8,after the performances1 ,mr4 ,bunn gave an elegant supper in the grand saloon of the theatre to about seventy of his friends and patrons4 ,the entertainment was intended as a complimentary leave-taking to ,carlotta ,grisi1 on her quitting ,london to fulfil her engagements in ,paris4 ,after proposing the health of ,carlotta ,grisi1 ,mr4 ,bunn presented that lady with a superb bracelet of black enamel1 richly ornamented with diamonds1 as a slight souvenir of her highly successful career at ,drury ,lane ,theatre4 ,attached to the bracelet was the following inscription3 #8,prsent ,mlle4 ,carlotta ,grisi1 la danseuse la plus potique de l'univers1 avec les hommages respectueux de son directeur ,a4 ,bunn1 ,thtre ,royal1 ,drury ,lane1 #ahth ,november1 #ahdc4'0 ,a contemporary enthusiast1 writing of her in #ahdf1 said3 8,her name is henceforth inseparably connected with the charming and poetic creations which her own grace and beauty have immortalised3 #8,giselle1' #8,beatrix1' #8,la ,pri1' have attained a celebrity equal to that of #8,la ,sylphide' and #8,la ,fille du ,danube1' and the most devoted admirer of ,taglioni can scarcely refuse a tribute of homage to the bewitching elegance of ,carlotta ,grisi4 ,wherever she goes1 her reception is the same2 if she is idolised in ,paris1 she is adored in ,london4 ,the impression produced by her performance of #8,la ,pri1' at ,drury ,lane1 in #ahdc1 will not be easily forgotten1 and her more recent triumph in the #8,pas de ,quatre' is still fresh in the recollection of the habitus of the ,opera4 ,nor must we omit her last creations of ,mazourka in the #8,diable ,quatre' and #8,paquita4' ,it is impossible to describe the fascinating navet of her manner1 the arch and lively humour of her pantomime1 and the extraordinary precision and grace of her dancing60 ,high praise1 certainly6 ,but1 evidently not exaggerated1 for all contemporary accounts of ,grisi are equally enthusiastic4 ,carlotta's married life was not entirely happy4 ,she had many admirers1 and her husband had a temper1 and though she always kept the former at a discreet distance1 the latter was not so easily managed1 and after a few years of marriage1 which had apparently been entered upon more as a matter of mutual interest than mutual affection1 she and her husband agreed to separate4 ,grisi left the stage in #aheg at the climax of her success1 and retired to live quietly in ,switzerland1 where she died only a few years ago4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,fanny ,,cerito 78,,ondine07 ,of the great quartette1 ,cerito was the especial pet of ,london audiences1 among whom she was always known as the 8divine0 ,fanny4 ,this but echoed the pretty worship of her good old father to whom she was always 8,la ,divinita10 and who in the heyday of her success used to go about with his pockets stuffed with her old shoes1 and fragments of the floral crowns which had been thrown to her on the stage4 ,from the time of her birth at ,naples1 in #ahba1 he had guarded her1 and his pride in her talent and her triumphs was but natural1 seeing how young she was1 how early she won fame1 and how great was her charm4 ,she made her dbut at the ,san ,carlo1 ,naples1 in #ahce1 in a ballet called 8,the ,horoscope40 ,she then toured1 appearing at most of the ,italian cities4 ,even before she had left ,italy she had earned1 on her dbut at ,milan1 the complimentary title of 8the fourth ,grace10 one of the many 8fourth0 ,graces the world has seen since ancient classic days6 ,after ,italy there followed a couple of years at ,vienna and then1 strangely enough1 reversing the customary order of things1 her ,london dbut was made some years before she appeared in ,paris4 ,she was seen regularly in ,london for some seasons from #ahdj onwards4 ,in ,may1 #ahda1 she appeared at ,her ,majesty's1 in the 8,lac des ,fes10 with great success2 in ,june 8,sylphide0 was revived for her1 and on ,august #abth she took her benefit1 to which people flocked from all parts of ,london and1 notwithstanding the usual deserted state of town at such a time1 the audience was one of the biggest and most fashionable on record4 ,then she went on a brief visit to ,liverpool1 and then returned for a time to ,vienna4 ,it was in the two ballets1 8,alma0 and 8,ondine10 that the beauteous ,fanny achieved her greatest triumphs1 in the former representing a fire-spirit1 in the latter1 a water-nymph given1 as was ,hans ,andersen's little ,mermaid1 mortal life and form4 ,she appeared in 8,alma10 a ballet by ,deshayes1 on its first production in ,london during ,july1 #ahdb1 on the night when the famous 8,persiani0 row took place1 and which was said to be worse than several similar riots in the previous year at the ,opera4 ,mme4 ,persiani had been 8too ill to sing10 and the audience had been incredulous4 ,comparative quiet was at length secured by the respected manager1 ,lumley1 and1 as a journal of the time quaintly records3 8,a beautiful1 sylph-like ,cerito1 danced in the splendid ballet of #8,alma1' and by her inspiration hushed the stormy elements with a repose that ought always to reign when genius and talent are supreme40 ,another chronicler speaks of the 8new and glittering ballet of #8,alma1' which reflects the greatest credit on the inventor1 ,m4 ,deshayes10 and adds3 8,we have no hesitation in saying that this is the ballet of all ballets1 and carries our memory back to our young1 innocent and merry days of juvenility1 when care was not care1 and tears not tears of woe1 to the days of bright sunny smiles1 when fairies in our eyes were fairies1 and when the brilliant realisations of the doings of #8,cherry and ,fair ,star' were real1 existing things of creation1 and part and parcelling of our then dreamy nature and being4 ,such is the new ballet of #8,alma4' ,it is one of the best ever put on the opera boards40 ,that this impression was created was due certainly to the talent1 both as actress and dancer1 of ,cerito1 for whom the ballet had been specially composed4 ,apropos of her great popularity in ,london a contemporary record mentions an interesting 8fact which will bear testimony at once to her perfect embodiment of the poetry of motion and her excellent private character10 namely1 that 8,the ,queen ,dowager of ,england was lately graciously pleased to bestow on her a splendid enamel brooch1 set with diamonds1 and accompanied by a most flattering message40 8,alma0 was succeeded in the following year by 8,ondine10 also composed specially for her1 by ,perrot1 with admirable music by ,pugni1 and produced at ,her ,majesty's on ,june #bbnd1 #ahdc4 ,the plot is somewhat like that of ,hans ,andersen's story1 8,the ,little ,mermaid10 and the production gave ,cerito fine opportunities for expressive miming as well as dancing1 one of the great moments of the ballet being the scene in which the little ,naiad realises at last the mortal life which has been given her1 when1 for the first time she sees her shadow cast by the moonlight2 and then came one of the chief sensations of the ballet--,cerito's dancing of the famous pas de l'ombre1 a thing of such beauty that the audience wished it a joy for ever4 ,cerito made her ,parisian dbut with success in #ahdg1 in a ballet called 8,la ,fille de ,marbre10 composed by ,st4 ,leon4 ,a ,french critic1 speaking of her personal attractions1 described her as 8petite et dodue 444 les bras ronds et d'un contour moelleux1 les yeux bleus1 le sourire facile1 la jambe forte1 le pied petit1 mais pais1 la chevelure blonde1 mais rebelle40 ,a charming little picture4 ,illustration3 ,fanny ,cerito and ,st4 ,leon ,illustration3 ,lucille ,grahn and ,perrot ,another critic wrote3 8,short in stature and round in frame1 ,cerito is one example of how grace will overcome the lack of personal elegance1 how mental animation will convey vivacity and attraction to features which1 in repose1 are heavy and inexpressive4 ,with a figure which would be too redundant1 were it not for its extreme flexibility and abandon1 ,cerito is yet a charming artiste1 who has honourably earned a high popularity and deservedly retained it40 ,some idea of her style as a dancer1 as well as of her personal appearance1 is afforded by another contemporary who described her as 8bondante and abondante40 ,among her other successes were 8,la ,vivandire0 and 8,le ,diable au ,violon40 ,for the last-named the violin was played by ,st4 ,leon1 the violinist and ballet-master1 whom she married4 ,she separated from him in #ahej4 ,in ,april1 #ahed1 she won a striking success in a ballet1 8,gemma10 which she had composed in collaboration with ,thophile ,gautier--a great admirer of her--and she retired later in the same year4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,lucile ,,grahn 78,,eoline07 ,lucile ,grahn was born at ,copenhagen1 ,june #cjth1 #ahba1 and is said to have been so delighted with a ballet to which she was taken when only four years old1 that she forthwith insisted on learning to dance1 and made her regular theatrical dbut as ,cupid when she was seven6 ,for a time she left the stage in order to pursue her studies as a dancer4 ,after seven years of the usual and always taxing training she reappeared1 at the age of fourteen1 first in 8,la ,muette de ,portici10 following with success in a ballet of her own composition1 8,le ,cinq ,seul10 then creating the rle of the ,princess ,astride1 in a ballet entitled 8,waldemar10 and followed with the title-rle in 8,hertha10 both ,scandinavian in subject4 ,then she proceeded to ,paris1 and after studying a while under ,barrez1 was recalled suddenly to ,copenhagen to take part in a fte arranged in honour of the ,queen of ,denmark1 and so did not make her ,parisian dbut until she appeared at the ,opera in 8,le ,carnaval de ,venise10 in #ahch1 in which she achieved an immediate success1 only excelled in the following year when she captured all ,parisians' hearts in the ballet which ,taglioni had already made famous--8,sylphide40 ,unhappily1 in the spring of #ahdj1 her career was interrupted by an accident while rehearsing a variation which she was to perform at the benefit of ,madame ,falcon1 the singer2 and in consequence of inflammation of the knee she was laid up for some time in spite of the most careful attention4 ,she never appeared at the ,paris ,opera again2 but in the next few years her recovery was sufficient to allow of her achieving many successes in ,london1 as well as taking part in the famous ,quartette4 ,in #ahdd she appeared in 8,lady ,henriette0 at ,drury ,lane1 and in the following ,spring was engaged for the entire season of the ,italian ,opera at ,her ,majesty's1 where she won the most dazzling of her successes in a ballet entitled 8,eoline10 produced in ,april1 #ahde4 ,a contemporary critic records the production in the following amusingly nave terms3 8,the ballet #8,eoline1' with its poetic story1 and its lovely feminine features 7sic71 was the great hit of the first night1 spite the difficulties of complicated scenery and mechanical effects4 ,the ballet worked wonders1 and ,lucile ,grahn exhibits nightly the most delightful grace and modesty of deportment1 in addition to certainty and aplomb of position1 reminding one of ,canova's masterpieces of sculpture40 ,grahn made a great success as ,catarina in 8,la ,fille du ,bandit10 during ,may1 #ahdh4 ,according to one critic it 8exhibited her talents in a higher degree than anything she has previously appeared in4 ,as the bandit's daughter she assumes a dignified bearing1 like that of one born to command1 and supports it throughout whether in dancing or action 444 and the grace of her solos commands numerous encores40 ,yet greater success followed in 8,le ,jugement de ,pris10 the honours therein1 however1 being shared with ,cerito and ,taglioni4 ,this appearance was in connection with one of the most striking sensations of the theatrical season of #ahdh 7certainly the most remarkable in the history of ballet1 save for the famous ,pas de ,quatre of three years before71 namely1 the ,pas des ,desses1 which was performed in the presence of ,her ,majesty ,queen ,victoria4 ,even the ,russians of our day never evoked greater excitement or enthusiasm than that which greeted the appearance of these three great dancers of the 'forties in one ballet4 ,a contemporary critic1 contrasting the production with that of the former ,pas de ,quatre remarked that 8for poetry of idea and execution the ,pas des ,desses has decidedly the advantage10 and goes on to say3 8,besides this1 though the attention is principally directed to the three great danseuses1 yet the grouping is rendered far more effective by the addition of other actors4 8,the ,pas des ,desses has another recommendation2 it is longer1 and the intervals while the three #8stars' are resting themselves1 are filled up by the charming butterfly steps of ,louise ,taglioni1 and the most incredible feats on the part of ,st4 ,leon and ,perrot4 ,in fact1 all here surpass themselves--of ,taglioni1 ,grahn1 ,cerito1 each in turn seems to obtain the advantage--though1 of course1 the palm is finally adjudged by each spectator accordingly as his taste is originally inclined4 ,for ourselves1 as critics1 obliged to put away all previous predilections1 we are compelled to confess that each in her peculiar style1 in this pas1 reaches the ne plus ultra of her art1 and each is different4 8,though the styles of ,taglioni and ,lucille ,grahn at first sight would seem to be identical1 yet they have both their own peculiar characteristics4 ,the buoyant energy of ,grahn contrasts with that peculiar quietness that marks ,taglioni's most daring feats1 while ,cerito1 who by her very smallness of stature1 seems fitted by nature for another style of dancing1 bounds to and fro1 as though in the plenitude of enjoyment4 ,we have never seen either of these great danseuses achieve such wonders as in this pas4 ,the improvement of ,lucile ,grahn is1 above all1 marvellous2 she introduces a step entirely new and exquisitely graceful2 and1 though it must be of most difficult achievement1 she executes it with an ease and lightness which gives her the appearance of flying4 ,it is a species of valse renverse on a grand scale4 ,one of the most effective moments with ,cerito is that in which she comes on with ,st4 ,leon1 executing a jets battus in the air1 and1 at the same moment1 turning her head suddenly to catch a sight of the much-desired apple4 ,this never fails to elicit thunders of applause1 and an encore4 8,as for ,taglioni1 after taking the most daring leaps in her own easy and exquisitely graceful manner1 she flits across the stage with a succession of steps1 which1 though perfectly simple1 are executed with such inconceivable lightness and such enchanting grace1 as invariably to call forth one of the most enthusiastic encores we ever remember to have witnessed2 in fact1 from beginning to end of the divertissement1 all the spectators are kept in a state of excitement1 which finds vent in clappings1 in shoutings1 and bravas1 occasionally quite deafening40 ,the reference to the styles of ,taglioni and ,lucile ,grahn as being almost 8identical0 is made additionally interesting by the discerning manner in which the critic contrasts the 8buoyant energy of ,grahn0 with that 8peculiar quietness0 that marked ,taglioni's most daring efforts4 ,both had studied in the traditional school and to that extent were bound to be somewhat similar4 ,their differences were due to physique and temperament1 ,grahn1 the fair ,dane1 was somewhat heavier in build1 had always been stronger and was also younger than ,taglioni1 who1 weakly in childhood1 had always been of more raffine build and temperament1 and was now perhaps a shade less energetic than in the days when she had delighted ,london with her earliest appearances some fifteen years before4 ,still1 that 8peculiar quietness0 had always distinguished her and was that very quality which had made her so ideal an exponent of 8,sylphide40 ,lucile ,grahn1 who was tall1 slim1 with blue eyes and blonde hair1 was said1 as regards her dancing1 to possess 8less strength than ,elssler1 less flexibility than ,taglioni1 but more of both than anyone else40 ,she appeared in ,london each season until #ahdh1 when the arrival of ,jenny ,lind created such a craze for ,opera--and for ,jenny ,lind--that ,ballet temporarily lost its attraction for ,london audiences4 ,she comes close to our own times1 for she died at ,munich in the spring of #aijg4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,the ,,decline ,,and ,,revival ,following what may be called 8the ,taglioni era0 came a period of comparative dullness4 ,there were successors who charmed their audiences in ,london1 in ,paris1 in ,rome1 ,vienna and ,america4 ,there was the brilliant ,caroline ,rosati2 the stately ,amalia ,ferraris2 dashing ,rita ,sangalli--who married a ,baron2 dainty ,rosita ,mauri2 ,petipa1 ,fabbri1 and others whose name and fame were brilliant but transient4 ,but these1 you will say1 were all foreigners4 ,had we no ,english ballet dancers8 ,well1 it may safely be said that ,ballet in ,england was never more thoroughly ,english1 or more thoroughly banal1 than for some twenty years before and after the ,taglioni period4 ,from #ahej onwards it was the period of the ,great ,utilities1 of which ,ballet was not one6 ,save for a few good examples later at the old ,canterbury ,music ,hall1 with ,miss ,phyllis ,broughton as premire danseuse1 at ,weston's ,music ,hall1 ,holborn1 and at the ,alhambra under ,strange's management1 and some good productions at the ,crystal ,palace arranged by ,m4 ,leon ,espinosa1 it was practically a close time for artistic dance and ballet for something like a quarter of a century4 ,the state of public disfavour into which the art had fallen is well seen from the interesting extract from the ,era ,almanack of #ahgb1 in which one reads3 8,judging from ,mr4 ,mapleson's extensive productions the ballet was another sheet anchor on which he relied4 ,madame ,katti ,lanner1 a ,viennese danseuse of great repute1 was1 with other foreign artists1 engaged for the express purpose of reviving an interest in the old-fashioned1 elaborate ballet of action4 ,the experiment was boldly made1 but failed2 and it is clear that all modern audiences care for is an incidental divertissement which may mean something or nothing4 ,as for a story worked out by clever pantomime1 people refuse to stay and see it1 and the deserted appearance of the theatre while #8,giselle' and other ballets were in progress was a significant hint that incidental dances only are appreciated by opera-goers of the present day4 ,the ballets invented by ,madame ,katti ,lanner were #8,la ,rose de ,sville1' #8,hvika' and one or two nameless divertissements4 ,she danced in them all1 and in the first act of #8,giselle4'0 ,thus1 ,london audiences from1 roughly1 #ahej to #ahgj1 had not that burning interest in the art of ballet which they had displayed for the twenty years or so preceding #ahej2 indeed1 they had little or no interest in it4 ,in ,paris conditions were much the same4 ,there were dancers of some ability and transient popularity1 as we have noted1 but no ballet and no dancer appeared of outstanding merit such as those of the great periods of the eighteenth century1 the mid-nineteenth1 or such as we have seen to-day4 ,even dancing1 apart from ballet1 was of comparatively little interest4 ,in ,london1 with the 'eighties came the dear old ,gaiety and another pas de quatre1 that in 8,faust ,up-to-,date10 a very different one from that of the 'forties1 not the toe-dancing of classic ballet1 but step-dancing of the characteristic and admirable ,english school2 and it was a very bright and inspiring dance done with tremendous verve by the ,misses ,florence ,levey1 ,lillian ,price1 ,maud ,wilmot1 and ,eva ,greville4 ,supreme1 however1 as an exponent of the ,english school of dancing was1 unquestionably1 ,kate ,vaughan1 who1 with ,sylvia ,grey1 ,alice ,lethbridge1 ,letty ,lind1 and others of that period1 and for well into the 'nineties1 were the delight of ,london4 ,kate ,vaughan herself was one of the most distinguished dancers ,england has ever had--distinguished for incomparable grace1 finish1 and characteristically ,english refinement of manner4 ,there were no ragged edges to her work4 ,her art was--as all good art must be--deliberate2 her every pose and movement beautiful1 and always instinct with the quintessence of a special and personal charm that never failed her to the end4 ,i saw her dance1 shortly before her death1 at a concert given on behalf of one of the various charities which arose out of the ,boer ,war2 and all the art and all the charm which had made ,kate ,vaughan a stage influence in her time were as amply evident as when she had first delighted us some twenty years before4 ,with the 'eighties came the rise of the ,ballet as a regular ,london institution1 on the founding of those two veteran ,vaudeville houses1 the ,empire and the ,alhambra1 where for about a quarter of a century1 practically without interruption1 ,ballet was the chief item on their always varied and attractive programmes4 ,of course1 there was in #ahhd the famous production of ,manzotti's great ballet 8,excelsior0 at ,her ,majesty's ,theatre2 but it was not really until the opening of the two aforenamed houses that we had a real revival of ,ballet in ,london apart from the ,opera1 and without that ,state-aid which the art receives on the ,continent4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,the ,,alhambra3 #ahed-aijc ,both the ,alhambra and the ,empire were alike in having had a somewhat varied career before they became the rival 8homes of ,english ballet40 ,there was something like a craze for music-halls in the early 'sixties of last century1 and it was probably partly due to this that the ,alhambra1 which had been opened in #ahed as a ,panopticon of the ,arts and ,sciences 7with a ,royal ,charter granted by ,queen ,victoria in #ahej7 failing of its more ambitious purpose1 ceased 7unsuccessfully7 to instruct1 and sought 7with better success7 only to amuse4 ,first it was given over to more or less unorthodox religious services on the ,sundays and to boxing contests and wrestling on the week days6 ,then for a time it came under the direction of a then well-known theatrical manager and speculator1 the late ,mr4 ,e4 ,t4 ,smith1 who called it the ,alhambra1 and in #ahgj secured a regular music-hall licence4 ,the place was still not very successful4 ,it became a circus for a short time4 ,then it was taken over by a ,mr4 ,william ,wilde1 of ,nottingham1 who introduced ,leotard1 the famous gymnast1 about whose wonderful grace and daring ,london went mad1 so much so that on his