,some typographical errors have been corrected4 ,a list follows the text4 ,no attempt has been made to normalize or correct the spelling of names4 7,transcriber's note47 #d4ej ,s4 ,,hurok ,,presents ,a ,,memoir ,,of ,,the ,,dance ,,world ,,by ,s4 ,,hurok ,in these exciting memoirs1 ,s4 ,hurok1 ,impresario ,extraordinary1 reveals the incredible inside story of the glamorous and temperamental world of the dance1 a story only he is qualified to tell4 ,from the golden times of the immortal ,anna ,pavlova to the fabulous ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 ,hurok has stood in the storm-center as brilliant companies and extravagant personalities fought for the center of the stage4 ,famous as 8the man who brought ballet to ,america and ,america to the ballet10 the ,impresario writes with intimate knowledge of the dancers who have enchanted millions and whose names have lighted up the marquees of the world4 ,isadora ,duncan1 ,loie ,fuller1 ,lydia ,lopokova1 ,escudero1 the ,fokines1 ,adolph ,bolm1 ,argentinita1 ,massine1 ,alicia ,markova1 ,anton ,dolin1 ,robert ,helpmann1 ,shan-,kar1 ,martha ,graham1 ,moira ,shearer1 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,ninette de ,valois1 and ,frederick ,ashton are only a few of the celebrities 7cont'd on back flap7 7cont'd from front flap7 who shine and smoulder through these pages4 ,the fantastic financial and amorous intrigues that have split ballet companies asunder come in for examination1 as do the complicated dealings of the strange 8,col40 de ,basil and his various ,ballet ,russe enterprises2 ,lucia ,chase and her ,ballet ,theatre2 and the phenomenal tours of the ,sadler's ,wells companies4 ,although the ,impresario's pen is sometimes cutting1 it is also blessed by an unfailing sense of humor and by his deep understanding that a great artist seldom exists without a flamboyant temperament to match4 ,there are many beautiful illustrations--#cb pages4 ,illustration3 ,hermitage house inc4 #h ,west #ac ,street ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y4 ,s4 ,,hurok ,,presents ,s4 ,,hurok ,presents ,a ,,memoir ,,of ,,the ,,dance ,,world ,by ,s4 ,hurok ,,hermitage ,,house ,,new ,,york #aiec ,,copyright1 #aiec1 ,,by ,s4 ,,hurok ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved ,published simultaneously in ,canada by ,geo4 ,j4 ,mc,leod1 ,toronto ,library of ,congress ,catalog ,number3 #ec-aabia ,,manufactured ,,in ,,the ,u4,s4,a4 ,,american ,,book-,,stratford ,,press1 ,,inc41 ,,new ,,york ,to ,the ,united ,states of ,america3 ,whose freedom ,i found as a youth2 ,which ,i cherish2 ,and without which nothing that has been accomplished in a lifetime of endeavour could have come to pass ,,contents #a4 ,prelude3 ,how ,it ,all ,began #aa #b4 ,the ,swan #ag #c4 ,three ,ladies3 ,not from the ,maryinsky #bh #d4 ,sextette #dg #e4 ,three ,ladies of the ,maryinsky--and ,others #ff #f4 ,tristan and ,isolde3 ,michel and ,vera ,fokine #ib #g4 ,ballet ,reborn in ,america3 ,w4 ,de ,basil and his ,ballets ,russes ,de ,monte ,carlo #aje #h4 ,revolution and ,counter-,revolution3 ,leonide ,massine and the ,new ,ballet ,russe ,de ,monte ,carlo #abe #i4 ,what ,price ,originality8 ,the ,original ,ballet ,russe #ach #aj4 ,the ,best of ,plans 444 ,ballet ,theatre #adg #aa4 ,indecisive ,interlude3 ,de ,basil's ,farewell and a ,pair of ,classical ,britons #ahc #ab4 ,ballet ,climax--,sadler's ,wells and ,after 444 #bjh #ac4 ,epilogue3 ,unborn ,tomorrow #caj ,index #cbc ,s4 ,,hurok ,,presents #a4 ,prelude3 ,how ,it ,all ,began ,in the mid-forties1 after the publication of my first book1 a number of people approached me with the idea of my doing another book dealing with the dance and ballet organizations ,i had managed4 ,i did not feel the time was ripe for such a book4 ,moreover1 had ,i written it then1 it would have been a different book1 and would have carried quite another burden4 ,if it had been done at that time1 it would have been called ,to ,hell ,with ,ballet6 ,in the intervening period a good deal has happened in the world of ballet4 ,the pessimism that prompted the former title has given way on my part to a more optimistic note4 ,the reasons for this change of heart and attitude will be apparent to the reader4 ,at any rate1 this book had to be written4 ,in the volume of memoirs that appeared some seven years ago ,i made an unequivocal statement to that effect1 when ,i wrote3 8,there's no doubt about it4 ,ballet is different4 ,some day ,i am going to write a book about it40 ,here it is4 ,it is a very personal account1 dealing with dance and ballet as ,i have seen it and known it4 ,for thirty-four years ,i have not only watched ballet1 but have had a wide1 first-hand experience of and contact with most of the leading dance and ballet organizations of the world4 ,this book is written out of that experience4 ,ballet on this continent has come a long way along the road since the night ,i bowed silently over the expressive hand of ,anna ,pavlova as she stood among the elephants in ,charles ,b4 ,dillingham's ,hippodrome4 ,i like to think1 with what ,i hope is a pardonable pride1 that ,i have helped it on its journey4 ,it has given me greater pleasure than any of the multifarious other activities of my managerial career4 ,on that side of the ledger lies the balance4 ,it has also given me a generous share of heartaches and headaches4 ,but1 if ,i had it all to do over again1 there is little ,i would have ordered otherwise4 ,because of these things1 ,i believe my point of view is wider than that of the scholar1 the critic1 or the enthusiast4 ,ballet is glamourous4 ,it is technical and complex2 an exacting science4 ,it is also highly emotional1 on the stage1 behind the scenes1 and often away from the theatre4 ,temperament is by no means confined to the dancing artists4 ,during the course of these close contacts with the dance1 a mass of material has accumulated2 far too much for a single book4 ,therefore1 ,i am going to attempt to give a panorama of the high spots 7and some of the low spots1 as well7 of three-and-one-half decades of managing dance attractions1 together with impressions of those organizations and personalities that have1 individually and collectively1 contributed to make ballet what it is today4 ,with a book of this kind a good resolution is to set down nothing one has not seen or heard for oneself4 ,for the most part ,i shall try to stick to that resolution4 ,whenever it becomes necessary to depart from it1 appropriate credit will be accorded4 ,without question there are times when silence is the wiser part of narration1 and undoubtedly there will be times when1 in these pages1 silence may be regarded1 ,i hope1 as an indication of wisdom4 ,however1 there are not likely to be many such instances1 since a devotion to candid avowal will compel the dropping of the curtain for a few blank moments and raising it again at a more satisfactory stage only to spare the feelings of others rather than myself4 ,one of the questions ,i have asked myself is where and how did this passionate interest in dance arise4 ,i was1 as almost every one knows1 born in ,russia4 ,dance and music are a part of the ,russian4 ,russia was the home of a ballet that reached the highest perfection of its time3 an organization whose influence is felt wherever and whenever a ballet slipper is donned4 ,yet1 as a country lad1 springing from an obscure provincial town1 brought up in my father's village hardware business and on his tobacco plantation1 ,i am unable to boast of having been bowled over1 smitten1 marked for life by being taken at a tender age to see the ,imperial ,ballet4 ,no such heaven-sent dispensation was mine4 ,i was a long-time ,american citizen before ,i saw ballet in ,russia4 ,nevertheless1 ,i believe that the fact ,i was born in ,russia not only shaped my ends1 but provided that divinity that changed a common-or-garden-variety little boy into what ,i eventually became4 ,consciously or unconsciously the ,russian adores the artist1 denies the artist nothing4 ,as a normal1 healthy1 small-town lad1 in ,pogar1 deep in the ,ukraine1 ,i sensed these things rather than understood them4 ,for it was in ,pogar and ,staradrube and ,gomel1 places of no importance1 that ,i not only came into contact with the ,russian 8adoration0 of the artist2 but1 something much more important1 ,i drank in that love of music and dance that has motivated the entire course of my life4 ,the ,imperial ,ballet was not a touring organization2 and ,pogar1 ,staradrube and ,gomel were far too unimportant and inconspicuous even to be visited by vacationing stars on a holiday jaunt or barnstorming trip4 ,but the people of ,pogar1 ,staradrube and ,gomel sang and danced4 ,the people of ,pogar 7at most there might have been five thousand of them7 were a hard-working folk but they were a happy people1 a fun-loving people1 when days work was done4 ,above all else they were a hospitable people4 ,their chief source of livelihood was flax and tobacco1 a flourishing business in the surrounding countryside1 which served to provide the villagers with their means for life1 since ,pogar was composed in the main of tradesmen and little supply houses which1 in turn1 served the necessaries to the surrounding countryside4 ,still fresh in my mind is the wonder of the changing seasons in ,pogar1 always sharply contrasted1 each with its joys1 each having its tincture of trouble4 ,the joys remain1 however2 the troubles recede and vanish4 ,winter and its long nights1 with the long hauls through the snow to the nearest railway station1 forty frigid miles away3 a two-day journey with the sleighs2 the bivouacked nights to rest the horses4 ,i remember how bitterly cold it was1 as ,i lay in the sleigh or alternately sat beside the driver1 wrapped in heavy clothes and muffled to my eyes2 how1 in the driving snow1 horses and drivers would sometimes lose the road entirely1 and the time spent in retracing tracks until the posts and pine trees marking what once had been the edges of the road were found4 ,then how1 with horses nearly exhausted and our spirits low1 we would glimpse the flickering of a light in the far distance1 and1 heading towards it1 would find a cluster of little peasant huts4 ,once arrived1 we would arouse these poor1 simple people1 sometimes from their beds1 and would be welcomed1 not as strangers1 but rather as old friends4 ,i remember how1 in the dead of night1 still full of sleep1 they would prepare warm food and hot tea2 how they would insist on our taking their best and warmest beds1 those on the stove itself1 while they would curl up in a corner on the floor4 ,then1 in the morning1 after more hot tea and a piping breakfast1 horses fed and refreshed1 they would send us on our way with their blessing1 stubbornly refusing to accept anything in the way of payment for the night's lodging4 ,this warm1 human1 generous hospitality of the ,russian peasant has not changed through devastation by war and pestilence4 ,neither ,tsardom nor ,bolshevism could alter the basic humanity of the ,russian people1 who are among the kindest and most hospitable on earth4 ,the winter nights in ,pogar1 when the snow ceased falling and the moon shone on the tinselly scene1 were filled with a magic and unforgettable beauty4 ,the ,christmas feasting and festivities will remain with me always4 ,but the sharpest of all memories is the picture of the ,easter fun and frolic1 preceded by the ,carnival of ,butter-,week4 ,spring had come4 ,it mattered little that ,pogar's unpaved roads were knee-deep in mud2 the sun was climbing to a greater warmth3 that we knew4 ,we knew the days were drawing out4 ,it was then that music and dance were greater1 keener pleasures than ever4 ,every one sang4 ,all danced4 ,even the lame and the halt tried to do a step or two4 ,we made the ,karavod3 dancing in a circle1 singing the old1 time-honored songs4 ,and there was an old resident1 who lived along the main roadway in a shabby little house set back from the lane itself1 a man who might have been any age at all--for he seemed ageless--who was a ,skazatel of folk songs and stories4 ,he narrated tales and sang stories of the distant1 remote past4 ,the village orchestra1 come ,easter time1 tuned up out of doors4 ,there was always a violin and an accordion4 ,that was basic2 but if additional musicians were free from their work1 sometimes the orchestra was augmented by a balalaika or two1 a guitar or a zither--a wonderful combination--particularly when the contrabass player was at liberty4 ,they played1 and we all sang1 above all1 we sang folk song after folk song4 ,then we danced3 polkas without end1 and the ,crakoviak2 and the hoppy1 jumpy ,maiufess1 while the wonderful little band proceeded to outdo itself with heartrending vibratos1 tremulous tremolos1 and glissandos that rushed up and down all the octaves4 ,spring merged into summer4 ,the lilacs and the violets faded2 but the summer evenings were long and the change from day to night was slow and imperceptible4 ,it took the sun many hours to make up its mind to disappear behind the horizon1 and even then1 after the edge of the burning disk had been swallowed up by the edge of the ,ukranian plain1 its scarlet1 orange and pink memories still lingered fondly on the sky1 and on the surface of our little lake1 as if it were reluctant to leave our quiet land4 ,it was then the music rose again2 the balalaikas strummed1 and ,i1 as poor a balalaika player as ever there was1 added tenuous chords to the melodies4 ,from the near distance came the sound of a boy singing to the accompaniment of a wooden flute2 and1 as he momentarily ceased1 from an even greater distance came the thin wail of a shepherd's pipe4 ,there was music at night1 there was music in the morning4 ,the people sang and danced4 ,the village lake1 over which the setting sun loved to linger1 gave onto a little stream1 hardly more than a brook4 ,the tiny brook sang on its journey1 and the rivulets danced on to the ,desna2 from there into the ,sozh on its way to ,gomel1 down the ,dnieper past the ancient city of ,kiev1 en route to the ,black ,sea4 ,and in all the towns and villages it passed1 ,i knew the people were singing and dancing4 ,this was something ,i sensed rather than knew4 ,it was this background of music and dance that was uppermost in my thoughts as ,i left ,russia to make my way1 confused and uncertain as to ambition and direction4 ,despite the impact of the sumptuousness of the bright new world that greeted me on my arrival in ,america1 ,i found a people who neither sang nor danced4 7,i am not referring to the melodies of ,tin-,pan ,alley or the turkey-trot47 ,i could not understand it4 ,i was dismayed by it4 ,i was filled with a determination to help bring music and dance into their lives2 to make these things an important part of their very existence4 ,the story of the transition to ,america has been told4 ,the transition was motivated primarily by an overwhelming desire for freedom4 ,in #aijd ,i heard ,maxim ,gorky speak4 ,although it was six months later before ,i knew who ,maxim ,gorky was1 ,i have never forgotten what he said4 ,yet1 moved as ,i was by ,gorky's flaming utterance1 it was ,benjamin ,franklin who became my ideal4 ,it was some time during ,russia's fateful year of #aije that1 somehow1 a translation of ,poor ,richard's ,almanack fell into my hands4 ,franklin's ideas of freedom to me symbolized ,america4 ,there1 ,i knew1 was a freedom1 a liberty of spirit that could not be equalled4 ,although ,i arrived at ,castle ,garden1 ,new ,york1 after a twenty-three day voyage1 in ,may1 #aijf1 it was the fact that ,philadelphia was the home of ,benjamin ,franklin that drew me to that city to make it my first ,american abiding place4 ,the evidence of these boyhood dreams of ,america has been proved by my own experience4 ,my dream has become a reality4 #b4 ,the ,swan ,it was ,the ,swan who determined my career in dance and ballet management4 ,whatever my confused aspirations on arriving in ,america1 the music and dance ,i had imbibed at the folk fonts of ,pogar remained with me4 ,i have told the story of the gradual clarification of those aspirations in the tale of the march forward from ,brooklyn's ,brownsville4 ,the story of ,music for the ,masses has become a part of the musical history of ,america4 ,i had two obsessions3 music and dance4 ,music for the ,masses had become a reality4 8,the ,hurok ,audience10 as ,the ,morning ,telegraph frequently called it1 was the public to which1 two decades later1 ,the ,new ,york ,times paid homage by asserting ,i had done more for music than the phonograph4 ,through the interesting and exciting days of presenting ,chaliapine1 ,schumann-,heink1 ,eugene ,ysaye1 ,mischa ,elman1 ,efrem ,zimbalist1 ,tetrazzini1 ,tito ,ruffo1 the question of the dance1 my other obsession1 and how to do for it what ,i had succeeded in doing for music1 was always in my mind4 ,it was then ,i met ,the ,swan4 ,anna ,pavlova is a symbol of ballet in ,america2 nay1 throughout the world4 ,i knew that here in ,america were a people who loved the dance1 if they could but know it4 ,the only way for them to know it1 ,i felt1 was to expose them to it in the finest form of theatre dance3 the ballet4 ,the position that ballet holds today in the affections of the ,american public is the result of that exposure1 coupled with a strongly increasing enthusiasm that not only holds its devotees1 but brings to it a constantly growing new audience4 ,but it was not always thus4 ,prior to the advent to these shores of ,anna ,pavlova there was no continuous development4 ,america1 to be sure1 had had theatrical dancing sporadically since the repeal of the anti-theatre act in #aghi4 ,but all of it1 imported from ,europe1 for the most part1 had been by fits and starts4 ,from the time of the famous ,fanny ,ellsler's triumphs in ,la ,tarantule and ,la ,cracovienne1 in #ahdj-ahdb1 until the arrival of ,anna ,pavlova1 in #aiaj1 there was a long balletic drought1 relieved only by occasional showers4 ,america was not reluctant in its balletic demonstrations in the ,fanny ,ellsler period1 when the opportunities for appreciation were provided4 ,the ,american tour of the passionately dramatic ,fanny ,ellsler was made in a delirium of enthusiasm4 ,she was the guest of ,president ,van ,buren at the ,white ,house1 and during her ,washington engagement1 ,congress suspended its sittings on the days she danced4 ,she was pelted with flowers1 and red carpets were unrolled and spread for her feet to pass over4 ,even the water in which she washed her hands was preserved in bottles1 so it is said1 and venerated as a sacred relic4 ,her delirious ,cachucha caused forthright ,americans to perform the ,european balletomaniac rite of toasting her health in champagne drunk from her own ballet shoes4 ,it is necessary now and then1 ,i feel1 to mark a time and place for purposes of guidance4 ,therefore1 ,i believe that the first appearance of ,anna ,pavlova at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house in ,new ,york on #bhth ,february1 #aiaj is a date to remember1 since it may be said to mark the beginning of the ballet era in our country4 ,that first visit was made possible by the generosity of a very great ,american ,maecenas1 the late ,otto ,h4 ,kahn1 to whom the art world of ,america owes an incalculable debt4 ,the arrangement was for a season of four weeks4 ,her success was instantaneous4 ,her like never had been seen4 ,the success was the more remarkable considering the circumstances of the performance1 facts not1 perhaps1 generally remembered4 ,giulio ,gatti-,cazzaza1 the ,italian director of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 was not what might be called exactly sympathetic to ,otto ,kahn's determination to establish the ,opera ,house on a better rounded scheme than the then prevalent over-exploitation of ,enrico ,caruso4 ,as an ,italian opera director1 ,gatti-,cazzaza was even less sympathetic to the dance1 and was1 moreover1 extremely dubious that ,metropolitan audiences would accept ballet1 other than as an inconsequential divertissement during the course of an opera4 ,so opposed to dance was he1 as a matter of fact1 that1 although he eventually married ,rosina ,galli1 the prima ballerina of the ,metropolitan1 he made her fight for ballet every inch of the way and1 on general operatic principle1 opposed everything she attempted to do for the dance4 ,because of his 8anti-dance0 attitude1 and in order to 8play safe10 ,gatti ordained that ,pavlova's ,american debut be scheduled to follow a performance of ,massenet's opera ,werther4 ,the ,massenet opera being a fairly long three-act work1 its final curtain did not fall until past eleven o'clock4 ,by the time the stage was ready for the first ,american appearance of ,pavlova1 it was close to eleven-thirty4 ,the audience that had remained largely out of curiosity rather than from any sense of expectation left reluctantly at the end4 ,the dancing they had seen was like nothing ever shown before in the reasonably long history of the ,metropolitan4 ,for her dbut ,pavlova had chosen ,delibes' human-doll ballet1 ,copplia1 giving her in the role of ,swanilda a part in which she excelled4 ,the triumph was almost entirely ,pavlova's4 ,the role of ,frantz allowed her partner1 ,mikhail ,mordkin1 little opportunity for virtuoso display1 the corps de ballet seems to have been undistinguished1 and the ,metropolitan conductor1 ,podesti1 most certainly was not a conductor for ballet1 whatever else he might have been4 ,altogether1 in this first season1 there were four performances of ,copplia1 and two of ,hungary1 a ballet composed by ,alexandre ,glazounow4 ,additional works during a short tour that followed1 and which included ,boston and ,baltimore1 were the ,bacchanale from ,glazounow's ,the ,seasons1 and ,la ,mort du ,cygne 7,the ,dying ,swan71 the miniature solo ballet ,michel ,fokine had devised for her in #aije1 which was to become her symbol4 ,such was the success1 ,pavlova returned for a full season in ,new ,york and a subsequent tour the following autumn1 bringing ,mordkin's adaptation of ,giselle1 and another ,mordkin work1 ,azayae4 ,it was six years later that ,the ,swan floated into my life4 ,in #aiaf1 ,charles ,b4 ,dillingham1 ,broadway theatrical producer with a difference1 was the director of the ,hippodrome1 the unforgettable ,sixth ,avenue institution4 ,dillingham was 8different0 for a number of reasons4 ,he was a theatre man of vision2 the ,hippodrome1 with its fantastic and colossal entertainments1 if not his idea1 was his triumph2 he was perhaps the only ,broadway manager who had been offered the post of business manager of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,company1 an offer he refused1 but he did accept a commission to make a complete survey of the ,metropolitan's business affairs4 ,for years ,i had stood in awe of him4 ,in #aiaf1 ,dillingham engaged ,pavlova to appear at the ,hippodrome1 with her partner1 ,alexandre ,volinine4 ,neither the auspices1 the billing1 nor the setting could1 by any stretch of the imagination1 be termed ideal4 ,dillingham's ,hippodrome bore the subtitle 8,the ,national ,amusement ,institution of ,america10 an appellation as grandiose as the building itself4 ,the evening's entertainment 7plus daily matinees71 of which ,the ,swan's appearance was a part1 was billed as 8,the ,big ,show1 the ,mammoth ,minstrels1 and the ,ice ,ballet1 ,the ,merry ,doll40 ,every night ,i was there in my favorite place at the back of the house4 ,i soon learned the time