return visit in #ahff1 under the late ,john ,hollingshead's management1 he received a salary of #ahj a week4 ,then ,mr4 ,frederick ,strange1 who had been connected with the ,crystal ,palace1 became manager and introduced ballet1 his most notable production being one called 8,l',enfant ,prodigue10 which was adapted from ,auber's opera4 ,mr4 ,jules ,riviere was the conductor of the orchestra2 and among those who became responsible for the arranging of the ballets were the brothers ,imr and ,bolossy ,kiralfy1 assisted by their sister ,aniola1 one of their most successful productions being one entitled 8,hungary40 ,at this period the old quarrel between the young 8music-halls0 and the 8legitimate0 theatres was growing serious4 ,a ballet might be produced so long as it was called and was1 in effect1 a mere divertissement4 ,anything else1 a musical sketch1 or opera--in which words were said or sung--was held an infringement of the rights of a regular theatre1 and when ,john ,hollingshead1 as stage director during #ahfe-ahfg1 produced in #ahff a pantomime called 8,where's the ,police80 the management were fined by a magistrate some two hundred and forty pounds4 ,apart from ballet and such a production as this pantomime1 there was1 of course1 plenty of the 8variety0 element1 contributed by such performers as ,leotard1 the ,farinis1 and the ,foucarts1 gymnasts2 and various vocalists known to their period4 ,with the dawn of the 'seventies came a new taste for ballet and 8,les ,nations0 was staged at the ,alhambra with a ,mlle4 ,colonna and other dancers1 including ,esther ,austin 7a sister of ,emily ,soldene7 in the cast2 and a 8,parisian ,quadrille0 became a feature of the production4 ,then came a season of 8,promenade0 ,concerts1 and during the ,franco-,prussian war the conductor1 ,mr4 ,jules ,riviere1 gave the 8,war ,songs of ,europe10 those of the ,french and ,prussian nations evoking such passion that free fights occurred1 and the theatre lost its music-hall licence2 and the ,directors of the ,alhambra ,company promptly secured a regular theatre licence from the ,lord ,chamberlain6 ,so on ,april #bdth1 #ahga1 the place was opened as the ,alhambra ,theatre1 with an evening's entertainment including a farce1 8,oh1 ,my ,head602 a comic opera1 8,the ,crimson ,scarf02 and two ballets1 8,the ,beauties of the ,harem0 and 8,puella40 ,then followed another ballet 8,the ,sylph of the ,glen02 and then 8,a ,romantic ,tale10 by ,j4 ,b4 ,johnston1 and an extravaganza1 8,all ,about the ,battle of ,dorking40 ,in ,september of the same year the ,vokes1 a famous family of dancers1 made their appearance1 the programme including 8,the ,two ,gregorys10 a comic ballet1 and 8,the ,mountain ,sylph10 and 8,the ,beauties of the ,harem10 in which a ,mlle4 ,sismondi appeared with much success4 ,the ,christmas pantomime which followed1 with the title 8,harlequin ,prince ,happy-go-,lucky1 or ,princess ,beauty0 7a title quite in the good old pantomime style71 included a ballet1 with such performers as ,mlles4 ,pitteri1 ,sismondi1 and another well-known dancing family1 the ,elliots4 ,there was a change of management in ,march1 #ahgb1 when ,john ,baum1 from ,cremorne ,gardens1 took up the reins and produced ,offenbach's 8,le ,roi ,carotte10 with ,m4 ,jacobi as musical director1 and ballets as a feature of the production4 ,then followed 8,the ,black ,crook10 and ,offenbach's beautiful opera1 8,la ,belle ,hlne10 and then1 in ,december1 #ahgc1 8,don ,juan10 in each of the last two ,miss ,kate ,santley playing 8lead40 ,in the spring of next year came 8,la ,jolie ,parfumeuse10 followed in the autumn with a ballet1 8,the ,demon's ,bride10 and 8,whittington10 an opra bouffe1 in which the honours were shared by ,miss ,kate ,santley and ,miss ,julia ,mathews4 ,in the autumn of #ahge1 with ,mr4 ,joseph ,a4 ,cave as ,manager and producer1 came 8,spectresheim10 and a comic ballet1 8,cupid in ,arcadia10 in which the ,lauri family and 8,the ,majiltons0 appeared4 ,a succession of farces1 pantomimes1 extravaganzas1 light opera and ballets followed1 the more noteworthy productions being ,strauss's 8,die ,fledermaus10 produced at the ,alhambra on ,january #ith1 #ahgg4 ,as an example of the lavish manner in which the audiences of those days were catered for1 the programme for that evening is interesting4 ,there was none of the 8#i to #aa0 business about the theatres then4 ,the 8gallery boy0 paid his sixpence1 or the 8pittite0 his two shillings expecting a run for his money--and got it6 ,the majority of theatres began their performance at #g4ae p4m42 and those that did not1 started even earlier1 sometimes as early as six o'clock1 and often with four or five productions4 ,on ,january #ith1 #ahgg1 the programme at the ,alhambra was as follows3 #g4ae4 8,a ,warning to ,parents40 ,a ,farce4 #h4j4 8,die ,fledermaus40 ,opera ,comique by ,johann ,strauss4 #aj4j4 ,the ,celebrated ,girards4 ,eccentric ,dancers4 #aj4ae4 8,the ,fairies' ,home40 ,a ,new ,grand ,ballet4 8,die ,fledermaus0 had an excellent cast1 including ,miss ,emma ,chambers--a very popular soubrette of the time--and ,mr4 ,harry ,paulton2 while in the ballet were a ,mlle4 ,pertoldi1 a very handsome danseuse of statuesque proportions1 a ,mlle4 ,t4 de ,gillert1 a clever mime1 and among lesser lights ,mlles4 ,sismondi1 ,melville1 ,rosa and ,richards1 who were for several years to be more or less prominently associated with the ,alhambra ballet4 ,in ,september of the same year was staged ,offenbach's opra bouffe1 8,orphe aux ,enfers10 with handsome1 golden-tressed ,cornlie d',anka as the chief attraction2 the same programme including the ballet of 8,yolande10 8invented and designed0 by ,alfred ,thompson1 with music by ,mons4 ,g4 ,jacobi1 and dances by ,mons4 ,a4 ,bertrand1 from the ,paris ,opera1 who was later to become more closely associated with ,alhambra productions4 ,the principal danseuses were ,mlles4 ,passani1 ,pertoldi1 de ,gillert and ,m4 ,a4 ,josset4 ,it has been stated that it was 8towards the end of #ahgg0 that the late ,mr4 ,charles ,morton--one of the ablest theatrical managers ,london has known--took charge of the ,alhambra1 and that he started his connection therewith by reviving one of his former great successes1 namely1 8,la ,fille de ,madame ,angot40 ,he may have become connected with the theatre towards the end of #ahgg1 but apparently the first time his name appeared on the programme as ,manager was early in ,january1 #ahgh2 and not with 8,madame ,angot0 as his first production1 but with 8,wildfire10 a 8,grand1 ,spectacular1 ,fairy1 ,musical and ,pantomimic ,extravaganza0 7as it was described7 by the then very popular collaborateurs1 ,h4 ,b4 ,farnie and ,r4 ,reece--an extra extravagant extravaganza in three acts and fourteen tableaux6 ,this remarkable production had a strong cast1 including ,harry ,paulton1 ,j4 ,h4 ,ryley1 two charming singers1 ,miss ,lennox ,grey and ,miss ,pattie ,laverne2 and among the danseuses in the divertissement--,mlles4 ,pertoldi1 de ,gillert and ,sismondi4 ,next month came a triple bill1 starting at #g4bj with a farce1 8,crowded ,houses02 then1 at #h1 8,la ,fille de ,madame ,angot10 with ,mlles4 ,cornlie d',anka1 ,selina ,dolaro and ,lennox ,grey as the bright particular stars2 followed1 at #aj4cj1 with 8,les ,gardes ,franaises10 a grand military ballet2 with ,mlles4 ,e4 ,pertoldi and ,t4 de ,gillert as the leading artists1 the dances being arranged by ,mons4 ,a4 ,bertrand1 the whole production proving very successful4 ,much of its success--as in the case of the two or three preceding spectacles--was attributable largely to the beauty of the staging and the splendour of the costumes1 apropos to which it should be noted here that it was first in #ahgg that ,m4 and ,mme4 ,charles ,alias first began to make costumes for the ,alhambra1 and were associated with it in several subsequent productions until the end of #ahhc4 ,it was not1 however1 until #ahhd1 when the ,magistrate's licence for music and dancing was again recovered1 that ,m4 ,alias 7to whom ,i am indebted for several details of the theatre's history7 regularly took up the position of ,costumier to the ,alhambra1 in which capacity he had entire control of the costume department--a very important factor in spectacular production--and supplied every dress worn on the stage for a period of about thirty years4 ,considering that there were some nine or ten complete changes of management during that time it speaks volumes for his ability and the excellence of the work done by ,m4 ,alias that his services should have been retained through so lengthy a period4 ,to return1 however1 to the days when the ,alhambra was not a 8music-hall0 but a theatre1 with the ,lord ,chamberlain's licence1 and was giving opra comique and opra bouffe as well as ballet4 ,charles ,morton's next production1 in ,april1 #ahgh1 was another ,offenbach revival1 namely1 8,the ,grand ,duchess10 with ,mlle4 ,cornlie d',anka1 ,miss ,rose ,lee and ,j4 ,d4 ,stoyle 78,jimmy0 ,stoyle71 ,pertoldi and ,t4 de ,gillert in the cast1 ,m4 ,bertrand 7by now engaged as 8resident0 ballet-master7 introducing two ballets1 one ,hungarian and the other ,bohemian4 ,in the following ,june came the production of ,von ,supp's comic opera1 8,fatinitza10 adapted by ,henry ,s4 ,leigh1 with the late ,aynsley ,cook1 ,miss ,rose ,lee1 ,john ,j4 ,dallas and other popular stars in the cast4 ,it was preceded by a farce1 8,which is ,which10 and followed by a 8grand ,indian0 ballet d'action by the late ,j4 ,albery1 entitled 8,the ,golden ,wreath10 arranged by ,bertrand1 with music by ,jacobi1 and with ,mlles4 ,g4 ,david1 ,e4 ,pertoldi and ,t4 de ,gillert as dancers4 ,it was1 from all accounts1 a very gorgeous production4 ,indeed1 so successful was it that when ,offenbach's 8,genevive de ,brabant0 was staged in the autumn1 this ballet was 8still running40 ,the sensation of the following spring was the production of 8,la ,poule aux ufs d',or10 a 8new grand ,spectacular and ,musical ferie10 by ,,mm4 ,denhery and ,clairville1 adapted to the ,english stage by ,frank ,hall1 with a very strong cast including such well-known favourites as ,constance ,loseby1 ,emily ,soldene1 ,clara ,vesey1 ,violet ,granville1 the celebrated ,french duettists ,bruet and ,rivire1 ,aynsley ,cook1 ,e4 ,righton 78,teddy0 ,righton71 with ,pertoldi and de ,gillert as leading danseuses4 ,in the autumn came a revival of ,offenbach's 8,the ,princess of ,trebizonde10 with ,miss ,alice ,may1 ,miss ,constance ,loseby1 ,miss ,emma ,chambers1 ,mr4 ,charles ,collette1 ,mr4 ,furneaux ,cook1 in the cast1 the opera being followed by 8,le ,carnaval de ,venise10 a ballet in which that fine1 statuesque dancer and expressive mime1 ,mme4 ,malvina ,cavallazi--later to become so great a favourite with the ,empire's audiences--was supported by ,mlle4 de ,gillert and other ,alhambra favourites1 and for which1 as in the case of many ballets at this period--the gorgeous costumes were from designs by ,faustin4 ,this was succeeded by ,lecocq's comic opera 8,la ,petite ,mademoiselle10 of which the ,english libretto was by ,reece and ,henry ,s4 ,leigh1 a very brilliant cast including the late ,fred ,leslie1 ,harry ,paulton1 ,constance ,loseby1 ,emma ,chambers and ,alice ,may1 the opera being preceded by a farce and followed by a ballet1 8,carmen10 dances by ,bertrand and music by ,jacobi4 ,on ,december #bbnd1 #ahgi1 came the production of 8,rothomago10 a 8,grand1 ,new1 ,christmas ,fairy ,spectacle10 arranged by ,h4 ,b4 ,farnie from the ,french1 in four acts and seventeen tableaux6 ,it was the day of big adjectives and big productions4 ,this apparently started the modern fashion of requiring a positive syndicate of musical collaborators1 for the late ,edward ,solomon was responsible for the music of the ,first ,act1 ,p4 ,bucalossi for the ,second1 ,gaston ,serpette 7composer of 8,les ,cloches de ,corneville07 for the ,third1 no less than three ballets being contributed by ,jacobi4 ,the cast included ,constance ,loseby1 ,mlle4 ,julie1 ,emma ,chambers1 ,harry ,paulton1 ,pertoldi1 de ,gillert1 ,rosselli2 the costumes were designed by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 and executed1 as were so many of the costumes for these earlier productions1 by ,madame ,alias1 ,miss ,fisher and ,mrs4 ,may4 ,the spring of #ahhj was marked by the successful production of ,offenbach's 8,la ,fille du ,tambour-,major10 with an excellent cast including ,constance ,loseby1 ,edith ,blande1 ,fanny ,edwards1 the fascinating ,fanny ,leslie--who later became so popular a 8variety artiste0--,fred ,leslie1 and ,fred ,marvin4 ,it was followed by a gorgeous ,egyptian ballet 8,memnon10 in which ,mlle4 ,pertoldi1 ,miss ,matthews--a very handsome ,english dancer--and ,mlles4 ,rosa and ,marie ,muller 7pupils of ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner7 were the chief attractions1 not to mention nea1 known as the 8,flying ,wonder40 ,mr4 ,charles ,morton left the ,alhambra in #ahha1 and a striking success was achieved by the new manager1 ,mr4 ,william ,holland1 with 8,babil and ,bijou10 the cast including ,miss ,rosa ,berend1 ,miss ,constance ,loseby1 ,harry ,paulton1 and ,harry ,monkhouse2 while in the two grand ballets arranged by ,bertrand and for which the dresses were designed by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 were to be seen ,mlle4 ,pertoldi1 and ,mme4 ,palladino1 a petite and fascinating dancer who later was to become one of the leading favourites at the ,empire4 ,in ,december1 #ahhb1 the theatre was burnt down1 and on rebuilding various successful productions were staged4 ,the house1 however1 did not really enter upon its most triumphant phase until ,october1 #ahhd1 when it became the ,alhambra ,theatre of ,varieties1 with ballet now as its main attraction4 ,the first of the productions was 8,a ,village ,festival10 a new grand ballet of ,olden ,times1 with ,mlle4 ,palladino as the premire danseuse4 ,it was followed in the ,december with another1 a very successful ballet1 8,the ,swans10 with ,mlle4 ,palladino and a ,miss ,mathews1 a very popular dancer in her day4 ,on the ,christmas ,eve yet another was staged1 8,melusine10 a new fantastic ballet1 in which a ,mlle4 ,sampietro was supported by ,miss ,mathews4 8,nina the ,enchantress02 8,le ,bivouac0--a military spectacle2 8,cupid20 8,the ,seasons02 8,nadia02 8,algeria02 8,dresdina02 8,enchantment02 8,antiope02 8,ideala10 a 8pastoral divertissement02 8,irene0--a fantastic ballet2 8,our ,army and ,navy0--patriotic spectacle2 8,astrea10 were progressively successful productions4 8,asmodeus02 8,zanetta0 followed1 bringing us to ,june1 #ahij1 and these too1 were notable for some gorgeous stage effects which drew 8all ,london10 and for the dancing of principals such as the two already mentioned1 and of ,mme4 ,cormani1 ,signorina ,legnani1 ,signorina ,bessone1 ,mme4 ,roffey and ,signor de ,vicenti1 the last named being for many years associated with the ,alhambra productions4 8,salandra10 given for the first time on ,june #bcrd1 #ahij1 was a remarkably fine production1 and with the late ,charles ,morton as ,acting ,manager1 ,vernon ,dowsett as ,stage ,manager1 ,mr4 ,t4 ,e4 ,ryan for ,scenic ,artist1 ,signor ,casati as matre de ballet1 ,m4 and ,mme4 ,alias responsible for the costumes2 and a superb orchestra of fifty instrumentalists under ,mons4 ,g4 ,jacobi1 the ,alhambra's new era of growing prosperity was now assured4 ,the ballet was in five tableaux1 and involved some striking changes of scene4 ,the heroine1 ,salandra 7,signorina ,legnani7 was a ,gipsy ,queen1 and the opening scene introduced various ,tzigane dances4 ,there was an exciting wrestling match1 and a lively hunting dance in the third tableau2 a charming fair scene in the last1 and the whole production exhibited to the full those characteristics of brightness1 efficiency of performance1 and splendour of stage effect1 which were long to mark the ,alhambra as a house of distinction and one high in popular favour4 ,for ,christmas of that year 8,the ,sleeping ,beauty0 proved attractive1 and was followed in #ahia1 by 8,on the ,roofs10 a 8pantomime ballet0 by the famous ,lauri troupe4 8,oriella10 a new fantastic ballet--described as 8the most beautiful of all0 then produced at the ,alhambra--followed2 then a musical pantomime by ,charles ,lauri1 8,the ,sculptor and the ,poodle02 then a comic ballet1 8,the ,sioux10 by ,charles ,lauri and his troupe1 with music by ,mr4 ,walter ,slaughter2 and in ,september1 #ahib1 came 8,up the ,river10 a very popular production invented by the late ,john ,hollingshead 7who was now ,manager7 in which the rural and riverside scenery by ,mr4 ,t4 ,e4 ,ryan was very much admired2 the scenic effects--including a remarkable storm--being admirably managed2 the ballet capitally performed2 and ,m4 ,jacobi's flowing and richly orchestrated music proving better than ever4 8,temptation10 a 8new1 grand fantastic ballet1 in three tableaux10 invented and arranged by ,signor ,carlo ,coppi1 with scenery by ,ryan1 and music by ,m4 ,jacobi1 was a big and very successful production1 in which a ,signorina ,elia1 as premire1 made a hit4 ,the production of 8,aladdin0 by ,john ,hollingshead on ,december #aith1 #ahib1 called forth tributes of praise for the enterprising and ingenious ,manager4 ,the familiar story was well kept to1 the situations were telling1 and the four changes of scene were effected without once lowering the curtain1 while the last1 8,the ,veil of ,diamonds10 was amazing4 ,a tableau curtain of glass was introduced1 composed of some #ge1jjj glass facets held together by twenty-four miles of wire1 and illuminated by various electric and other lights of different colours1 the whole achieving one of the most wonderful effects ever seen on the stage1 one not easily forgotten4 ,the cast was a strong one1 ,signorina ,legnani--a finished dancer of the typical ,italian school--as the ,princess2 ,mlle4 ,marie1 a charming little dancer and clever mime1 as ,aladdin2 ,signorina ,pollini1 as the ,spirit of the ,lamp2 that fine actor and dancer1 ,mr4 ,fred ,storey1 as the ,magician2 with good support from ,mme4 ,roffey1 ,miss ,hooten1 the ,almonti ,brothers1 and1 of course1 a wondrous array of beauty among the ,alhambra corps de ballet4 ,mr4 ,bruce ,smith had provided artistic scenery2 ,mr4 ,howard ,russell was the designer of the costumes--as for several of the ,alhambra ballets--which were admirably turned out as usual by ,m4 and ,mme4 ,alias2 and ,m4 ,jacobi had once again surpassed himself in the music1 that for the beautiful 8chrysanthemum0 scene and a waltz in ,a1 in the finale1 proving especially popular4 ,another great success was achieved in the production of 8,chicago10 in ,march1 #ahic1 a lively1 up-to-date production1 which later ran into a second edition4 8,fidelia10 adapted from 8,le ,violon du ,diable10 was a romantic ballet that also went into a second edition4 ,the ,alhambra by now had as ,business ,manager1 ,mr4 ,albert ,a4 ,gilmer1 with ,mr4 ,a4 ,g4 ,ford as ,stage ,manager1 though ,signor ,casati1 as matre de ballet1 ,m4 ,g4 ,jacobi1 as conductor and composer of the music1 were still continuing in their accustomed spheres4 ,yet another success achieved under the same able direction was 8,don ,quixote10 with ,mr4 ,fred ,storey as a brilliant exponent of the title-rle1 and ,signorina ,porro as the ,dulcinea1 ,la ,salmoiraghi as the niece1 and ,mr4 ,fred ,yarnold1 as the ,sancho ,panza1 other parts being well filled by ,miss ,julia ,seale 7a handsome and clever dancer and mime long associated with the ,alhambra71 ,mme4 ,roffey1 ,miss ,hooten and the ,almontis4 ,the ballet was a great success with the public1 and a happy comment by a leading critic was as follows3 8,within the charming framework of the four admirably painted scenes by ,ryan there is a continuous procession of ballet incident1 the costumes quaint1 picturesque1 poetic1 splendid1 and nevertheless suggestive always of old ,spain4 ,mr4 ,howard ,russell1 the designer1 deserves great praise for the fancy and versatility which he has been able to show without proving unfaithful to his theme4 ,while his beautiful dresses give rare variety and character to the dances of maidservants1 pages1 millers1 grape-gatherers1 brigands1 wood-nymphs1 in the earlier portions of the piece1 they are seen to really magnificent effect in the grand gathering of all the ,terpsichorean forces of the theatre in the final tableau4 ,the stage organisation of the ,alhambra is always good4 ,nowhere do we see better mass dancing2 and nowhere either do the dancers receive more assistance from the musician4 ,m4 ,jacobi's ballet music is as sympathetic as its tunefulness is inexhaustible4 ,this is ,m4 ,jacobi's eighty-ninth ballet here40 ,that last remark may come as a revelation to those who do not realise how much of ballet we have had at two ,london theatres in the past thirty years4 8,don ,quixote0 was ,m4 ,jacobi's 8eighty-ninth ballet0 at the ,alhambra1 and--there were other ,jacobian productions to follow6 ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul in #ahid became the ,general ,manager of the ,alhambra and the evidences of his long associations with the dramatic and lyric stage were quickly apparent in the series of brilliant successes with ,ballet which now were placed to the credit of the historic house of which he had assumed control4 ,a marked success in the summer of the same year was 8,sita10 the story of which dealt with an ,indian girl's hopeless love for the accepted lover of her master's daughter4 ,a grand spectacular ballet1 on the familiar theme of 8,ali ,baba and the ,forty ,thieves10 was the sensation of the close of #ahid1 more particularly owing to the introduction of an 8aerial ballet0 by the well-known ,grigolati troupe4 ,the treatment of the story was on conventional lines1 naturally1 but the ballet was gorgeously staged1 and introduced an especially attractive dancer1 ,signorina ,cecilia ,cerri1 while ,mlle4 ,louise ,agoust1 as ,morgiana1 added to the laurels she had already won in other productions as a first-rate mime of dramatic character4 8,bluebeard0 was another popular success on familiar lines2 and 8,rip ,van ,winkle0--with ,mr4 ,fred ,storey1 masterly as ,rip--yet another1 towards the end of #ahif4 ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul then staged 8,victoria and ,merrie ,england10 a 8grand national ballet in eight tableaux10 the scenario being arranged and the ballet 8invented0 by ,signor ,carlo ,coppi1 the music being by no less a personage than ,sir ,arthur ,sullivan1 ,m4 ,jacobi still conducting1 while the scenery was by ,mr4 ,t4 ,e4 ,ryan1 the costumes by ,m4 and ,mme4 ,alias from designs by ,mr4 ,howard ,russell1 the cast including ,signorina ,legnani1 ,miss ,ethel ,hawthorne1 ,miss ,julia ,seale and ,miss ,josephine ,casaboni4 ,the ballet was a huge success4 ,it was certainly one of the finest spectacular and 8patriotic0 productions ever seen on the ,london stage1 and it is one of the proudest records of the ,alhambra that the performances were honoured with nearly a score of ,royal visits4 ,one of the great successes of the spring of #ahih was a grand ballet on the old theme of 8,beauty and the ,beast10 invented and produced by ,signor ,carlo ,coppi1 with music by ,m4 ,jacobi1 the interest being kept up throughout in a crescendo of pageantry4 ,the sensation of the production was1 perhaps1 the second tableau1 8,the ,garden of ,roses10 in which the popular ,signorina ,cerri1 supported by the corps de ballet1 appeared in a grand valse representing every known kind of rose1 each dancer being almost hidden by gigantic presentments of the flowers--red1 tea1 moss roses and every other type--a luxurious mass of living blossoms1 weaving itself into ever fresh and endless harmonies of colour and enchantment4 ,yet another gorgeous effect was attained by a ,butterfly ballet1 and the whole thing was one more triumph for ,mr4 ,t4 ,e4 ,ryan as scenic artist1 ,mr4 ,howard ,russell and ,m4 ,alias1 responsible for the wonderful costumes2 a triumph indeed for all associated with the production4 ,on the retirement of ,mr4 ,moul1 which took place in #ahih1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,dundas ,slater became ,general ,manager1 with ,mr4 ,james ,howell as ,business ,manager1 ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson as ,stage ,manager1 ,mr4 ,h4 ,woodford as ,secretary and ,treasurer2 and ,mr4 ,g4 ,w4 ,byng as ,musical ,director--the last two named gentlemen holding their appointments for many years following4 ,a very popular production of this year was 8,jack ,ashore10 modestly described as 8an unpretentious ,sketchy ,divertissement in ,one ,tableau0 which was invented and produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with dances arranged by ,signor ,pratesi1 and music by ,mr4 ,george ,byng4 ,it had a delightful early nineteenth-century setting for its dramatic little story and was capitally done by a cast including ,miss ,julia ,seale1 ,miss ,casaboni1 the ,misses ,grace and ,sybil ,arundale1 ,mr4 ,albert ,le ,fre1 and the ,brothers ,almonti4 ,an attractive production of the following year was 8,a ,day ,off10 which1 however1 was somewhat outshone by the beauty of 8,the ,red ,shoes10 a fine spectacular ballet based on ,hans ,andersen's famous story1 with a good cast including ,mlle4 ,emilienne ,d',alenon1 ,miss ,julia ,seale1 and ,miss ,j4 ,casaboni--a very vivacious and attractive dancer4 ,two noteworthy ballets of #aijj were 8,napoli10 in one scene1 written by ,signor ,giovanni ,pratesi1 produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with music by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng2 and a patriotic military display1 8,soldiers of the ,queen10 produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 under the direction of ,mr4 ,c4 ,dundas ,slater1 the scene representing ,queen's ,parade1 ,aldershot1 from sunrise to sunset1 concluding with an ,inspection and ,grand ,march by the combined bands of ,infantry1 ,drums and ,fifes1 corps de ballet1 chorus and auxiliaries1 numbering over two hundred and fifty1 and representing some thirty leading regiments4 ,needless to say1 produced as it was when patriotic feeling was at its height on account of the ,boer ,war1 it was as successful as it was magnificent4 ,a 8romantic nautical ballet10 in three scenes1 entitled 8,the ,handy ,man10 followed in ,january1 #aija4 ,it was written and produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with music by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng1 and dances arranged by ,signor ,rossi4 ,in the same programme was a vocal ballet divertissement1 8,the ,gay ,city10 by the same author and musician1 the dances arranged by ,mme4 ,cormani4 ,later this was retained1 and was followed by a 8fanciful0 grand ballet1 entitled 8,inspiration10 invented and written by ,mr4 ,malcolm ,watson1 the music being by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng1 and the dances by ,signor ,carlo ,coppi1 the cast including ,miss ,audrey ,stafford1 as the ,goddess of ,inspiration1 ,miss ,judith ,espinosa1 as the ,genius of ,inspiration1 ,miss ,edith ,slack1 as a ,greek ,dancer1 ,mr4 ,fred ,farren1 as ,caliban1 and other well-known people4 ,the year closed with a charming divertissement1 8,gretna ,green10 and a revised edition of 8,soldiers of the ,king40 ,illustration3 ,mlle4 ,palladino in 8,nina0 at the ,alhambra ,illustration3 ,dover ,st4 ,studios ,mlle4 ,britta 8,in ,japan10 a delightful ballet1 adapted by ,mr4 ,s4 ,l4 ,bensusan1 from his story1 ,dede1 with music specially composed by ,m4 ,louis ,ganne1 proved particularly attractive4 ,there was a good story1 the acting and dancing were unusually good1 and the mounting and stage effects1 under the direction of ,mr4 ,c4 ,dundas ,slater and ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 were fresh and beautiful1 especially the 8,ballet of ,blossoms40 ,the theatre at this period was now again to come under the influence of ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul4 ,at an ,annual ,general ,meeting of the ,shareholders at the commencement of the year #aijb1 when the fortunes of the theatre seemed once more uncertain1 ,mr4 ,moul was invited again by both ,shareholders and ,directors to assume control4 ,he responded1 and within a few weeks was installed as ,chairman of the ,company1 once more throwing his energies into a congenial task4 ,one of his first achievements was to secure the services of an old protg and a now eminent musician1 ,mr4 ,landon ,ronald4 ,from the pen of that accomplished artist came the music for a spectacular ,patriotic ,ballet entitled 8,britannia's ,realm10 in a prologue and four scenes1 invented and produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with dances by ,signor ,carlo ,coppi4 ,it was one of the best planned and most extraordinarily sumptuous productions ever seen at the ,alhambra1 long famous for the splendour of its effects1 and while there were several charming novelties1 such as the ,pas des ,patineurs1 in the ,canadian ,skating ,carnival scene 7the music of which must still haunt those who heard it71 for sheer magnificence probably nothing finer has ever been produced on the ,alhambra stage than the ,indian jewel scene1 and the grand finale representing 8,homage to ,britannia10 and the formation of the ,union ,jack4 ,it was a remarkable achievement1 and well deserved the enthusiasm with which1 night after night for some months1 it was received4 ,an excellent ballet of #aijc was 8,the ,devil's ,forge10 invented by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson and ,mme4 ,cormani1 with music by ,mr4 ,george ,byng4 ,this also ran for some months1 and was a charming and dramatic work1 beautifully staged1 and uncommonly well acted1 particularly good work being done by ,miss ,edith ,slack 7a clever mime7 as the hero1 ,karl1 and ,miss ,marjorie ,skelley1 a sound and graceful dancer1 as the ,fairy of the ,mountain4 ,before this was withdrawn a delightful adaptation of 8,carmen0 had been staged1 with much of ,bizet's music1 ingeniously handled by ,mr4 ,george ,byng1 who had composed some admirable extra numbers4 ,it was finely staged1 notable for the strength of the cast and vitality of the entire corps de ballet1 but above all for the superb acting of ,guerrero as ,carmen and ,m4 ,volbert as ,don ,jos4 ,apart from ,guerrero's fine presence1 her magnificent dancing1 the breadth1 realism and intensity of her acting throughout1 all of which one could never forget1 there were two particularly memorable moments of that production2 one was the fortune-telling scene1 the other--the scene in which ,carmen flirts with the ,lieutenant of ,gendarmes in order to lure him away from the gipsy camp1 and is dividing her attention between her flirtation and the knowledge that ,don ,jos has only just been frustrated from stabbing her while so engaged1 by the sudden intervention of her comrades1 who are endeavouring to drag him away silently so that the ,lieutenant who is just in front shall not hear and so discover the presence of the gipsy band4 ,in the card scene1 ,guerrero gave in all its fullness the sense of a tragic1 overhanging doom4 ,in the other1 all the combined cunning and fighting instinct of a savage animal at bay with circumstance1 and trying by sheer cunning and audacity1 to master it1 came out1 and it was not acting but reality1 the real ,carmen of ,mrime extricating herself and her comrades from discovery and disaster by superb daring in the use of her dazzling1 unconscionable charm4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,the ,,alhambra #aijd-aiad ,there was plenty of novelty and ample charm in 8,all the ,year ,round10 a ballet in seven scenes1 written and produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with bright and appropriate music by the well-known chef d'orchestre of ,drury ,lane1 ,mr4 ,james ,glover1 on ,january #bast1 #aijd1 by which time the late ,mr4 ,george ,scott was ,manager4 ,it was one that should always be worth revival1 with topical modifications1 and though a genuine ballet with a central idea connecting its varied scenes1 it seemed in form somewhat to herald the revue which has since become such a craze4 ,it was what one might call a ballet in free form4 ,the chief theme was the whim of a young ,french ,marquis1 who1 having invited friends to a dinner-party and engaged a ,hungarian band for their entertainment1 himself turns up late to find that his chef is about to resign because the dinner is spoilt1 and the servants are on the verge of striking1 while the guests are dancing4 ,annoyed at a clock which reminds him of his unpunctuality1 he orders its destruction4 ,the band now 8strikes0 and as everything is topsy-turvy1 the young host--not too blas to enjoy any new freak--suggests that servants and guests shall change places4 ,this done1 they welcome in the ,new ,year1 and on the departure of the last guest1 the butler brings his master a large ,calendar which the young man is mockingly about to destroy also1 when the ,spirit of ,happiness descends from it1 and as he pursues her1 she asks him to learn how he may obtain ,happiness throughout the dawning year--thus paving the way for a sort of revue of the ,months4 ,the scheme gave scope for a number of charming and novel effects and topical reference to various old festivals1 such as ,st4 ,valentine's ,day1 ,st4 ,patrick's ,day2 various sports and pastimes2 a river scene1 a seaside bathing scene1 an ,august ,bank ,holiday ,revel4 ,but the greatest charm of the production was in scenes where a more poetic fancy had had free play1 as in the ,may scene1 with the approach of ,spring1 a glory of white and pink may1 lilac and laburnum1 and heralding the blossoms of early summer1 finishing with a ballet of swallows and ,may flowers4 ,the ,autumnal scene1 with its ballet of wheat1 cornflowers1 poppies and autumn leaves1 was a charming incident and provided an excellent contrast to the earlier scene in the warmth of its colouring4 ,the ,november scene was1 rightly enough1 placed in ,london1 on the ,thames ,embankment by ,cleopatra's ,needle1 amid a typical ,london ,fog2 while that of ,december closed with a grand ,christmas ballet of holly and mistletoe and icicles1 with snow-clad tree and hedgerow in the background4 ,it was indeed a capital production and was still in the programme when a new and topical ballet1 8,the ,entente ,cordiale10 was staged on ,august #bith following4 ,this also was invented and produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with excellent music by ,mr4 ,landon ,ronald1 and dances arranged and composed by ,signor ,alfredo ,curti1 who was for the next few years to be closely associated1 in the capacity of matre de ballet1 with the ,alhambra ,theatre4 ,the opening prologue took place in the 8,grove of ,concordia10 where the five ,great ,powers of ,europe assemble to pay homage to the ,goddess of ,progress4 ,but1 later1 the ,demon of ,war enters upon the world-stage and stirs up strife among the ,nations1 so that all the horrors of ,war are felt throughout the world1 until finally ,peace prevails and summons the ,ambassadors to enter and the ,nations to assemble in the ,temple of ,peace1 where the ,representatives of all the ,nations1 assisted by the ,orders of the ,legion of ,honour of ,france and the ,garter of ,england1 at last form a grand alliance of all the ,powers and ensure the peace of the world in one ,grande ,entente ,cordiale1 a scene of splendour strangely annulled in the face of present history but1 let us hope1 prophetic of the future4 8,parisiana10 a grand ballet in six scenes1 invented and produced by ,mr4 ,charles ,wilson1 with music by ,mr4 ,james ,w4 ,glover1 and dances arranged by ,signor ,alfredo ,curti1 and some gorgeous costumes by ,alias1 from designs by ,comelli1 gave us in #aije fascinating glimpses of ,paris at various periods--#agij1 #ahcj1 #aijf4 ,among noteworthy members of the cast were ,mlle4 ,jane ,may1 heroine of the earlier production of 8,l',enfant ,prodigue10 and one of the finest modern mimes2 and also ,miss ,edith ,slack1 ,miss ,cormani1 ,signor ,santini1 and1 for a time1 ,signorina ,maria la ,bella4 ,between ,october1 #aijf1 and ,may #adth1 #aijg1 the ,alhambra underwent partial reconstruction1 with complete and elaborate redecoration1 under the supervision of ,mr4 ,w4 ,m4 ,brutton1 the ,alhambra ,company's architect2 and big as the task was it was carried through with entire success and with additional triumph in that it was done without closing the theatre for a single night6 ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul had now assumed the dual task of ,chairman and ,managing ,director1 with the result that under the influence of a gentleman of extensive theatrical experience1 and wide musical culture1 the ,alhambra entered upon a new and even yet more brilliant phase of artistic success in #aijg1 when 8,the ,queen of ,spades10 a striking ballet of which the action and dances were composed and arranged by ,signor ,alfredo ,curti1 was staged and proved so successful as to run into a second 8edition0 and continue in the programme for some months4 ,signor ,alfredo ,curti hailed from the ,scala1 ,milan1 where he had studied the difficult art of ,ballet composition on the historic lines laid down by the virtual founder of the ,milan school1 ,carlo ,blasis1 of whom1 as of ,noverre1 he was a great admirer1 and about whom ,i had many an interesting conversation4 ,signor ,curti1 whose scholarship in the history of the dance was remarkable1 was an enthusiastic follower of the traditional school1 and as an accomplished dancer and mime1 an artist1 trained geometrician1 and devotee of literature and music1 he brought to bear on his work as composer of ,ballet1 a theatrical experience and artistic sympathy1 somewhat akin to that of ,blasis himself2 and while the action of his ballet was always coherent and dramatic his appreciation of stage effect and handling of massed groups of dancers in motion1 were uncommonly fine4 ,in the production of 8,queen of ,spades10 a dramatic ballet1 the story of which dealt with the allure of gambling1 he was supported on the musical side by that distinguished ,italian composer1 ,signor ,mario ,costa1 some additional numbers being contributed by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng1 the costumes1 of course1 being by ,alias1 from designs by ,comelli1 and scenery by ,mr4 ,t4 ,e4 ,ryan4 ,with ,signorina ,maria ,bordin1 a finished dancer of the typical ,italian school1 as prima ballerina assoluta1 seconded by that admirable mime1 ,miss ,julia ,seale1 ,signorina ,morino1 ,signor ,santini1 and an excellent corps de ballet1 the production achieved instant success1 and enthusiastically appreciative audiences found special reason for approval in the novelty of the stage effects1 such as the 8,dream ,visions0 in the third scene1 with its 8,valse des ,liqueurs10 the 8,grand ,march of ,playing ,cards and ,roulettes10 the novel 8,bridge0 minuet2 the 8,conflict between ,evil and ,good10 not to mention the dramatic effect of the 8,temptation0 scene which followed1 and the gorgeous finale in the 8,nymphs' ,grotto of ,la ,source40 ,ambitious and successful as was this production1 it was followed1 in ,october1 #aijg1 by one even more striking1 namely1 8,les ,cloches de ,corneville10 adapted from ,planquette's world-famous opra comique4 ,the ballet d'action was invented and presented by ,signor ,alfredo ,curti to the original music1 as ingeniously selected1 arranged and supplemented by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng4 ,some wonderful costumes were supplied by ,alias from designs by ,comelli1 and the entire spectacle was produced under the personal direction of ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul4 ,signor ,g4 ,rosi gave an uncommonly fine study of the miserly ,gaspard1 ,signor ,santini making a 8dashing0 ,marquis de ,corneville1 ,miss ,daisy ,taylor an attractive ,germaine1 ,miss ,julia ,seale playing cleverly as ,grenicheux1 ,signorina ,morino as ,serpolette1 while ,signorina ,maria ,bordin won fresh laurels as the ,spirit of the ,bells1 a part naturally calling less for dramatic ability than for the music of motion4 ,the production was beautifully staged4 ,no prettier scene has ever been set on the ,alhambra stage than that of the ,hiring ,fair and ,apple ,harvest1 with its dance of apple-gatherers and sabot dance2 nor one more gorgeous than the last1 in the ,baronial ,hall of the ,corneville ,chteau1 with its striking ,grand ,march of ,knights4 ,the ballet ran continuously for over seven months1 and was revived with no less success two years later4 ,once more a 8topical0 ballet held the place of honour in the programme on ,may #beth1 #aijh4 8,the ,two ,flags10 a ,franco-,british divertissement1 arranged and produced by ,signor ,curti1 with some capital music by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng1 was presented under the personal direction of ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul1 the chief rle of 8,la ,gaiet de ,paris0 being taken by ,mlle4 ,pomponette--the very personification of ,french enfantine gaiety--well supported by ,miss ,julia ,seale1 ,signor ,rosi1 ,signorina ,morino1 and other ,alhambra favourites4 ,in the same programme was given1 under the title of 8,sal6 ,oh ,my60 an amusing satire on what we may term the ,salome ,school of ,dancing1 then recently instituted by ,miss ,maud ,allan4 ,the ,alhambra skit1 described as 8a musical etcetera0 7the delightful music of which1 by the way1 was by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng71 served to introduce to a ,london audience for the first time ,la ,belle ,leonora1 a very handsome danseuse of1 ,i believe1 ,spanish origin1 who was1 for several seasons1 to become the 8bright1 particular star0 of the ,alhambra4 ,these two productions held sway for some months1 but gave place in ,october1 #aijh1 to 8,paquita10 a charming romantic ballet arranged and produced by ,signor ,alfredo ,curti1 with music by ,mr4 ,george ,w4 ,byng1 who once more proved his talent for composition of the kind essential for ballet1 music rich in expressive melody1 dramatic in orchestration1 and always appropriate to the action and mood of the situation4 ,the production introduced to ,london audiences for the first time1 ,mlle4 ,britta1 a young ,danish dancer1 with an interesting personality and a marked gift for acting4 ,in the same programme was included 8,on the ,square10 a divertissement arranged and produced by ,miss ,elise ,clerc1 the scene of which was laid in ,herald ,square1 ,new ,york1 and formed a background for dances by newsboys1 flower-girls1 equestriennes1 cake-walks1 8apache0 dances1 a dance of 8,fluffy ,ruffles and ,rough ,riders10 a clever eccentric pas de deux1 by ,miss ,elise ,clerc herself and the late ,mr4 ,frank ,lawton 7the whistler1 who first came into prominence in ,london in the original production of 8,the ,belle of ,new ,york071 the most attractive item in the whole production perhaps being a marionette pas de deux by ,mlle4 ,britta and ,miss ,carlotta ,mossetti1 a clever dancer and mime4 ,illustration3 ,hana ,mme4 ,guerrero ,illustration3 ,dover ,st4 ,studios ,mlle4 ,leonora ,the divertissement held its place in the programme for a considerable time1 but was in general character hardly up to the artistic tone of the ,alhambra's past2 and the production of 8,psyche10 a classic idyll in three scenes1 of which the dramatic action and dances were by ,signor ,alfredo ,curti1 and the melodious1 and always expressive music was by ,mr4 ,alfred ,moul1 came as a welcome relief to the banalities of ragtime1 the more so in that it provided a fine opportunity for another striking success by ,mlle4 ,leonora1 whose statuesque grace was particularly well displayed by the classic beauty of the setting provided for her4 8,femina10 another fine production by ,signor ,curti1 gave ,mlle4 ,leonora opportunities1 of which she fully availed herself1 more especially in her own national dance1 and ,mlle4 ,britta achieved a marked success both as dancer and actress4 ,since then the more recent influx of ,russian dancers to the ,alhambra1 in 8,the ,dance ,dream10 invented and produced by ,alexander ,a4 ,gorsky1 and notable for superb mounting and the fine dancing of ,mme4 ,catrina ,geltzer and ,m4 ,tichomiroff2 then the exquisite 8#ahcj10 and since then again1 another superb production of a new version of 8,carmen10 produced by ,mr4 ,dion ,clayton ,calthrop1 and with some especially fine dancing by ,la ,malaguenita and other ,spanish artists1 all offered us fresh and delightful examples of the enterprise of the management responsible for them4 ,we must1 however1 leave any further consideration of the many notable examples of ,ballet at the ,alhambra1 which during the past two or three years has been mainly given up to the ,revue2 and must now turn to the ,empire where an extensive series of always artistic productions have provided those who witnessed them with many interesting and happy memories4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,empire #ahhd-aijf ,before it opened its doors as a regular theatre1 with the late ,h4 ,j4 ,hitchins as ,manager1 on ,april #agth1 #ahhd1 the ,empire had 8played many parts40 ,the site had been occupied by a royal residence which became in time a picture1 or exhibition gallery and a caf chantant1 before being burnt down in #ahfe4 ,then the late ,john ,hollingshead and some friends proposed erecting a theatre on the site1 but the scheme fell through and the ruin remained ruinous for some years1 until it became for a time a panorama of ,balaclava4 ,then a theatre was started1 to be called the ,pandora1 but did not get finished under that title4 ,finally it opened as the ,empire in #ahhd1 with 8,chilperic10 a musical spectacle in three acts and seven tableaux1 founded on the opera adapted by ,h4 ,hersee and ,h4 ,b4 ,farnie1 with music by ,herv4 ,the production included three grand ballets invented and arranged by ,monsieur ,bertrand4 ,the sensation of the third act was a 8midnight review and electric ballet of fifty ,amazons1 as invented by ,trouv1 of ,paris 7being the first time where three electric lamps are carried and manipulated by one person1 with the most startling and gorgeous effect740 ,the dancers included ,mlle4 ,sismondi1 ,mlle4 ,aguzzi and ,frulein ,hofschuller2 and the costumes by ,mons4 and ,mme4 ,alias were after designs by ,bianchini1 ,faustin and ,wilhelm1 the last name being famous in association1 from the opening in #ahhd1 with the many brilliant productions at the ,empire4 ,it does not seem to be commonly known that while still counted as a 8theatre10 the ,empire was already foreshadowing its destiny as a home of ,english ,ballet4 ,the production of 8,polly0 was followed by a real ballet1 a version of ,copplia--not that of ,delibes--but one founded on ,hoffman's famous story1 with music by ,lo2 ,delibes' 8,sylvia0 also being produced at about the same period4 ,probably few people of to-day are aware that the famous ballet 8,giselle0 was also given in these early days at the ,empire1 in ,december1 #ahhd4 ,and again1 on ,december #bast1 #ahhe1 was produced 8,hurly ,burly10 a military pantomime ballet4 ,yet again1 on ,june #abth1 #ahhf1 came 8,the ,palace of ,pearl10 in which there were a ,moorish ballet1 with a ,mlle4 ,luna as premire1 and a lace ballet1 in which ,mlle4 ,pertoldi was the bright particular star4 ,the ,empire was afterwards occupied for a time by the ,gaiety ,company in burlesque1 while a ,french company was occupying the ,gaiety1 and1 later1 by the musical extravaganza1 8,the ,lady of the ,locket10 in which ,miss ,florence ,st4 ,john played the lead1 and ,mr4 ,hayden ,coffin1 ,i believe1 made his first appearance as 8,cosmo40 ,mr4 ,edward ,solomon's opera1 8,billee ,taylor10 was also mounted for a short run1 as well as--on ,march #crd1 #ahhf--;a version of 8,round the ,world in ,eighty ,days10 in which ,miss ,kate ,vaughan and ,mons4 ,marius appeared4 ,its career as a regular theatre not being as successful as had been hoped1 a fresh licence was obtained1 and on ,december #bbnd1 #ahhg1 under the joint direction of ,mr4 ,george ,edwardes and the late ,sir ,augustus ,harris--with ,mr4 ,h4 ,j4 ,hitchins as ,manager--it started afresh as a theatre of varieties1 with ,ballet as its chief attraction1 and it at once assumed an important place as one of the leading variety houses of the world4 ,at the beginning of the ,empire's prosperous career a wise choice was made in the selection of the late ,madame ,katti ,lanner as matresse de ballet4 ,daughter of the famous ,viennese waltz composer1 ,joseph ,lanner--who1 when he died1 was followed to the grave by some ten thousand people--and herself a keen lover of music1 ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner had been in her earlier years a famous danseuse1 who had appeared as a child at the ,vienna ,opera-,house1 and later made her world-tour1 as great dancers did then and do to-day4 ,she told me1 in the first of many pleasant interviews ,i had with her in her retirement1 how1 as a young girl1 she had danced with ,cerito1 and with ,fanny ,elssler1 and how the latter had prophesied for her a successful career2 and she spoke with deep enthusiasm of the personal fascination1 the brilliant art1 and the noble bearing of the great dancer who was known to ,london of the 'forties as the 8divine0 ,fanny4 ,in the course of time ,mme4 ,lanner came to settle in ,london1 and had produced ballets at ,her ,majesty's--at which she had also appeared--and at ,drury ,lane1 before her invaluable services were secured by the far-seeing management of the ,empire in #ahhg4 ,she had already1 some ten years before1 established her ,national ,school of ,dancing2 and with this to draw upon1 it was only natural that1 from the first1 her productions at the ,empire should be marked by a uniformly high standard of technique4 ,at no theatre or opera-house can a high standard be maintained unless it can draw upon some such school1 either on the premises or off1 where young talent is fostered and developed1 where consistent practice is kept up under critical eyes1 and where a uniform degree of technical efficiency and a high sense of style are cultivated4 ,so it has been with ,milan and ,paris1 ,vienna and ,petrograd2 and so it became when ,mme4 ,lanner began her association with that series of productions at the ,empire of which it may be truthfully said that each achieved both artistic and financial success4 ,the programme on the opening night1 ,thursday1 ,december #bbnd1 #ahhg1 included two ballets1 8,sports of ,england0 and 8,dilara40 ,the former--the costumes for which were designed by ,mr4 ,percy ,anderson--was1 as its title betokens1 a representation of the various ,british sports and pastimes1 and was naturally very popular with the habitus of the ,empire4 ,the second--the costumes of which were designed by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm--was a brilliant spectacle1 of ,eastern character2 and both ballets1 arranged by ,mme4 ,lanner1 with music by ,herv1 had a run of some months4 ,they were succeeded by 8,rose d',amour0 in ,may1 #ahhh1 which those who remember it speak of to-day as one of ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner's greatest triumphs4 ,it was notable1 too1 for the appearance of such dancers as ,mlle4 ,adle ,rossi--who1 ,i believe1 had come from the ,paris ,opera--,mlle4 ,santori1 ,mlle4 de ,sortis2 nea1 the flying dancer1 and the wondrous ,mons4 ,cecchetti1 who1 gifted with amazing youth1 was appearing recently with the ,russians at the ,royal ,opera1 ,covent ,garden4 8,rose d',amour10 like ,darwin's poem of a century earlier1 dealt with 8the loves of the plants10 or at any rate of the flowers1 and the quarrels in flowerland4 ,it was a long and rather elaborate production1 with a prodigal array of lovely costumes designed by ,mr4 ,wilhelm2 and it rather opened the eyes of ,londoners as to the possibilities of the art of ,ballet4 8,diana10 a graceful idyll on classic lines--the scenario of which was suggested by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 and arranged by ,mme4 ,lanner--followed on ,october #cast of the same year1 with that graceful dancer1 ,mme4 ,palladino1 and ,signor ,albertieri in the cast1 and1 later1 ,mme4 ,malvina ,cavallazzi1 who appeared for the first time in ballet skirts at the ,empire1 and for the last time in the same typical costume2 her subsequent appearances being usually in male character1 of which she was a truly fine exponent4 8,diana0 was followed by 8,robert ,macaire40 ,early next year came the first ,london production of ,paul ,martinetti and ,herv's 8,a ,duel in the ,snow10 which was less in the nature of a regular ballet than of pure pantomime1 was a finely dramatic effort well staged and acted4 ,in the spring of 'eighty-nine was produced another superb ballet1 8,cleopatra0 7inspired by ,sir ,rider ,haggard's novel1 then appearing in serial form in the pages of the ,illustrated ,london ,news71 which ran for some four months and was immensely admired4 ,in the autumn it gave place to a popular production1 dealing with the diversions1 and bearing the title of 8,the ,paris ,exhibition02 and in ,december of the same year1 on the eve of ,christmas ,eve1 came a wonderful production1 8,the ,dream of ,wealth10 by ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner1 with music by that fine composer--so long afterwards associated with the ,empire--,mons4 ,l4 ,wenzel1 and with costumes and accessories designed 8as before0 by ,mr4 ,wilhelm4 ,the cast included that superb mime1 ,signora ,malvina ,cavallazzi1 as a ,miser2 ,signor ,luigi ,albertieri as the ,demon of ,avarice2 and dainty little ,mlle4 ,bettina de ,sortis as premire1 representing 8,the ,key of the ,jewel ,casket40 ,the same admirable trio were included in the new ballet1 8,ccile0 7by ,lanner1 ,wenzel1 and ,wilhelm1 again71 which followed on ,may #bjth1 #ahij1 the premire danseuse being ,mlle4 ,giuri1 a dancer of exquisite finish and singularly lgante style1 as well as a most admirable mime4 ,the period of the divertissement was ,louis-,seize1 and the production was very charmingly staged1 one of the chief points being a wonderful colour scheme of almost one tone1 composed of white and silver and mother-of-pearl4 ,this was in the second tableau1 depicting a court in the palace of a ,rajah who had very wrongly abducted a pupil from a ,french school6 ,in this ballet that delightful ,english dancer ,miss ,topsy ,sinden first made her ,london dbut as a tiny child1 with her brother1 ,bert ,sinden4 ,the spring of next year was marked by the production of 8,orfeo10 the scenario of which was by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 the scenery by ,telbin4 ,it was an impressive example of classic ballet4 ,mme4 ,cavallazzi was a superb exponent of the title-rle1 ,miss ,ada ,vincent was excellent as ,eurydice1 and good support was given by ,mlle4 ,adle ,rossi and ,signor ,cecchetti4 ,the autumn of the same year saw the advent of 8,by the ,sea10 perhaps the earliest of the 8up-to-date0 ballets2 and on ,december #bbnd that of 8,nisita10 the latter a romantic ballet with an ,albanian setting1 a very pretty second tableau showing a 8,revel of the ,fairies10 and with ,mlle4 ,emma ,palladino as the handsome heroine ,nita1 and ,mme4 ,cavallazzi as the hero1 ,delvinos4 ,the first night this was produced1 ,december #bbnd1 #ahia1 by the way1 there was one of the very worst fogs ,london has ever seen1 so thick that you could not see the drop curtain from the third row of the stalls6 ,but the innate brightness of the production overcame its gloomy environment at birth and it ran for months4 ,in ,may1 #ahib1 came 8,versailles10 another superb production for the scenario of which1 as well as of course the costumes1 ,mr4 ,wilhelm was mainly responsible1 though it was as usual 8choregraphically0 arranged by ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner1 with delightful music by ,mons4 ,leopold ,wenzel4 ,this ran until ,september1 when 8,round the ,town0 7a ballet the scenario of which was by ,mr4 ,george ,edwardes and ,mme4 ,lanner7 was staged1 and proved so popular as a topical divertissement 7not unlike our present day ,revues7 that it held the bill for some months4 ,an interesting point in connection with this ballet was that the late ,miss ,katie ,seymour1 one of the very neatest ,english dancers that ever trod the ,london boards1 joined the cast after the production had run a little time1 and as a ,salvation ,lassie performed an eccentric dance with ,mr4 ,willie ,warde1 also an extremely able ,english dancer1 that was one of the successes of the theatrical season4 ,in #ahic1 the theatre was closed from ,october #bgth to ,november #bnd1 owing to intervention by the ,county ,council4 ,one of the finest productions yet seen at a theatre which by now had become famous for its ballets1 was 8,faust10 first produced on ,may #fth1 #ahie4 ,the scenario of this1 as well as the costume designs1 were by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 and it was an ingenious variation of the ,gounod version1 the music not by ,gounod1 but by ,mr4 ,meyer ,lutz and ,mr4 ,ernest ,ford1 the ballet being arranged as usual by ,mme4 ,lanner4 ,mme4 ,cavallazzi was superb as ,faust2 ,miss ,ada ,vincent was the ,gretchen1 ,mlle4 ,zanfretta was a striking exponent of ,mephistopheles1 and among the cast was ,mr4 ,will ,bishop1 a clever eccentric dancer1 who was associated with the ,empire for several seasons4 ,this was followed1 in the ,january of #ahif1 by a charming ballet entitled 8,la ,danse10 in which the history of dancing was illustrated and various dancers of the older schools1 such as ,sall1 ,taglioni and others1 as well as the modern1 were typified4 ,in ,october came 8,monte ,cristo0--another superb production staged and designed by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 to whom ,i am indebted for many interesting details of the ,empire's history4 ,this brings to a close the record of success from the opening of the ,empire in #ahhg to the close of #ahif4 ,this first phase was one of increasing triumph2 a second1 more splendid still1 was to come4 ,we had seen ,ballet perfect of its kind4 ,but yet1 perfection was to be crowned by the supremacy of terpsichorean and mimetic art--the art of ,adeline ,gne4 8,under ,one ,flag10 a topical ballet in celebration of ,queen ,victoria's ,diamond ,jubilee1 in #ahig1 ran for some months4 ,before the close of the year the ,treasure ,island tableau in 8,monte ,cristo0 was staged1 and in this1 on ,november #bbnd1 #ahig1 a certain historic event took place--,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne made her ,london dbut at the ,empire ,theatre4 ,one of her critics at the time wrote that3 8,her pas seuls commanded encores which were thoroughly deserved4 ,the dancer is lissom to a degree and thoroughly mistress of her art4 ,with her terpsichorean ability she has the advantage of a prepossessing personality1 which will assist in endearing her to the public40 ,so much did her personality endear her to the public that ,mlle4 ,gne's first engagement at the ,empire for six weeks extended to over ten years1 with return visits after that6 ,looking back at the great dancers of the past1 we see that all illustrate the incalculable value of personality in art4 ,the technique of a ,camargo or ,sall1 ,taglioni or ,grahn1 ,karsavina or ,gne1 has the same foundation--the traditional 8five positions10 which are to the ,dance what the octave is to the sister art of ,music4 ,before a dancer can hope to appear with success on any stage she must have acquired a knowledge of those 8five positions10 and their possibilities of choregraphic combination4 ,the ease and rapidity with which she illustrates them1 the fluidity of the phrases and melodies of movement which she evolves from them1 and the qualities of 8finish0 and 8style0 are finally achieved only by incessant practice4 ,she must attain as complete a mastery of the mechanism of her body as can be attained4 ,no technique in any art is acquired without labour2 and no success is won without technique4 ,that much therefore can be taken for granted in any great artist4 ,but persistent practice and the acquisition of a fine technique may still leave a dancer merely an exquisite automaton if she has not 8personality02 a quality not readily defined1 but which undeniably marks her as different from others4 ,perhaps that is1 after all1 the truest definition--a differentiation from others4 ,endowed with the royal gift of personality1 ,mlle4 ,gne had worked incessantly before she made her first appearance in ,london at about the age of seventeen4 ,born in ,copenhagen of ,danish parents1 the famous dancer began her training when only eight years old1 under the tuition of her uncle and aunt1 ,mons4 and ,mme4 ,alexander ,gne1 both of whom 7the latter as ,mlle4 ,zimmermann7 had won considerable reputation as dancers1 and producers of ballet1 at various continental opera-houses and theatres in the 'sixties and 'seventies4 ,they had appeared at ,copenhagen1 ,vienna1 ,dresden1 ,munich1 ,budapest1 and at ,stettin1 where ,mons4 ,alexander ,gne had a theatre for some years1 and where ,mlle4 ,adeline made some of her earliest appearances as a child4 ,subsequently she went to ,berlin and to ,munich1 and it was while dancing in the latter city that she was called to ,london by ,mr4 ,george ,edwardes on behalf of the ,empire management4 ,her first appearance here was emphatically a success4 ,but it was her performance as the ,spirit of the 8,liberty of the ,press0 in the famous ,empire ballet1 8,the ,press0 7invented and designed by ,mr4 ,wilhelm with the choregraphic support of ,mme4 ,lanner and music by ,mons4 ,wenzel71 on ,february #adth1 #ahih1 that first marked her--and for many years to come--as a ,london 8star40 ,the ballet gave her scope for some wonderful pas1 and proved immensely popular4 ,it was a novel idea1 artistically carried out1 and illustrated the history and power of the ,fourth ,estate4 ,a number of charming coryphes were ingeniously attired as representatives of the various newspapers1 boys' costumes indicating the morning and girls' the evening journals4 ,the venerable ,times was typified by a man in the guise of ,father ,time1 with hour-glass and other symbols of his ancient office1 and accompanied by a retinue4 ,mme4 ,cavallazzi represented ,caxton1 ,father of the ,printing ,press2 ,mlle4 ,zanfretta1 the ,spirit of ,fashion2 and there were typical costumes for ,the ,standard1 ,the ,daily ,telegraph1 ,the ,globe1 ,the ,daily ,mail 7then two years old671 ,the ,illustrated ,london ,news 7who announced that she was 8,established #ahdb071 ,the ,illustrated ,sporting and ,dramatic ,news1 ,the ,lady's ,pictorial1 ,the ,sketch1 ,the ,referee1 and others too numerous to name4 ,so popular did the ballet prove that this also ran for months1 and it was not until ,october of the same year that a new production1 8,alaska10 was staged1 the scenario of which was by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 the choregraphy by ,mme4 ,lanner1 and music by ,mons4 ,wenzel4 ,the production which a contemporary critic described as 8one of the most gorgeous ballets ever produced at the ,empire10 is another example of the influence of topical events on the history of the ,ballet1 for it was due to the discovery of the ,klondyke goldfields1 the first news of which had come to us the year before1 that is1 in ,jubilee year1 but the real wonders of which only began fully to reveal themselves in the summer of #ahih1 when everyone talked and dreamed of little else than 8,klondyke06 ,the ballet opened with a blinding snowstorm1 and the scene1 laid in the snow-bound regions of the ,north-,west1 glowed1 as the storm ceased1 with the grandeur of the ,aurora ,borealis4 ,the story dealt with the adventures of one ,alec ,wylie 7,mme4 ,cavallazzi71 leader of an expedition to ,klondyke1 who1 tempted by the ,demon ,avarice1 quarrels with and leaves for dead his partner1 ,frank ,courage1 whose life is saved by the ice fairies and who is vouchsafed a vision of golden realms by the ,fairy ,good ,fortune4 ,the production was rich in striking scenes and stage effects1 and once again ,mlle4 ,gne further confirmed her growing capacity to 8endear0 herself to ,london audiences by her performance as the ,fairy ,good ,fortune4 ,on ,may #hth of the following year1 #ahii1 8,round the ,town ,again10 by ,mme4 ,lanner1 ,mr4 ,wilhelm and ,mons4 ,wenzel1 was produced4 ,this was entirely different from the original 8,round the ,town10 and with a second edition1 also further altered1 in ,january1 #aijj1 ran until the end of ,august1 #aijj1 that is1 for fifteen months6 ,mlle4 ,gne1 ,mlle4 ,zanfretta and ,mr4 ,will ,bishop were the leading dancers1 with a change of cast for a time when ,mlle4 ,edvige ,gantenberg took up ,mlle4 ,gne's part of ,lisette1 a ,french maid1 during the latter's absence on a brief holiday4 ,a revised edition of 8,by the ,sea10 under the title of 8,seaside10 came on in ,september1 #aijj1 the cast including ,mlle4 ,gne1 ,signor ,santini1 ,mr4 ,will ,bishop and also ,mr4 ,frank ,lawton1 whose whistling had so long been one of the attractions1 elsewhere1 of the 8,belle of ,new ,york40 ,next came a fascinating ballet 8,les ,papillons10 the scenario and staging of which were by ,mr4 ,wilhelm4 ,of this an enthusiastic critic declared3 8,it is1 indeed1 a beautiful butterfly ballet that the ,empire ,theatre is just now able to boast4 ,with it the management draws crowded houses1 and sends them away delighted--delighted with the colour1 exhilarated by the movement1 charmed by the fancy1 and ready to sing the praises of all concerned in a truly marvellous production1 and particularly of ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 whose designs have given further proof of the taste which governs his fertile imagination and invention1 and of ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner1 for whom the dances and evolutions mean another veritable triumph40 ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne1 as lead1 played 8,vanessa ,imperialis10 the ,butterfly ,queen1 who was 8discovered0 at the opening of the ballet fast asleep in the lovely realm over which she reigned4 ,a glow-worm patrol guarded her slumbers1 which ended with the coming of dawn1 when she joined her subjects and the flower-fays in dances1 and the revels of a fairy midsummer's day dream4 ,on ,november #fth of the same year followed 8,old ,china10 a delightful ballet1 invented and designed by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 associated1 as usual1 with ,mme4 ,lanner and ,mons4 ,wenzel1 and with ,mlle4 ,gne as premire danseuse4 ,the opening scene showed a mantelpiece1 backed by a great mirror1 in which the actions of a little ,dresden ,china ,shepherdess 7,mlle4 ,gne7 and her two troublesome lovers1 were exactly repeated in the looking-glass1 through which finally the indignant damsel stepped--to the chagrin of her disconsolate lovers--right into ,willow ,pattern ,land1 which formed the second scene1 and into which some particularly rich and beautiful effects were introduced4 8,old ,china0 ran for some months1 and on ,may #bhth of the following year was succeeded by another 8topical0 ballet1 8,our ,crown10 again the work of the accomplished trio1 who had so long contributed to the success of the ,empire productions1 and were now receiving the brilliant assistance of the ,danish premire1 who had thoroughly established herself in popular favour4 ,it was1 of course in celebration of that crowning of the late ,king ,edward which had been so unhappily postponed1 through his late ,majesty's illness on the very eve of what should have been his ,coronation4 ,this1 again1 was a most brilliant production1 and the final tableau1 practically a 8,staircase0 scene1 in which the great stage was built up with groups representative of the jewelled products of the various ,british colonies1 rubies1 emeralds1 diamonds1 pearls1 was magnificent4 ,as in the case of the ,victorian ,jubilee ballet of five years before1 this was a conspicuous triumph in the particularly difficult sphere of ballets d'occasion4 ,the first production of #aijc was also the first of what may be called essentially the ,gne ballets--ballets1 that is1 which seemed more particularly than before1 infused with the personality of this accomplished dancer4 ,since her ,london dbut in #ahig she had played the leading part1 certainly1 but now it seemed almost as if her personality coloured the whole ballet itself1 even as unquestionably her supreme technique set an example and had its influence in raising the already high standard of technique throughout the corps de ballet4 ,the scenario and staging of 8,the ,milliner ,duchess0 were by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 and the story was specially designed to give ,mlle4 ,gne an opportunity of further exhibiting her gifts as an actress4 ,into a fashionable throng frequenting the establishment of an up-to-date duchess who was running a milliner's business was introduced her demure little niece1 impersonated1 of course1 by ,mlle4 ,gne2 and her first entrance1 in a gown of primitively early-,victorian simplicity1 was charming in its hesitancy1 and one realised that she was something more even than a finished dancer1 namely1 a born mime with a fine artistic appreciation of the nuances of comedy4 ,in her dance descriptive of the charms of country life1 so clever and so perfect was the combination of mime and dance that a positive illusion was created2 and only at the close did one realise1 suddenly1 that it was veritably a song without words4 ,a step1 a gesture1 a little glance1 and one could have sworn one heard a poet's lines6 ,popular as the dancer had already made herself1 her work in this particularly charming ballet confirmed the growing opinion that here was a dancer who was supreme in her art as a dancer-mime2 one to be reckoned among any gallery of the great artists of the past4 ,in the autumn of the same year was staged a ballet by the same experienced trio1 ,wilhelm1 ,lanner and ,wenzel1 entitled 8,vineland10 which introduced to us some novel and sumptuous colour schemes and gave us the sensation of ,mlle4 ,gne's 8champagne0 dance1 a piece of terpsichorean music as sparkling as the most glittering of ,offenbach's operatic melodies4 ,early next year there followed the lively1 up-to-date divertissement1 8,high ,jinks10 in which the leading parts were played by ,mlle4 ,gne1 ,mlle4 ,zanfretta1 ,miss ,dorothy ,craske1 and ,mr4 ,fred ,farren4 ,an adaptation by ,mr4 ,wilhelm from the popular ,viennese ballet1 8,die ,puppenfee10 under the ,english title of 8,the ,dancing ,doll10 was produced on ,january #crd1 #aije1 and was notable1 among other things1 for ,mlle4 ,gne's impersonation of an automaton in situations not very dissimilar from those of 8,la ,poupe10 and a notable point in the production was a delightful eccentric dance by ,miss ,elise ,clerc and ,mr4 ,w4 ,vokes1 as a pair of ,dutch dolls4 ,this very successful ballet went into a second edition on ,april #crd1 and on ,june #cjth the theatre was closed for redecoration4 ,when it reopened on ,october #ith of that year the habitus found considerable alterations had taken place under the direction of ,mr4 ,frank ,verity1 ,f4,r4,i4,b4,a41 all designed for their increased comfort1 while the decorative style1 representative of the true ,empire period1 had a note of distinction hitherto lacking in some of the ,london vaudeville houses1 a note more in keeping with the demands of modern times4 ,the opening ballet1 by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm and ,mr4 ,sidney ,jones1 was 8,the ,bugle ,call10 which had a well defined plot1 and in which ,mlle4 ,gne played the part of a ,french bugler boy of the late eighteenth century4 ,on the afternoon of ,january #fth 7#aijf7 a version of 8,cinderella10 one of the most charming of ,mr4 ,wilhelm's creations1 was staged1 originally with a view only to matine performances1 but it proved so successful that it went into the evening bill on ,february #eth4 ,the creator of the ballet had treated the age-long legend of ,cinderella with that respect for its mingled poetry and pathos which an artist of sympathy must always feel for one of childhood's most appealing legends2 and he provided ,mlle4 ,gne once more with an opportunity for proving her remarkable gifts as an actress1 fully in sympathy with the character and sufferings of the little heroine she impersonated4 ,on ,may #adth1 ,delibes' classic example of ,ballet in its ideal form1 namely1 8,copplia10 was produced specially for ,mlle4 ,gne1 and gave her1 as the heroine1 ,swanilda1 fresh opportunity for further revelations of her amazing accomplishments as a dancer and for her expressive acting2 in which1 by the way1 she was admirably supported by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren in the character of the old doll-maker1 ,copplia2 and by ,miss ,dorothy ,craske as ,copplia's somewhat wavering lover4 ,the production was a great success4 ,how should it have been otherwise8 ,perfectly staged and perfectly performed1 it is1 with its haunting ,slav rhythms and flowing valse melodies1 one of the most charming1 and musically1 one of the most expressive ballets in the world's rpertoire4 ,this was followed on ,august #fth by one of the most exquisite productions the ,empire had yet seen1 a ballet by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 entitled 8,fte ,galante10 which had been expanded from the opening scene of 8,cinderella40 ,to see the 8,fte ,galante0 was itself a liberal education in the art of stage effect4 ,it was an ideal realisation of the art of ,watteau1 ,lancret1 and ,fragonard4 ,the very spirit of the period was caught1 and it was as if all that one had learnt at secondhand of the people1 the dress1 the manners1 dances1 arts and music of the 8,grand ,century0 in ,france had suddenly awakened into life1 and become a living reality of which one was a living part4 ,yet1 paradoxically1 it was strangely dream-like still1 even as are ,watteau's pictures4 ,the scene represented a garden such as you see in so many of his paintings1 and those of his school1 primarily reminiscent of ,pater's 8,conversation ,galante0 and ,watteau's 8,fte ,galante10 8,l'amour au ,thtre ,franais10 and the 8,terrace ,party40 ,one of the young ,court ladies reminded one of the central figure in the 8,bal sous une ,colonnade40 ,a minuet was in progress4 ,all was stately and dream-like1 made the more so by the music4 ,for all the gaiety of the huntsmen's entrance it was gaiety demure1 as if restrained by an inherent sense of fitness with stately surroundings2 and so with the troupe of dancers1 introduced for the diversion of the ,marquise ,belle ,etoile1 and the ,court ladies and courtiers grouped about her4 ,the mood of all1 demurely gay1 or gaily demure1 was suffused with a stately languor1 a dream-like grace that found an echo in the subtle colour-harmonies of the old-world garden in which the people moved4 ,and when the opera-dancer1 ,l',hirondelle1 and ,passepied the master of the revels1 began their pas de deux1 the climax of exquisite illusion was reached1 and ,camargo was before us--the ,camargo of ,lancret's famous picture1 with the soft1 full white skirts1 trimmed with garlands of small pink roses and falling almost to the ankle2 ,camargo with the red-heeled1 red-rosetted shoes2 with blue shoulder-knot and powdered hair adorned with pale blue ribbons4 ,as the fte drew to a close the picture mellowed in the amber light of a waning day2 and1 amid fallen leaf and chestnut bloom1 slowly marquise and prince1 ,court lady and courtier1 dancer and page1 began in stately fashion to dance1 their shadows lengthening in the failing light1 the music growing slower and dreamier as1 little by little1 the picture was re-formed into the likeness of the opening scene1 and the falling curtain brought one back into the world of living things to-day4 ,another brilliant reconstruction of the ,past was achieved by ,mr4 ,wilhelm in his creation of 8,the ,dbutante0 7,november #aeth1 #aijf71 which revivified the men and maids and modes1 the dance of life1 and the life of the dance1 of that strangely interesting period of the 'thirties and 'forties1 the days of ,pauline ,duverney1 ,leroux1 ,fanny ,elssler1 and ,taglioni's earlier years4 ,the scene represented the ,salon de ,danse attached to an opera-house1 the story dealing with the refusal of a star to take up her part in a ballet which is on the eve of production1 her place being taken at the eleventh hour by a dbutante 7,mlle4 ,gne7 with almost miraculous abilities4 ,for this production1 and in order that the style of the earlier dances should be represented on the stage with regard for accuracy and tradition1 ,mme4 ,katti ,lanner1 who had left the ,empire in #aije1 was induced to withdraw from her retirement temporarily at the request of the ,directors1 and out of personal friendship towards ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 with whose artistic aims she had so constantly shown her sympathy4 ,her reappearance to take another 8call0 proved another personal triumph4 ,the ballet was indeed a charming work1 fascinating to students of the dance and mime2 and it proved so successful that a new one was not required until 8,sir ,roger de ,coverley10 by ,adrian ,ross and ,dr4 ,osmond ,carr1 staged by ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 came into the bill on ,may #gth in the following year4 ,as its title betokens1 it dealt with the period of ,queen ,anne and showed a charming representation of the life of old ,vauxhall4 ,this1 too1 ran for some months and was succeeded on ,september #cjth by 8,the ,belle of the ,ball10 which delighted many old frequenters of the ,empire with its recollection of scenes from many of the earlier operatic favourites of the 'sixties and 'seventies1 such as 8,madame ,angot10 8,the ,grand ,duchess10 and other light operas1 coming up to more recent productions1 such as 8,the ,belle of ,new ,york10 8,the ,geisha10 and others4 ,illustration3 ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne ,the production marked the dbut of that brilliant young ,english dancer1 ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells1 and also the end of ,mlle4 ,gne's unbroken ten years' reign at the ,empire ,theatre1 the tenth anniversary of her first appearance being celebrated on ,november #bbnd1 when the house was packed from floor to ceiling with a crowd whose growing enthusiasm culminated in a perfect tornado of applause on the falling of the curtain and something like a score of 8calls02 the dancer having achieved by her personality and technique such a triumph as had not been known in ,london since the great days of ,taglioni and the famous ,pas de ,quatre of the 'forties4 ,she left to carry her influence to ,america1 but there were of course return visits which concern us not at present in dealing only with what may be styled her ten years' reign4 ,but in watching that decade closely with all its procession of successes1 one thing there is that strikes one very forcibly4 ,it was only the natural corollary of the previous decade before the advent of ,mlle4 ,gne4 ,for some twenty years the artistic influence of one mind had been1 never obtrusive1 but invariably evident2 never obtrusive1 that is1 to the detriment of that balance of the arts which makes a perfect ballet2 ,i mean the artistic influence of ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm4 ,before the coming of ,mlle4 ,gne they had had some good dancers and some great artistic successes2 but there had hardly been1 perhaps1 quite that unity and perfection of ensemble which the coming of a dancer of superb technique made possible1 and which1 it may be1 enabled a designer of ballet1 already of great experience and inspired always by high artistic motives--not only to aim at1 but to count on1 achieving just the effect at which he aimed4 ,theatrical art must always be a somewhat composite art1 but its best achievements come from a perfect blending of artistic sympathies1 forming a source of mutual inspiration4 ,so1 while the personality and technical accomplishment of ,mlle4 ,gne must have proved a stimulus to the poetic imagination of an artist like ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 so1 too1 the famous ,danish danseuse could well afford to admit a debt of inspiration to the refined1 sensitive and poetic art of ,mr4 ,wilhelm1 who has provided so invariably a worthy and gracious medium for her supreme art as dancer-mime4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,the ,,empire #aijg-aiad ,when the news was first announced that an end was to come to ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne's ten years' reign at the ,empire and that the famous dancer was seeking1 if not new worlds to conquer1 at least to conquer what was once always spoken of as 8,the #8,new' ,world10 many who had followed the progress of ,ballet in ,london must have wondered where anyone could hope to find a successor to her throne1 and who would have the courage to accept an offer thereof4 ,but ,london theatrical managers are not lacking in resource1 or ,english girls in courage2 and it was with real pleasure that we heard that so worthy a successor had been found as that graceful and essentially ,english dancer1 ,miss ,topsy ,sinden1 who had already been associated with the ,empire as a child some years before4 ,of ,mlle4 ,gne's triumph in 8,the ,belle of the ,ball10 ,i have already spoken4 ,shortly after1 the production underwent a change1 and the fact that the new version was still in the bill on the following ,june #ast1 proves the popularity of the production and of the ,empire's choice of ,miss ,sinden as premire danseuse4 ,her success was the more interesting in that in temperament and in methods she was entirely different from the famous ,danish dancer4 ,a typical ,english girl1 with all the charm of looks and manner implied thereby1 she had studied not so much the purely traditional ,french or ,italian school of ballet-dancing--though she had1 of course1 acquired that too--but the ,english school2 of which the late ,miss ,kate ,vaughan was1 in her time1 the finest exponent1 and of which ,miss ,sylvia ,grey1 ,miss ,phyllis ,broughton1 the late ,miss ,katie ,seymour1 ,miss ,letty ,lind1 ,miss ,alice ,lethbridge1 and ,miss ,mabel ,love1 may be taken as leading representatives during the past twenty years4 ,miss ,sinden had had long and invaluable stage experience before becoming premire danseuse at the ,empire2 had appeared in pantomime at ,covent ,garden1 ,drury ,lane1 at the old 8,brit10 and at ,liverpool and elsewhere2 had 8done0 the ,halls2 had appeared at the ,haymarket under ,sir ,h4 ,beerbohm ,tree's management2 had appeared at the ,gaiety in 8,cinderella ,up-to-,date10 8,in ,town10 8,don ,juan10 8,the ,gaiety ,girl10 and 8,the ,shop ,girl02 at ,daly's in 8,the ,greek ,slave10 in 8,the ,country ,girl10 and other productions2 and always she won fresh distinction as one of the most vivacious1 piquante1 graceful and finished ,english dancers the ,london stage has ever known4 ,her appearance in 8,the ,belle of the ,ball0 was marked by the most cordial welcome from the ,press and the public1 and one of the first greetings she received on her return to the ,empire was a telegram from ,brighton which ran as follows3 8,my good wishes1 and ,i hope you will do yourself justice4 ,you are one of the best dancers ,i know4--,adeline ,gne40 ,that ,miss ,sinden did do herself justice was seen in the enthusiastic cheers and demands for encores which greeted her at the close of her scenes on that 8big night0 of her return to the ,empire stage4 8,the ,belle of the ,ball0 gave place to a revival of 8,copplia0 and--the return of ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne4 ,many as her triumphs had been during her ten years' unbroken reign1 that ,wednesday night1 ,june #ajth1 #aijh1 must be recorded in ,mlle4 ,gne's memory in letters of gold1 for even she can never have seen such a house1 so crammed from floor to ceiling with a distinguished audience1 including ,king ,george 7then ,prince of ,wales71 and been welcomed with such thunderous cheering and applause as greeted her on her first appearance through the little brown door of ,swanilda's balconied house1 when she floated down the stairs to the centre of the stage1 so lightly indeed that she seemed almost to flutter before the storm of enthusiasm which welcomed her return4 ,and how she danced6 ,only her peer among poets could describe it1 and then he would probably feel as ,thackeray felt when endeavouring to do justice to ,taglioni in 8,sylphide60 ,for some seasons past we have had the ,russian ballet as a standing dish1 over which various epicures have gloated as if no other fare had ever been4 ,but it is interesting to note that the first of 8all the ,russias0 was ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht1 who made her ,london dbut at the ,empire1 in some dances with ,m4 ,adolph ,bolm1 on ,august #agth1 #aijh4 ,for the present1 and to preserve historical order1 let the fact be merely recorded1 leaving further reference thereto until the time it becomes necessary to chronicle the handsome ,russian dancer's later successes4 ,on ,september #gth of that same year came the production of one of the most perfect gems yet seen in the historic gallery of ,ballet1 namely1 8,the ,dryad10 a pastoral fantasy in two tableaux1 by that brilliant composer1 ,miss ,dora ,bright4 ,from time to time1 in such productions as 8,the ,milliner ,duchess10 8,copplia10 and 8,the ,dbutante10 we had had an opportunity of realising something of ,mlle4 ,gne's gifts as an actress apart from her supremacy as a dancer1 but it was mainly as a dancer1 surrounded by dancers1 that we have seen her4 ,now1 however1 we were to have a conclusive revelation of the fact that had ,mlle4 ,gne not elected to become a great dancer she could have achieved distinction as an actress4 ,the story1 of which she was the heroine1 gave her an opportunity of proving that2 and with herself in the title-rle1 that artistic singer1 ,mr4 ,gordon ,cleather1 as a shepherd1 and with the support of wonderfully expressive and beautifully orchestrated mimodrame music1 the sister arts of dance1 song1 mime1 and music1 were brought together to give us a balanced harmony of lovely and memorable impressions4 ,the fantasy told how a certain ,dryad1 fairest of the ,wood ,nymphs1 subdued all mortals to her by her loveliness and the magic of her dancing1 whom the implacable ,aphrodite caused to be imprisoned in an oak tree1 only granting her freedom to come forth once in every ten years between sunrise and sunset until she should find a mortal faithful to her during the allotted period4 ,a shepherd1 passing through the wood on the night of her freedom1 sees her dancing beneath the moon1 and is lured to love her and vows eternal constancy4 ,when the dawn breaks she bids him farewell and re-enters the tree1 which closes around her4 ,after ten years have passed away1 the ,dryad comes forth again seeking to allay the longing she has kindled1 but her lover had not been constant1 and the wood is empty4 ,she dances through the night1 deluding herself with hope until the hour of her doom returns and she is compelled to re-enter the tree4 ,the ,dryad1 afire with joy at being released from the imprisoning tree1 and discovering the beauty of the sunlit1 flower-strewn forest glade2 joyous in her love of the handsome shepherd and his love returned2 her sorrow at parting to return to the tree2 her deeper joy on her renewed release2 her alternating hope and fear as the concluding moment of the ten-year tryst draws nigh2 her eager search for her lover2 the shuddering tremors of doubt as she finds him not2 her triumphant happiness as she hears his voice2 the heart-wringing suspense1 and then the overwhelming despair1 as she finds he has forgotten her for another love and passes on his way1 leaving her solitary and doomed to be imprisoned yet again within the tree1 desolate amid autumnal desolation2 these1 and a thousand more nuances1 expressive of poetic emotion1 were conveyed with a sureness1 a sensitiveness1 a depth of instinctive dramatic genius that astonished1 delighted and enthralled4 ,so great was the success of 8,the ,dryad0 that ,mlle4 ,gne's engagement was extended1 but the strain of appearing in both 8,copplia0 and ,miss ,bright's exquisite fantasy proving too considerable1 the famous dancer reserved her strength for her final appearance in the latter1 while ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht1 then comparatively a new-comer to the ,empire audiences1 took up the part of 8,swanilda10 in ,delibes' masterpiece with considerable success4 ,ere departing for a forty weeks' tour of ,america1 ,mlle4 ,gne gave a farewell 8professional0 matine at the ,empire1 at which everyone of note in 8the profession0 was present1 and gave her the same enthusiastic appreciation as had always been accorded by the lay public4 ,following ,mlle4 ,gne's departure for ,america1 and ,mlle4 ,kyasht's appearance in 8,copplia10 came the production on ,october #aith1 #aijh1 of a ballet in five scenes by ,lieut4-,col4 ,newnham-,davis1 entitled 8,a ,day in ,paris10 produced by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren1 with music by ,mr4 ,cuthbert ,clarke1 the entire production being designed and supervised by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 who was at his happiest in invention and control of colour in the prismatic beauty of the final tableau of the ,artists' ,ball4 ,on the occasion of her previous appearance ,mlle4 ,kyasht's name had been printed in the programme as ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyaksht1 and ,i remember well the humorous dismay the late ,mr4 ,h4 ,j4 ,hitchins expressed to me as he asked3 8,how can one pronounce a name like that80 and the eagerness with which he welcomed the suggestion that it would be easier if the second 8k0 were omitted4 ,kyasht it became1 and it is as ,mlle4 ,kyasht that we shall always remember the handsome dancer who was first of the ,russians to win a following in ,london4 ,she had1 of course1 received her training at the ,imperial ,theatre1 ,petrograd1 to which she had been attached some time1 appearing there for some eight months each year1 and at ,monte ,carlo and other fashionable centres for the remaining months1 before she made her ,london dbut4 ,she has little of that vehemence and abandon which characterises so many of the modern ,russian school1 but she has au fond the same technique1 a finely formed