schedule4 ,i could manage to miss the skaters1 the jugglers1 the 8mammoth0 minstrels1 the acrobats1 the jumbo elephants4 ,i would arrive a few minutes before ,pavlova's entrance4 ,i watched and worshipped from afar4 ,i had never met her4 8,who was ,i10 ,i asked myself1 8to meet a divinity80 ,one night1 as the falling curtain cut her off from my view1 a hand fell on my shoulder4 ,it was ,dillingham1 for whom my admiration remained but my awe of him had decreased1 since1 by this time1 we were both managers4 ,he looked at me with a little smile and said1 8,come along1 ,sol4 ,i'm going back to her dressing-room40 ,the long hoped for but never really expected moment had come4 ,long had ,i rehearsed the speech ,i should make when and if this moment ever arrived4 ,now the time was here and ,i was dumb4 ,i could only look4 ,the ,swan extended her hand as ,dillingham presented me4 ,she smiled4 ,i bent low over the world's most expressive hand4 ,at her suggestion the three of us went to supper in the ,palisades ,amusement ,park outdoor restaurant1 overlooking the ,hudson and upper ,manhattan4 ,i shall have a few things to say about ,pavlova1 the artist1 about ,pavlova1 the ballerina4 ,perhaps even more important is ,pavlova1 the woman1 ,pavlova1 the human being4 ,these qualities came tumbling forth at our first meeting4 ,the impression was ineradicable4 ,as she ate a prodigious steak1 as she laughed and talked1 here was a sure and certain indication of her insatiable love of life and its good things4 ,one of her tragedies1 as ,i happen to know1 is that fullness of life and love were denied her4 ,i already have described this night in detail4 ,i mention it again because it sets a time and place3 the beginnings of the realization of the other part of my dream4 ,i was already happily embarked on my avowed purpose of bringing music to the masses4 ,although ,i may not have realized it1 that night when we first dined and talked and laughed1 when we rode the roller-coaster1 and together danced the fox-trot at the ,palisades ,amusement ,park1 was the beginning of my career in the world of the dance4 ,during ,pavlova's ,hippodrome engagement ,i doubt ,i missed a performance4 ,i also saw a good deal of her off stage4 ,a close friendship was formed and grew4 ,many suppers together1 with ,volinine1 her partner1 and ,ivan ,clustine1 her ballet-master4 ,in the years that followed there developed a long and unforgettable association4 ,her first tour under my management1 and large parts of others1 we made together2 and not1 ,i may say1 entirely for business reasons4 ,thus did ,i learn to know the real ,anna ,pavlova4 ,for those of a generation who know ,pavlova only as a legend1 there is a large library of books about her as artist and dancer4 ,as for myself1 ,i can only echo the opinion of ,j4 ,l4 ,vaudoyer1 the eminent ,french critic1 when he said3 8,pavlova means to the dance1 what a ,racine is to poetry2 a ,poussin to painting2 a ,gluck to music40 ,at the time of the ,pavlova tours1 the state of balletic appreciation in ,america was certainly not very high4 ,pioneering in ballet was hard1 slogging work for all concerned1 from every point of view4 ,the endless travel was not only boring but fatiguing4 ,it took all our joint and several wits to overcome the former1 a strong constitution to endure the latter4 ,traveling conditions then were infinitely more primitive than now1 making the strain of constant touring all the greater4 ,the reason that ,pavlova willingly endured these grinding tours year after year was because1 in my belief1 she simply could not live without working4 ,these tours were not predicated upon any necessity4 ,twenty-five years of her life1 at least one-half of it1 she spent on trains and ships4 ,aside from ,ivy ,house1 in ,london1 to which she made brief visits1 hotel rooms were almost her only home4 ,there was no financial necessity for this4 ,then1 in addition to all the vicissitudes of travel under such conditions1 there persisted another aspect3 the aesthetic inertia of the public at the whistle-stops demanded every ounce and every facet of audience persuasion4 ,among certain latter-day critics there exists a tendency not so much to belittle as to try to underrate ,pavlova1 the dancer1 ,pavlova1 the artist2 to negate her very great achievement ,many of these denigrators never saw her2 still fewer knew her4 ,let me1 for the benefit of the doubters and those readers of another generation who are in the same predicament1 try to sum her up as she was1 in terms of today4 ,there exists a legend principally dealing with a certain intangible quality she is said to have possessed4 ,this legend is not exaggerated4 ,in any assessment of ,anna ,pavlova1 her company1 her productions1 ,i ask the reader to bear in mind that for twelve years she was the only ballet pioneer regularly touring the country4 ,she was the first to bring ballet to hundreds of ,american communities4 ,i should be the first to admit that her stage productions1 taken by and large1 were less effective than are those of today2 but ,i ask you1 at the same time1 to bear in mind the development of1 and changes that have taken place in1 the provincial theatre in its progress from the gas-light age1 and to try to compare producing conditions as they were then1 with the splendid auditoriums and the modern equipment to be found in many places today4 ,compare1 if you will1 the ,broadway theatre productions of today with those of thirty-five years ago4 ,anna ,pavlova was a firm believer in the 8star0 system1 firmly entrenched as she was in the unassailable position of the prima ballerina assoluta4 ,her companies were always adequate4 ,they were completely and perfectly disciplined4 ,they were at all times reflections of her own directing and organizing ability4 ,always there were supporting dancers of more than competence4 ,her partners are names to be honored and remembered in ballet3 ,adolph ,bolm1 with whom she made her first tour away from ,imperial ,russia and its ,ballet3 ,mikhail ,mordkin1 ,laurent ,novikoff1 ,alexandre ,volinine1 and ,pierre ,vladimiroff2 the latter three1 one in the ,american mid-west1 one in ,paris1 and one in ,new ,york1 still founts of technical knowledge and tradition for aspiring dancers4 ,in its time and place her repertoire was large and varied4 ,pavlova was acquainting a great country with an art hitherto unknown4 ,she was bringing ballet to the masses4 ,if there was more convention than experiment in her programmes1 it must be remembered that there did not exist an audience even for convention1 much less one ready for experimentation4 ,an audience had to be created4 ,it should be noted that at this time there did not exist as well1 so far as this continent was concerned1 as there did in ,europe1 any body of informed critical opinion4 ,the newspapers of the wide open spaces did not have a single dance critic4 ,in these places dance was left to music and theatre reporters in the better instances2 to sports writers on less fortunate occasions4 ,conditions were not notably better in ,new ,york4 ,richard ,aldrich1 then the music critic of ,the ,new ,york ,times1 was completely anti-dance1 and used the word 8sacrilege0 in connection with ,pavlova and her performances4 ,more sympathetic attitudes were recorded later by ,w4 ,j4 ,henderson of ,the ,sun1 and by ,deems ,taylor4 ,about the only ,new ,york metropolitan critic with any real understanding of and appreciation for the dance was that informed champion of the arts1 ,carl ,van ,vechten4 ,i have mentioned ,pavlova's title as prima ballerina assoluta4 ,she held it indisputably4 ,in the hierarchy of ballet it is a three-fold title1 signifying honor1 dignity1 and the establishment of its holder in the highest rank4 ,with ,pavlova it was all these things4 ,but it was something more4 ,hers was a unique position4 ,she was the possessor of an absolute perfection1 a perfection achieved in the most difficult of all schools--the school of tradition of the classical ballet4 ,she possessed1 as an artist1 the accumulated wisdom of a unique aesthetic language4 ,this language she uttered with a beauty and conviction greater than that of her contemporaries4 ,unlike certain ballerinas of today1 and one in particular who would like ballet-lovers to regard her as the protg1 disciple1 and reincarnation of ,pavlova rolled into one1 ,pavlova never indulged in exhibitions of technical feats of remarkable virtuosity for the mere sake of eliciting gasps from an audience4 ,hers was an exhibition of the traditional school at its best1 a school famed for its soundness4 ,her balance was something almost incredible2 but never was it used for circus effects4 ,there was in everything she did an exquisite lyricism1 and an incomparable grace4 ,and ,i come once again to that intangible quality of hers4 ,diaghileff1 with whom her independent1 individualistic spirit could remain only a brief time1 called her 8 444 the greatest ballerina in the world4 ,like a ,taglioni1 she doesn't dance1 but floats2 of her1 also1 one might say she could walk over a cornfield without breaking a stalk40 ,the distinguished playwright1 ,john ,van ,druten1 years later1 used a similar simile1 when he described ,pavlova's dancing 8as the wind passing like a shadow over a field of wheat40 ,does it matter that ,pavlova did not leave behind any examples of great choreographic art8 ,is it of any lasting importance that her repertoire was not studded with experiments1 but rather was composed of sound1 well-made pieces1 chiefly by her ballet-master1 ,ivan ,clustine8 ,hers was a highly personal art4 ,the purity and nobility of her style compensated and more than compensated for any production shortcomings4 ,the important thing she left behind is an ineffable spirit that inhabits every performance of classical ballet1 every classroom where classical ballet is taught4 ,as a dancer1 no one had had a greater flexibility in styles1 a finer dramatic ability1 a deeper sense of character1 a wider range of facial expressions4 ,let us not forget her successful excursions into the ,oriental dance1 the ,hindu1 the dances of ,japan4 ,above and beyond all this1 ,i like to remember the great humanity and simplicity of ,pavlova1 the woman4 ,i have seen all sides of her character4 ,there are those who could testify to a very human side4 ,a friend of mine1 on being taken back stage at the ,manhattan ,opera ,house in ,new ,york to meet ,pavlova for the first time1 was greeted by a fusillade of ballet slippers being hurled with unerring aim1 not at him1 but at the departing back of her husband1 ,victor ,dandr1 all to the accompaniment of pungent ,russian imprecations4 ,under the strain of constant performance and rehearsal1 she was human enough to be ill tempered4 ,it was quite possible for her to be completely unreasonable4 ,on the other hand1 there are innumerable instances of her warmheartedness1 her generosity1 her tenderness4 ,passionately fond of children1 and denied any of her own1 the tenderness and concern she showed for all children was touching4 ,this took on a very practical expression in the home she established and maintained in a htel priv in ,paris for some thirty-odd refugee children4 ,this she supported1 not only with money1 but with a close personal supervision4 ,worldly things1 money1 jewelry1 meant little to her4 ,she was a truly simple person4 ,much of her most valuable jewelry was rarely1 if ever1 worn4 ,most of it remained in a safe-deposit vault in a ,broadway bank in ,new ,york ,city1 where it was found only after her death4 ,money was anything but a motivating force in her life4 ,i remember once when she was playing an engagement in ,chicago4 ,for some reason business was bad1 very bad1 as1 on more than one occasion1 it was4 ,the public at this time was firmly staying away from the theatre4 ,i was in a depressed mood1 not only because expenses were high and receipts low1 but because of the effect that half-empty houses might have on ,pavlova and her spirits4 ,while ,i tried to put on a smiling front that night at supper after the performance1 ,pavlova soon penetrated my poker-faced veneer4 ,she leaned across the table1 took my hand4 8,what's wrong1 ,hurokchik80 she asked4 8,nothing10 ,i shrugged1 with as much gallantry as ,i could muster4 ,she continued to regard me seriously for a moment4 ,then3 8,nonsense40 ,she repeated it with her usual finality of emphasis4 8,nonsense4 ,i know what's wrong4 ,business is bad1 and ,i'm to blame for it4444 ,look here 444 ,i don't want a penny1 not a kopeck4444 ,if you can manage1 pay the boys and girls2 but as for me1 nothing4 ,nothing1 do you understand8 ,i don't want it1 and ,i shan't take it40 ,pavlova's human qualities were1 perhaps1 never more in evidence than at those times when1 between tours and new productions1 she rested 8at home10 at lovely ,ivy ,house1 in that northern ,london suburb1 ,golder's ,green1 not far from where there now rests all that was mortal of her3 ,east ,wall #cgaa4 ,here in the rambling unpretentiousness of ,ivy ,house1 among her treasures1 surrounded by her pets1 she was completely herself4 ,here such parties as she gave took place4 ,they were small parties1 and the 8chosen0 who were invited were old friends and colleagues4 ,although the parties were small in size1 the food was abundant and superlative4 ,on her ,american tours she had discovered that peculiarly ,american institution1 the cafeteria4 ,after rehearsals1 she would often pop into one with the entire company4 ,eyes a-twinkle1 she would wait until all the company had chosen their various dishes1 then select her own2 after depositing her heavily laden tray at her own table1 she would pass among the tables where the company was seated and sample something from every dish4 ,pavlova adored good food4 ,she saw to it that good food was served at ,ivy ,house and1 for one so slight of figure1 consumed it in amazing abundance4 ,one of these ,ivy ,house parties in particular ,i remember vividly1 for her old friend1 ,fodor ,chaliapine1 that stupendous figure of the world of the theatre who had played such an important part in my own life and career1 was1 on this occasion1 the life of the party4 ,he was in a gargantuan mood4 ,he had already dined before he arrived at ,ivy ,house4 ,i could imagine the dinner he had put away1 for often his table abounded with such delicacies as a large salmon1 often a side of lamb1 suckling pigs1 and tureens of schchee and borscht4 ,but despite this1 he did ample justice to ,pavlova's buffet and bar4 ,his jokes and stories were told to a spellbound audience4 ,these were the rare occasions on which ,i have seen this great musician1 with his sombre1 rather monkish face1 really relax4 ,this night ,pavlova was equally animated1 and ,chaliapine and she vied with each other in story-telling4 ,i studied them both as ,i watched them4 ,pavlova had told me of her own origins and first beginnings2 about her father1 her mother1 her childhood poverty4 ,here she sat1 sprung from such a humble start1 the world's greatest dancer1 the chatelaine of a beautiful and simple home1 the entire world at her feet4 ,facing her was another achievement1 the poor boy of ,kazan1 who1 in his early life1 suffered the pangs of hunger and misery which are the common experience of the ,russian poor4 ,he had told me how1 as a lad of seventeen in the town of ,kazan without a kopeck in his pocket1 day after day1 he would walk through the streets and hungrily gaze into the windows of the bakers' shops with hopeless longing4 8,hurok10 he had said1 8hunger is the most debasing of all suffering2 it makes a man like a beast1 it humiliates him40 ,one of the few serious stories he told that evening was of the time when he and my childhood idol1 ,maxim ,gorky1 were working on the boats on the ,volga and had to improvise trousers out of two pairs of old wheat-sacks which they tied round their waists4 ,gorky and ,chaliapine were both from ,kazan and of the same age4 ,tonight1 as the party wore on1 ,chaliapine sang folk songs1 gay songs1 sad songs1 ribald songs4 ,loving fine raiment1 tonight he had worn a tall gray top hat4 ,when he arrived and we had greeted him in the hallway1 ,i caught him watching his reflection in the long mirror and getting great satisfaction out of it4 ,now1 as he sang1 he became a ,tsar1 and it was difficult to imagine that he had never been anything but a great ,tsar all his life4 ,the party waxed even gayer1 the hour grew late4 ,we were all sitting on the floor3 ,pavlova1 ,chaliapine1 his wife ,masha1 and the other guests4 ,chaliapine had been gazing at ,pavlova for some time4 ,suddenly he turned and fixed his eyes on his wife appraisingly4 8,masha1 my dear10 he said1 after a long moment1 8you don't object to my having a child by ,annushka80 ,masha smiled tolerantly and quickly replied3 8,why don't you ask her80 ,chaliapine1 with all the dignity and solemnity of a ,boris ,godunoff1 put the question to ,pavlova4 ,pavlova's eyes fixed themselves on his1 with equal gravity4 8,my dear ,fedya10 she said1 quite solemnly1 8such matters are not discussed in public40 ,she paused1 then added mischievously3 8,let us make an appointment4 ,i am leaving for ,paris in a day or two4444 ,perhaps ,i shall take you along with me44440 99 99 99 99 99 ,in all the dance1 ,pavlova was my first love4 ,it was from her ,i received my strongest and most lasting impressions4 ,she proved and realized my dreams4 ,to the ,western ,world1 and particularly to ,america1 she brought a new and stimulating form of art expression4 ,she introduced standards1 if not ideas1 that have had an almost revolutionary effect4 ,anna ,pavlova had everything1 both as an artist and as a human being4 #c4 ,three ,ladies3 ,not ,from the ,maryinsky ,a4 ,a ,,neglected ,,american ,,genius--,,and ,,her 8,,children0 ,although my association with her was marked by a series of explosions and an overall atmosphere of tragi-comedy1 it is a source of pride to me that ,i was able to number among my dance connections that neglected ,american genius1 ,isadora ,duncan4 ,it was ,anna ,pavlova who spurred my enthusiasm to bring ,isadora to her own country1 in #aibb1 a fact accomplished only with considerable difficulty1 as those who have read my earlier volume of memoirs will recollect4 ,despite the fact they had little in common1 ,pavlova had a tremendous respect for this tall ,american dancer1 who abhorred ballet4 ,genius is a dangerous word4 ,often it is bandied about carelessly and1 sometimes1 indiscriminately4 ,in the case of this long-limbed girl from ,california it could not be applied more accurately or more precisely1 for she was a genius as a person as well as an artist4 ,she brought to ,europe and to her own ,america1 as well1 a new aesthetic4 ,one of four children of a rebellious mother who divorced the father she did not love1 ,isadora's childhood was spent in a quasi-,bohemian atmosphere in her native ,san ,francisco1 where her mother eked out a dubious living by giving music lessons4 ,isadora was the youngest of the four4 ,brother ,augustin took to the theatre2 ,brother ,raymond to long hair1 sandals1 ,greek robes1 and asceticism2 ,sister ,elizabeth eventually took over ,isadora's ,berlin ,school4 ,what started ,isadora on the road of the dance may never be known2 although it is a well established fact that she danced as a child in ,san ,francisco1 and early in her career traveled across the ,united ,states1 dancing her way1 more or less1 to ,new ,york4 ,i am reasonably certain that her dancing of that period bore little or no relation to that of her later period4 ,her early works were1 for the most part1 innocuous little pieces done to snippets of music by ,romantic composers4 ,her triumphs were in monumental works by ,beethoven1 ,wagner1 ,csar ,franck4 ,her battle was for 8freedom03 freedom in the dance2 freedom in wearing apparel2 freedom for women2 freedom for the body2 freedom for the human spirit4 ,in the dance1 ballet was to her a distortion of the human form4 ,personally1 ,i suspect the truth was that the strict discipline of ballet was something to which ,isadora could not submit4 ,inspiration was her guiding force4 ,she wore ,greek draperies when she danced2 her feet were bare4 ,yet there are photographs of ,isadora1 taken in the later 'nineties1 showing her wearing ballet slippers1 and a costume in which considerable lace is to be seen4 ,it was ,europe1 ,i feel1 that 8freed0 her dance4 ,isadora's was a ,european triumph4 ,in turn she conquered ,germany1 ,austria-,hungary1 ,russia1 ,greece4 ,she was hailed and fted4 ,there was no place in the ,american theatre for ,isadora's simplicity and utter artlessness4 ,it was in ,budapest that the tide turned for her1 thanks particularly to an able manager1 one ,alexander ,gross4 ,while ,i never knew ,mr4 ,gross1 ,i believe he fulfilled the true manager's purpose and function4 ,gross made an audience for a great artist1 an audience where one did not exist before1 until1 eventually1 all ,europe was her audience4 ,i have said that inspiration was ,isadora's guide4 ,she did1 of course1 have theories of dance2 but these theories were1 for the most part1 expressed in vague and general1 rather than in precise and particular1 terms4 ,they can be summed up in a sentence4 ,she believed that dance was life3 therefore1 the expression of some inner impulse1 or urge1 or inspiration4 ,the source of this impulse she believed was centered in the solar plexus4 ,she also believed she was of tremendous importance4 ,her own ideas of her own importance were1 in my opinion1 sometimes inflated4 ,to her eternal credit it must be noted that she battled against sugary music1 against trivial themes1 against artificiality of all sorts4 ,when her 8inspiration0 did not proceed directly from the solar plexus1 she found it in nature--in the waves of the sea and their rhythms1 in the simple process of the opening of a flower4 ,these frank and simple and desirable objectives1 if they had been all1 would not have excited the tremendous opposition that was hers throughout her lifetime4 ,nor did this opposition1 ,i believe1 spring solely from her unconventional ideas on love and sex4 ,isadora insisted on becoming a citizen of the world1 a champion of the world's less fortunate1 the underprivileged4 ,in doing so she cleared the air of a lot of nonsense and a lot of nineteenth century prudery which was by way of being carried over into the twentieth4 ,in ,europe1 in each and every country she visited1 she arrayed herself on the side of the angels1 i4e41 the revolutionaries4 ,the same is true in her own country4 ,she shocked her wealthy patrons with demonstrations of her own particular brand of democracy4 ,there was an occasion1 during one of her appearances at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 when she walked with that especial ,isadorian grace to the footlights and gave the audience1 with special reference to the boxholders1 the benefits of the following speech3 8,beethoven and ,schubert10 she said1 8were children of the people all their lives4 ,they were poor men and their great work was inspired by and belongs to humanity4 ,the people need great drama1 music1 dancing4 ,we went over to the ,east ,side and gave a performance for nothing4 ,what happened8 ,the people sat there transfixed1 with tears rolling down their cheeks4 ,that is how they cared for it4 ,funds of life and poetry and art are waiting to spring from the people of the ,east ,side4444 ,build for them a great amphitheatre1 the only democratic form of theatre1 where everyone has an equal view1 no boxes2 no balconies4444 ,why don't you give art to the people who really need it8 ,great music should no longer be kept for the delight of a handful of cultured people4 ,it should be given free to the masses4 ,it is as necessary for them as air and bread4 ,give it to them1 for it is the spiritual wine of humanity40 ,as for the ballet1 she continued to have none of it4 ,she once remarked3 8,the old-fashioned waltz and mazurka are merely an expression of sickly sentimentality and romance which our youth and our times have outgrown4 ,the minuet is but the expression of the unctuous servility of courtiers at the time of ,louis ,,xiv and hooped skirts40 ,isadora's ,european successes led to the establishment of schools of her own1 where her theories could be expounded and developed4 ,the first of these was in ,berlin1 and as her pupils1 her 8children10 developed1 she appeared with them4 ,when she first went to ,russia1 the controversy she stirred up has become a matter of ballet history2 and it is a matter of record that she influenced that father of the 8romantic revolution0 in ballet1 ,michel ,fokine4 ,russia figured extensively in ,isadora's life1 for she gave seasons there1 first in #aije1 and again in #aijg and #aiab4 ,then1 revolutionary that she was1 she returned to the ,soviet in #aiba1 established a school there and1 in #aibb1 married the 8hooligan0 poet1 ,sergei ,essenin4 ,throughout her life1 ,isadora had denounced marriage as an institution1 disavowed it1 fought it1 bore three children outside it1 on the ground that it existed only for the enslavement of woman4 ,there had been three ,duncan seasons in ,america before ,i brought her1 in #aibb1 for what proved to be her final visit to her native country4 ,the earlier ,american series were in #aijh1 when she danced with ,walter ,damrosch and the ,new ,york ,symphony ,orchestra1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 prior to a tour2 in #aiaa1 when she again danced with ,damrosch2 again in #aiaf1 when she returned to ,california1 early the next year1 after a twenty-two years' absence4 ,she also visited ,new ,york1 briefly1 in #aiae1 impulsively renting a studio at ,fourth ,avenue and ,twenty-third ,street1 with the idea of establishing a school4 ,it was during this brief visit that she made history of a kind by suddenly improvising a dance to the ,french national anthem at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,as ,i have pointed out1 enlightened dance criticism1 so far as the newspapers were concerned1 in those days was almost non-existent4 ,for those readers who might be interested1 however1 there are available1 in the files of ,the ,new ,york ,times1 penetrating analyses of her performances by the discerning ,carl ,van ,vechten4 ,the story of ,isadora's intervening years is marked by light and shadow4 ,hers was a life that could not long retain happiness within its grasp4 ,snatches of happiness were hers in her brief association with ,england's greatly talented stage designer1 that misunderstood genius of the theatre1 ,gordon ,craig1 the son of ,ellen ,terry1 by whom ,isadora had a child2 and yet another child by the lover who was known only as ,lohengrin4 ,her passionate love of children was touching4 ,never was it better exemplified than by her several schools1 her devotion to the girls and her concern for them4 ,most of all was it apparent in her selflessness in her attitude towards her own two children4 ,it is not difficult to imagine the depth of the tragedy for her when a car in which they were riding on their way to ,versailles toppled into the ,seine1 and the children were drowned4 ,a third child1 her dream of comfort and consolation1 died at birth4 ,it was in an attempt to forget this last tragedy that she brought her school to ,new ,york4 ,that same ,otto ,kahn1 who had made ,pavlova's first visit to ,america possible1 came to her rescue and footed the bills for a four weeks' season at the old ,century ,theatre1 which stood in lower ,central ,park ,west1 where ,brother ,augustin held forth with ,greek drama and biblical verse1 and ,isadora and the 8children0 danced4 ,the public remained away4 ,there was a press appeal for funds with which to liquidate a #ab1jjj indebtedness and to provide funds with which to get ,isadora and the 8children0 to ,italy4 ,another distinguished art patron1 the late ,frank ,vanderlip1 and others came to the rescue with cash and note endorsements4 ,thus1 once again1 ,isadora put her native ,america behind her in disgust4 ,her parting shot at the country of her birth was a blast at ,americans living and battening in luxury on their war profits while ,europe bled4 ,her #aiaf-aiag visit to her home shores was no more auspicious than the others4 ,she danced1 as ,i have said1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,lover ,lohengrin gave her a magnificent party following the performance1 a soire that ended in an expensive and scandalous debcle4 ,isadora sold her jewels piece by piece1 and succeeded in establishing her school at ,long ,beach4 ,quickly the money disappeared1 and ,gordon ,selfridge1 the ,london equivalent of ,marshall ,field1 paid her passage to ,london4 ,the 8children10 now grown up into the 8,isadorables10 remained behind to make themselves ,american careers4 ,it was after ,isadora's departure for ,london1 in #aiag1 that ,i undertook to help the six 8children0 to attain their desires4 ,they were a half-dozen of the loveliest children imaginable4 ,for their ,american debut as an independent group1 we first engaged ,george ,copeland1 specialist in the works of contemporary ,french and ,spanish composers1 and an artist of the first rank1 and later1 ,beryl ,rubinstein1 ,american composer and teacher1 and until his recent death director of the ,cleveland ,institute1 as accompanists4 ,smart ,new ,york had adopted the 8,isadorables40 ,the fashionable magazines had taken them up and had spread ,dr4 ,arnold ,genthe's photographs of ,anna1 ,lysel1 ,gretl1 ,thrse1 ,erica1 and ,irma over their pages4 ,frank ,crowninshield championed them4 ,during a hot ,june they sold out a half-dozen performances in ,carnegie ,hall1 which takes some doing at any time of the year4 ,following a successful tour1 ,i presented them at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 this time with an orchestra4 ,the girls1 charming1 delightful1 fresh1 were a direct product of ,isadora1 for which she used herself as model4 ,theirs was a reproduction of ,isadora's art4 ,one of them functions actively today1 ,maria ,thrsa1 giving out a fine1 strong1 sturdy reflection of ,isadora's training and ideas4 ,basically1 as an individualist1 ,isadora was a solo artist4 ,she made no great effort to build up group dances into a series of linked dances that result in some form of dance drama4 ,such mass dances as she arranged were in imitation of the ,greek chorus4 ,broken down into simple elements1 they were nothing more than lines of girls1 all of whom repeated the same simple movements4 ,her own creative gifts1 which were magnificent1 found their expression in her solo dances1 and it is in this respect ,maria ,thrsa splendidly carries on4 ,it was in ,germany that ,isadora's ideas made the deepest impression1 and any legacy she may have left finds its expression in the 8free0 school that comes out of that country4 ,if she had no abiding place1 ,berlin saw more of her when she was at her best than any other country4 ,it was there that the term 8goddess0 was attached to her4 ,even the sick were brought to see the performances of the ,gttliche ,heilige ,isadora in order that they might be cured4 ,the serious ,german writers were greatly impressed4 ,isadora expressed it thus3 8,the weekly receptions at our house in ,victoria ,strasse became the centre of artistic and literary enthusiasm4 ,here took place many learned discussions on the dance as a fine art2 for the ,germans take every art discussion most seriously1 and give the deepest consideration to it4 ,my dance became the subject of violent and even fiery debates4 ,whole columns constantly appeared in all the papers1 sometimes hailing me as a genius of a newly discovered art1 sometimes denouncing me as a destroyer of the real classic dance1 i4e41 the ballet40 ,in ,impresario ,i have written about ,isadora's last ,american tour1 under my management1 in all its more lurid aspects4 ,in ,february1 #aibc1 she returned to ,france1 and in #aibd went back to ,russia with her poet-husband1 ,essenin4 ,not long after1 ,essenin hanged himself to a hook on the wall of his room in the ,hotel ,angleterre1 in ,leningrad4 ,in #aibg1 ,isadora returned to ,paris1 and on #hth ,july gave her last concert at the ,thtre ,mogador4 ,her last conversation with me in ,paris was of the 8children40 ,this time she was referring to the pupils at her school in ,russia4 ,as ,i listened1 ,i could only feel that these 8children0 were to her but symbols of her own two children wastefully drowned in the ,seine4 ,she wanted me to bring her ,russian 8children0 to ,america--a visit1 as it were1 of her own spirit to her native land which had refused to accept her4 ,i promised4 ,in #aibh1 ,i was able to fulfill that promise by bringing fifteen of them1 chosen by ,irma of the 8,isadorables10 for a tour4 ,irma came with them1 presided over them2 brought them back for a second tour4 ,irma now lives quietly in the ,connecticut countryside4 ,a twisting scarf1 caught in the wheels of the car in which she was riding1 ended the earthly career of a misunderstood ,american genius4 ,was the end deliberate8 ,i only know she longed to die1 she with the passionate love for life4 ,a tremendous freedom-loving ,american1 she may1 ,i feel1 be called the first ,american dancer1 in the sense that she brought a new style and a new manner1 away from the accepted form of ballet4 ,i1 for one1 believe that ,isadora did more than any one else ,i know for the dance in ,america1 and received less gratitude and recognition for her contribution4 ,now that she is dead1 ,i feel for her exactly as ,i always felt4 ,though we do not love our friends for one particular quality but as a whole1 there is usually an element which1 while the friend is still with us1 especially appeals to us1 and the memory of which we most cherish when he or she is absent for a while or for ever4 ,for me that element in ,isadora was and is the extreme gentleness hidden in her heart of hearts4 ,those who knew her only as a combative spirit in the world of the dance may be astonished at that statement4 ,yet ,i hold that gentleness to have been absolutely fundamental in her character and that not a few of her troubles were attributable to continuing and exasperating outrage of it4 ,there was a superficial side of her that may seem to contradict that gentleness4 ,she had exasperating eccentricities1 stupid affectations4 ,her childishness and capriciousness1 her downright wilfulness could drive me nearly to distraction4 ,she could1 and often did waste infinite hours of my time1 and her own and others' money4 ,she lacked discipline in herself1 her life1 her work4 ,she could have been less arbitrary in many things1 including her condemnation of ballet4 ,on the other hand1 she had a quality of communication rare indeed in the theatre4 ,her faults were1 as ,i have said1 superficialities4 ,at base she was a genuinely gentle person4 ,just because she was gentle she could1 her sympathy being aroused1 exert herself to an extraordinary degree and after no gentle fashion on behalf of those things in which she believed1 and of others1 particularly artists4 ,for the same reason1 she frequently could not properly exert herself on her own behalf4 ,she was weary 7weary unto death at the last7 when that spring of gentleness1 in which some of her best work had its origin1 failed her4 ,hers was an intellect1 in my opinion1 of wider range1 of sterner mettle1 of tougher integrity1 of more persistent energy and of more imaginative quality than those of her detractors4 ,i hold because of ,isadora's innate gentleness1 and the fact it was so fundamental a thing in her1 being exasperated both by the events of her life and by her intellect's persistent commentary upon those events1 she became towards the close so utterly weary and exhausted that any capacity for a rational synthesis was lost4 ,hers was a romantic nature1 and a rational synthesis usually proceeds by the tenderness of the heart working upon the intellect to urge upon it some suspension of judgment1 and not by the hardness of the intellect working upon the heart and bidding it1 in reason's name1 to cease expecting to find things other and better than they are3 the hearts of other humans more tender and their heads one whit less dense4 ,a few words on what has been criticized by many as her 8free living40 ,today an unthinking license prevails in many circles4 ,if ,isadora's life displayed 8license0 in this sense1 it certainly was not an unthinking 8license40 ,isadora strongly held theories about personal freedom of thought and behavior and dared to act according to them4 ,those theories may be wrong4 ,that is a problem ,i have not here space to discuss4 ,but that1 believing in those theories1 ,isadora acted upon them and did not reserve them merely for academic discussion1 ,i hold to her eternal credit4 ,that ,isadora did others and herself damage in the process must be admitted4 ,but ,i have observed that many 8conventional0 persons do others and themselves a great deal of damage without displaying a tithe of ,isadora's integrity and courage1 since they act crudely upon theories in which they no longer in their heart of hearts believe1 or contradict their theories in captious action for lack of courage to discover new theories4 ,let us not forget that 8few know the use of life before 'tis past40 ,isadora died before she was fifty1 endowed with a temperament little calculated to make easy the paths of true wisdom1 paths which1 ,i venture to suggest1 often contradict the stereotyped notions of them entertained by those who are unable or unwilling too closely to consider the matter4 ,to her personal tragedies must be added the depressing influence of the unfathomable indifference of her countrymen to art and artists and to herself4 ,i take it ,i have said enough to indicate that such 8conventional0 solutions as may occur to some readers were inadmissible in ,isadora's case1 just as inadmissible in fact as they would be in a novel by ,dostoievsky4 ,in any event1 she paid to the end for any mistakes she may have made1 and it is not our duty to sit in judgment on her1 whether one theoretically disapproves of her use of what sometimes has been called the 8escape-road40 ,it is one's duty to understand1 and by understanding to forgive4 ,i have heard it remarked that there was a streak of cruelty in ,isadora4 ,gentle natures of acute sensibility and strong intelligence1 long exasperated by indifference and opposition to what they hold of sovereign importance in art and life1 are apt to turn cruel and even vindictive at times4 ,i never witnessed her alleged cruelty or vindictiveness to any one and ,i will not go on hearsay4 ,one of the great satisfactions of a long career in the world of dance is that ,i was able to be of some service to this neglected genius4 ,i can think of no finer summation of her than the words of that strange1 aloof genius of the ,british theatre1 ,gordon ,craig1 when he wrote3 8 444 ,she springs from the ,great ,race---- ,from the line of ,sovereigns1 who ,maintain the world and make it move1 ,from the ,courageous ,giants1 ,the ,guardians of ,beauty---- ,the ,solver of all ,riddles40 ,b4 ,,colored ,,lights ,,and ,,fluttering ,,scarves ,it is a far cry from ,isadora to another ,american dancer1 whose 8children0 ,i toured across ,america and back1 in #aibf4 ,loie ,fuller1 8the lady with the scarf10 was at that period championed by her friend1 the late ,queen ,marie of ,roumania1 when that royal lady embarked upon a lecture tour of the ,united ,states that same year4 ,loie ,fuller was loosely attached to the royal entourage4 8,la ,loie0 had established a school in ,paris1 and wanted to exhibit the prowess of her pupils4 ,i was inveigled into bringing them quite as much by ,loie ,fuller's dynamic1 active manager1 ,mrs4 ,bloch1 as ,i was by the aging dancer herself4 ,loie ,fuller was something of a phenomenon4 ,born in ,chicago1 in #ahfb1 her first fame was gained as a child temperance lecturer in the mid-west4 ,according to her biographers1 she took some dancing lessons1 but found the lessons too difficult and abandoned them after a short time4 ,switching to the study of voice1 she gave up her youthful ,carrie ,nation attacks on alcohol and obtained a singing part in a stage production4 ,as the story goes1 while she was appearing in this stage role1 a friend in ,india made her a gift of a long scarf of very light weight silk4 ,playing with her present1 watching it float through the air with the greatest of ease1 she found her vocation4 ,it was as simple as that4 ,here was something new3 a dance in which a great amount of fluttering silk was kept aloft1 the while upon it there constantly played variegated lights1 projected by what in the profession is known as a 8color-wheel10 a circular device containing various colored media1 rotated before an arc-lamp4 ,thus was born the ,serpentine ,dance4 ,here was no struggle on the part of the artist to find her medium of expression1 no seeking for a new technique or slogging effort perfecting an old one2 no hours spent sweating at the barre2 no heartache4 ,loie ,fuller was not concerned with steps1 with style1 with a unique and individual quality of movement4 ,loie ,fuller had a scarf4 ,loie ,fuller had an instantaneous success4 ,her career was made on the ,serpentine ,dance4 ,but she also had one other inspiration4 ,a 8sunrise0 stage effect that she used was mistaken by the audience as a dance of fire1 as the light rays touched her flowing scarves and draperies4 8,la ,loie0 was not one to miss a chance4 ,she gathered her electricians about her--for in the early days of stage lighting with electricity nothing was impossible4 ,the revolving 8light-wheels0 were increased in number1 as were the spot-lights4 ,since all this happened in ,paris1 ,loie ,fuller's ,danse de ,feu became to ,france what the ,serpentine ,dance had been to ,america4 ,the ,french adopted her as their own4 ,widely loved1 she became 8,la ,loie40 ,her stage arrangements were often startling2 they could not always be called dancing4 ,the arms and feet of her 8children0 were always subordinated to the movements of the draperies4 ,so tricky was the business of the draperies that it is said that none of her designers or seamstresses were permitted to know more than a small part of their actual construction4 ,her imitators were many1 with the result that1 for a time1 the musical comedy stages of both ,europe and ,america had an inundation of illuminated dry goods4 ,it was the 8children0 who kept 8,la ,loie's0 serpentine and fire dances alive4 ,when ,loie ,fuller suggested the ,american tour1 the idea interested me because of the novelty involved4 ,it was1 incidentally1 my only 8incognito0 tour4 ,i accepted an invitation from ,queen ,marie of ,roumania to visit her at the ,royal ,palace in ,bucharest to discuss the proposed tour with ,her ,majesty and ,loie ,fuller1 who was a close friend and confidante of the ,queen4 ,the tour was in the interest of one of the ,queen's pet charities and1 moreover1 it had diplomatic overtones4 ,naturally1 under the circumstances1 no managerial auspices were credited on the programmes4 ,in addition to the purely ,loie ,fuller characteristic numbers1 the ,loie ,fuller ,dancers1 on this tour1 offered ,some ,dance ,scenes from the ,fairy ,tale of ,her ,majesty ,queen ,marie's 8,the ,lilly of ,life10 as presented at the ,grand ,opera1 ,paris4 ,apart from this1 the 8children0 had all the old ,loie ,fuller tricks1 and a few new ones4 ,their dance vocabulary was far from extensive1 but there was a pleasant enough quality about it4 ,when ,i made the tour1 in association with ,queen ,marie1 the 8children0 were1 to put it kindly1 on the mature side2 and it took a great deal of their dramatic1 vital and dynamic managers drive to keep the silks fluttering aloft4 ,mrs4 ,bloch was a remarkable woman1 who had handled the 8children0 for ,loie ,fuller a long time4 ,the tour of the ,loie ,fuller ,dancers is not one of my proudest achievements2 but ,i know the gay colours1 the changing lights brought pleasure to many4 ,years later1 on a visit to ,paris1 ,i received a telephone call from ,mrs4 ,bloch1 requesting an appointment4 ,it was arranged for the following day4 ,at the appointed hour ,i went down to the foyer of the ,hotel ,meurice to await her coming4 ,some minutes later1 ,i observed an elderly lady1 supported by a cane1 enter and cross the foyer1 walking slowly as the aged do1 and using her cane noticeably to assist her4 ,i paid scant attention until1 from where ,i sat near the desk1 ,i overheard her explaining to the concirge that she had a 8rendezvous0 with ,monsieur ,hurok4 ,i simply did not recognize the human dynamo of #aibf4 ,a quarter of a century had slipped by4 ,much of that time1 she told me1 she had spent in ,africa4 ,despite the change in her physical appearance1 despite the toll of the years1 the flame still burned within her4 ,her mission8 ,to try to get me to bring the ,loie ,fuller ,dancers to ,america for another tour4 ,as ,i observed the changes that had taken place in their manager1 ,i could not help visualizing what twenty-five years must have done to the 8children40 ,c4 ,a ,,teutonic ,,priestess ,my dance associations in what ,i may call my 8early middle0 period led me into excursions far afield from that form of dance expression which is to me the most completely satisfying form of theatrical experience4 ,for the sake of the record1 let us set the date of this period as #aicj4 ,surely there have been few in the history of the dance whose approach to the medium was so foreign to and so different from the classical ballet1 where lie my deepest interests and my chief delight1 than that ,teutonic priestess1 ,mary ,wigman4 ,when ,i brought ,wigman to ,america1 shortly after the ,great ,crash1 she was no longer young4 ,she had been born in ,germany1 in #ahhf1 and could hardly have been called a 8baby ballerina40 ,originally a pupil of ,emile ,jacques ,dalcroze1 the father of ,eurhythmics1 whose pupils in a 8demonstration0 had kindled ,wigman's interest in the dance1 she did not remain long with him4 ,dalcroze himself1 at this stage1 apparently had little interest in dancing4 ,however1 he established certain methods which proved of interest to certain gifted dancers4 ,the ,dalcroze basis was musical1 and his chief function was to foster a feeling for music in his pupils4 ,music frustrated1 handicapped1 restricted her1 ,wigman felt4 ,individualist that she was1 she left her teacher in order to work out her own dance destiny4 ,there followed a period of some uncertainty on her part1 and1 for a time1 she became a pupil of the ,hungarian teacher1 ,rudolf von ,laban1 who laid down in pre-war ,germany the foundations for modern dance4 ,unlike ,isadora ,duncan1 ,laban had no aversion to ballet4 ,as a matter of fact1 he liked much of it1 was influenced by it2 was impressed by the ,diaghileff ,ballet1 was friendly with ,diaghileff1 and became an intimate of ,michel ,fokine4 ,his later violent reaction from ballet was certainly not based on lack of knowledge of it4 ,at the ,laban school1 ,wigman collaborated with him1 and having a streak of choreographic genius1 was able to put some of ,laban's theories into practical form4 ,however1 ,mary ,wigman's forceful personality was greater than any school and1 in #aiai1 she broke away from ,laban1 and formed a school of her own4 ,she abandoned what were to her the restricting influences of formal music1 as ,isadora had abandoned clothing restrictions4 ,a dancer of tremendous power1 like ,isadora she had an overwhelming personality4 ,again1 like ,isadora1 all this had a tendency to make her pupils only pale imitations of herself4 ,wigman's public career1 a secondary matter with her1 actually began in ,dresden1 in #aiah1 with her ,seven ,dances of ,life4 ,dresden was her temple4 ,here the ,teutonic ,priestess of the ,dance presided over her personal religion of movement4 ,german girls were joined by ,americans4 ,the disciples grew in number and spread out through ,germany like proselyting missionaries4 ,wigman groups radiated the gospel until one found schools and factories and societies turning out en masse for 8demonstrations0 of the ,wigman method4 ,i have said that ,wigman found music a deterrent to her method4 ,on the other hand1 one of the most important features of her 8school0 was a serious1 thorough1 ,germanic research into the question of what she felt was the proper musical accompaniment for dance4 ,her pupils learned to devise their own rhythmic accompaniment4 ,in her show pieces1 at any rate1 ,wigman's technique was to have the music for the dance composed simultaneously with the creation of the dance movements--certainly a new type of collaboration4 ,in addition to forming a 8schule10 where great emphasis was laid on 8spannungen10 perhaps best explained as tensions and relaxations1 she also created a philosophical cult in that strange hot-house that was pre-war ,germany1 with an intellectualized approach to sex4 ,i had known about her and her work long before ,i signed a contract with her for the #aicj-aica season4 ,pavlova had talked to me about her and had aroused my curiosity and interest2 but ,i was unable to imagine what might be ,america's reaction to her4 ,i was turning the idea over in my mind1 when there appeared at my office1--in those days in ,west ,forty-second ,street1 overlooking ,bryant ,park1--a young and earnest enthusiast to plead her case4 ,his name was ,john ,martin4 ,in an earlier chapter ,i have pointed out the low estate of dance criticism of that period4 ,in its wisdom1 the ,new ,york ,times had1 shortly before the period of which ,i now write1 taken tentative steps to correct this deficiency by creating a dance department on the paper1 with ,john ,martin engaged to report the dance4 ,martin's earnest and special pleading on behalf of ,mary ,wigman moved me and1 as always1 eager to experiment and present something new and fresh1 ,i decided to cast the die4 ,the effect of my first announcement of her coming was a bit disconcerting4 ,the first to react were the devotees4 ,there was a fanaticism about them that was disturbing4 ,it is one thing to have a handful of vociferous idolaters1 and quite another to be able to fill houses with paying customers night after night4 ,when ,i met ,wigman at the pier on her arrival in ,new ,york1 ,i greeted a middle-aged muscular ,amazon1 a rather stuffy appearing ,teutonic ,amazon1 wearing a beaver coat of dubious age1 and a hat that had seen better days4 ,but what struck me more forcibly than the plainness of her apparel was the woman herself4 ,she greeted me with a warm smile2 her gray eyes were large1 frank1 and widely set2 and from beneath the venerable and rather battered hat1 fell a shock of thick1 wavy brown hair4 ,she spoke softly1 deeply1 in a completely unaccented ,english with a ,british intonation4 ,there was no ballet company with her1 no ship-load of scenery1 properties and costumes4 ,her company was made up of two persons in addition to herself3 a lesser ,amazon in the person of ,meta ,mens1 who presided over ,wigman's costumes--one trunk--and her percussion instruments--tam-tams1 ,balinese gongs1 and a fistful of reedy wind instruments2 the other1 a lanky1 pale-faced chap with hyper-thyroid eyes1 ,hanns ,hastings1 who composed and played such music as ,wigman used4 ,on the day before the opening1 ,i gave a party at the ,plaza ,hotel as a semi-official welcome on the part of our ,american dancers1 among whom were included that great pioneer of our native contemporary dance1 ,martha ,graham1 together with ,doris ,humphrey1 ,charles ,weidman1 and1 of course1 that champion of the modern dance1 ,john ,martin4 ,much depended upon ,wigman's first ,new ,york performance4 ,a tour had been arranged1 but not booked4 ,there is a decided difference in the terms4 ,in the language of the theatre1 a tour is not 8booked0 until the contracts have been signed4 ,the preliminary arrangements are called 8pencilling in40 ,the pencil notations are inked only when signatures are attached to the contracts4 ,if the ,new ,york premire fizzled1 there would be no inking4 ,i had taken the ,forty-sixth ,street ,theatre1 and the publicity campaign under the direction of my good friend1 ,gerald ,goode1 had been under way for weeks4 ,it was a distinguished audience and a curious one that assembled in the ,forty-sixth ,street ,theatre for the opening performance4 ,it was an enthusiastic one that left at the end4 ,i had gone back stage before the curtain rose to wish ,wigman well1 but the priestess was unapproachable4 ,as she did before each performance1 she entered the 8silence40 ,under no circumstances did she permit any disturbance4 ,she would arrive at the theatre a long time before the scheduled time of the curtain's rise1 and1 in her darkened dressing-room1 lie in a mystic trance4 ,later she danced as one possessed4 ,if the opening night audience was enthusiastic1 which it was1 ,i am equally sure some of its members were confused4 ,at later performances1 as ,i stood in my customary position at the rear of the auditorium as the public left the theatre1 ,i was not infrequently pressed by questions4 ,these questions1 however they may have been phrased1 meant the same thing4 8,what do the dances mean80 8,what is she trying to say80 8,what does it all signify80 ,i am not easily embarrassed1 as a rule4 ,the constant reiteration of this question1 however1 proved an exception4 ,for the benefit of a generation unfamiliar with the ,wigman dance1 ,i should explain that her dances were1 as she called them1 8cycles40 ,in other words1 her performances consisted of groups of dances with an alleged relationship3 a relationship so difficult to discern1 however1 that ,i suspect it must have existed only in ,wigman's mind4 ,the one dance that stands out most vividly in my mind is one she called ,monotonie4 ,in ,monotonie1 ,wigman stood in the dead center of the stage4 ,then she whirled and whirled and whirled4 ,as the whirling continued she was first erect1 then slowly crouching1 slowly rising until she was erect again2 but always whirling1 the while a puny four-note phrase was endlessly repeated4 ,through a sort of self-hypnosis1 her whirling had an hypnotic effect on her4 ,in a sort of mystic trance herself1 ,wigman succeeded1 up to a point1 in inducing a similar reaction on her public4 ,but what did it mean8 ,i did not know1 but ,i was determined to find out4 ,audience members1 local managers1 newspaper men were badgering me for an answer4 ,to any query that ,i put to ,wigman1 her deep-throated reply was always the same3 8,oh1 the meaning is too deep2 ,i really can't explain it40 ,it was much later1 during the course of the tour following the ,new ,york season1 that ,i arrived at the 8meaning0 of ,wigman's dances1 and that will be told in its proper place4 ,after the tumult and the shouting had died that opening night at the ,forty-fourth ,street ,theatre1 ,i took ,wigman to supper with some friends4 ,as we left the theatre together1 ,wigman was still in her trance2 but1 as the food was served1 she came out of it with glistening eyes and a rapid-fire sort of highly literate chatter1 in the manner of one sliding back to earth from the upper world4 ,the party over and ,wigman back in her hotel1 ,i sat up to await the press notices4 ,they were splendid4 ,no one dared describe her 8meaning10 but all were agreed that here was a dynamic force in dance that drove home her 8message40 ,the notice ,i awaited most eagerly was that of the ,new ,york ,times4 ,the first ,city ,edition did not carry it1 something which ,i attributed to the lateness of the final curtain4 ,i waited for the ,late ,city ,edition4 ,still not a line about ,wigman4 ,i simply could not understand4 ,for years ,i had struggled to have the dance treated with respect by the press4 ,through the ,pavlova days ,i talked and tried to convert editors to a realization of its importance4 ,any readers who are interested have only to turn up the files of their local newspapers and read the 8reviews0 of the period of the ,pavlova and ,diaghileff companies to find that ballet1 in most cases1 was 8covered0 by disgruntled music critics1 who had been assigned1 in many cases obviously against their wills1 to review4 ,you would find that the average music critic either overtly disliked ballet and had said so1 or else treated it flippantly4 ,at the time of ,wigman's arrival in ,america1 the ice had been broken1 as ,i have said1 by the appointment of ,john ,martin at the head of a full-time dance department at the ,new ,york ,times4 ,mary ,watkins1 eager1 enthusiastic1 informed1 was fulfilling a like function on the ,new ,york ,herald-,tribune4 ,thus dance criticism was on its way to becoming professional2 and the men and women of knowledge and taste and discernment who criticize dance today1 ,i cannot criticize4 ,for ,i have respect for the professional4 ,the ,new ,york ,times review of ,wigman's opening performance did not appear4 ,since ,john ,martin had urged me to bring ,wigman to ,america1 it was the more baffling4 ,prior to ,martin's engagement by the ,new ,york ,times1 that remarkable and beloved figure1 ,william 78,bill07 ,chase1 for so many years the editor of the music department of the ,times and formerly the music critic of the ,sun1 and to the end of his life my very good friend1 had 8reported0 the dance4 ,since he insisted he knew nothing about it1 he never attempted to criticize it4 ,i had frequently suggested to 8,bill0 that the ,times should have a qualified person at the head of a bona fide dance department4 ,eventually ,john ,martin was engaged1 and ,i am happy to have been able to play a part in the beginnings of the change on the part of the ,american press4 ,i have mentioned that the change was gradual1 for ,martin's articles at first were unsigned and had no by-line4 ,in the early days1 ,martin merely reported on dance events4 ,to be sure1 at that time1 there was little enough to report4 ,then ,leonide ,massine was brought to the ,roxy ,theatre by the late ,samuel ,rothapfel to stage weekly presentations of ballet2 and then there was something about which to write4 ,since then ,john ,martin has helped materially to spread the gospel of ballet and dance4 ,it was at approximately the ,massine-,roxy stage of the dance criticism development that ,i searched the ,times for the ,wigman notice4 ,most of the newspapers carried rave reviews1 and because they did1 ,i was the more mystified1 since in the ,times there was not so much as a mention even that the event had taken place4 ,however1 out-of-town friends1 including the late ,richard ,copley1 well-known concert manager1 telephoned me from ,new ,jersey to congratulate me on the glowing review they had read in the ,suburban ,edition1 and read it to me over the telephone4 ,there were dozens of other calls from suburban communities to the same effect4 ,i called the editorial department of the ,times to enquire about its omission from the ,new ,york ,city edition4 ,there was some delay1 but eventually ,i was informed that it would seem that the night city editor had read ,john ,martin's story in the ,suburban ,edition1 saw that it carried no by-line1 no signature2 read its glowing and enthusiastic account of the ,wigman premire2 and because it was so fulsome in its enthusiasm1 assumed it was merely a piece of press-agent's ballyhoo1 and forthwith pulled it out of all other editions4 ,armed with this information1 ,i proceeded to bombard the ,times with protests4 ,one of these was directly to the head of the editorial department1 whom ,i asked to reprint the notice that had been dropped4 ,i was rather summarily told ,i was not to try to dictate to the ,times what it should print4 ,by now utterly exasperated1 ,i got hold of my friend 8,bill0 ,chase1 who drily counselled me to 8keep my shirt on40 ,chase immediately went on a tour of investigation4 ,he called me back to tell me that the ,board of ,editors at their daily meeting had gone into the matter but were unwilling to print the notice ,i had asked1 since they had been 8scooped0 by the other newspapers and it was1 therefore1 no longer news3 but1 they had decided that1 in the future1 ,martin would have a by-line4 ,then ,chase added1 with that wry ,new ,england humour of his for which he was famous1 that1 with the possession of a by-line1 no editor would dare 8kill0 a review4 ,it might1 of course1 be cut for space1 but never 8killed40 ,the next ,sunday the readers of the ,new ,york ,times read ,john ,martin's notice of ,mary ,wigman's first performance1 and it was uncut4 ,but it was a paid advertisement1 bearing1 in bold-faced type1 the heading3 8,,the ,,news ,,that',s ,,fit ,,to ,,reprint40 ,as a result of the ,new ,york premire1 the 8pencilled0 tour was 8inked10 and ,i traveled most of the tour with the ,priestess4 ,newspaper men continued to demand to know the 8meaning0 of her dances4 ,since ,wigman1 most literate of dancers1 refused any explanation1 ,i made up my own4 ,i told a reporter that ,wigman was continuing and developing the work of ,isadora ,duncan4 ,the reporter wrote his story4 ,it was printed4 ,wigman read it without comment4 ,from then on1 however1 ,wigman's reply to all queries on the subject was3 8,where ,isadora ,duncan stopped1 there ,i began40 ,the quickly 8inked0 tour was a success beyond any anticipations ,i had had1 and a second tour was booked and played with equal success4 ,the mistake ,i made was when ,i brought her back for a third season1 and with a group of her disciples4 ,america would accept one ,wigman2 but twenty husky1 bulky ,teutonic ,amazons in bathing suits with skirts were more than our public could take4 ,moreover1 the group was not typical of the ,wigman 8schule0 at anything like its best4 ,as a matter of fact1 it was a long way from the ,teutonic ,priestess's highest standards4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was after the war4 ,mrs4 ,hurok and ,i were paying our first post-war visit to ,switzerland1 and stopped off at ,zurich4 ,my right-hand bower1 ,mae ,frohman1 had come to ,zurich to join us4 ,we learned that ,wigman was there as well1 giving master-classes in association with ,harald ,kreutzberg4 ,our initial efforts to find her were not successful4 ,mrs4 ,hurok1 ,miss ,frohman and ,i were at dinner4 ,we were unaware that another diner in the same restaurant was ,mary ,wigman4 ,it was ,miss ,frohman who recognized her as she was leaving the room4 ,wigman had changed4 ,time had taken its inevitable toll4 ,the meeting was a touching one4 ,we all foregathered in the lounge for a talk4 ,things were not easy for her2 nor was conversation exactly smooth4 ,her ,dresden 8schule0 had been commandeered by the ,nazis4 ,she was now living in the ,russian sector of ,germany4 ,it had been very difficult for her to obtain permission from the ,russian authorities to come to ,zurich for her master-classes4 ,she was obliged to return within a fixed period4 ,she preferred not to talk about the war4 ,conversation1 as ,i have said1 was not easy4 ,but there are things which do not require saying4 ,my sympathies were aroused4 ,the great1 strong personality could never be quite erased1 nor could the fine mind be utterly stultified4 ,i watched and remembered a great lady and a goodly artist4 ,it is gratifying to me to know that she is now resident in the ,american zone of ,berlin1 and able to continue her classes4 #d4 ,sextette ,a4 ,a ,,spanish ,,gypsy ,such was the influence of ,the ,swan on my approach to dance that1 although she was no longer in our midst1 ,i found myself being guided subconsciously by her direction4 ,there were arrangements for a tour of ,pavlova and a small company1 for the season #aica-aicb1 not under my management4 ,death liquidated these arrangements4 ,had the tour been made1 ,pavlova was to have numbered among her company the famous ,spanish gypsy dancer of the #aicj's1 ,vicente ,escudero1 one of the greatest ,iberian dancers of all time4 ,pavlova had championed ,duncan and ,wigman4 ,i had brought them4 ,i determined to bring ,escudero to help round out the catholicity of my dance presentations4 ,spanish dancing had always intrigued me1 and ,i had a soft spot for gypsies of all nationalities4 ,escudero1 who had been the partner of the ineffable ,argentina1 had earned a reputation which1 to understate1 bordered on the picturesque4 ,small1 wiry1 dark-skinned1 with an aquiline nose1 he wore his kinky1 glossy black hair long to cover a lack-lustre bald spot4 ,he1 like most ,spanish gypsies1 claimed descent from the ,moors1 and there was about him more of the ,arab than the ,indian4 ,as ,i watched him ,i could understand how he must have borne within him the stigma of the treatment ,spain had meted out to his people2 for it was not until the nineteenth century that the gypsies in ,spain had any freedom at all4 ,until then1 they were pariahs1 hounded by the people1 hounded by the law4 ,only within the last fifty-or-so years has the ,spanish gypsy come into his own with the universal acknowledgment of being a creative artist1 the originator of a highly individual and beautiful art4 ,escudero was a ,granada gypsy1 a 8gitano0 from the white caves hollowed out in the ,sacred ,mountain4 ,i point this out in order to distinguish him from his ,sevillian cousins1 the 8flamenco40 ,his repertoire ranged through the ,zapateado1 the ,soleares1 the ,alegrias1 the ,bulerias1 the ,tango1 the ,zamba4 ,his special triumph was the ,farruca4 ,it was on the #agth ,january1 #aicb1 that ,i introduced ,vicente ,escudero to ,new ,york audiences at the #dfth ,street ,theatre1 where ,wigman had had her triumph4 ,a number of ,new ,york performances were given1 followed by a brief tour1 which1 in turn1 was succeeded by a longer coast-to-coast tour the following year4 ,his company consisted of four besides himself3 a pianist1 a guitarist2 the fiery1 shrewish ,carmita1 his favorite2 and the shy1 gentle-voiced ,carmela4 ,but it was ,escudero's sinister1 communicative personality that drew and held audiences4 ,his gypsy arrogance shone in his eyes1 in the audacious tilt of his flat-brimmed hat1 in his complete assurance2 above all it stood out in his strutting masculinity4 ,eschewing castanets1 for gypsy men consider their use effeminate1 he moved sinuously but majestically1 with the clean heel rhythm and crackling fingers that marked him as the outstanding gypsy dancer of his day and1 quite possibly1 of all time4 ,for accompaniment there was no symphony orchestra1 only the hoarse syncopation of a single guitar4 ,through half-parted lips shone the gleaming ivory of small1 perfectly matched teeth4 ,for two successful seasons ,i toured ,escudero across ,america1 spreading a new and thrilling concept of the dance of ,spain to excited audiences1 audiences that reached a tremendous crescendo of fervor at the climax of his ,farruca4 ,no theatrical ,farruca this1 but a feline1 animal dance straight from the ancient ,spanish gypsy camp4 ,i had been forewarned to be on my guard4 ,however1 though his arrival in ,america had been preceded by tall tales of his completely unmanageable nature1 ,escudero proved to be one of the simplest1 most tractable artists ,i ever have handled4 ,there was on his part an utter freedom from the all too usual fits of 8temperament10 a complete absence of the hysterics sometimes indulged in--and all too often--by artists of lesser talents4 ,i happen to know1 from other sources than ,escudero1 that he took a dim view of ,american food1 hotels1 and the railway train accommodations in the remoter parts of this great land4 ,he never complained to me4 ,escudero had his troubles with ,carmita and ,carmela1 as they vied with each other for position and his favors4 ,but these troubles never were brought to my official attention4 ,like the head of a gypsy camp1 he was the master4 ,he ruled his little troupe and distributed both favors and discipline4 ,in #aice1 ,escudero made his last ,american appearance1 when ,i presented the ,continental ,revue at the ,little ,theatre1 now the ,new ,york ,times ,hall4 ,among those appearing with ,escudero in this typical ,european entertainment were the ,french chanteuse1 ,lucienne ,boyer1 ,mrs4 ,hurok1 ,lydia ,chaliapine1 ,rafael1 together with that comic genius1 ,nikita ,balieff1 as master of ceremonies4 ,other and younger dancers of ,spain continue to spread the gospel of the ,iberian dance4 ,i venture to believe that1 highly talented though many of them are1 ,i may say with incontrovertible truth1 there has been only one ,escudero4 ,b4 ,a ,,swiss ,,comedian ,in #aica1 a slight1 short ,swiss girl named ,trudi ,schoop with the dual talents of a dancer and a comedienne--a combination not too common--organized a company in her native ,switzerland4 ,she named it the ,trudi ,schoop ,comic ,ballet4 ,the ,paris ,archives ,internationales de la ,danse1 formed in #aica by ,rolf de ,mar1 the ,swedish dance patron who was responsible for the ,swedish ,ballet in the early 'twenties1 in #aicb sponsored the first ,international ,choreographic ,competition in ,paris4 ,the prize-winning work in this initial competition was won by ,kurt ,joos for his now famous ,the ,green ,table4 ,the second prize went to this hitherto almost unknown ,trudi ,schoop1 for her comic creation1 ,fridolin4 ,in #aicf1 ,i brought her with her company for their first tour4 ,here again was a fresh and new form of dance entertainment4 ,tiny1 with a shock of boyishly cut blonde hair1 ,trudi ,schoop had the body of a young lad1 and a schoolboy's face alternating impishness with the benign innocence of the lad caught with sticky fingers and mouth streaked with jam4 ,her repertoire consisted of theatre pieces rather than ballets in the accepted sense of the term4 ,trudi herself was a clown in the sense ,charles ,chaplin is a clown4 ,her range was tremendous4 ,with a company trained by her in her own medium of gentle satire1 she was an immediate success4 ,her productions had no dcor1 and there was a minimum of costume4 ,but there was a maximum of effective mime1 of wit1 of satire4 ,her brother1 ,paul ,schoop1 was her composer1 conductor1 accompanist4 ,trudi ,schoop's outstanding success was the prize-winning work1 ,fridolin4 ,schoop was ,fridolin2 ,fridolin was ,schoop4 ,fridolin was an innocent boy in a black ,sunday suit and hat who stumbled and bumbled through a world not necessarily the best of all possible1 wringing peals of laughter out of one catastrophe after another4 ,other almost equally happy and successful works in her repertoire included ,hurray for ,love2 ,the ,blonde ,marie1 the tale of a servant