and balanced figure1 and personal beauty1 and her first appearances with that fine dancer1 ,m4 ,adolf ,bolm1 in national dances and pas de ballet evoked very cordial admiration4 8,a ,day in ,paris0 was notable not only for the appearance of the new ,russian premire in a couple of pas seuls and an extremely charming ,danse ,russe1 but for the brilliant acting and step-dancing of ,mr4 ,fred ,farren1 who as a ,montmartre student freakishly officiating as 8a man from ,cook's0 to a party of tourists1 proved himself a born comedian2 while in association with that lithe and graceful dancer1 ,miss ,beatrice ,collier1 his ,danse des ,apaches--a dance without the charm of beauty but undeniably clever--was one of the 8sensations0 of the production1 so much so that the dancers became in much request for entertaining at social functions that season1 as ,tango performers have been since4 ,another member of the company1 who1 though but a child1 achieved a marked success1 was ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells1 who did some wonderful toe-dancing with1 and without1 a skipping rope4 ,the ballet was one of the liveliest and 8jolliest0 of many such topical and essentially 8modern0 entertainments at the ,empire1 and it ran from ,october #aijh1 well into the next summer4 ,yet once again ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne returned to the scene of her former triumphs to achieve one more1 this time in the famous ballet-divertissement from the third act of ,meyerbeer's opera1 8,roberto il ,diavolo10 which was produced by her uncle1 ,m4 ,alexandre ,gne1 on ,july #crd1 #aiji1 the mise en scne and costumes being designed and supervised by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm4 ,once more we had an opportunity of enjoying a perfect representation of one of the classics of ,ballet1 in which ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne appeared as the ,spirit of ,elena the wicked abbess1 who1 with the spectres of the dead and buried nuns1 haunts a ruined ,sicilian ,convent4 ,it was a fine and spirituelle performance1 and a fitting crown to what we may perhaps be allowed to call ,mlle4 ,gne's ,imperial career4 ,this was followed on ,october #ith1 #aiji1 by 8,round the ,world10 a new dramatic ballet in six scenes1 by ,lieut4-,col4 ,newnham-,davis and ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 the entire production being designed and supervised by the latter1 and the dances arranged by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren1 who himself played the part of a resourceful chauffeur1 while ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht impersonated the lovely heroine1 ,natalia1 a ,russian gipsy girl1 and ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells her younger brother1 ,dmitri4 ,the story concerned the winning of a wager by the hero1 a ,captain ,jack ,beresford1 7,mr4 ,noel ,fleming71 who has to circle the world in a month2 and the course of his adventures took us from the grounds of the ,monaco ,club to the ,place ,krasnaia1 ,moscow1 on the occasion of a wonderfully realised national fte1 where he rescues ,natalia and her brother from ,tzabor1 a brutal proprietor of a troupe of gipsy dancers4 ,the third scene was on the ,siberian railway2 the fourth a lovely scene at ,tokio1 in the ,garden of ,ten ,thousand ,joys1 where the hero is nearly poisoned2 the fifth1 ',frisco1 in 8,one-eyed ,jack's0 saloon1 with a capital ,duo ,mexicain for ,mr4 ,fred ,farren and pretty ,miss ,unity ,more2 the sixth and last scene being laid in the foyer of the ,empire ,theatre4 ,the production was a sort of cinema-ballet in the variety of its scenes and the excitement of its story1 and gave scope for a number of attractive and characteristic dances from ,mlle4 ,kyasht1 ,mr4 ,fred ,farren and ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells4 ,it proved so popular that it ran on into #aiaj1 when1 on ,march #bast of that year1 it went into a second edition called 8,east and ,west40 ,mlle4 ,kyasht and ,m4 ,adolf ,bolm1 who1 early in ,may1 #aiaj1 appeared in a 8,fantaisie ,chorgraphique10 a series of charming dance-idylls1 produced by ,m4 ,bolm1 are remarkable for that high-voltage dancing1 that volcanic energy and rapidity yet grace of movement1 characteristic of the ,russian school1 some notable exponents of which were appearing just about the same time elsewhere4 ,the chief dance of the suite at the ,empire was one in which ,mlle4 ,kyasht appeared as a beautiful ,princess1 and ,m4 ,bolm as her enamoured slave--,mlle4 ,kyasht all charm and poetic ecstasy1 ,m4 ,bolm all fiery energy and terpsichorean miracles1 now whirling madly as the wildest of ,dervishes1 now suddenly stopping1 poised and posed like some perfect example of classic statuary4 ,the dancers received excellent support from ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells and ,mr4 ,bert ,ford2 the mounting and costumes were novel and admirably designed2 and the production generally was voted a great success4 ,in the following ,july came a delightful ballet-divertissement1 8,the ,dancing ,master10 by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 adapted from the first scene of his earlier success1 8,the ,dbutante10 the period chosen--that of #ahce--;affording a delightful opportunity for a quaint and picturesque ensemble of 8early-,victorian0 or slightly pre-,victorian character and costume4 ,mr4 ,fred ,farren repeated his excellent character-study of ,m4 ,pirouette1 the excitable matre de ballet at the ,opera-,house2 ,mlle4 ,kyasht made a handsome impersonation of ,mimi the dbutante2 and ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells added to her laurels as ,mlle4 ,lutine1 the clever head pupil4 ,on ,august #hth of the same year ,miss ,bedells took up ,mlle4 ,kyasht's part of ,mimi during the latter's absence on a holiday1 and made a great hit as a bewitching representative of the dbutante4 ,on ,october #ajth following ,mlle4 ,kyasht and ,mr4 ,fred ,farren appeared in another of ,miss ,dora ,bright's ideal little fantasies1 8,the ,faun10 in which the former played ,ginestra1 a little flower-girl1 and the latter appeared in the title-rle as a marble faun who comes to life when sprinkled with water from a magic fountain4 ,the production1 designed and supervised by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 was enchanting in its blending of legend and mystery1 with a sunny naturalism in presentation4 ,it was a charming idyll1 and provided an excellent opportunity for clever acting by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren1 who fully realised the classic and poetic idea in his representation of the ,faun1 while ,mlle4 ,kyasht quite surpassed her former work in her appealing and dramatic impersonation of the bewitched ,ginestra4 ,a considerable contrast to the classic grace of this ,tuscan idyll was seen in the following month when 8,ship ,ahoy60 a nautical one-scene divertissement by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 with music by ,mr4 ,cuthbert ,clarke1 was staged by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren1 who also arranged the dances4 ,it was a lively and attractive production1 with plenty of fun and a dash of melodrama1 the fun being contributed mainly by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren as a dandy young officer on leave1 and for all his 8dudism0 wide-awake enough to frustrate the horrid machinations of a treacherous ,ayah 7originally and admirably played by ,miss ,beatrice ,collier and later by ,miss ,carlotta ,mossetti7 and her accomplice4 ,the young officer's lighter moments were happily given up to entertaining the ,anglo-,indian passengers on ,h4,m4,s4 ,empire with step-dancing1 the nimbleness and neatness of which only ,mr4 ,farren can excel4 ,bright and charming dances were also contributed by ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells and ,miss ,unity ,more1 while ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht distinguished herself as ,lontine ,l',etoile1 a ,french danseuse2 and a special word of commendation is due to the freshness of invention and novelty of effect achieved by the designer in dealing with the somewhat hackneyed stage subject of life aboard ship4 ,the final ensemble1 when the lady passengers improvised fancy ball costumes from the ship's flag-lockers and danced beneath the soft glow of the swinging lanterns was a particularly novel1 pretty and inspiriting picture4 ,once more we had a classic ballet when1 on ,may #ahth1 #aiaa1 ,delibes' 8,sylvia10 which1 originally in five tableaux1 was compressed by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm into one for production at the ,empire4 ,with its poetic mythological story and charming sylvan setting1 8,sylvia0--first produced at the ,paris ,opera on ,june #adth1 #ahgf--;has always been popular on the ,continent2 and it is curious that ,london should have had to wait some twenty-five years before again seeing a ballet1 selections from which had long been familiar as entr'acte-music for theatre orchestras4 ,still1 it was worth waiting to see it so admirably staged4 ,another contrast followed in the extremely modern and somewhat formless production1 8,new ,york10 an original ballet in two scenes1 by ,lieut4-,col4 ,newnham-,davis1 in which seemingly every form of ,american eccentricity in dancing--including the 8,yankee ,tangle60--was introduced4 ,there was a dance of ,bowery boys and girls2 a 8,temptation ,rag10 by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren2 a ,buck ,dance1 an 8,octette ,eccentric02 a 8,bill-poster's ,dance02 the aforesaid 8,yankee ,tangle10 and other not particularly beautiful or edifying examples1 though the staging of the 8,roof ,garden0 scene gave one a very agreeable scheme of warm crimson and rosy colour1 and a picturesquely conceived and dressed episode of ,pilgrim ,fathers and ,red ,indians4 ,early in the next year1 a brief but graceful 8,dance ,episode0 was staged1 8,the ,water ,nymph10 arranged by ,mlle4 ,kyasht1 who followed on ,september #bdth with another1 entitled 8,first ,love10 in which she was supported by ,mons4 ,alexander ,volinin4 ,this was followed on ,february #aath1 #aiac1 by another fanciful ballet-idyll1 8,the ,reaper's ,dream10 in which ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht appeared as the 8,spirit of the ,wheatsheaf10 seen and pursued in his dream by the reaper 7,miss ,f4 ,martell72 while ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells made a dazzling personage as 8,sun-,ray10 flitting in and out the autumn cornfield1 which formed the setting for some very pretty dances by the three ladies and the ,empire corps de ballet4 ,one of the most artistic productions at the ,empire in quite recent years was certainly the choral ballet1 in three tableaux3 8,titania10 which1 adapted of course from ,shakespeare's 8,midsummer ,night's ,dream10 was arranged and produced by ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht and by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 the latter of whom was1 as usual1 entirely responsible for the pictorial side of the ballet4 ,it is interesting to note that this was not the first time a ,shakespeare play had been so treated4 ,no less a person than the great ,dryden had adapted 8,the ,tempest0 at a time1 shortly before the ,great ,fire of ,london1 when ,sir ,william ,davenant was producing 8dramatic operas0 at a theatre designed by ,wren1 the ,duke's ,theatre in ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields1 which he held under a patent granted in #affb by ,charles ,,ii4 ,these1 as an earlier historian records1 were 8all set off with the most expensive decorations of scenes and habits1 with the best voices and dancers40 ,illustration3 ,dover ,st4 ,studios ,mme4 ,lydia ,kyasht ,illustration3 ,hugh ,cecil ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells ,then1 too1 it was but a return to early history to give us vocal-ballet1 for all the earliest ballets on the ,french stage were always described as 8opera-ballets10 long declamatory and choral scenes being interspersed with dances4 ,lulli1 ,rameau1 ,mouret1 ,campra and ,monteverde were among the composers of such ballets1 many of which1 musically at least1 seem wonderfully fresh to-day4 ,this1 however1 is but a digression4 8,titania0 at the ,empire was a very graceful and poetic production1 quite fairy-like enough1 one feels1 to have delighted even ,shakespeare himself1 with ,mlle4 ,lydia ,kyasht as a truly regal-looking ,titania1 ,mr4 ,leonid ,joukoff as a dignified ,oberon1 ,miss ,unity ,more as a nimble ,puck 7a part later played by ,miss ,ivy ,st4 ,helier71 and ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells as an enchanting 8first fairy10 ,philomel4 ,on ,mlle4 ,kyasht's departure for ,america the part of ,titania was taken up by ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells1 who added yet another to her growing list of artistic successes4 ,the ballet1 which was beautifully staged1 gave us some enchanting pictures1 one of which1 the apotheosis of the ,fairy ,realm seen through a tangled hawthorn brake1 lingers hauntingly in one's memory4 ,a new edition of 8,the ,dancing ,master0 was subsequently staged and was notable for some brilliant dancing by ,miss ,phyllis ,bedells1 and by ,mr4 ,edouard ,espinosa in the title-rle1 by whom it was produced4 ,mr4 ,espinosa1 by the way1 forms an interesting link with the historic past4 ,as the son of ,mons4 ,leon ,espinosa 7#ahbe-aijc71 an ,officier ,d',acadmie1 ,mr4 ,edouard is heir of a great tradition1 and sustains the heritage most worthily4 ,his father was a pupil of seven of the great masters of the early nineteenth1 namely1 ,coulon 7#ahbj71 ,henri 7#ahba71 ,albert 7#ahbi71 ,perrot 7#ahca71 ,coralli 7#ahca71 ,taglioni 7#ahcd71 and ,petipa 7#ahci71 to most of whom reference has already been made1 and who were themselves1 variously1 pupils of the previous generation--which included ,vestris1 ,noverre1 ,gardel1 and ,dauberval--who1 in turn1 were tutored by ,pcourt and ,beauchamps in the reign of ,louis-,quatorze4 ,mr4 ,edouard ,espinosa himself is a fine dancer and teacher of the classic and traditional school1 and is also one of the best informed on the history of the dance4 8,europe10 a topical and patriotic divertissement1 invented1 designed and produced by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm 7who1 despite his nom de thtre1 has an ,english name and is essentially ,english born and bred71 achieved1 on its first performance on ,september #gth1 #aiad1 an instant success4 ,it was worthy of the best traditions of the ,empire ,theatre4 ,the choice of such a theme as the condition of ,europe1 just before and during the greatest war in history1 might have been called into question on the score of taste1 and in the hands of any but a fine artist might have easily been trivialised4 ,the subject was treated with marked dramatic ability and poetic dignity1 and the production1 passing from the comparative lightness of the first scene1 into the more serious note of the second1 attained to a high level of art in the patriotic symbolism of the third1 and offered a tableau worthy the brush of any ,english painter of historical subjects4 ,since then we have seen 8,the ,vine10 an ,arcadian dance-idyll1 invented1 designed and supervised by ,mr4 ,c4 ,wilhelm1 while it was produced1 and the dances were arranged1 by ,mr4 ,fred ,farren4 ,it was superbly staged and proved one of the most original1 picturesque and dramatic productions ever seen at the ,empire4 ,miss ,phyllis ,bedell's impersonation of the ,spirit of the ,vine seemed to have in it something of ,dionysiac fire and revealed her not only as an exquisite dancer1 but a sensitive and temperamental actress4 ,miss ,carlotta ,mossetti1 another singularly expressive and sympathetic mime1 exhibited a sense of classic inspiration in her study of the young ,shepherd tempted by the ,vine-,spirit2 excellent work also being done by ,miss ,connie ,walter as the ,shepherd's unhappy wife1 and 8,little ,june10 a lithe and clever little dancer1 as the ,spirit of the ,mountain ,stream4 ,the scenery1 painted by ,mr4 ,r4 ,c4 ,mc,cleery2 the costumes1 executed by ,miss ,hastings1 were well in keeping with the poetic character of the story1 and the entire stage effect achieved formed an exquisite setting for the dancer-mimes who were to interpret the dramatic little idyll4 ,so runs1 in brief1 the chronicle of ballet at the ,empire1 one which1 if it is somewhat attenuated in later years by the increasing emphasis of that somewhat casual type of entertainment1 the 8,revue10 is nevertheless quite remarkable when one remembers that of the sixty or more ballets produced at the famous house in twenty-seven years all were commercially as well as artistically successful1 and that the theatre has not received ,state-aid1 as have the continental opera-houses where ,ballet has been a staple attraction4 ,thoughtless folk1 who know little or nothing of the hard1 unremitting toil which goes to make a dancer1 or of the artistic training1 thought and feeling which go to make a designer or producer of ballet1 often speak lightly and slightingly of a type of theatrical production in which are blended colour1 form1 movement and music into a balanced harmony of varied arts under the term the art of ,ballet4 ,they rank it1 usually1 somewhere lower than ,drama or ,opera4 ,but the placing of a colour in a colour scheme requires quite as delicate a taste as the placing of a word in a sentence1 or a chord in a phrase of music2 the introduction of a dancer or a group needs just as critical a care as the introduction of a character in a play or opera2 and the telling of the story1 albeit mutely mimed1 may be just as dramatic in effect as in any verbal drama4 ,the art of ,ballet is a complex and beautiful art1 at its best a very beautiful2 and those who are prone to dismiss it lightly as a thing that more or less occurs of itself1 and is of slight account as a vehicle for the deliberate expression of beauty1 should rather feel proud to think that at the ,empire in ,london we have seen1 in the course of a quarter of a century1 ,ballet of such artistic value as to place it among the few real art influences of nineteenth and early twentieth-century ,london4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,finale3 ,,the ,,russians ,,and--,,the ,,future ,it is curious to recall the fact that a taste for dancing has always been a characteristic of the ,londoners1 who have supported really artistic ballet as often as they have had an opportunity4 ,the ,elizabethan masques2 the ballet dancers imported by ,rich in the reign of ,anne2 and by ,garrick1 later2 by ,lumley at ,her ,majesty's in the 'forties2 the native productions of ,ballet at the ,empire and ,alhambra for over a quarter of a century2 and1 since1 the importation of ,russian ballet1 first at various 8vaudeville0 theatres and then at ,covent ,garden and at ,drury ,lane1 have all met with enthusiastic support1 and the support has been as catholic as it has been cordial4 ,dancers1 of various schools1 whether of the traditional ballet 8school10 or otherwise1 have quickly found their way into popular favour4 ,looking back over theatrical memories of the past twenty years or so1 dance lovers will recall with pleasure seeing at the ,palace ,theatre that statuesque and extremely graceful dancer1 ,miss ,mimi ,st4 ,cyr1 in a delightful little miniature ballet1 8,la ,baigneuse10 a dance-scena invented by ,mr4 ,george ,r4 ,sims1 in which she lured to life the fountain-statue of a piping faun4 ,some will recall also a dancer of very different school1 ,miss ,lottie ,collins1 whose 8,tarrara-boom-de-ay0 was a sensation in its way4 ,then1 too1 who that saw her could ever forget that electric dancer hailing from ,australia1 ,mlle4 ,saharet1 who entered as on the wings of a whirlwind and1 seeming all compact of 8,passion and power and pride incarnate in laughter10 held us all spellbound and breathless with sympathetic joy in her abounding vitality1 stimulating and tonic as champagne4 ,in more recent times the sensational success of ,miss ,maud ,allan--who presented us with the somewhat mystical definition of dancing as 8the spontaneous expression of a spiritual state02 and1 subsequently1 of ,mme4 ,pavlova and ,m4 ,mordkin2 is too recent to need recalling1 and too evident to call for specific praise from me when so many and abler pens have already exhausted their ink in regretting they could not write in fire4 ,admirers1 particularly feminine devotees1 flocked in hundreds to see ,miss ,maud ,allan dance in a manner which many doubtless thought wholly new to ,london1 though some might have recalled that it was somewhat of the same school--though temperamentally very different--as that of ,miss ,isadora ,duncan1 who had given us dances of a rather similar order some ten years before1 and that they were akin to the mimetic dances of ancient days4 ,miss ,allan achieved a remarkable flexibility of movement that was seen to advantage in her dances to the music of ,chopin and other classic masters4 ,her interpretation of the 8,spring ,song0 of ,mendelssohn was not wholly new to those who had seen ,miss ,isadora ,duncan's exposition of the same music some ten years before4 ,her 8,salome10 a melodrama in dancing1 created a sensation1 though somewhat morbid in effect1 and hardly of the same artistic interest as some of her other achievements4 ,of her popularity there was no doubt1 and a photograph of one of the queues which awaited any one of her performances1 especially the matines1 would--if one exist--always be valuable to future historians of our time as a mute but eloquent record4 ,mme4 ,pavlova1 who also first appeared at the ,palace ,theatre1 is an extremely accomplished danseuse who probably has not troubled1 and certainly has not needed to trouble herself1 about definitions of the dance1 for she belongs to a 8school10 the basis of which was defined a century or more ago1 and she herself is one of its most recent and perfect blossomings4 ,mons4 ,mordkin1 nurtured by the same school1 is superb1 and it was no wonder that the first appearance of these two artistes in their wonderful pas de deux1 8,l',automne ,bacchanale10 should have fired some of our finest dramatic critics to expressions of almost frenzied admiration and doubtless driven shoals of lesser men to the neighbourhood of ,hanwell in despair at the impossibility of finding suitable adjectives for the new wonder that had come amongst us4 ,one can only deplore the fact that the harmony which made possible the pas de deux of the first season should have been1 even temporarily1 broken1 