girl who eventually becomes an operatic diva2 and ,want ,ads1 giving the background behind those particularly humorous items that still appear regularly in the 8,agony ,column0 of ,the ,times 7,london72 you know1 the sort of announcement that reads3 8,honourable ,lady 7middle fifties7 seeks acquaintance3 object matrimony40 ,the critical fraternity dubbed her the 8funniest girl in the world02 the public adored her1 and theatre folk made her their darling4 ,prior to the outbreak of the war1 ,i sent ,trudi and her ,swiss ,comedians across ,america4 ,when1 at last1 war broke in all its fury1 ,schoop retired to her native ,switzerland and disbanded her company4 ,she did not reassemble it until #aidf2 and in #aidg ,i brought them over again for a long tour of the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,on this most recent of her tours1 in addition to her familiar repertoire1 we made a departure by presenting an evening-long work1 in three acts1 called ,barbara4 ,this was1 so far as ,i know1 the first full-length work to be presented in dance form in many cities and towns of the ,north ,american continent4 ,full length1 of course1 in the sense that one work occupied a full evening for the telling of its story4 ,this is another form of dance pioneering in which ,i am happy to have played a part4 ,today ,trudi ,schoop1 who has retired from the stage1 lives with her sister in ,hollywood4 ,c4 ,a ,,hindu ,,deity ,back in #aibd1 in ,london1 ,i had watched a young ,hindu dancer with ,pavlova in her ballet1 ,hindu ,wedding4 ,i was struck by the quality of his movement and by the simple beauty of the dance of ,india4 ,his name was ,uday ,shan-,kar4 ,from ,pavlova ,i learned that he was the son of a ,hindu producer of plays1 that he had been trained by his father1 and had worked so successfully in collaboration with him in the production of native ,hindu mimed dramas that ,pavlova had persuaded ,shan-,kar to return to ,london to assist her in the production of an ,indian ballet she had in mind1 based on the ,radna-,krishna legend4 ,pavlova succeeded in persuading him to dance in the work as well4 ,later ,i saw him at the ,paris ,colonial ,exposition1 where1 with his company which he had organized in ,india1 he made a tremendous impression1 subsequently achieving equal triumphs in ,england1 ,austria-,hungary1 ,germany and ,switzerland4 ,at the ,paris ,exposition ,i saw long ,hindu dramas1 running for hours1 beautifully and sumptuously produced1 but played with the greatest leisure4 ,since ,i am committed to candor in this account of my life in the dance1 ,i must admit that ,i saw only parts of these danced dramas1 took them in relays1 for ,i must confess mine is a nature that cannot remain immobile for long stretches at a time before a theatre form as unfamiliar as the ,indian was to me then4 ,gradually ,i came to know it1 and ,i realized that in ,india formal mime and dance are much more a part of the life of the people than they are with us4 ,with the ,indian1 dance is not only an entertainment1 but a highly stylised stage art2 it plays an important part in religious ritual2 it is a genuinely communal experience4 ,as night after night ,i watched parts of these symbolic dance dramas of ,hindu mythology1 fascinated by them1 ,i searched for a formula whereby they might be made palatable and understandable to ,american audiences4 ,i was certain that1 as they were being danced in ,paris1 to music strange and unfamiliar to ,western ears1 going on for hours on end1 the ,american public was not ready for them1 and would not accept them4 ,i put the matter straight to ,shan-,kar4 ,i told him ,i wanted to bring him and his art to ,america4 ,he told me he wanted to come4 ,possessed of a fine scholarship1 a magnificent three-fold talent as producer1 choreographer1 and dancer-musician1 he also possessed to a remarkable degree a sense of theatre showmanship and an intuition that enabled him to grasp and quickly understand the space and time limitations of the non-oriental theatre4 ,shan-,kar's association with ,pavlova1 together with his own fine intelligence1 made his transition from the dance theatre of the ,orient to an adaptation of it acceptable to the ,west a comparatively simple task for him4 ,his success in ,america exceeded my most optimistic predictions4 ,until the arrival of ,shan-,kar1 ,america had not been exposed to very much of the dance of ,india4 ,twenty years before1 the ,english woman known as ,roshanara had had a vogue in esoteric circles with her adaptations of the dances of ,india and the ,east4 ,on the other hand1 the male dancing of ,india was virtually unknown4 ,as presented by ,shan-,kar1 this was revealed in an expressive mime1 with an emphasis on the enigmatic face1 the flat hand1 using the upper part of the body as the chief medium of expression1 together with the unique use of the neck and shoulders1 not only for expression1 but for accentuation of rhythm4 ,new1 also1 to our audiences were the spread knees1 a type of movement exclusive to the male ,indian dancer4 ,here was an art and an artist that seemingly had none of the conventional elements of a popular success4 ,about him and his presentations there was nothing spectacular1 nothing stunning1 nothing exciting4 ,colour was there1 to be sure2 but the dancing and the general tone of the entertainment was all of a piece1 on a single level1 soothing1 and with that elusive1 almost indefinable quality3 the serenity of the ,east4 ,our associations1 save for a brief period of mistrust on my part1 have always been pleasant4 ,in addition to the original tour of #aicb1 ,i brought him back in the season #aicf-aicg1 and again in #aich-aici4 ,the war1 of course1 intervened1 and ,i was unable to bring him again until the season #aidi-aiej4 ,at the outbreak of the war1 through the benefaction of the ,elmhirst ,foundation of ,dartington ,hall1 ,england1 an activity organized by the former ,dorothy ,straight1 ,shan-,kar was enabled to found a school for the dance and a center for research into ,hindu lore1 which he set up in ,benares4 ,one outcome of this research center was the production of a motion picture film dealing with this lore4 ,after seeing many of the ,eastern dances and dancers who have been brought to ,western ,europe and the ,united ,states1 ,i am convinced ,uday ,shan-,kar is still the outstanding exponent4 ,i hope to bring him again for further tours1 for ,i feel the more the ,american people are exposed to his performances1 the better we shall understand the fine and delicate art of the ,east1 and the ,east itself4 ,d4 ,a ,,spanish ,,lady ,although my taste for the dances of ,spain had been whetted by my association with ,escudero1 ,i had long wished to present to ,america the artist whom ,i knew was the finest exponent of the feminine dance of the ,iberian peninsula4 ,the task was by no means an easy one1 for her first ,american venture had been a fiasco4 ,the lady from ,spain was anything but eager to risk another ,north ,american venture4 ,her name was ,encarnacion ,lopez4 ,but it was as ,argentinita that she was known to and loved by all lovers of the dance of ,spain1 and recognized by them as its outstanding interpreter of our time4 ,her story will bear re-telling4 ,my enthusiasm1 my utmost admiration for the ,spanish dance1 and for the great art of ,argentinita is something that is not easy for me to express4 ,diaghileff is known to have said with that unequivocation for which he was noted3 8,there are two schools of dancing3 the ,classic ,ballet1 which is the foundation of all ballet2 and the ,spanish school40 ,i would have put it differently by saying that ,classic ,ballet and the ,spanish school are the two types of dancing closest to my heart4 ,my first view of ,argentinita was at ,new ,york's ,majestic ,theatre1 in #aica1 when she made her ,american dbut in ,lew ,leslie's ill-fated ,international ,revue4 ,this performance1 coincidentally enough1 also brought forth for his first ,american appearance1 the ,british dancer1 ,anton ,dolin1 who later also came under my management and who1 like ,argentinita1 was to become a close personal friend4 ,for ,dolin1 the opening night of the ,international ,revue was certainly no very conspicuous beginning2 for ,argentinita1 however1 it was definitely a sad one4 ,this charming1 quiet-voiced lady of ,spain knew that she was a great artist4 ,thrust into the hurly-burly of an ineptly produced ,broadway revue1 where all was shouting and screaming1 ,argentinita continued her quiet way and1 artist that she was1 avoided shouting and screaming her demands4 ,i was present at the opening performance4 ,although she was outwardly calm1 collected1 restrained1 ,i could sense the ordeal through which ,argentinita was going4 ,in order to insure proper rhythmic support1 she had brought her own orchestra conductor from ,spain4 ,this gentleman was able to speak little1 if any1 ,english4 ,from where ,i sat ,i could see the musicians poring over their parts and could hear them commenting to each other about the music4 ,obviously the parts were in bad order and1 equally obviously1 there had been little or no rehearsal2 and1 moreover1 it appeared the music was difficult to read at short notice4 ,it was one of those strange ironies of fate that ruined something that1 properly handled1 should and would have been a triumph4 ,yet it was not only the orchestra and the music that were at fault4 ,argentinita herself was shockingly presented1 if she can honestly be said to have been presented at all4 ,she made her entrance as a ,spanish peasant1 in a ,spanish peasant costume which1 though correct in every detail1 was devoid of any effect of what the average audience thinks is ,spanish4 ,she was asked to dance in a peasant scene against a fantastic set purporting to be ,spanish1 surrounded by a bevy of ,broadway showgirls in marvellous exotic costumes1 also purporting to be ,iberian1 with trains yards in length1 which were no more authentically ,spanish1 or meant to be1 than were those of the tango danced by that well-known ball-room dancing team of ,moss and ,fontana1 who came on later in the same scene4 ,under such circumstances1 success for ,argentinita was out of the question4 ,so bitter was her disappointment that she left the cast and the company two weeks after the opening4 ,later she gave a ,sunday night recital in her own repertoire1 and although ,i set to work immediately to persuade her that there was an audience for her in ,america1 a great1 enthusiastic audience1 such were her doubts that it took me six years to do it4 ,i knew she was a born star1 for ,i recognized1 shining in the tawdry setting of this revue1 a vivacious theatre personality4 ,when ,argentinita finally returned to ,america1 in #aich1 under my management1 and made her appearance on #acth ,november of that year1 at the ,majestic ,theatre1 on the same stage where1 seven years before1 she had so utterly and tragically failed1 this time to enthusiastic cheers and a highly approving press1 she admitted ,i had been correct in my judgment and in my insistence that she return4 ,there is little point in recounting at this time her subsequent triumphs all over ,america1 for her hold on the public increased with each appearance1 and she is all too close to the memories of contemporary dance lovers4 ,i have said that ,argentinita was a great artist4 ,that will bear repeating over and over again4 ,every gesture she made was feminine and beautiful and1 to my mind1 she portrayed everything that was lovely and most desirable4 ,while her castanets may not actually have sung1 they spoke of many lovely things4 ,argentinita was a symbol of the womanhood of ,spain1 warm1 rich-blooded1 wholesome1 and ,i always felt certain there were not enough hats in the world1 least of all in ,spain1 to throw at her feet to pay her the homage that was her due4 ,argentinita was born of ,spanish parents in ,buenos ,aires1 in #ahih1 and taken back to ,spain by them when she was four years old4 ,at that early age she commenced her training in the ,spanish dance in all its varied forms and styles1 for she was equally at home in the ,spanish ,classic dance as she was in the ,gypsy or ,flamenco dances4 ,those who saw the poem she could make from las ,soleares of ,andulasia1 the basic rhythm of all ,spanish gypsy dances1 know how she gave them the magic of a magic land2 or the gay ,alegrias1 performed in the sinuous manner1 rich with contrasts of slow1 soft1 and energetic movements1 with the characteristic stamping1 stomping1 sole-tapping1 clapping1 and finger-snapping4 ,it was in the ,alegrias that ,argentinita let her fancy roam with the slow tempo of the music4 ,the ,european dance analysts had noted that here1 as also at other times and places1 ,argentinita danced to please herself4 ,when the tempo quickened1 her mood changed to one of gaiety and abandon4 ,it is a difficult matter for me to pin down my memories of this splendid artist and her work3 las ,sevillianas1 the national dance of ,seville1 danced by all classes and conditions of people1 the ,queen of ,flamenco dances2 or the ,bulerias1 the most typical of all gypsy dances1 light and gay1 the dance of the fiesta4 ,argentinita was not only a dancer4 ,she was an actress of the first order4 ,she had been a member of ,martinez ,sierra's interesting and vital creative theatre in ,madrid4 ,she sang ,chansons ,populaires in a curiously throaty1 plaintive little voice that could1 nevertheless1 fill the largest theatre1 despite the cameo-like quality of her art1 fill even the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 with the sound1 the color1 the atmosphere of ,spain4 ,dancer of ,spain that she was1 her repertoire was not by any means confined to the dance and music and life of the peoples of the ,iberian peninsula4 ,she traveled far afield for her material1 through the towns and villages of ,south and ,central ,america4 ,yet she was no mere copyist4 ,works and ideas she found were transmuted into terms of the theatre by means of a subtle alchemy4 ,she had a deep knowledge of the entire ,spanish dance tradition1 and knew it all1 understood its wide historical and regional changes4 ,in her regional works1 from ,spanish folk to the heart of the ,andes1 she kept the flavor of the original1 but personalized the dances4 ,about them all was a fundamental honesty2 nothing was done for show4 ,there were no heroics2 no athleticism4 ,in addition to the ,alegrias1 ,sevillianas1 ,fandangos1 ,jotas of ,spain1 the folk dances and folk songs of ,brazil1 ,argentina1 ,peru1 and the remote places of ,latin ,america and of its ,indian villages were hers4 ,none who ever saw her do it can ever quite obliterate the memory of ,el ,huayno1 implicit as it was with the stark dignity and nobility of the ,inca woman1 and called by one critic1 8the greatest dance of our generation40 ,i have a particularly fond memory of ,on the ,route to ,seville1 in which a smoothie from the city outwitted and outdid the gypsies in larceny2 and also ,i remember fondly that nostalgic picture of the ,madrid of #aijj1 which she called1 simply enough1 ,in ,old ,madrid4 ,as our association developed and continued1 ,i was happy to be able to extend the scope of her work and bring her from the solitary and non-theatrical dance recital platform on which1 one after the other1 from coast to coast1 her journeys were a succession of triumphs1 to the stage of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house in ,new ,york4 ,here1 with her own ensemble1 chief among which was her exceptionally talented sister1 ,pilar ,lopez1 ,i placed them as guests with one ballet company or another--with ,leonide ,massine in ,manuel de ,falla's ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat and in ,capriccio ,espangnol1 by ,rimsky-,korsakoff1 on the choreography of which she collaborated with ,massine4 ,in addition to these theatre adaptations of the dances of ,spain1 she danced in her own dances1 both solo and with ,pilar ,lopez4 ,she trained and developed excellent men1 notably ,jos ,greco and ,manolo ,vargas4 ,i am especially happy in having been instrumental in bringing to the stage two of her most interesting theatrical creations4 ,one was the ballet she staged to de ,falla's ,el ,amor ,brujo1 which ,i produced for her4 ,the other was the ,garcia ,lorca ,el ,caf de ,chinitas4 ,argentinita had been a devoted friend of the martyred ,loyalist poet1 and to bring his work to the ,american stage was a project close to her heart and a real labor of love4 ,argentinita belonged to a close little circle of scholars1 poets1 and composers1 which included ,martinez ,sierra1 ,jacinto ,benavente1 and the extraordinarily brilliant1 genius-touched ,garcia ,lorca4 ,the production of ,el ,caf de ,chinitas was made possible during a ,spanish festival ,i gave1 one spring1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,for this festival ,i engaged ,jos ,iturbi to conduct a large orchestra composed of members of the ,new ,york ,philharmonic ,orchestra4 ,argentinita had succeeded in interesting the ,marquis de ,cuevas in the project4 ,for ,el ,caf de ,chinitas the ,marquis commissioned settings and costumes from ,salvador ,dali4 ,the result was one of the most effective and best considered works for the theatre emanating from ,dali's brush4 ,dali1 like ,argentinita1 had been a friend of the martyred patriot-poet-composer4 ,his profounder emotions touched1 ,dali designed as effective a setting as the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house has seen4 ,the first of the two scenes was a tremendously high wall on which hung literally hundreds of guitars1 a 8graveyard of guitars10 as ,dali phrased it2 while the second scene1 the ,caf de ,chinitas itself1 revealed the heroic torso of a female dancer with her arms upstretched in what could be interpreted as an attitude of the dance1 or1 if one chose1 as a crucifixion4 ,from where the hands held the castanets there dripped blood1 as though the hands had been pierced4 ,in terms of symbols1 this was ,dali's representation of the crucifixion of his country by hideous civil war4 ,this was ,argentinita's last production1 and one of her happiest creations4 ,a victim of cancer1 ,argentinita died in ,new ,york on #bdth ,september1 #aide4 ,i was at the hospital at the end1 together with my friend and hers1 ,anton ,dolin4 ,her doctors had long prescribed complete rest for her and special care4 ,but her life was the dance1 and stop she could not4 ,heroically she ignored her illness4 ,if there was one thing about her more conspicuous than another1 it was her tiny1 dainty1 slippered feet4 ,no longer will they dart delicately into the lovely positions on the floor4 ,in ,argentinita there was never either bitterness or unkindness to any one4 ,i have seen1 at first hand1 ,argentinita's encouragement and unstinted help to others1 and to lesser dancers4 ,the success of others1 whether it was the artists in her own programmes1 or elsewhere1 was a joy to her2 nothing but the best was good enough4 ,her sister1 ,pilar ,lopez1 who survives her and who today dances with great success in ,europe1 carrying on her sister's work1 is a magnificent dancer4 ,when the two sisters danced together1 everything that could be done to make ,pilar shine more brilliantly was done2 and that1 too1 was the work of ,argentinita4 ,her loyalty to me was something of which ,i am very proud4 ,above all1 it was the dignity and charm of the woman that played a great part in the superb image of the artist who was known as ,argentinita4 ,e4 ,a ,,terpsichorean ,,anthropologist ,the mixture of dance and song and anthropology1 with a firm accent on sex1 that struck a new note in the dance theatre1 hailed from ,chicago4 ,her name is ,katherine ,dunham4 ,she is a dynamo of energy2 she is elusive2 she is unpredictable4 ,she is a quite superb combination of exoticism and intellectuality4 ,daughter of a ,french-,canadian and an ,american ,negro1 ,katherine was born in ,joliet1 ,illinois1 in #aiad4 ,her theatrical experience has ranged from art museums to night clubs1 from ,broadway to ,london's ,west ,end1 to the ,thtre des ,champs ,elyses in ,paris1 to ,european triumphs4 ,her early life was spent and her first dancing was done in ,chicago4 ,she flashed across the ,american entertainment world comet-like4 ,more recently she has confined her activities almost exclusively to ,england and ,europe4 ,i had no part in her beginnings4 ,by the time ,i undertook to manage her1 she had assembled her own company of ,negro dancers and had oscillated between the rarefied atmosphere of women's clubs and concert halls1 on the one hand1 to night clubs and road houses1 on the other4 ,the atmosphere of the latter was both smoky and rowdy4 ,katherine ,dunham1 ,i suspect1 is something of a split personality1 so far as her art is concerned4 ,possessor of a fine mind1 it would seem to have been one frequently in turmoil4 ,on the one side1 there is a keen intellectual side to it1 evidenced by both a ,bachelor of ,philosophy and a ,master of ,arts degree from the ,university of ,chicago1 two ,rosenwald ,fellowships1 and a ,rockefeller ,fellowship4 ,her ,masters degree is in anthropology4 ,these studies she pursued1 as ,i have said1 on the one hand4 ,on the other1 she studied and practiced the dance with an equal fierceness4 ,her intellectual pursuits have been concerned1 for the most part1 with anthropological researches into the ,negro dance4 ,her first choreographic venture was her collaboration with ,ruth ,page1 in ,chicago1 in ,la ,guiablesse1 a ballet on a ,martinique theme1 with a score based on ,martinique folk melodies by the ,american composer1 ,william ,grant ,still1 a work with an all-,negro cast1 seen both at the ,century of ,progress ,exhibition and the ,chicago ,opera ,house1 in #aicc4 ,dunham became active in the ,federal ,dance ,theatre1 and its ,chicago director4 ,it was when she was doing the dances for the ,international ,ladies' ,garment ,workers ,union depression-time revue1 ,pins and ,needles1 that she tried a ,sunday dance concert in ,new ,york at the ,forty-eighth ,street ,theatre4 ,so successful was it that it was repeated every ,sunday for three months4 ,turning to the theatre1 she added acting and singing to dancing and choreography1 both on the stage and in films1 appearing as both actress and singer in ,cabin in the ,sky4 ,she intrigued me1 both by the quality of her work1 her exoticism1 and her loyalty to her little troupe1 for the members of which she felt herself responsible4 ,i first met her while she was appearing at the ,mark ,hopkins ,hotel1 in ,san ,francisco4 ,she was closing her engagement4 ,she was down and out1 trying to keep her group together4 ,i arranged for an audition and1 after seeing her with her group1 undertook to see what could be done4 ,present with me at this audition were ,agnes de ,mille1 then in ,san ,francisco rehearsing with the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo what was to become her first choreographic triumph1 ,rodeo1 together with ,alexandra ,danilova and ,frederick ,franklin4 ,my idea in taking over her management was to try to help her transform her concert pieces into revue material1 suitable not only to the country's concert halls1 but also to the theatre of ,broadway and those road theatres that were becoming increasingly unoccupied because of the paucity of productions to keep them open4 ,certain purely theatrical elements were added1 including some singers1 one of them being a ,cuban tenor2 and1 to supplement her native percussion