and permitted us only to enjoy the work of both dancers subsequently in pas seuls1 or in pas de deux--with other partners4 ,one could hardly close a reference to the popular ,palace--a reference necessarily brief1 as must be any concerning the various 8vaudeville0 houses in a review covering so wide a field--without a passing word of grateful praise to that bevy of bright young dancers1 the 8,palace ,girls40 ,as people of catholic enough taste to enjoy all dancing that is good in itself--from the vigorous cellar-flap of the street urchin to the aerial pas of a ,pavlova--we may agree that1 in a sense1 the ,palace has been all the more attractive for the 8,palace ,girls40 ,somehow the modern comedic spirit appears to express itself best in short skirts1 shapely legs and a jolly smile2 and in their insouciante charm1 their neatness1 agility1 precision and enfantine gaiety1 the 8,palace ,girls0 always seemed to focalise the requirements of 8vaudeville10 and symbolise the attractions of music-hall modernity4 ,then1 at the ,london ,hippodrome1 in many a ,christmas entertainment1 ingeniously arranged and gorgeously staged1 half pantomime1 half ballet1 we have seen regular feasts of dancing and always with enjoyment4 ,but apart from the spectacular productions for which the ,hippodrome early became famous1 many a delightful solo dancer and dance-scena have been viewed there4 ,to have seen those exquisitely dainty artists1 the ,wiesenthal ,sisters1 is to have ineffaceable memories of a stage-art that seems strangely enough to link up the classic simplicity of ancient ,greece with the ,watteauesque artifice of the eighteenth century1 and yet again the clear-seeing artistry1 the supreme and joyous colour-sense of latter day decorative art4 ,the tone and hue of their chosen background1 the simple yet daring colour-scheme of their dress1 the thoughtful1 almost dreamy1 grace of their every pose and movement1 the purely picture-like effect of their whole performance1 summed up the modern spirit in art that is striving--perhaps as yet half-consciously--for a revolt from old methods and stereotyped traditions and for something simpler1 clearer1 more direct and1 be it said1 more beautiful and vital than we have yet had2 the art1 in fact1 of the men to come rather than the men who have been1 albeit it has drawn inspiration from the eternal past4 ,the ,wiesenthal ,sisters were not mere 8performers02 they were poems4 ,elsewhere1 at various houses1 what other dancers have we seen of individual distinction8 ,long remembered must be the sensation caused by ,miss ,loie ,fuller on her first appearance in ,london some years ago1 as the introducer of a curious form of dance in which the stage effects she achieved were the paramount attraction4 ,and what effects they were--kaleidoscopic1 magic1 wonderful6 ,just a woman1 with a brain and shapely form1 a mass of filmy draperies floated here and there1 on which were shed the splendour of changing coloured lights1 so that she seemed now some wondrous butterfly1 now like a mass of cloud suffused with the gold of dawn1 now like a fountain of living flame6 ,yes1 ,loie ,fuller should have been an artist6 ,should have8 ,is an artist1 who has not painted pictures but has lived them4 ,then there was ,miss ,ruth ,st4 ,denis at the ,scala--a vision of all the poetry and the mystery of the ,east4 ,ruth ,st4 ,denis in an ,indian market-place representing a snake-dance1 making cobras of her flexible arms and hands6 ,ruth ,st4 ,denis as a ,buddhist acolyte in the jungle6 ,ruth ,st4 ,denis in a 8,dance of the ,senses10 so significantly poetic and full of strange allure4 ,always the glamour of the ,east1 but without its menace and without its vice2 the ,east exalted and austere4 ,moreau himself might have envied her those dreams of form and colour she made manifest1 and all who saw her surely must have realised that ,ruth ,st4 ,denis danced her lovely pictures as an artist born4 ,yet another artist of marked individuality and intellectual distinction1 ,miss ,isadora ,duncan1 was really the first to appear in ,london who showed any marked ability to break away from the traditional schools of ballet and step-dancing1 and1 casting back to the days of ancient ,greece1 began deliberately to use posture and movement as a means of expressing poetic ideas4 ,i first saw her at her ,london dbut1 when she appeared in a performance of 8,a ,midsummer ,night's ,dream10 one of a series of ,shakespearian revivals which ,mr4 ,f4 ,r4 ,benson was giving--on ,february #bbnd1 #aijj--;at the old ,lyceum4 ,she had but lately arrived from ,america1 and was fired with an enthusiasm for the graceful dance of classic days1 an enthusiasm which found ample expression in her dance as a wood-nymph in a ,shakespearian production which ,i still remember as one of the most beautiful ,i have seen4 ,shortly after ,miss ,duncan gave a special matine at the old ,st4 ,george's ,hall entitled1 8,the ,happier ,age of ,gold10 at which idylls of ,theocritus1 poems by ,swinburne and other poets of classic inspiration1 were recited to music and were either accompanied or followed by an appropriate dance designed and performed by ,miss ,duncan1 who also set herself the task of interpreting well-known musical morceaux by means of a dance4 ,one of the items on her programme was ,mendelssohn's 8,spring ,song10 which received a thoroughly graceful and sympathetic interpretation4 ,miss ,duncan has1 of course1 appeared in ,london frequently since then1 and all dance-lovers will remember the extraordinary charm of the series of matines which she gave at the ,duke of ,york's ,theatre at which she introduced a number of child pupils4 ,there has never been anything meretricious or pretentious about the work of ,miss ,isadora ,duncan4 ,it has always been marked by a sense of deep-rooted culture1 classic dignity and poetic charm1 and to her1 certainly1 so far as ,london is concerned1 belongs the credit of having first introduced a form of dancing which has only too often since been parodied under the term of 8classic dancing02 and even as she was the first1 so1 in my humble judgment1 she is the best and truest exponent of a school which is justified by the beauty of its results1 and which is having1 and is likely yet to have1 far-reaching influence4 ,illustration3 ,dover ,st4 ,studios ,miss ,isadora ,duncan ,then again1 the ,coliseum1 young as it is1 has already created dance traditions for itself1 and of the best sort4 ,was it not there first of all that we were enchanted with the ,russian ballet8 ,they were not the first ,russian dancers seen in ,london1 for ,mlle4 ,kyasht and ,mme4 ,pavlova had preceded them2 but they were the first collective example of ,russian ballet from the ,moscow and ,petrograd ,opera-,houses1 and it was here we first saw ,mme4 ,karsavina1 one of the most supremely finished and lgante dancers it has been ,london's good fortune to see4 ,what lightness1 what purity and dignity of style1 what perfect execution and perfect ease1 and what poetic charm6 ,her variation in the 8,sylphide0 was a revelation of classic art of the ,taglioni school1 and howsoever some may prefer one 8school0 to another there must always be much to be said for a training which assists the evolution of such artists1 for at least it is a sure training with sure and gracious results4 ,there is something in tradition when all it said and done1 and one has to remember that while even an iconoclastic 8,futurist0 cannot help creating tradition in attempting to do away with it1 and while pure ballet-dancing may not be the one and only kind which can give delight1 it must command the respect that is due to any art which respects its own traditions1 and can produce such dancers as ,mme4 ,karsavina and those who were first associated with her at the ,coliseum4 ,more recently1 we were to see at the same house1 8,sumurun60 ,it was strange indeed to think that a ,london audience could be held by some seven scenes of a play in which not a word was spoken2 it was a tour de force of the art of miming1 but then also it was a revelation of the art of stage effect4 ,the decorative scheme1 with its simple lines and ample space1 was unlike anything that we had had before--unless perhaps in the nobler art of ,mr4 ,gordon ,craig--and the colour schemes1 mostly of a curiously dry1 cool note1 were a pleasant change from the traditional attempts at a stage realism that is only too often too unreal4 ,since then too there was1 of course1 the appearance of that dainty ,dresden-china dancer1 ,mme4 ,karina in a graceful little dance-scena1 8,the ,colour of ,life10 the expressive music of which was by ,miss ,dora ,bright4 ,mme4 ,karina1 another dancer who hails from ,denmark1 won instant appreciation for the beauty of her work1 and is indeed notable for her precision1 grace and distinction4 ,yet again has ,mlle4 ,adeline ,gne made welcome reappearances at the ,coliseum1 especially in 8,la ,danse0--first produced1 ,i believe1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 ,new ,york--which formed a series of representations of the dances and dancers of the historic past--forming practically a collection of little cameos of the dance1 having a distinct educational value and presenting a veritable re-creation of all the great stars of ,ballet in the past1 from ,prvt to ,taglioni2 in all of which the world-famous dancer exhibited the same high qualities of artistry that she had ever done4 ,but among the many dance productions seen at this handsome house probably the two most satisfactory judged as ballet were the production of ,mr4 ,wilhelm's 8,camargo10 with ,mlle4 ,gne in the title-rle2 and ,m4 ,kosloff's production of 8,scheherazade10 the two forming an outstanding contrast in one's memory4 ,the former1 with the quiet dignity1 soft light and sumptuous stage embellishments of furniture and dcors1 and the dream-like quality assumed by the characters in this rich and harmonious setting4 ,one found in it something of that visionary quality which gave the peculiar charm to the 8,versailles0 production which ,i spoke of in referring to the ,empire4 ,the music and the acting were so expressive that one did not miss the words1 and yet half-consciously one knew they were not there just because of the dream-like atmosphere which the music itself so helped to create4 ,the royal grace and dignity of ,louis-,quinze1 the butterfly vivacity of ,camargo herself1 and the more vital and quieter actions of her young soldier friend for whose misdeeds she pleads for pardon from the ,king1 were all but dream figures in a dream1 and it was as if the veil of the past had been suddenly drawn aside and one had a glimpse of a century seen through the half light of early dawn4 ,once more ,mlle4 ,gne excelled herself in doing apparently impossible things with consummate ease1 and once more one was glad to welcome the sensitive1 expressive and scholarly work of so accomplished a musician as ,miss ,dora ,bright4 ,there was nothing of the cool and dream-like quality1 however1 about ,mons4 ,kosloff's 8,scheherazade40 ,exotic1 bizarre1 palpitant with warmth and colour1 the production stormed the imagination with its extravagance of hue and tone1 even as the tangled rhythms and seductive melodies of the music captured the hearing and through it subdued the mind to a sort of dazzled wonder4 ,it was a stupendous achievement1 the more so in that it was brief4 ,at various times and at various places we have seen in ,london during the past ten years or so every form of dance and ballet it would seem could possibly exist4 8,sand0 dances2 8,buck0 dances2 8,hypnotic0 dances2 8,salome0 dances2 8,vampire0 dances2 8,apache10 8,classic10 8,viennese10 ,turkish1 ,egyptian1 ,russian1 8,inspirational0 dancers1 and even ,english ballet-dancers in an all-,british ballet once at the handsome ,palladium2 and also at the ,court and ,savoy1 where ,stedman staged some delightful ballets performed1 under the direction of ,miss ,lilian ,leoffeler and ,mr4 ,marshall ,moore1 by ,english dancers4 ,not only at the regular vaudeville houses and theatres1 however1 is to be found genuine appreciation of the ,british dance and dancer4 ,elsewhere an ,english school of dance has been founded1 and that in a form for which the ,english nation was famous in ,shakespeare's time4 ,henley made his plea for 8,gigues1 ,gavottes and ,minuets10 but there are many other lovely1 or lovelier1 examples of old-world dance to old-world music1 which scholarship has revived and good taste has been eagerly accepting wherever they were seen--,pavane1 ,chaconne1 ,coranto1 ,galliard1 ,bourre1 ,rigaudon1 ,passepied1 and ,sarabande4 ,these1 and other ancient dances1 were1 as we know1 the delight of the ,courts of ,queen ,elizabeth1 of ,charles ,,ii1 of ,anne1 of ,louis-,quatorze--le ,grand ,monarque1 of ,louis-,seize and ,marie ,antoinette4 ,many have been revived and performed to the music of the harpsichord1 violin1 viola1 viole-d'amour1 and 'cello2 and the curious thing--or1 rather1 interesting thing1 for it really is not strange--is that both to scholars and to those unlearned in their history1 to cultured townsman or woman1 and to country lad and lass1 to bored frequenters of the ,west ,end drawing-room1 and to those who find only in their dreams relief from the sordidness of an ,east ,end environment1 this old-world dance and music make an instant appeal4 ,i saw this put to the test once when1 at a hall in the somewhat dingy neighbourhood of ,bethnal ,green1 a performance of the 8,ancient ,music and ,dances10 arranged by ,miss ,nellie ,chaplin1 was received by an audience of ,east ,end work-people with such whole-hearted enthusiasm that practically every item in a programme often performed in ,west ,end drawing-rooms and at ,queen's and ,albert ,halls1 as well as at ,liverpool and ,manchester1 ,guildford1 ,oxford and elsewhere1 was encored1 and several were doubly and trebly so4 ,a ,galliard of the seventeenth century1 an ,allemande by an ,english composer1 ,robert ,johnson 7#aedj-afbf71 ,handel's ,oboe ,concerto 7#agcd71 a ,sarabande by ,destouches 7#afgb71 8,lady ,elizabeth ,spencer's ,minuet0 performed at ,blenheim in #aghh--;all these and other historically interesting items were encored by the audience1 not because of their historic interest1 but simply because of their joyousness and charm2 while a bourre by ,mouret 7#agdb71 and the fascinating ,old ,english dance1 8,once ,i loved a maiden fair0 7one of a group including 8,althea10 8,lord of ,carnarvon's ,jig10 and ,stanes' ,morris-dance7 had to be given three times4 ,this was all complimentary1 of course1 to the beautiful way in which the dances and music were performed2 but it was an interesting revelation of the eternal appeal to humanity1 whatsoever the degree of caste or wealth1 of the really good thing in art1 and certainly the centuries are bridged with ease by the charm and joyousness of these old-time dances to their appropriate music1 seen and heard more recently and to such advantage amid congenial environment in 8,shakespeare's ,england0 at ,earl's ,court4 ,veritably we seem to have seen every known form of dance and type of dancer in ,london during the past twenty years or so1 and latterly we have had at the ,royal ,opera-,house1 and1 since1 at ,drury ,lane1 such a festival of ballet as has not been seen in ,england since the 'forties of last century1 for here we have seen a galaxy of dancers from the two great opera-houses of ,russia1 that of the ,mariensky at ,petrograd1 and that of the great theatre in ,moscow1 where the traditional training for ballet has been kept up and infused with a new artistic spirit such as is hardly to be found in any other continental opera-house4 ,early in last century ,carlo ,blasis brought the ,milan school to perfection1 and thence went teachers to ,paris1 ,vienna1 ,dresden1 ,moscow1 ,petrograd1 wherever they went carrying something of the artistic spirit and culture of their master1 one of the most versatile matres de ballet there has ever been1 for there seems to have been scarcely an art of which he did not know something1 and of which he could not say something worth hearing4 ,but since those days probably nowhere quite as in ,russia has the ballet moved with the times and been so imbued with the new artistic spirit which has been at work within the past generation4 ,painter1 musician1 poet1 dramatist1 and matre de ballet1 are called upon to produce the homogeneous and individual spectacle which we call the ,russian ballet4 ,one has to recall but a few examples from the ,russian rpertoire to note with what serious artistic purpose the art of ,ballet is studied by the representatives of the best school4 ,glazounov's 8,cleopatra10 a 8mimodrame0 in one act2 8,les ,sylphides10 a rverie romantique1 the music by ,chopin2 ,schumann's exquisitely whimsical 8,le ,carnaval10 made into a pantomime-ballet in one act2 8,le ,dieu ,bleu10 by that curiously interesting and rveur composer ,reynaldo ,hahn4 ,these are among the productions which1 ranging over classic1 poetic and romantic subjects1 would veritably have appealed to such artists of the ,ballet as ,rameau1 ,noverre1 ,gardel and ,blasis1 not to mention other matres of more recent times4 ,and what dancers to interpret them6 ,m4 ,nijinsky1 perhaps the best male dancer of our time1 so good that one's usual objection to the male dancer melted into admiration3 ,mme4 ,karsavina1 ,mlles4 ,sophie ,fedorova and ,ludmilla ,schollar were among the danseuses who had been seen in ,london previously1 and were each in their degree remarkable not only as dancers but as brilliant mimes4 ,there was not one among the extensive and interesting cast who was not of ,russia's best1 the best that is that can come from the school where the traditional art of ,ballet is understood not to be the result of a mere few lessons in 8dancing10 but the result of a study also of all that is best in the traditions of art and music and literature1 from all of which the art of ,ballet draws its inspiration4 ,yet again1 one must pay tribute to the ,russian artists on their masterly sense of stage effect1 and for that supreme sense of what the ballet should be1 namely1 a harmony of the arts4 ,one has but to contrast three such productions as 8,les ,sylphides10 8,cleopatra10 and ,schumann's 8,carnaval10 to see a revelation of stage artistry which put to shame the conventionality which1 save in rare instances--and in ,english ballet--had characterised the ,london stage so long4 ,in 8,les ,sylphides0 we had the very essence of that spirit of romanticism in which cultured ,europe was revelling during the 'twenties and the 'thirties of last century1 a spirit which found expression in depicting the wildness and grandeur of mountain scenery1 in the cloud-like fantasies of ,shelley1 in the poignant intensity of ,byronic passion1 and the romantic glamour of ,spanish and ,german legend4 ,in 8,cleopatra0 we had a glimpse of the pride and passion of an imperious ,queen1 ruling over a nation whose own passions were but subdued by tyranny1 in a land where earth itself seemed satiated with the fructifying influence of water and a burning sun4 ,from the first moment to the last the stage was in a glow1 and a red thread of tragedy deepened to a climax of despair4 ,what a change to turn from such a production to the whimsies1 romance and fantasy of such a thing as ,schumann's 8,carnaval60 ,here was the obverse of the romanticism of 8,les ,sylphides02 the undercurrent of mockery and poetic cynicism so characteristic of ,schumann's own music in its lighter moods1 characteristic of ,heine and of de ,musset4 ,here again one found a masterly idea in the audacious simplicity of the stage setting4 ,to see the great stage of ,covent ,garden decorated with long curtains and two sofas of the truly early-,victorian pattern--stiff1 prim1 unyielding1 and covered with striped repp--was a thing to take one's breath away1 until1 as the music began1 little figure after little figure slipped1 like figures in a dream1 between the curtains3 ,pierrot1 ,pierrette1 ,harlequin--little men and women of the 'thirties mingling with these eternal characters of drama1 to make a series of pictures of wooings and repulses1 of meetings and partings1 of provocations and denials1 revealing the comedy of life1 seen as it were in a glass 8not darkly10 but as a dream far off and mistily2 eminently unreal2 yet1 in some other world far1 far away1 in some mysterious land of dreams1 one felt such things perchance might be4 8,le ,sacre du ,printemps0 was an ambitious attempt at primitivism--if one may use the word--but while disliking its suggestion of megalomania and the formlessness of its decoration1 one could not but admire so audacious an endeavour to break wholly with tradition2 and it was redeemed by the virility and fantastic1 mocking humour and scenic splendour of ,rimsky-,korsakov and ,michel ,fokine's 8,le ,coq d',or10 and still more by the beauty of ,leon ,bakst and ,tcherepinin's 8,narcisse10 and the poetic charm of 8,le ,spectre de la ,rose40 ,these1 however1 are but brief impressions of recent pleasures1 shared by many others who may have been differently impressed4 ,we have had many books and articles on the ,russian ballet--some perhaps a little over-enthusiastic--and it is not my purpose to deal extensively with history so recent that most readers can as readily give account thereof4 ,when all is said1 the significant fact remaining is--that at this end of the history of an art some two thousand years old we find most recently in popular favour not ,english ballet as it was in the sixteenth-century days of the essentially ,english ,masque2 not ,french as it was in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries2 not ,italian1 as it was in the 'forties of last century2 nor ,english as we have seen it1 at its best1 at the ,empire and ,alhambra in the past quarter of a century2 but the ,russian ballet6 the balance of the arts2 which the ,russians have only been able to do by sheer technical efficiency--quite apart from ideas or ideals expressed--in all the arts of which ballet is composed1 and which has enabled them to do exactly that which they have set out to do4 ,that1 perhaps1 is the one thing that ,russian ballet has shown us1 which is of the greatest value and significance for any lovers of the art in any capital of the world4 ,illustration3 ,e4 ,o4 ,hopp ,mme4 ,karsavina and ,m4 ,adolf ,bolm in 8,l',oiseau de ,feu0 ,one may ask1 however1 what is the position of ,england in regard not only to ballet1 but to the other arts8 ,we have ,state1 and ,county ,council ,art and ,craft schools2 we have the ,royal ,academy of ,music1 the ,royal ,college1 the ,guildhall ,school1 and numerous private schools and 8academies0 where music and the dramatic arts are taught2 all admirable as far as they go4 ,we have1 as yet1 no ,state-aided theatre and no ,state-aided opera-house1 to which1 as on the ,continent1 an academy for the study of the dance and ballet is attached4 ,is it not strange that the richest city in the world should be deficient in these things8 ,it may be that there is greater vitality in the arts when they are pursued only under the conditions of competitive1 private enterprise2 but it is curious that in practically every other country the dramatic arts have been fostered by the ,state1 and that we in this country seem ever to show a greater welcome to foreign singers and dancers than we do to our own4 ,there is1 of course1 always a great danger that an institution1 secure in the support it receives from the ,state1 may become conventional2 the spirit of its art may grow arid and unprofitable1 but at least it ensures a standard of technical efficiency1 and1 if there be a vital spirit in the nation1 that spirit will show itself in the work of such an institution4 ,russia has proved all this4 ,given a ,national ,opera-,house1 to which were attached a ,royal ,academy of ,dancing1 what might the future of ,ballet be in this country8 ,the answer depends mainly1 one feels1 on the extent of the possibilities to which the art of ,ballet could be realised by those who lead in the artistic expression of the national spirit4 ,the poet1 the artist1 the musician1 the ,master of ,dance1 and the dancers--men and women--realising the possibilities of the composite art of ,ballet1 might foreshadow possibilities greater than any we have seen4 ,yet greater possibilities might be foreshadowed of one who was all these things2 and could combine 7as ,mr4 ,gordon ,craig would have the master of the ,art of the ,theatre combine7 all the arts of the theatre4 ,it would seem that now and then1 through lack of technical efficiency in one or other of the arts which go to the making of ballet1 that ballet itself has not always attained its highest possible level in ,england4 ,but without that basic technical efficiency in the living material which he manipulates1 how can the creator of the ballet express himself8 ,a standard of technique at least should exist4 ,that given1 what might not yet be done with this art1 which history shows has always been so plastic in the hands of the master-artist1 so responsive to the artistic or national moods of the people among whom it has been found4 ,it has the value and significance of painting1 together with the vital and impressive effect of drama4 ,it is not the art of depicting reality2 but the art of pictorial suggestion1 giving life and form to poetic ideas4 ,at the ,royal or ,ducal ,courts of earlier days the compliment to monarch or to minister would be conveyed by means of a courtly ballet1 the story of which dealt outwardly perhaps only with the doings of some mythic hero of the classic past4 ,but the art of ,ballet always had greater possibilities than courtly compliment1 in that it is always a plastic vehicle for the expression of all ideas2 and1 given the standard of efficiency which makes production possible at all1 it only becomes a question of what theme shall be treated by this means rather than by the arts of painting1 or of music1 or drama1 or of literature4 ,on these two points--the standard of technical efficiency attained by those associated in the production of ballet1 and on the choice of theme and manner of treatment by the artist-mind ultimately responsible for the production1 depends the whole future of the art of ,ballet4 ,the spirit of the artist and his means of expression2 there lies the future4 ,what shall be the technique of ballet1 and to what extent shall it be influenced by that of the dance8 ,to-day1 the forms of dancing are various1 but there are three main divisions3 first1 all popular forms of 8step10 or1 to adopt an old and useful term1 8toe-and-heel0 dancing2 secondly1 the traditional 8toe0-dancing of classic ballet1 capable of every nuance of expression2 and thirdly1 the various forms of rhythmic movement and effects of poise1 which seem to approach nearly to the ancient ,hellenic ideal of the ,dance1 and of which ,miss ,isadora ,duncan was perhaps the first exponent in ,england1 as ,mrs4 ,roger ,watts is the latest2 while yet another phase of the same ideal is seen in the ,eurhythmic system of ,jacques ,dalcroze1 which has had1 and will have1 great influence in many directions4 ,we have seen on the ,london stage ballets in which the dancing was almost wholly 8step0-dancing1 toe-and-heel--such as 8,on the ,heath10 at the ,alhambra2 we have seen numberless ballets in which the traditional 8toe0-dancing was paramount1 from 8,copplia0 to 8,roberto il ,diavolo10 or the later productions of the ,russians2 we have not yet seen a ballet composed entirely1 or even mainly on the lines of the ,hellenic revival1 though we have had hints of it in concerted dances by pupils of ,miss ,duncan and others1 and the complete thing may yet come1 though1 personally1 ,i question the advisability4 ,we have already had some curious1 interesting1 and not quite illogical attempts to suggest scenic effect by means of living people performing appropriate and rhythmic movements1 as in the production of ,mr4 ,reginald ,buckley's poetic drama 8,king ,arthur40 ,in one or other of these three divisions of the dance and the respective technical advance in each1 lie the chief means of artistic expression for the master of ballet in the future1 and it may be that the traditional 8ballet0-dancing1 with its marvellous flexibility of expression1 will1 so long as the present standard of technique is sustained1 always maintain its supremacy over the purely popular forms of dancing1 and the newer modes of rhythmic movement and gesture4 ,it has at least stood the test of time1 as a definite and logical medium of artistic expression4 ,as to the master-mind that is to select one or other of these forms of the ,dance1 and combine it with miming1 music and scenic effect to achieve a ballet that shall be the medium of ideas1 worthy to range as a work of art alongside the tried masterpieces of painting1 music1 drama or literature1 it may be questioned if we shall see anything worthier than the past has given us at its best4 ,some new ,noverre or ,blasis1 ,wilhelm or ,fokine may yet arise1 of course2 but until such a one come forth we may be well content with the standard which the ,past has managed to achieve4 ,to that standard this volume is a willing tribute2 a faithful record1 which may have novelty for some1 unaware of days before their time2 while for others1 whose memory of more recent--but yet receding6--events1 grows dim1 it may come as a friendly reminder of pleasant hours spent1 by writer and by reader1 in contemplating from the auditorium the varied examples seen at ,london theatres of the protean ,art of ,ballet4 ,,the ,,end ,,index ,adam1 ,adolphe1 composer1 #bcf1 #bgg ,addison1 ,joseph1 #adb-adg nea1 dancer1 #bei1 #bgi schylus1 #be1 #cg ,agoust1 ,louise1 dancer1 #bfd ,aguzzi1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bgf ,albert1 ,ferdinand1 dancer1 #bji ,albert1 ,paul1 dancer1 #bji ,albertieri1 ,luigi1 dancer1 #bgi1 #bhj ,albery1 ,james1 dramatist1 #beg ,alembert1 ,jean le ,rond d'1 #aga ,alenon1 ,emilienne d'1 dancer1 #bff ,alexander1 ,appius1 #he ,alhambra1 #bdi1 #beb-bge1 #cjh ,alias1 ,m4 et ,mme41 costumiers1 #beg1 #bei1 #bfj1 #bfd1 #bfe1 #bga-bgc1 #bgf ,allan1 ,maud1 dancer1 #bgd1 #caj ,allard1 ,marie1 actress and dancer1 #afh1 #bjc ,allemande 7,almain7 dance1 #fh1 #gd1 #aae2 by ,robert ,johnson1 #cag ,almonti1 brothers1 dancers1 #bfb1 #bfc1 #bfe ,anderson1 ,percy1 designer of costumes1 #bgi ,andr1 dancer1 #aji ,angiolini1 pupil of ,noverre1 #bac ,anka1 ,cornlie d'1 singer1 #bee1 #beg ,arbeau1 ,thoinot1 author of ,orchsographie1 #aehh1 #fj-gj1 #aaj1 #ade ,arlequin4 ,see ,harlequin ,arnould1 ,sophie1 dancer1 #agi1 #ahj ,arundale1 ,grace1 dancer1 #bfe ,arundale1 ,sybil1 dancer1 #bfe ,atellan1 #dc ,athenus1 quoted1 #bc ,auber1 ,d4 ,f4 ,e41 composer1 #bec ,audran1 engraver1 #acb1 #acd ,augier1 ,anne ,catherine1 married ,auguste ,vestris1 #afi1 #agj ,austin1 ,esther1 dancer1 #bec ,baif1 author1 #ea ,bakst1 ,leon1 ballet producer1 #cba ,ballard1 ,french printer1 #aci ,ballet ,comique de la ,royne1 #ef-fj1 #gj-gc ,ballet-ambulatoire1 #hc1 #hg ,beatification of ,ignatius ,loyola1 #hc ,canonisation of ,s4 ,charles ,borome1 #he ,ballet in ,england from early #ahth century1 largely imported from ,france and ,italy1 #ahb new spirit infused in first half of #aith century1 #bjh of small artistic value from #ahej-ahgj1 #bej revival as ,london institution at ,alhambra and ,empire1 #bea1 #cjh all ,british ballet1 #caf no ,state-aided training1 #cbb ,heroic2 eighty given in ,france from #aehi-afaj1 #hh ,pantomime1 #aad ,russian1 #cjh1 #cba2 given first at ,coliseum1 #cac2 at ,covent ,garden1 #cah2 at ,drury ,lane1 #cah2 dancers from the ,mariensky1 ,petrograd1 and from ,opera ,house1 ,moscow1 #cah ,savoy1 ,court of1 #hi-ia ,ballets3 ,acis and ,galatea1 #bjh ,aladdin1 #bfa ,veil of ,diamonds1 #bfa ,alaska1 #bhe ,alchemists1 of1 #if ,alcibiade1 #aja ,algeria1 #bfj ,ali ,baba and the ,forty ,thieves1 #bfd ,all the ,year ,round1 #bfi ,alma1 #bda ,amour1 ,malade l'1 #aja ,amour ,veng1 l'1 #bjh ,amours ,dguiss1 les1 #aja ,antiope1 #bfj ,asmodeus1 #bfj ,astrea1 #bfj ,automne ,bacchanale1 l'1 #bag1 #caa ,babil et ,bijou1 #bei ,bacchus et ,ariane1 #aeb ,baigneuse1 la1 #cjh ,bayadres1 les1 #bbe ,beatrix1 #bch ,beauties of the ,harem1 #bed ,beauty and the ,beast1 #bfd ,belle au ,bois ,dormant1 #bbf ,belle of the ,ball1 #bib1 #bid1 #bie ,bivouac1 the1 #bfj ,bluebeard1 #bfd ,britannia's ,realm1 #bfg ,pas des ,patineurs1 #bfg ,bugle ,call1 the1 #bhi ,by the ,sea1 #bha ,cadmus1 #aaa ,caractres de la ,danse1 #aeg1 #ahj ,camargo1 #caf ,carmen1 #beh1 #bfh1 #bge ,carnaval 7,schumann71 #cbj1 #cba ,carnaval de ,venise1 le1 #bbe1 #bdd1 #beh ,cassandra1 #ii ,castor and ,pollux1 #bag ,ccile1 #bhj ,chercheuse d',esprit1 la1 #aha1 #ahe ,chicago1 #bfb ,chinois1 #aga ,cinderella1 #bhi ,cinq ,seul1 le1 #bdd ,cinquantaine1 #afi ,cleopatra1 #bhj ,cleopatra 7,glazounov71 #cbj1 #cba ,cloches de ,corneville1 les1 #bgc ,colour of ,life1 the 7dance-scena71 #cae ,copplia1 #bgg ,copplia 7,delibes71 #bij1 #bie1 #bif1 #bih1 #cbe ,coq d',or1 le1 #cba ,cupid1 #bfj ,cupid in ,arcadia 7,comic71 #bed ,dance ,dream1 the1 #bge ,dancing ,doll1 the1 #bhi ,dancing ,master1 the1 #cja ,danse1 la1 #bhb1 #caf ,day in ,paris1 #bih1 #bii ,day ,off1 a1 #bfe ,dbutante1 the1 #bia1 #bif1 #cja ,dbutante1 the1 new edition1 #cje ,demon's ,bride1 the1 #bed ,devil's ,forge1 the1 #bfg ,diable au ,violon1 le1 #bdc ,diana1 #bgi ,dieu ,bleu1 le1 #cai ,dilara1 #bgi ,don ,juan1 #bag ,don ,quixote1 #bfb ,dream of ,wealth1 #bhj ,dryad1 the1 #bif-bih ,duel in the ,snow1 #bhj ,enchantment1 #bfj ,endymion1 #afi ,entente ,cordiale1 the1 #bgj ,eoline1 #bde ,europe1 #cjf ,excelsior1 #bea ,fairies' ,home1 the1 #bee ,fantaisie ,chorgraphique1 #cja ,faun1 the1 #cjb ,faust1 #bhb ,femina1 #bge ,fernando ,cortez1 #bag1 #bbe ,fte ,galante1 la1 #bij ,ftes d',adam1 les1 #ahb ,ftes de ,bacchus et de l',amour1 #ajd1 #aji1 #aaa ,ftes d',hb1 les1 #ahe ,ftes de l',hymen et de l',amour1 #aha ,ftes ,vnitiennes1 les 7opera ballet71 #ach1 #aci ,fidelia 7le ,violon du ,diable71 #bfb ,filets de ,vulcain1 les1 #bbg ,fille du ,bandit1 la1 #bde ,fille du ,danube1 la1 #bch ,fille de ,marbre1 la1 #bdb ,first ,love1 #cjd ,flora1 #ii ,flore et ,zephire1 #bjh1 #bbf1 #bbg ,gardes ,franaises1 les1 #bef ,gay ,city1 the1 #bff ,gemma1 #bdc ,giselle1 #bcf1 #bch1 #bgg ,gitana1 la1 #bca ,golden ,wreath1 #beg ,gretna ,green1 #bff ,handy ,man1 the1 #bff ,happy ,shipwreck1 the1 #bjh ,hertha1 #bdd ,horoscope1 the1 #bdj ,hungary1 #bec ,hurly ,burly1 #bgg ,hvika1 #bej ,ideala1 #bfj ,impatience1 l'1 #aja ,inspiration1 #bff ,iphignie en ,aulide1 #bag ,irene1 #bfj ,jack ,ashore1 #bfe ,japan1 in1 #bff ,jugement de ,pris1 le1 #bca1 #bde ,pas des ,desses1 #bdf ,lac des ,fes1 #bda ,laura and ,lenze1 #bjh ,lydie1 #bbf ,mde et ,jason1 #bja ,melusine1 #bfj ,memnon1 #bei ,milliner ,duchess1 the1 #bhh1 #bif ,mirza1 #ahe ,monte ,cristo1 #bhb ,mountain ,sylph1 #bed ,mystres d',isis1 les1 #bag ,nadia1 #bfj ,napoli1 #bff ,narcisse1 #cba ,nations1 ,les1 ,parisian ,quadrille1 #bec ,new ,york1 #cjc ,nina the ,enchantress1 #bfj ,ninette la ,cour1 #ahe ,nisita1 #bha ,old ,china1 #bhg ,ondine1 #bda1 #bdb ,on the ,square1 #bgd ,or1 ,le ,coq d'1 #cbb ,orfeo1 #bha ,oriella1 #bfa ,our ,army and ,navy1 #bfj ,our ,crown1 #bhg ,palace of ,pearl1 #bgg ,papillons1 les1 #bhf ,paquita 7,grisi71 #bci ,paquita 7,alhambra71 #bgd ,paris ,exhibition1 #bhj ,parisiana1 #bga ,peri1 the1 #bcg1 #bch ,perseus1 #aaa ,plaisirs1 les1 #aja ,polly1 #bgg ,premier1 ,navigateur1 le1 #ahe1 #ahf ,press1 the1 #bhd ,printemps1 ,le ,sacre du1 #cbb ,psyche 7#aghg71 #bjb ,psyche 7,alhambra71 #bge ,puella1 #bed ,pygmalion1 #aeb ,queen of ,spades1 #bga1 #bgb ,raillerie1 la1 #aja ,reaper's ,dream1 the1 #cjd ,rception d'une jeune nymphe la cour de ,terpsichore1 #bbe ,red ,shoes1 the1 #bfe ,rip van ,winkle1 #bfd ,roberto il ,diavolo1 #cjj1 #cbe ,robert ,macaire1 #bhj ,rose d',amour1 #bgi ,rose de ,sville1 #bej ,rosire1 la1 #ahe ,round the ,town1 #bha ,round the ,town ,again1 #bhf ,round the ,world1 #cjj ,sacre du ,printemps1 le1 #cbj ,salandra1 #bfj ,sal6 ,oh ,my6 #bgd ,sappho and ,phaon1 #bjh ,scheherazade1 #caf ,seaside1 #bhf ,seasons1 the1 #bfj ,ship ,ahoy6 #cjb ,sicilien1 le1 #bbe ,sioux1 the 7comic71 #bfa ,sir ,roger de ,coverley1 #bib ,sleeping ,beauty1 #bfa ,soldiers of the ,queen1 #bff ,spectresheim1 #bed ,spectre de la ,rose1 le1 #cba ,sports of ,england1 #bgi ,swans1 the1 #bfj ,sylph of the ,glen1 #bed ,sylphide1 #bbd1 #bbg1 #bbh1 #bcf1 #bch1 #bda1 #bdd1 #bif1 #cae ,sylphides1 les1 #cbj1 #cba ,sylvia1 #bgg1 #cjc ,tlmaque1 #bjb ,temps1 le1 #aja ,temps de la ,paix1 le #aab ,temptation1 #bfa ,titania1 #cjd ,tobacco1 of 7#afej71 #ig ,tribulations d'un ,matre de ,ballet1 #bca ,triomphe de l',amour1 #aaa ,triumph of ,bacchus1 #aja ,triumph of ,venus1 #ajj ,two ,flags1 the1 #bgc ,two ,gregorys1 the1 #bed ,under ,one ,flag1 #bhb ,versailles1 #bha1 #caf ,vestale1 la1 #bag1 #bbe ,victoria and ,merrie ,england1 #bfd ,village ,festival1 #bfj ,vincennes1 #aja ,vineland1 #bhh ,vine1 ,the1 #cjf ,vivandire1 la1 #bdc ,water ,nymph1 the1 #cjd ,wildfire1 #bef ,yolande1 #bbe ,zanetta1 #bfj ,zephyre1 #bjc ,ballon1 ,m41 dancer1 #ajf1 #aaj1 #aae1 #abc ,baltasarini4 ,see ,beaujoyeux ,banquet-ball1 #ec-ee1 #ga ,baron1 author1 #fa ,basse-dance1 #fc-ff ,bathyllus1 ,roman actor1 #dd-df1 #aad1 #aai ,baudiery-,laval1 matre de ballet1 #ajf1 #aaj ,baudiery-,laval1 ,michel-,jean1 dancer1 #ajf1 #aaj ,baum1 ,john1 manager ,alhambra1 #bed ,beauchamps1 dancer1 #fb1 #ajf1 #aji-aaa1 #afd ,beaujoyeux 7,baltasarini71 designer of ,ballet ,comique de la ,reine1 #aeha1 #ef-fj1 #gj-gc1 #hb ,beaumont1 ,francis1 dramatist1 #gd ,beaupr1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjc ,bedells1 ,phyllis1 dancer1 #bib1 #bii-cje1 #cjf ,belloni1 actor1 famed as ,pierrot1 #acc ,beni ,hassan1 #bi1 #ca ,benserade1 arranged ballet of 8,cassandra0 in which ,louis ,,xiv appeared1 #ii ,benson1 ,f4 ,r41 #cac ,bensusan1 ,s4 ,l41 adapted ballet from his novel1 ,dede1 #bff ,berein1 ,francis1 theatrical mechanician1 #aaa ,berend1 ,rosa1 actress1 #bei ,bergonzio di ,botta1 arranged the ,banquet-ball1 #adhi1 #eb-ef1 #ga1 #hb ,bertin1 ,antoine1 author1 #aci ,bertrand1 ,a41 ballet master1 #bee-beh1 #bgf ,bessone1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bfj ,bianchini1 designer1 #bgf ,biancolelli1 ,pierre-,franois 7,domenique71 actor1 famed as ,arlequin1 #acc1 #acd ,bias1 ,fanny1 dancer1 #bjc ,bigottini1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjc1 #bjd ,bishop1 ,will1 dancer1 #bhb1 #bhf ,blande1 ,edith1 actress1 #bei ,blasis1 ,carlo1 actor1 dancer1 writer1 and ,director of ,imperial ,academy of ,dancing and ,pantomime at ,milan1 #bc1 #bd1 #adh1 #bac-bbj1 #bbb1 #bgb1 #cai1 #cbj ,blasis1 ,francesco1 #bad ,blasis1 ,teresa1 sister of ,carlo1 #bah ,blasis1 ,vincenza ,coluzzi ,zurla1 #bad ,blasis1 ,virginia1 sister of ,carlo1 prima donna1 #bah ,blaze1 ,castil1 writer on ,paris ,opera1 #gb1 #aaa1 #agb2 quoted1 #bbh ,blondi1 dancer1 #ajf1 #aaj1 #aeh ,boileau1 ,nicolas1 ,sieur ,despraux1 #aif1 #bjj ,bolm1 ,adolphe1 dancer1 #bif1 #bii1 #cja ,bonnet1 author1 #fa ,bordin1 ,maria1 dancer1 #bgb1 #bgc ,bouffon1 dance1 #fc1 #gd ,bourgeois1 composer1 #aac ,bourre1 dance1 #cah ,brancher1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjc ,branle 7bransle7 dance1 #fc1 #fd1 #fh1 #fi ,bright1 ,dora1 composer1 #bif1 #cjb1 #cae1 #cag ,brissac1 ,duc de1 #ef ,britta1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bgd1 #bge ,brocard1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bji1 #bbh ,broughton1 ,phyllis1 dancer and actress1 #bdi1 #bie ,browne1 ,william1 poet1 #gd ,brutton1 ,w4 ,m41 architect1 #bga ,buckley1 ,reginald1 #cbe ,bunn1 manager ,drury ,lane1 #bch ,byng1 ,g4 ,w41 musical director ,alhambra1 #bfe-bfh1 #bgb-bgd ,cachucha1 dance1 #bab ,calthrop1 ,dion ,clayton1 #bge ,calverley1 ,c4 ,s41 translation quoted1 #cd ,camargo1 ,marie-,anne de ,cupis de1 dancer1 #aae-aag1 #aef-afb1 #bbc ,cambert1 musician1 #ajd1 #aac ,campion1 ,thomas1 poet and musician1 #gd ,campra1 composer1 #aac1 #abh1 #ach1 #cje ,canaries 7,canary71 dance1 #fi1 #gd ,canova1 sculptor1 #baf ,canterbury ,music ,hall1 #bdi ,captain1 ,the1 conventional character of #ahth century ,italian comedy1 #aba1 #abb ,caroso1 author1 #fb ,carr1 ,osmond1 ,dr41 #bib ,carville1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #ajf ,casaboni1 ,josephine1 dancer1 #bfd-bff ,casati1 ,m41 ballet master1 #bfj ,cavallazi1 ,malvina1 ,mme41 dancer1 #beh1 #bhj1 #bha1 #bhb1 #bhe ,cave1 ,joseph ,a41 manager ,alhambra #bed ,cecchetti1 ,m41 dancer1 #bgi1 #bha ,celerier1 director of ,opera1 #aia ,cerito1 ,fanny1 dancer1 #bbc1 #bbi1 #bca1 #bdj-bdc1 #bde-bdg1 #bgh ,cerri1 ,cecilia1 dancer1 #bfd1 #bfe ,chaconne1 dance1 #ga1 #aae1 #aff1 #cag ,chambers1 ,emma1 actress1 #bee1 #beh1 #bei ,chameroy1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjc ,chaplin1 ,nellie1 reviver of ancient music and dances1 #cah ,chapman1 ,george1 dramatist1 #gd ,chevigny1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjb1 #bjc ,choiseul1 de1 ,archbishop of ,cambrai1 #ahc ,choiseul1 ,marchal de1 #ajf ,cibber1 ,colley1 quoted1 #ag ,cinthio1 character in ,french pantomime1 #abf ,clarke1 ,cuthbert1 composer1 #bih1 #cjb ,cleather1 ,gordon1 singer1 #big ,clerc1 ,elise1 dancer and ballet producer1 #bgd1 #bhi ,clermont1 ,college of1 ballets at1 #ic ,clotilde1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjc ,clown1 #aba1 #abc ,cochin1 ,c4 ,n41 engraver1 #aca ,coffin1 ,hayden1 actor1 #bgg ,coliseum1 #cac ,collette1 ,charles1 actor1 #beh ,collier1 ,beatrice1 dancer1 #bii1 #cjc ,collins1 ,lottie1 dancer1 #cji ,colonna1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bec ,columbine1 conventional character of #ahth century ,italian comedy1 #abb1 #abc1 #abf ,comedie ,ballet1 #gc ,comelli1 designer of costume1 #bga-bgc ,constantini1 ,angelo1 actor1 famous impersonator of ,mezzetin1 #acd ,contredanse1 #aae ,cook1 ,aynsley1 actor1 #beg1 #beh ,cook1 ,furneaux1 actor1 #beh ,coppi1 ,carlo1 ballet producer1 #bd1 #bfa1 #bfd1 #bff1 #bfg ,cormani1 ,mme41 dances arranged by1 #bfj1 #bff1 #bfg ,cormani1 ,miss1 dancer1 #bga ,corneille1 ,pierre1 author1 #aae1 #abc ,costa1 ,mario1 composer1 #bgb ,coulon1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #bjc ,coulon1 ,m41 dancer1 #bbe ,courante 7,coranto7 dance1 #fc1 #fg1 #fh1 #ha1 #aae1 #cag ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 #aeb1 #bie1 #cjh ,cracovienne1 dance1 #bab ,craig1 ,gordon1 #cae1 #cbd ,craske1 ,dorothy1 dancer1 #bhi1 #bij ,crozat1 patron of ,watteau1 #acb1 #ach ,crystal ,palace1 #bdi ,curti1 ,alfredo1 ballet master1 #bd1 #bga1 #bgb1 #bgc1 #bge ,dalcroze1 ,jacques1 #cbe ,dallas1 ,john ,j41 actor1 #beg ,dance1 older than drama1 #bf early instinct of mankind1 #bg ritual of1 in ,egypt1 #bh sacred1 secular1 theatrical1 #bh1 #dj in ,greece1 #ca-dj in ,greek drama3 ,emmeleia1 ,hyporchemata1 ,kordax1 ,sikinnis1 #cg1 #fc ,pyrrhic1 #ch in honour of ,jupiter1 of ,minerva1 of ,apollo1 of ,innocence to ,diana1 of ,delos to ,venus1 #ch in ,eleusinian mysteries1 #ci ,collar1 #ci individualistic1 #ci ,dancing1 value of personality in1 #bhc ,daniel1 ,samuel1 poet1 #gd ,dauberval1 dancer1 #aff1 #ahj1 #bjb1 #bjc1 #baf ,dauberval1 ,mme4 7ne ,mlle4 ,theodore71 dancer1 #bjc ,davenant1 ,sir ,william1 #cjd ,david1 ,g4 ,mlle41 dancer1 #beg ,david1 ,jacques ,louis1 painter1 #ahb ,davies1 ,sir ,john1 author of ,orchestra1 or a ,poeme on ,dauncing1 #fg ,dekker1 ,thomas1 dramatist1 #gd ,delaborde1 financier1 #ahc ,delaplace1 actor1 played ,scaramouche1 #acd de la ,roque1 ,antoine1 #ach2 librettist of 8,mde et ,jason10 #ach ,delibes1 composer1 #bgg1 #bij1 #bih1 #cjc ,dervieux1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #ahe ,desaix1 ,m41 dancer1 #ajf ,deshayes1 ,m41 dancer and producer of ballet1 #bjc1 #bjh1 #bda ,desmarets1 composer1 #aac ,desmares1 ,mlle41 ,danish actress1 #ace ,desmatins1 ,mlle41 dancer1 #aaa ,desnos1 ,bishop of ,verdun1 #ahc ,despraux1 ,jean1 dancer and poet1 #aij-bja ,destouches1 composer1 #aac1 #cag ,didelot1 ,m41 ballet master1 #bjc1 #bjh1 #bbf ,diderot1 ,denis1 encyclopdist1 #aga ,doctor1 ,the1 conventional character of #ahth-century ,italian comedy1 #aba1 #abb1 #abf1 #acd ,dolaro1 ,selina1 actress and dancer1 #bef ,dolivet1 ,m41 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,,xxi4 #aa4 #c ,,ii ,samuel1 ,,vi4 #ad4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,minor ,french language errors and punctuation errors have silently been corrected4 ,inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling such as 8ballet-dancers_/ballet dancers0 and 8terre--terre_/terre terre0 have been maintained4 ,em-dashes within the ,index have been removed in order to improve readability4 ,cover image created by transcriber and placed in the public domain4 ,page #ab3 8,,pr,,vot0 changed to 8,,pr,v,t04 ,page #ab3 8,l,,on0 changed to 8,,leon04 ,page #bb3 8evolutions du labyrinth0 changed to 8evolutions du labyrinthe04 ,page #dc3 8tours de forces0 changed to 8tours de force04 ,page #fi3 8d',escosse estoiet0 changed to 8d',escosse estoient04 ,page #fi3 8,je prie ,deu0 changed to 8,je prie ,dieu04 ,page #id3 8,la ,vaisseau0 changed to 8,le ,vaisseau04 ,page #ajb3 8vous addresses0 changed to 8vous adresser04 ,page #aji3 8,choregraphy0 changed to 8,choreography04 ,page #afh3 8choregraphic0 changed to 8choreographic04 ,page #aib3 8,madaleine0 changed to 8,madeleine04