players1 a jazz group1 recruited from veterans of the famous 8,dixieland ,band40 ,we called the entertainment the ,tropical ,revue4 ,the ,tropical ,revue was an immediate success at the ,martin ,beck ,theatre in ,new ,york and1 thanks to some quick work1 ,i was able to secure additional time at the theatre and to extend the run to six weeks4 ,this set up some sort of record for an entertainment of the kind4 ,as an entertainment form it rested somewhere between revue and recital4 ,miss ,dunham herself had three outstanding numbers4 ,these were her own impressions of what she called different 8hot0 styles4 ,these were responsible for some of the heat that brought on the sizzling of the scenery to which the critics referred4 ,the first of her numbers was ,bahiana1 a limpid and languid impression of ,brazil2 then ,shore ,excursion1 a contrasting piece1 fast1 hot1 tough1 and ,cuban4 ,the third was ,barrelhouse1 an old stand-by of hers1 straight out of ,chicago's ,jungletown4 ,tropical ,revue1 during its two years under my management1 was in an almost perpetual state of flux4 ,it was revised and revised1 and revised again4 ,as the tours proceeded1 ,dunham did less and less dancing and more and more impersonation4 ,but while her 8bumps0 grew more discreet1 there was no lessening of the heat4 ,dunham's choreography was best in theatricalized ,west ,indian and ,latin ,american folk dances1 some of which approached full-scale ballets4 ,the best of these1 in my opinion1 was ,l',ag'ya1 a three-scened work1 ,martinique at core1 the high light of which was the 8ag'ya10 a kicking dance4 ,here she was able to put to excellent use authentic ,afro-,caribbean steps1 and in the overall choreographic style1 ,i would not feel it unfair to say that ,dunham's style had been considerably influenced by the ,chicago choreographer and dancer1 ,ruth ,page1 with whom ,dunham had collaborated early in her career4 ,it did not take me long to discover the public was more interested in sizzling scenery than it was in anthropology1 at least in the theatre4 ,since the ,tropical ,revue was fairly highly budgeted1 it was necessary for us1 in order to attract the public1 to emphasize sex over anthropology4 ,dunham1 with a shrewd eye to publicity1 oscillated between emphasis first on one and then on the other2 her fingers were in everything4 ,in addition to running the company1 dancing1 singing1 revising1 she lectured1 carried on an unending correspondence by letter and by wire1 entertained lavishly1 and added considerably1 ,i am sure1 to the profits of the ,american ,telephone and ,telegraph ,company4 ,columns were written about her1 and fulsome essays1 a good deal of which was balderdash4 ,the handling of this tour presented its own special set of problems4 ,not the least of these was the constantly recurring one of housing4 ,we have come a long way in the ,united ,states in disposing of ,jim ,crow2 but there is still a great deal to be done4 ,hotel accommodations for the artists of the ,tropical ,revue were a continual source of worry4 ,one ,pacific ,coast city was impossible4 ,when1 after days of fruitless searching1 our representative thought he had been able to install them in a neighboring town1 the ,chinese owner of the hotel1 on learning his guests were not white1 canceled the reservations4 ,a certain midwestern city was another trouble spot1 where1 in one of the city's leading hostelries1 the employees threatened to strike because of the presence there of some of the principal artists4 ,this was averted by some quick work on the part of our staff4 ,it should be noted1 too1 that these unfortunate difficulties were all in cities north of what we hoped was the non-existent ,mason and ,dixon ,line4 ,miss ,dunham1 quite naturally1 was disturbed and exercised by this discrimination4 ,in order to avoid this kind of unpleasantness1 ,i had tried to restrict the bookings to northern cities4 ,however1 it became necessary to play an engagement in a southern border city4 ,the results were not happy4 ,at the time of making the booking1 ,i did not realize that in this border state segregation was practiced in its ,municipal ,auditorium4 ,the house was sold out on the opening night4 ,owing to wartime transportation difficulties1 the company was late in arriving4 ,just before the delayed curtain's rise1 ,miss ,dunham requested four seats for some of her local friends4 ,she was asked by the manager of the ,auditorium if they were colored4 ,miss ,dunham replied that they were2 whereupon the manager offered to place chairs for them in the balcony1 since colored persons were not permitted in the orchestra stalls4 ,miss ,dunham protested1 and objected to her friends being seated other than in the orchestra4 ,the fact was there were no seats available in the stalls1 since the house was sold out4 ,however1 had it not been for the segregation rule1 four extra chairs could have been placed in the boxes4 ,the performance was enthusiastically received1 with repeated curtain calls at its close4 ,miss ,dunham responded with a speech4 ,she thanked the audience for its appreciation and its warm response4 ,then1 smarting under the accumulated pressures of discrimination throughout the tour1 climaxed by the incident involving her friends1 she paused1 and added3 8,this is good-bye4 ,i shall not appear here again until people like me can sit with people like you4 ,good-bye1 and ,god bless you--and you may need it40 ,while there was no overt hostile demonstration in the theatre1 there were those who felt ,miss ,dunham's closing words implied a threat4 ,the press1 ever alert to scent a scandal1 demanded a statement about my attitude on segregation in theatres1 and to know if ,i approved of artists under my management threatening audiences4 ,it was one of those rare times when1 for some reason1 ,i could not be reached by telephone4 ,faced with the necessity of making some sort of statement1 my representative issued one to the effect that ,mr4 ,hurok deplored and was unalterably opposed to discrimination of any kind anywhere2 but that1 as a law-abiding citizen1 however much he deplored such regulations1 he was bound to conform to the laws and regulations obtaining in those communities and theatres where he was contractually obliged to have his attractions appear4 ,but ,i have taken care never again to submit artists to any possible indignities1 if there is any way of avoiding it4 ,i shall relate a last example of the sort of difficulties that arose on this tour and1 to my mind1 it is the most stupid of them all1 if there can be said to be degrees of stupidity in such matters4 ,in addition to the large orchestra of conventional instruments we carried1 ,miss ,dunham had four ,guatemalan percussionists who dramatically beat out the ,caribbean rhythms on a wide assortment of gourds1 tam-tams1 and other native drums1 both with the orchestra and in several scenes on the stage4 ,it happened in a northern city4 ,the head of the musicians' union local demanded to know if there were any 8niggers0 in our orchestra4 ,my representative1 who feels very strongly about such matters and who resents the term used by the local union president1 replied that he did not understand the question4 ,all members of the orchestra1 he said1 were members of the ,american ,federation of ,musicians1 and had played as a unit across the entire country1 and such a question had never arisen4 ,the local union official thereupon tersely informed him the colored players would not be permitted to play with the other musicians in the orchestra pit in that city2 if they attempted to do so1 he would forbid the white players to play4 ,my representative1 refusing to bow to such an ukase1 appealed to the head office of the ,musicians' ,union1 in ,chicago--only to be informed by them that1 however much headquarters disapproved of and deplored the situation1 each union local was autonomous in its local rulings and there was nothing they could do4 ,now comes the irony of the situation4 ,my representative1 on visiting the theatre1 saw that the stage boxes abutted the orchestra pit on the same level with it 8,why not place the percussionists there80 he thought4 ,he proposed this to the union official1 and was informed that this would be permitted1 8so long as there is a railing between the white players and the black40 ,it was only later1 on thumbing through the local telephone directory1 my representative discovered there were two musicians' locals there4 ,one of them was listed with the word 8colored0 after it1 in parenthesis4 ,yes1 we still have a long road ahead in the matter of fair employment practices and equal opportunities for all4 ,having had a satisfying taste of the theatre1 ,miss ,dunham eventually turned to it as her exclusive medium of expression1 and branched out into a full-fledged theatre piece1 with plot and all1 called ,carib ,song1 which1 transmuted into ,caribbean ,rhapsody1 proved more successful on the other side of the ,atlantic than it did in the ,states4 ,my association with ,katherine ,dunham seemed to satisfy1 at least for the moment1 my taste for the exotic4 ,i cannot say it added much to my knowledge of anthropology1 but it broadened my experience of human nature4 ,i presented ,katherine ,dunham and her company in ,buenos ,aires and throughout ,south ,america during the season #aidi-aiej when our association came to an end4 ,in her artistic career ,katherine ,dunham has been greatly aided by the advice and by the practical help1 in scenic and costume design1 of her husband1 the talented ,american painter and designer1 ,john ,pratt4 ,while the scope of ,katherine ,dunham's dancing and choreography may be limited by her anthropological bias1 she has a first-rate quality of showmanship4 ,she has studied1 revived1 rearranged for the theatre primitive dances and creole dances1 which are in that borderland that is somewhere at the meeting point of ,african and ,western culture4 ,anthropology aside and for the moment forgotten1 she is a striking entertainer4 ,f4 ,,an ,,american ,,genius ,it may well be that1 considered as an individual1 the ,american ,martha ,graham is one of the greatest dance celebrities in the ,united ,states4 ,there are those who contend she is the greatest4 ,she is certainly the most controversial4 ,there seems to be no middle school of thought concerning her4 ,one of them bursts forth with an enthusiasm amounting almost to idolatry4 ,the other shouts its negatives quite as forcibly4 ,my first love and my greatest interest is ballet4 ,however1 that love and that interest do not obscure for me all other forms of dance1 as my managerial career shows4 ,having presented prophets and disciples of what1 for want of a more accurate term1 is called the 8free0 dance1 in the persons of ,isadora ,duncan and her 8children0 and ,mary ,wigman1 ,i welcomed the opportunity to present the ,american ,high ,priestess of the contemporary dance4 ,this product of a long line of ,new ,england forbears was a woman past fifty when she came under my management4 ,yet she was at the height of her powers1 in the full bloom of the immense artistic accomplishment that is hers1 a dancer of amazing skill1 a choreographer of striking originality1 an actress of tremendous power4 ,the first and by far the most important prophet of the contemporary dance1 ,martha ,graham was originally trained in the ,ruth ,st4 ,denis-,ted ,shawn tradition4 ,a quarter of a century ago1 however1 she broke away from that tradition and introduced into her works a quality of social significance and protest4 ,as ,i think over her choreographic product1 it seems to me that1 in general--and this is a case where ,i must generalize--her work has exhibited what may be described as two major trends4 ,one has been in the direction of fundamental social conflicts2 the other1 towards psychological abstraction and a vague mysticism4 ,about all her work is an austerity1 stark and lean2 yet this cold austerity in her creations is always presented by means of a brilliant technique and with an intense dramatic power4 ,i made it a point for years to see as many of her recital programmes as ,i could1 and ,i was never sure what ,i was going to see4 ,each time there seemed to me to be a new style and a new technique4 ,she was constantly experimenting and while1 often1 the experiments did not quite come off1 she always excited me1 if ,i did not always understand what she was trying to say4 ,i have the greatest admiration for ,martha ,graham and for what she has done4 ,she has championed the cause of the ,american composer by having works commissioned1 while she has1 at the same time1 championed the cause of free movement and originality in the dance4 ,yet1 so violent1 so distorted1 so obscure1 and sometimes so oppressive do ,i find some of her works that ,i am baffled4 ,it is these qualities1 coupled with the complete introspection in which her works are steeped1 that make it so extremely difficult to attract the public in sufficient numbers to make touring worthwhile or ,new ,york seasons financially possible without some sort of subsidy4 ,i shall have something to say1 later on in this book1 on this whole question of subsidy of the arts4 ,meanwhile1 ,martha ,graham has chosen a lonely road1 and the introspectiveness of her work does not make it any less so4 ,the more's the pity1 for here is a great artist of the first rank4 ,martha ,graham completed my triptych of modern dancers1 commencing with ,isadora ,duncan and continuing with ,mary ,wigman as its center piece4 ,in many respects1 ,martha ,graham is by far the greatest of the three2 yet1 to me1 she is lacking in a quality that made the dances of ,isadora ,duncan so compelling4 ,it is difficult to define that quality4 ,negatively1 it may be that it is this very introspection4 ,perhaps it is that ,martha ,graham is no modernist at all4 ,modernism in dance1 ,i feel1 has become very provincial1 for it would seem that every one and her sister is a modernist4 ,isadora was a modernist4 ,fokine was a modernist4 ,mary ,wigman was a modernist4 ,today1 we have ,balanchine and ,robbins1 modernists4 ,scratch a choreographer1 scrape a dancer ever so lightly1 and you will find a modernist4 ,it is all very1 very provincial4 ,much of what is to me the real beauty of the dance--the lyric line1 the unbroken phrase1 the sequential pattern of the dance itself--has1 in the name of modernism1 been chopped up and broken4 ,martha ,graham1 of all the practitioners of the 8free0 dance1 troubles me least in this respect4 ,many of her works look like ballets4 ,yet1 at the same time1 she disturbs me2 never soothes me2 and1 since ,i have dedicated myself in this book to candor1 ,i shall admit ,i can take my dance without too much over-intellectualization4 ,yet1 in retrospect1 ,i find there are few ballets that have so much concentrated excitement as ,martha ,graham's ,deaths and ,entrances4 ,the choreography1 the dancing1 the art of ,martha ,graham are greatly appreciated by a devoted but limited public4 ,the lamentable thing about it to me is that it so limited4 ,she has chosen the road of the solitary and lonely experimenter4 ,martha ,graham1 of all the dancers ,i have known1 is1 ,i believe1 the most single-purposed1 the most fanatical in her devotion to an idea and an ideal4 ,about her and everything she does is an extraordinary integrity1 a consummate honesty4 ,generous to a fault1 ,martha ,graham always has something good to say about the work of others1 and she possesses a keen appreciation of all forms of the dance4 ,the high position she so indisputably holds has been attained1 as ,i happen to know1 only through great privation and hardship1 often in the face of cruel and harsh ridicule4 ,her remarkable technique could only have been acquired at the expense of sheer physical exhaustion4 ,in the history of the dance her name will ever remain at the head of the pioneers4 #e4 ,three ,ladies of the ,maryinsky--,and ,others ,up to now ,i have dealt with those artists of the dance whose forms of dance expression were either modern1 free1 or exotic4 ,all had been1 at one time or another1 under my management4 ,the rest of this candid avowal will be devoted to that form of theatrical dance known as ballet4 ,since ,i regard ballet as the most satisfactory and satisfying form of civilized entertainment1 ballet will occupy the major portion of the book4 ,nearly two full decades of my career as impresario have been devoted to it4 ,for a long time ,i have been alternately irritated and bored by an almost endless stream of gossip about ballet1 and by that outpouring of frequently cheap and sometimes incredible nonsense that has been published about ballet and its artists4 ,surprisingly1 perhaps1 comparatively little of this has come from press agents2 the press agents have1 in the main--exceptions only going to prove the rule1 in this case--been ladies and gentlemen of taste and discretion1 and they have publicized ballet legitimately as the great art it is1 and1 at the same time1 have given of their talents to help make it the highly popular art it is4 ,but there has been a plethora of tripe in the public prints about ballet1 supplied by hacks1 blind hero-worshippers1 self-abasing sycophants1 and producers4 ,the last are quite as vocal as any of the others4 ,they are not1 of course1 8producers40 ,they call themselves either 8managers0 or 8managing-directors40 ,i shall have something to say1 later on1 about this phase of their work4 ,they talk1 give interviews1 often of quite incredible stupidity2 and1 instead of being managers1 are masters of mismanagement4 ,all are1 in one degree or another1 would-be ,diaghileffs4 ,they all suffer from a serious disease3 a sort of chronic ,diaghileffitis1 which is spasmodically acute4 ,if anything ,i can say or point out in this book can help1 as it were1 to add a third dimension to the rather flat pictures of ballet companies and ballet personalities1 creative1 interpretive1 executive1 that have been offered to the public1 ,i shall be glad4 ,for ballet is a great art1 and my last thought would be to wish to denigrate1 debunk1 or disparage any one4 ,while 8the whole truth0 cannot always be told for reasons that should be obvious1 ,i shall try to tell 8nothing but the truth40 ,the ballet we have today1 however far afield it may wander in its experimentation1 in its 8novelties10 stems from a profoundly classical base4 ,that base1 emerging from ,italy and ,france1 found its full flowering in the ,imperial ,theatres of ,russia4 ,i cannot go on with my story of my experiences with ballet on the ,american continent without paying a passing tribute to the ,ladies of the ,maryinsky 7and some of the ,gentlemen1 as well71 who exemplified the ,russian ,school of ,ballet at its best2 many of them are carrying on in their own schools1 and passing on their great knowledge to the youth of the second half of the twentieth century1 in whose hands the future of ballet lies4 ,i should like to do honor to many ladies of the ,maryinsky4 ,to do so would mean an overly long list of names1 many of which would mean little to a generation whose knowledge of dancers does not go back much further than ,danilova4 ,it would mean a considerable portion of the graduating classes of the ,russian ,imperial ,school of the ,ballet3 that ,school1 dating from #agch1 whose code was monastic1 whose discipline was strict1 whose training the finest imaginable4 ,through this school and from it came the ladies and gentlemen of the ,maryinsky1 those figures that gave ballet its finest flowering on the stages of the ,maryinsky ,theatre in ,petrograd and the ,grand ,theatre in ,moscow4 ,anna ,pavlova1 ,mathilde ,kchessinska1 ,olga ,preobrajenska1 ,lubov ,egorova1 ,tamara ,karsavina1 ,lydia ,kyasht1 ,lydia ,lopokova4 ,there were men1 too3 ,michel ,fokine1 ,mikhail ,mordkin1 ,vaslav ,nijinsky1 ,adolph ,bolm1 ,theodore ,kosloff1 ,alexandre ,volinine1 ,laurent ,novikoff4 ,the catalogue would be too long1 if continued4 ,no slight is intended4 ,the turn of the century1 or thereabouts1 saw most of the above named in the full flush of their performing abilities4 ,what has become of them8 ,six of the seven ladies are still very much alive1 each making a valued contribution to ballet today4 ,the mortality rate among the men has been heavier2 only three of the seven men are now alive2 yet these three are actively engaged in that most necessary and fundamental department of ballet3 teaching4 ,because the present has its basic roots in the past1 and because the future must emerge from the present1 let me1 in honoring those outstanding representatives of the recent past1 pause for a moment to sketch their achievements and contributions4 ,,mathilde ,,kchessinska ,in the early twentieth century hierarchy of ,russian ,ballet1 ,mathilde ,kchessinska was the undisputed queen1 a tsarina whose slightest wish commanded compliance4 ,she was a symbol of a period4 ,mathilde ,kchessinska was born in #ahgb1 the daughter of a famous ,polish character dancer1 ,felix ,kchessinsky4 ,a superb technician1 according to all to whom ,i have talked about her1 and to the historians of the time1 she is credited with having been the first ,russian to learn the highly applauded 7by audiences7 trick of those dazzling multiple turns called fouetts1 guaranteed to bring the house down and1 sometimes today1 even when poorly done4 ,in addition to a supreme technique1 she is said to have been a magnificent actress1 both 8on0 and 8off40 ,hers was an exalted position in ,russia4 ,her personal social life gave her a power she was able to exercise in high places and a personal fortune which permitted her to give rein to a waywardness and wilfulness that did not always coincide with the strict disciplinarian standards of the ,imperial ,ballet4 ,although she was able to control the destinies of the ,maryinsky ,theatre1 to hold undisputed sway there1 to have everything her own way1 all that most people today know about her is that she was fond of gambling1 that the ,grand ,dukes built her a ,palace in ,petrograd1 and that ,lenin made speeches to the mob from its balcony during the ,revolution4 ,more rot has been told and written about her by those with more imagination than love of accuracy1 than about almost any other person connected with ballet1 not excepting ,serge ,diaghileff4 ,in yarn upon yarn she has been identified with one sensational escapade and affair after another4 ,none of these1 so far as ,i know1 she has ever troubled to contradict4 ,mathilde ,kchessinska was the first ,russian dancer to win supremacy for the native ,russian artist over their ,italian guests4 ,an artist in life as well as on the stage1 today1 at eighty1 the ,princess ,krassinska-,romanovska1 the morganatic wife of ,grand ,duke ,andr of ,russia1 she still teaches daily at her studio in ,paris1 contributing to ballet from the fund of her vast experience and knowledge4 ,many fine dancers have emerged from her hands1 but perhaps the pupil of whom she is the proudest is ,tatiana ,riabouchinska4 ,,olga ,,preobrajenska ,sharing the rank of ballerina assoluta with ,kchessinska at the ,maryinsky ,theatre was ,olga ,preobrajenska4 ,preobrajenska's career paralleled that of the ,princess ,krassinska-,romanovska2 she was born in #ahga1 and graduated from the ,imperial ,school in the class ahead of the ,princess4 ,yet1 in many respects1 they were as unlike as it is possible for two females to differ4 ,kchessinka was always chic1 noted for her striking beauty1 expressive arms and wrists1 a beautifully poised head1 an indescribably infectious smile4 ,she was a social queen who used her gifts and her powers for all they were worth4 ,it was a question in the minds of many whether ,kchessinska's private life was more important than her professional career4 ,the gods had not seen fit to smile too graciously on ,preobrajenska in the matter of face and figure4 ,her tremendous success in a theatre where1 at the time1 beauty of form was regarded nearly as highly as technique1 may be said to have been a triumph of mind over matter4 ,despite these handicaps or1 perhaps1 because of them1 she succeeded in working out her own distinctive style and bearing4 ,free from any ,court intriguing1 ,olga ,preobrajenska was a serious-minded and noble person1 a figure that reflected her own nobility of mind on ballet itself4 ,whereas ,kchessinska's career was1 for the most part1 a rose-strewn path1 ,preobrajenska's road was rocky4 ,her climb from a corps de ballet dancer to the heights was no overnight journey4 ,it was one that took a good deal of courage1 an exhibition of fortitude that happily led to a richly deserved victory4 ,blessed with a dogged perseverance1 a divine thirst for knowledge1 coupled with a desire ever to improve1 she forced herself ahead4 ,she danced not only in every ballet1 but in nearly every opera in the repertoire that had dances4 ,in her quarter of a century on the ,imperial stage she appeared more than seven hundred times4 ,it was close on to midnight when her professional work was done for the day2 then she went to the great teacher1 ,maestro ,enrico ,cecchetti1 for a private lesson1 which lasted far into the early hours of the morning4 ,hers was a life devoted to work4 ,for the social whirl she had neither time nor interest4 ,these qualities1 linked with her fine personal courage and gentleness1 undoubtedly account for that unbounded admiration and respect in which she is held by her colleagues4 ,preobrajenska remained in ,russia after the revolution1 teaching at the ,soviet ,state ,school of ,ballet from #aiag through #aiba4 ,in #aibb1 she relinquished her post1 left ,russia and settled in ,paris4 ,today1 she maintains one of the world's most noteworthy ballet schools1 still teaching daily1 passing on to the present generation of dancers something of herself so that1 though dancers die1 dancing may live4 ,it was during her teaching tenure at the ,soviet ,state ,school of ,ballet1 the continuing successor in unbroken line and tradition to the ,imperial ,ballet ,school from the eighteenth century1 that a young man named ,georgi ,balanchivadze came into her ken4 ,georgi ,balanchivadze is better known throughout the world of the dance today as ,george ,balanchine4 ,in the long line of pupils who have passed through ,preobrajenska's famous ,paris school1 there is space only to mention two of whom she is very proud3 ,irina ,baronova and ,tamara ,toumanova4 ,frequently1 ,i have had great pleasure in attending some of ,preobrajenska's classes in ,paris1 and ,i am proud to know her4 ,it was during my ,european visit in the summer of #aiej that ,i happened to be at ,la ,scala1 ,milan1 when ,preobrajenska was watching a class being given there by the ,austrian ballet-mistress1 ,margaret ,wallman4 ,this was at the time of the visit to ,milan of ,galina ,ulanova1 the greatest lyric ballerina of the ,soviet ,union4 ,the meeting of ,ulanova and ,preobrajenska1 two great figures of ,russian ballet1 forty-one years apart in age1 but with the great common bond of the classical dance1 each the recipient of the highest honors a government can pay an artist1 was1 in its way1 historic4 ,i arranged to have photographs taken of the event1 a meeting that was very touching4 ,ulanova had come to see a class as well4 ,the two great artists embraced4 ,ulanova was deeply moved4 ,their conversation was general4 ,unfortunately1 there was little time1 for the ,soviet ,consular officials who accompanied ,ulanova were not eager for her to have too long a conversation4 ,at eighty-two1 ,preobrajenska has no superior as a teacher4 ,at her prime1 she was a dancer of wit and elegance1 excelling in mimicry and the humorous4 ,with her colleagues of that epoch1 as with ,ulanova1 she nevertheless had one outstanding quality in common3 a sound classicism4 ,,lubov ,,egorova ,less exalted in the hierarchy of the ,russian ,imperial ,ballet1 since she never attained the assoluta distinction there1 but1 nevertheless1 a very important figure in ballet1 is ,lubov ,egorova 7,princess ,troubetzkoy74 ,born some nine years later than ,preobrajenska and eight later than ,kchessinska1 ,egorova1 who was merely a ballerina at the ,maryinsky1 was one of the first great ,russian dancers to leave ,russia2 she was a member of the exploring group that made a ,western ,european tour during a summer holiday from the ,maryinsky1 in #aijh--perhaps the first time that ,russian ,ballet was seen outside the country4 ,in #aiag1 ,egorova left ,russia for good and1 joining the ,diaghileff ,ballet1 appeared in ,london1 in #aiba1 dancing the role of ,princess ,aurora in the lavish1 if ill-starred1 revival of ,tchaikowsky's ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 or1 as ,diaghileff called his ,benois production1 ,the ,sleeping ,princess4 ,as a matter of fact1 she was one of three ,auroras1 alternating the role with two other great ladies of the ballet1 ,olga ,spessivtseva and ,vera ,trefilova4 ,in #aibc1 ,egorova founded her own school in ,paris1 and has been teaching there continuously since that time4 ,many famous dancers have emerged from that school1 dancers of all nationalities1 carrying the gospel to their own lands4 ,the basic method of ballet training has altered little4 ,since the last war1 there have been some new developments in teaching methods4 ,although the individual methods of these three ladies from the ,maryinsky may have differed in detail1 they have all had the same solid base1 and from these schools have come not only the dancers of today1 but the teachers of the future4 ,,tamara ,,karsavina ,the ,russian emigr dancers would seem to have distributed themselves fairly equally between ,paris and ,london1 7excluding1 of course1 those who have made the ,states their permanent home74 ,while the three ,maryinsky ladies ,i have discussed became ,parisian fixtures1 another trio made ,london their abiding place4 ,most important of the ,london trio was ,tamara ,karsavina1 who combined in her own person the attributes of a great dancer1 a great beauty1 a great actress1 a great artist1 and a great woman4 ,john van ,druten1 the noted playwright1 sums her up thus3 8,i can tell you that ,tamara ,karsavina was the greatest actress and the most beautiful woman ,i have ever seen1 the incarnation of ,shakespeare's #8wightly wanton with a velvet brow1 with two pitch-balls stuck in her face for eyes1' and that ,i wrote sonnets to her when ,i was twenty40 ,born in #ahhe1 the daughter of a famous ,russian dancer and teacher1 ,platon ,karsavin1 ,karsavina1 unlike the ,ladies of the ,maryinsky who have made ,paris their home1 was ready for change3 that change in ballet that is sometimes called the ,romantic ,revolution4 ,she was receptive to new ideas1 and became identified with ,fokine and ,diaghileff and their reforms in ballet style4 ,diaghileff had to have a ballerina for his company1 and it soon became obvious to both ,fokine and ,diaghileff that ,pavlova would not fit into their conception of things balletic4 ,the modest1 unassuming1 charming1 gracious1 beautiful and enchanting ,karsavina took over the ballerina roles of the ,diaghileff ,company4 ,it was in #aiaj that ,karsavina came into her own with the creation of the title role in ,the ,firebird1 and a revival of ,giselle4 ,her success was tremendous4 ,the shy1 modest ,tamara ,karsavina became ,la ,karsavina2 without the guarantee of her presence in the cast1 ,diaghileff was for many years unable to secure a contract in numerous cities1 including ,london4 ,all through her career1 a career that brought her unheard of success1 adulation1 worship1 ,karsavina remained a sweet1 simple1 unspoiled lady4 ,she was not only the toast of ,europe for her work with the ,diaghileff ,company1 but she returned frequently to the ,maryinsky1 dashing back and forth between ,petrograd and ,western ,europe4 ,an aversion to sea travel in wartime prevented her visiting ,america with the ,diaghileff ,company on either of its ,american tours4 ,she did1 however1 make a brief ,american concert tour in #aibe1 partnered by ,pierre ,vladimiroff4 ,neither the conditions nor the circumstances of this visit were to her advantage1 and ,americans were thus prevented from seeing ,karsavina at anything like her best4 ,karsavina has painted her own picture more strikingly than anyone else can2 and has painted it in a book that is a splendid work of art4 ,it is called ,theatre ,street4 ,tamara ,karsavina's ,theatre ,street is a book and a portrait1 a picture of a person and of an era that is1 at the same time1 a shining classic of the theatrical dance4 ,but not only does it tell the story of her own career so strikingly that it would be presumptuous of me to expand on her career in these pages1 but she shows us pictures of ,russian life1 of childhood in ,russia that take rank with any ever written4 ,after the dissolution of a previous ,russian marriage1 ,karsavina1 in #aiag1 married a ,british diplomat1 ,henry ,bruce1 who died in #aiej4 ,her son1 by this marriage1 is an actor and director in the ,british theatre4 ,karsavina herself lives quietly and graciously in ,london1 but by no means inactively4 ,she is a rock of strength to ,british ballet1 through her interest and inspiration4 ,a great lady as well as a great artist1 it would give me great pleasure to be able to present her across the ,american continent in a lecture tour1 in the course of which illuminating dissertation she would elucidate1 as no one ,i have ever seen or heard1 the important and expressive art of mime4 ,,lydia ,,kyasht ,classmate of ,karsavina at the ,imperial ,school1 and born in the same year1 is ,lydia ,kyasht1 who was the first ,russian ballerina to become a permanent fixture in ,london4 ,kyasht's arrival in the ,british capital dates back to #aijh1 the year she became a leading soloist at the ,maryinsky ,theatre4 ,there were mixed motives for her emigration to ,england4 ,there were1 it appears1 intrigues of some sort at the ,maryinsky2 there was also a substantial monetary offer from the ,london music hall1 the ,empire1 where1 for years1 ballet was juxtaposed with the rough-and-tumble of music hall comedians1 and where ,adeline ,gene had reigned as queen of ,english ballet for a decade4 ,kyasht's ,russian salary was approximately thirty-five dollars a month4 ,the ,london offer was for approximately two hundred dollars a week4 ,her first appearance at the ,empire1 in ,leicester ,square1 long the home of such ballet as ,london had at that time1 was under her own name as ,lydia ,kyaksht4 ,when the ,empire's manager in dismay inquired3 8,how can one pronounce a name like that80 he welcomed the suggestion that the pronunciation would be made easier for ,british tongues if the second 8k0 were dropped4 ,so it became ,kyasht1 and ,kyasht it has remained4 ,kyasht was the first ,russian dancer to win a following in ,london1 and in her first appearances there she was partnered by ,adolph ,bolm1 later to be identified with ,diaghileff and still later with ballet development in the ,united ,states4 ,the ,empire ballets were1 for the most part1 of a very special type of corn4 ,kyasht appeared in1 among others1 a little something called ,the ,water ,nymph and in another something charmingly titled ,first ,love1 with my old friend and ,anna ,pavlova's long-time partner1 ,alexandre ,volinine1 as her chief support4 ,there was also a whimsy called ,the ,reaper's ,dream1 in which ,kyasht appeared as the 8,spirit of the ,wheatsheaf10 seen and pursued in his dream by a reaper1 the while the corps de ballet1 costumed as an autumn wheatfield1 watched and wondered4 ,most important1 however1 was ,kyasht's appearance in the first ,english presentation1 on #ahth ,may1 #aiaa1 of ,delibes' ,sylvia4 ,sylvia1 one of the happiest of ,french ballets1 had had to wait thirty-five years to reach ,london1 although the music had long been familiar there4 ,even then1 ,london saw a version of a full-length1 three-act work1 which1 for the occasion1 had been cut and compressed into a single act4 ,it took forty-one more years for the uncut1 full-length work to be done in ,london1 with the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet production1 staged by ,frederick ,ashton1 at ,covent ,garden1 in the ,royal ,opera ,house1 on #crd of ,september1 #aieb4 ,the original ,british ,sylvia1 ,lydia ,kyasht1 was1 by this date1 a member of the teaching staff at the famous ,sadler's ,wells ,school4 ,lydia ,kyasht remained at the ,empire for five years4 ,at the conclusion of her long engagement1 she sailed for ,new ,york to appear as the ,blue ,bird in a ,shubert ,winter ,garden show1 ,the ,whirl of the ,world1 with ,serge ,litavkin as her partner2 ,litavkin later committed suicide in ,london1 as the result of an unhappy love affair 7not with ,lydia ,kyasht74 ,kyasht's ,american venture brought her neither fame nor glory4 ,in the first place1 a ,shubert ,winter ,garden spectacle1 in #aiac1 was not a setting for the classical technique of ,ballet2 then1 for better or worse1 ,kyasht was stricken ill with typhoid fever1 a mischance that automatically terminated her contract4 ,but before she became ill1 still on the unhappier side1 was the ,shubertian insistence that ,kyasht should be taught and that she should perfect herself in the #aiac edition of 8swing10 the 8,turkey ,trot40 ,such was the uninformed and uncaring mind of your average ,broadway manager1 that he wanted to combine the delicacy of the 8,turkey ,trot10 of unhallowed memory1 with what he elegantly characterized as 8acrobatic novelties40 ,but ,kyasht was saved from this humiliation by the serious fever attack and returned to ,london1 where she made her permanent home and where1 for the most part1 she devoted herself to teaching4 ,as a teacher able to impart that finish and refinement that is so essential a part of a dancer's equipment1 she has had a marked success4 ,today1 she is1 as ,i have said1 active in the teaching of ballet department at that splendid academy1 the ,sadler's ,wells ,school1 about which ,i shall have something to say later on4 ,,lydia ,,lopokova ,the third of the ,maryinsky ladies to settle in ,england1 to whom ,i cannot fail to pay tribute1 is ,lydia ,lopokova4 ,lopokova is the youngest of the three1 having been born in #ahia4 ,her graduation from the ,imperial ,school was so close to the great changes that took place in ,russian ballet1 that she had been at the ,maryinsky ,theatre only a few months when1 as a pupil of ,fokine1 she was invited to join the ,diaghileff ,ballet1 at that time at the height of its success in its second ,paris season4 ,writing of ,lopokova's early days at the ,imperial ,school1 ,karsavina says in ,theatre ,street3 8,out of the group of small pupils given now into my care was little ,lopokova4 ,the extreme emphasis she put into her movements was comic to watch in the tiny child with the face of an earnest cherub4 ,whether she danced or talked1 her whole frame quivered with excitement2 she bubbled all over4 ,her personality was manifest from the first1 and very lovable40 ,of her arrival to join the ,diaghileff ,company in ,paris1 ,karsavina says3 8,young ,lopokova danced this season2 it was altogether her first season abroad4 ,as she was stepping out of the railway carriage1 emotion overcame her4 ,she fainted right away on the piles of luggage4 ,it had been her dream to be in ,paris1 she told the alarmed ,bakst who rendered first aid2 the lovely sight 7of the ,gare du ,nord7 was too much for her4 ,a mere child1 she reminded me again of the tiny earnest pupil when1 in the demure costume of ,sylphides1 she ecstatically and swiftly ran on her toes40 ,lopokova's rise to high position with the ,diaghileff ,ballet in ,england and ,europe was rapid4 ,but she was bored by success4 ,there were new fields to be conquered1 and off she went to ,new ,york1 in the summer of #aiaa1 to join the first 8,russian ,ballet0 to be seen on ,broadway4 ,a commercial venture hastily rushed into the ill-suited ,winter ,garden1 with the obvious purpose of getting ahead of the impending ,diaghileff invasion of ,america1 due at a later date4 ,the popular ,american vaudeville performer1 ,gertrude ,hoffman1 temporarily turned manager1 sparked this 8,saison de ,ballets ,russes40 ,hoffman1 in conjunction with a ,broadway management1 imported nearly a hundred dancers1 with ,lydia ,lopokova as the foremost2 others included the brothers ,kosloff1 ,theodore and ,alexis1 who remained permanently in the ,united ,states2 my friend1 ,alexandre ,volinine2 and ,alexander ,bulgakoff4 ,a word about the #aiaa 8,saison de ,ballets ,russes0 may not be amiss4 ,the ethics of the entire venture were1 to say the least1 open to question4 ,among the works presented were ,schhrazade1 ,cloptre1 and ,sylphides--all taken without permission from the ,diaghileff repertoire1 and with no credit 7and certainly no cash7 given to ,michel ,fokine1 their creator4 ,all works were restaged from memory by ,theodore ,kosloff1 and with interpolations by ,gertrude ,hoffman4 ,the outstanding success of the whole affair was ,lydia ,lopokova4 ,when1 after an unsuccessful financial tour outside ,new ,york1 ,lopokova and ,volinine left the company1 the 8,saison de ,ballets ,russes0 fell to pieces4 ,venturing still farther afield1 ,lopokova joined ,mikhail ,mordkin's company briefly2 then1 remaining in ,america for five years1 she toyed seriously with the legitimate theatre1 and made her first appearance as an actress 7in ,english7 with that pioneer group1 the ,washington ,square ,players 7from which evolved ,the ,theatre ,guild71 at the ,bandbox ,theatre1 in ,east #egth ,street1 in ,new ,york1 and later in a ,percy ,mackaye piece called ,the ,antic1 under the direction of ,harrison ,grey ,fiske4 ,then the ,diaghileff ,ballet came to ,america2 came1 moreover1 badly in need of ,lopokova2 came without ,karsavina1 without any woman star2 came badly crippled4 ,in ,new ,york1 and free1 was ,lydia ,lopokova4 ,it was ,lydia ,lopokova who was the ballerina of the company through the two ,american tours4 ,it was ,lydia ,lopokova who was the company's bright and shining individual success4 ,she returned to ,europe with ,diaghileff and was his ballerina from #aiag to #aiai1 earning for herself in ,london a popularity second to none4 ,but1 bored again by success1 she was suddenly off again to ,america4 ,this time1 the venture was even less noteworthy1 for it was a ,shubert musical comedy--and a rather dismal failure4 8,i was a flop10 was ,lopokova's comment1 8and thoroughly deserved it40 ,in #aiba1 she returned to ,diaghileff1 and danced the ,lilac ,fairy in his tremendous revival of ,the ,sleeping ,princess4 ,during the following years1 up to the ,diaghileff ,ballet's final season1 ,lopokova was in and out of the company1 appearing as a guest artist in the later days4 ,after a short and unhappy marriage with one of ,diaghileff's secretaries had been dissolved1 ,lopokova became ,mrs4 ,j4 ,maynard ,keynes1 the wife of the brilliant and distinguished ,english economist1 art patron1 friend of ballet and inspirer of the ,british ,arts ,council4 ,on ,keynes's elevation to the peerage1 ,lopokova1 of course1 became ,lady ,keynes4 ,invariably quick in wit1 impulsive1 possessor of a genuine sense of humor1 ,lady ,keynes remains eager1 keen for experiment1 restless1 impish1 and still puckish1 always ready to lend her enthusiastic support to ventures and ideas in which she believes4 ,,marie ,,rambert ,one of the most potent forces in the development of ballet in ,england is ,marie ,rambert4 ,she was a pioneer in ,british ballet4 ,she still has much to give4 ,marie ,rambert--unlike her ,london colleagues3 ,karsavina1 ,kyasht1 and ,lopokova--was not a ,maryinsky lady4 ,born ,miriam ,rambach1 in ,poland1 she was a disciple of ,emile ,jacques ,dalcroze1 and was recommended to ,diaghileff by her teacher as an instructor in the ,dalcroze type of rhythmic movement4 ,the ,russians who made up the ,diaghileff ,company were not impressed either by the ,dalcroze method or its youthful teacher4 ,they rebelled against her1 taunted her1 called her 8,rhythmitchika10 and left her alone4 ,there was one exception1 however4 ,that exception was ,vaslav ,nijinsky1 who was considerably influenced by his studies with ,rambert1 an influence that was made apparent in three of his choreographic works3 ,sacre du ,printemps1 ,afternoon of a ,faun 7this1 incidentally1 the first to show the influence71 and ,jeux4 ,despite the attitude of the ,russian dancers1 it was her contacts with the ,diaghileff ,ballet that aroused ,rambert's interest in ballet4 ,she had had early dancing lessons in the ,russian ,state ,school in ,warsaw2 now she became a pupil of ,enrico ,cecchetti4 ,in #aibj1 she established her own ballet school in the ,notting ,hill ,gate section of ,london1 and it was not long after that the ,ballet ,club1 a combination of ballet company with the school1 was founded1 an organization that became ,england's first permanent ballet company4 ,rambert's influence on ballet in ,england has been widespread4 ,when1 after the death of ,diaghileff1 the ,camargo ,society was formed in ,london1 along with ,ninette de ,valois1 ,lydia ,lopokova1 ,j4 ,maynard ,keynes1 and ,arnold ,l4 ,haskell1 ,rambert was a prime mover4 ,in her school and at the ,ballet ,club1 she set herself the task of developing ,english dancers for ,english ballet4 ,from her school have come very many of the young dancers and1 even more important1 many of the young choreographers who are making ballet history today4 ,to mention but a few3 ,frederick ,ashton1 ,harold ,turner1 ,antony ,tudor1 ,hugh ,laing1 ,walter ,gore1 ,frank ,staff1 ,william ,chappell1 among the men2 ,peggy van ,praagh1 ,pearl ,argyle1 ,andre ,howard1 ,diana ,could1 ,sally ,gilmour1 among the women4 ,rambert is married to that poet of the ,english theatre1 ,ashley ,dukes4 ,twenty-odd years ago they pooled their individual passions--hers for building dancers1 his for building theatres and class-rooms--and built and remodelled a hall into a simple1 little theatre1 which they christened the ,mercury1 in ,ladbroke ,road4 ,its auditorium is as tiny as its stage4 ,two leaps will suffice to cross it4 ,the orchestra consisted of a single pianist4 ,on occasion a gramophone assisted4 ,everything had to be simple4 ,everything had to be inexpensive4 ,the financial difficulties were enormous4 ,here the early masterpieces of ,ashton and ,tudor were created4 ,here great work was done1 and ballets brought to life in collaboration between artists in ferment4 ,i cannot do better than to quote the splendid tribute of my friend1 8,freddy0 ,ashton1 when he says3 8,hers is a deeply etched character1 a potent bitter-sweet mixture2 she can sting the lazy into activity1 make the rigid mobile and energise the most lethargic4444 ,she has the unique gift of awakening creative ability in artists4 ,not only myself1 but ,andre ,howard1 ,antony ,tudor1 ,walter ,gore and ,frank ,staff felt our impulse for choreography strengthen and become irresistible under her wise and patient guidance4 ,even those who were not her pupils or directly in her care--the designers who worked with her1 ,william ,chappell1 ,sophie ,fedorovitch1 ,nadia ,benois1 ,hugh ,stevenson1 to name only a few--all felt the impact of her singular personality40 ,the work ,marie ,rambert did with the ,ballet ,club and the ,ballet ,rambert in their days at the ,mercury ,theatre was of incalculable value4 ,the company continues today but its function is somewhat different4 ,originally the ,ballet ,rambert was a place where young choreographers could try out their ideas1 could make brave and bold experiments4 ,during my most recent visit to ,london1 in the summer of #aiec1 ,i was able to see some of her more recent work on the larger stage of the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre4 ,i was profoundly impressed4 ,outstanding among the works ,i saw were an unusually fine performance of ,fokine's immortal ,les ,sylphides1 which has been continuously in her repertoire since #aicj2 ,movimientos1 a work out of the ,london ,ballet ,workshop in #aieb1 with choreography and music by the young ,michael ,charnley1 with scenery by ,douglas ,smith and costumes by ,tom ,lingwood2 ,frederick ,ashton's exquisite ,les ,masques1 an old tale set to a delicate score by ,francis ,poulenc1 with scenery and costumes by the late and lamented ,sophie ,fedorovitch2 and ,walter ,gore's fine ,winter ,night1 to a ,rachmaninoff score1 with scenery and costumes by ,kenneth ,rowell4 ,there was also an unusually excellent production of ,giselle1 which first entered her repertoire in its full-length form in #aidf1 with ,hugh ,stevenson settings and costumes4 ,while there was a period when ,rambert seemed to be less interested in ballets than in dancers1 and the present organization would appear to be best described as one where young dancers may be tested and proven1 yet ,rambert alumnae and alumni are to be found in all the leading ,british ballet companies4 ,in the ,coronation ,honours ,list in #aiec1 ,marie ,rambert was awarded the distinction of ,companion of the ,british ,empire4 ,,mikhail ,,mordkin ,although he was under my management for only a brief time1 ,i must1 ,i feel1 make passing reference to ,mikhail ,mordkin as one of the ,russian emigr artists who have been identified with ballet in ,america4 ,his contributions were neither profound nor considerable2 but they should be assessed and evaluated4 ,mordkin1 born in ,russia1 in #ahha1 was a product of the ,moscow ,school1 and eventually became a leading figure and one-time ballet-master of the ,bolshoi ,theatre4 ,so far as ,america is concerned1 ,i sometimes like to think his greatest contribution was his masculinity4 ,before he first arrived here in support of ,anna ,pavlova in her initial ,american appearance1 the average native was inclined to take a very dim view indeed of a male dancer4 ,mordkin's athleticism and obvious virility were noted on every side4 ,strange combination of classical dancer1 athlete1 and clown1 ,mordkin's temperament was such that he experienced difficulty throughout his career in adjusting himself to conditions and to people4 ,he broke with the ,imperial ,ballet2 broke with ,diaghileff2 split with ,pavlova4 ,these make-and-break associations could be extended almost indefinitely4 ,for the record1 ,i should mention that1 following upon his split with ,pavlova1 he had a brief ,american tour with his own company1 calling it the 8,all ,star ,imperial ,russian ,ballet10 and brought as its ballerina1 the doyenne of ,russian ballerinas1 ,ekaterina ,geltzer4 ,again1 in #aibh1 he returned to the ,states1 under the management of ,simeon ,gest1 with a company that included ,vera ,nemtchinova1 ,xenia ,macletzova1 and the ,english ,hilda ,butsova1 along with ,pierre ,vladimiroff4 ,mordkin's successes in ,moscow had been considerable1 but outside ,russia he always lagged behind the creative procession1 largely1 ,i suspect1 because of a stubborn refusal on ,mordkin's part to face up to the fact that1 although the root of ballet is classicism1 styles change1 the world moves forward4 ,ballet is no exception4 ,mordkin clung too tenaciously to the faults of the past1 as well as to its virtues4 ,from the ballet school he founded in ,new ,york has come a number of first-rate dancing talents4 ,the later ,mordkin ,ballet1 in #aicg-aich1 and #aich-aici1 left scarcely a mark on the ,american ballet picture4 ,it lacked many things1 not the least of which was a ballerina equal to the great classical roles4 ,its policy1 if any1 was as dated as ,mordkin himself4 ,if there was a contribution to ballet in ,america made by ,mordkin1 it was a fortuitous one4 ,choreographically he composed nothing that will be remembered4 ,but there was a ,mordkin company of sorts1 and some of its members formed the nucleus of what eventually became ,ballet ,theatre4 ,on #aeth ,july1 #aidd1 ,mikhail ,mordkin died at ,millbrook1 ,new ,jersey4 ,,vaslav ,,nijinsky ,nijinsky has become a literature and a legend4 ,the story of his tragic life has been told and re-told4 ,his feats as a dancer1 his experiments as a choreographer1 became a legend1 even while he lived4 ,i regret ,i never knew him4 ,those who did know him and with whom ,i have discussed him1 are1 for the large part1 idolators4 ,that he was a genius they are all agreed4 ,they insist he could leap higher1 could remain longer in the air--but there is little point in dwelling on the legend4 ,it is well-known2 and legends are the angel's food on which we thrive4 ,nijinsky's triumphs came at a time when there were great figures bursting over the horizon2 at a time when there was so little basis for comparison2 at a time when it was extremely difficult for the public to appraise1 because the public had so little basis for comparison4 ,how separate fact from fiction8 ,it is difficult1 if not quite impossible4 ,it was the time of the 8greatests03 ,kubelik1 the 8greatest0 violinist2 ,mansfield1 the 8greatest0 actor2 ,irving1 the 8greatest0 actor2 ,modjeska1 the 8greatest0 actress2 ,bernhardt1 the 8greatest0 actress2 ,ellen ,terry1 the 8greatest0 actress2 ,duse1 the 8greatest0 actress4 ,it is such an easy matter when1 prompted by the nostalgic urge1 to contemplate longingly a by-gone 8,golden ,age40 ,in music1 it is equally simple3 ,anton ,rubinstein1 ,franz ,liszt1 de ,pachmann1 ,geraldine ,farrar1 ,enrico ,caruso 444 and so it goes4 ,each was the 8greatest40 ,nijinsky has become a part and parcel of the 8greatest0 legend4 ,jan ,kubelik1 one of the greatest violinists of his generation1 is an example4 ,when ,i brought ,kubelik for his last ,american appearance in #aibc1 ,i remember a gathering in the foyer of the ,brooklyn's ,academy of ,music at one of the concerts he gave there4 ,the younger generation of violinists were out in force1 and a number of them were in earnest conversation during the interval in the concert4 ,their general opinion was that ,kubelik had remained away from ,america too long2 that he was1 in fact1 slipping4 ,sol ,elman1 the father of ,mischa1 listened attentively4 ,when the barrage had expended itself1 he spoke4 8,my dear friends10 he said1 8,kubelik played the ,paganini concerto tonight as splendidly as ever he did4 ,today you have a different standard4 ,you have ,elman1 ,heifetz1 and the rest4 ,all of you have developed and grown in artistry1 technique1 and1 above all1 in knowledge and appreciation4 ,the point is3 you know more2 not that ,kubelik plays less well40 ,it is all largely a matter of first impressions and their vividness4 ,it is the first impressions that color our memories and often form the basis of our judgments4 ,as time passes1 ,i sometimes wonder how reliable the first impressions may be4 ,i am unable to state dogmatically that ,nijinsky was the 8greatest0 dancer of our time or of all time4 ,on the other hand1 there cannot be the slightest question that he was a very great personality4 ,the quality of personality is the one that really matters4 ,today there are1 ,i suppose1 between five and six hundred first-class pianists1 for example4 ,these pianists are1 in many cases1 considerably more than competent4 ,but to find the great personality in these five to six hundred talents is something quite different4 ,the truly great are those who1 through something that can only be described as personality1 electrify the public4 ,the public1 once electrified1 will come to see them again and again and again4 ,there are1 perhaps1 too many good talents4 ,there never can be enough great artists4 ,vaslav ,nijinsky was one of the great ones--a great artist1 a great personality4 ,there are those who can argue long and in nostalgic detail about his technique1 its virtues and its defects4 ,artistry and personality transcend technique2 for mere technique1 however flawless1 is not enough4 ,it must be borne in mind that ,nijinsky's public career in the ,western ,world was hardly more than seven years long4 ,the legend of ,nijinsky commenced with his first appearance in ,paris in ,le ,spectre de la ,rose1 in #aiab4 ,it may have been started1 fostered1 and developed by ,diaghileff1 continued by ,nijinsky's wife4 ,it is quite possible this is true2 but true or not1 it does not affect the validity of the legend4 ,the story of ,nijinsky's peculiarly romantic marriage1 his subsequent madness1 his alleged partial recovery1 his recent death have all been set down for posterity by his wife4 ,i am by no means an all-out admirer of these books2 and ,i am not able to accept or agree with many of the statements and implications in them4 ,yet the loyalty and devotion she exhibited towards him can only be regarded as admirable4 ,the merit of her ministrations to the sick man1 on the one hand1 hardly condones her literary efforts1 on the other4 ,frequently1 ,i detect a quality in the books that reveals itself more strongly as the predatory female than as the protective wife-mother4 ,i cannot accept ,romola ,nijinsky's reiterated portraits of ,diaghileff as the avenging monster any more than ,i can the following statement in her latest book1 ,the ,last ,days of ,nijinsky1 published in #aieb3 8,undoubtedly1 the news that ,vaslav was recuperating became more and more known2 therefore it was not surprising that one day he received a cable with an offer from ,mr4 ,hurok1 the theatrical impresario1 asking him to come over to ,new ,york and appear4 ,my son-in-law1 who had just arrived to spend the week-end with us1 advised me to cable back accepting the offer1 for then we automatically could have escaped from ,europe and would have been able to depart at once4 ,but ,i felt ,i could not accept a contract for ,vaslav and commit him4 ,there was no question at the time that ,vaslav should appear in public4 ,nevertheless1 ,i hoped that the impresario1 who was a ,russian himself and who had made his name and fortune in ,america managing ,russian dancers in the past1 would have vision enough and a humanitarian spirit in helping to get the greatest ,russian dancer out of the ,european inferno4 ,what ,i did not know at the time was that there was quite a group of dancers who had got together and who worked in silence to keep ,nijinsky out of the ,united ,states and from public life4 ,illness had removed the artist with whom they could not compete4 ,they dreaded his coming back40 ,while the entire paragraph tends to give a distorted picture of the situation1 the last three sentences are as far from the truth as they possibly can be4 ,the implied charge is almost too stupid to contradict or refute4 ,were it not for the stigma it imputes to many fine artists living in this country1 ,i should ignore it completely4 ,however1 the facts are quite simple4 ,it is by no means an easy matter to bring into the ,united ,states any person in ill health1 either physical or mental4 ,so far as the regulations were concerned1 ,nijinsky was but another alien4 ,it was impossible to secure a visa or an entry permit4 ,it was equally impossible to secure the proper sort of doctors' certificates that could have been of material aid in helping secure such papers4 ,i have a vivid memory of a meeting of dancers at the ,st4 ,regis ,hotel in ,new ,york to discuss what could be done4 ,anton ,dolin was a prime mover in the plan to give assistance4 ,there was a genuine enthusiasm on the part of the dancers present4 ,unfortunately1 the economics of the dance are such that dancers are quite incapable of undertaking long-term financial commitments4 ,but a substantial number of pledges were offered4 ,it certainly was not a question of 8quite a group of dancers who had got together and who worked in silence to keep ,nijinsky out of the ,united ,states and from public life40 ,there was no question or suggestion that he should appear in public1 incidentally4 ,there was only the sheer inability to get him into the country4 ,if there was any 8dread0 of 8his coming back10 it could only have been the dread that their former colleague1 ill in mind and body1 might be in danger of being exploited by the romantic author4 ,nijinsky1 the legend1 will endure as long as ballet1 because the legend has its roots in genius4 ,legend apart1 no one from the ,maryinsky stable1 no one in the fairly long history of ballet1 as a matter of fact1 has given ballet a more complete service4 ,and it should be remembered that this service was rendered in a career that actually covered less than a decade4 ,a ,,quartet ,,of ,,imperialists ,there is left for consideration a ,russian male quartet1 three of them still living1 who1 in one degree or another1 have made contributions to ballet in our time1 either in the ,united ,states or ,europe4 ,their contributions vary in quality and degree1 exactly as the four gentlemen differ in temperament and approach4 ,i shall first deal briefly with the three living members of the quartet1 two of whom are ,american citizens of long standing4 ,,theodore ,,kosloff ,i commence with one whose contributions to ballet have been the least4 ,i mention him at all only because1 historically speaking1 he has been identified with dance in ,america a long time4 ,with perhaps a single notable exception1 ,theodore ,kosloff's contributions in all forms have been slight4 ,the best has been through teaching1 for it is as a teacher that he is likely to be remembered longest4 ,spectacular in his teaching methods as he is in person1 it has been from his school that has come a substantial number of artists of the dance who have made a distinctive place for themselves in the dance world of ,america4 ,outstanding among these are ,agnes de ,mille1 who has made an ineradicable mark with her highly personal choreographic style1 and ,nana ,gollner1 ,american ballerina of fine if somewhat uncontrolled talents1 the latter having received almost all her training at ,kosloff's hands and cane4 ,theodore ,kosloff was born in #ahhc4 ,a pupil of the ,moscow rather than the ,petersburg school1 he eventually became a minor soloist at the ,bolshoi ,theatre in ,moscow1 appearing in1 among others1 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty and ,daughter of ,pharaoh4 ,when ,diaghileff recruited his company1 ,kosloff and his wife1 ,maria ,baldina1 were among the ,muscovites engaged4 ,kosloff was little more than a corps de ballet member with ,diaghileff1 with an occasional small solo4 ,but he had a roving and retentive eye4 ,when ,gertrude ,hoffman and ,morris ,gest decided to jump the ,russian ,ballet gun on ,broadway1 and to present their ,saison de ,ballets ,russes at the ,winter ,garden in advance of ,diaghileff's first ,american visit1 it was ,theodore ,kosloff who restaged the ,fokine works for ,hoffman1 without so much as tilt of the hat or a by-your-leave either to the creator or the owner4 ,remaining in the ,states after the demise of the venture1 ,kosloff for a time appeared in vaudeville with his wife1 ,baldina1 and his younger brother1 ,alexis1 also a product of the ,moscow ,school4 ,one of these tours took them to ,california1 where ,theodore settled in ,hollywood4 ,here1 almost simultaneously1 he opened his school and associated himself with ,cecil ,b4 de ,mille as an actor in silent film 8epics40 ,he was equally successful at both4 ,kosloff's purely balletic activities thereafter included numerous movie-house 8presentations0--the unlamented spectacles that preceded the feature film in the silent picture days1 in palaces like ,grauman's ,egyptian and ,grauman's ,chinese2 a brief term as ballet-master of the ,san ,francisco ,opera ,ballet2 and colossal and pepped-up versions of ,petroushka and ,schhrazade1 the former in ,los ,angeles1 the latter at the ,hollywood ,bowl4 ,today1 at seventy1 ,kosloff pounds his long staff at classes in the shadow of the ,hollywood hills1 directing all his activity at perspiring and aspiring young ,americans1 who in increasing numbers are looking towards the future through the medium of ballet4 ,,laurent ,,novikoff ,the three living members of this male quartet were all ,muscovites1 which is to say1 products of the ,imperial ,school of ,moscow and dancers of the ,bolshoi ,theatre1 rather than products of the ,maryinsky4 ,in ,russian ballet this was a sharp distinction and a fine one1 with the ,maryinskians inclined to glance down the nose a bit at their ,moscow colleagues4 ,and possibly with reason4 ,laurent ,novikoff was born five years later than ,theodore ,kosloff2 he graduated from the ,moscow ,school an equal number of years later4 ,he remained at the ,bolshoi ,theatre for only a year before joining the ,diaghileff ,ballet in ,paris for an equal length of time4 ,on his return to ,moscow at the close of the ,diaghileff season1 he became a first dancer at the ,bolshoi1 only to leave to become ,anna ,pavlova's partner the next year4 ,as a matter of fact1 the three remaining members of the quartet were all1 at one time or another1 partners of ,pavlova4 ,with ,pavlova1 ,novikoff toured the ,united ,states in #aiac and in #aiad4 ,returning once again to ,moscow1 he staged ballets for opera1 and remained there until the revolution1 when he went to ,london and rejoined the ,diaghileff ,company1 only to leave and join forces once again with ,pavlova1 remaining with her this time for seven years1 and eventually opening a ballet school in ,london4 ,in #aibi1 ,novikoff accepted an invitation from the ,chicago ,civic ,opera ,company to become its ballet-master2 and later1 for a period of five years1 he was ballet-master of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,company4 ,as a dancer1 ,novikoff had a number of distinguished qualities1 including a fine virility1 a genuinely romantic manner1 imagination and authority4 ,as a choreographer1 he can hardly be classified as a progressive4 ,while he staged a number of works for ,pavlova1 including1 among others1 ,russian ,folk ,lore and ,don ,quixote1 most of his choreographic work was with one opera company or another4 ,in nearly all cases1 ballet was1 as it still is1 merely a poor step-sister in the opera houses and with the opera companies1 often regarded by opera directors merely as a necessary nuisance1 and only on rare occasions is an opera choreographer ever given his head4 ,a charming1 cultured1 and quite delightful gentleman1 ,laurent ,novikoff now lives quietly with his wife ,elizabeth in the ,american middle west4 ,,alexandre ,,volinine ,alexandre ,volinine was ,anna ,pavlova's partner for a longer time than any of the others4 ,born in #ahhc1 he was a member of the same ,moscow ,imperial class as ,theodore ,kosloff1 attained the rank of first dancer at the ,bolshoi ,theatre1 and remained there for nine years4 ,in #aiaj1 he left ,russia to become ,pavlova's partner1 a position he held intermittently for many years4 ,apart from being ,pavlova's chief support1 he made numerous ,american appearances4 ,he was a member of ,gertrude ,hoffman's ,saison ,russe1 at the ,winter ,garden1 in #aiaa2 and in the same year supported the great ,danish ballerina1 ,adeline ,gene1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 in ,la ,danse1 8an authentic record by ,mlle4 ,gene of ,dancing and ,dancers between the years #agaj and #ahde40 ,volinine returned to the ,united ,states in #aiab-aiac1 when1 after the historical break between ,pavlova and ,mordkin1 the latter formed his 8,all-,star ,imperial ,russian ,ballet10 with ,ekaterina ,geltzer1 ,julia ,sedova1 ,lydia ,lopokova1 and ,volinine4 ,this was an ill-starred venture from the start for no sooner had they opened at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house than ,mordkin and ,sedova quarrelled with ,geltzer and1 so characteristic of ,russian ,ballet1 the factions1 in this case ,polish and ,english versus ,russian1 took violent sides4 ,volinine was on the side of the former4 ,as a result of the company split1 the ,english-,polish section went off on a tour across the country with ,volinine1 who augmented their tiny salaries by five dollars weekly from his private purse4 ,after they had worked their way through the ,deep ,south and arrived at ,creole ,new ,orleans1 the manager decamped for a time1 and a tremulous curtain descended on the first act of ,copplia1 not to rise4 ,by one means or another1 and with some help from the ,british ,consul in ,new ,orleans1 they managed to return to ,new ,york by way of a stuffy journey in a vile-smelling freighter plying along the coast4 ,by quick thinking1 and even quicker acting1 including mass-sitting on the manager's doorstep1 they forced that individual to arrange for the passage back to ,england1 which was accomplished with its share of excitement2 once back in ,england1 ,volinine returned to his place as ,pavlova's first dancer4 ,volinine was the featured dancer with ,pavlova in #aiaf1 when ,i first met her at the ,hippodrome1 and often accompanied us to supper4 ,as the years wore on1 ,i learned to know and admire him4 ,as a dancer1 ,volinine was a supreme technician1 and1 ,i believe1 one of the most perfect romantic dancers of his time4 ,in his ,paris school today he is passing on his rare knowledge to the men of today's generation of premires danseurs4 ,his teaching1 combined with his quite superb understanding of the scientific principles involved1 are of great service to ballet4 ,michael ,somes1 the first dancer of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 is among those who go to ,volinine's ,paris studio for those refining corrections obtainable only from a great teacher who has been a great dancer4 8,sasha0 ,volinine has1 perhaps1 spent as much or more of his professional life in ,england1 ,australia1 and other ,english-speaking countries1 as any ,russian dancer4 ,on the other hand1 he speaks and understands less ,english1 perhaps1 than any of the others4 ,often in ,america and ,london we have gone out to dine1 to sup1 often with a group4 8,sasha0 invariably would be the first to ask the headwaiter or matre d'htel for a copy of the menu4 ,immediately he would concentrate on it1 poring over it1 giving it seemingly careful scrutiny and study4 ,all the others in the party would have ordered1 and then1 after long cogitation1 8,sasha0 would summon the waiter and1 pointing to something in the menu utterly irrelevant1 would solemnly demand3 8,ham and eggs40 ,i am happy to count 8,sasha0 ,volinine among my old friends1 and it is always a pleasure to foregather with him when ,i am in ,paris4 ,,adolph ,,bolm ,if my old friend1 ,adolph ,bolm1 were here to read this1 he probably would be the first to object to being classified with this quartet of 8,imperialists40 ,he would have pointed out to me in his emphatic manner that by far the greater part of his career had been spent in the ,united ,states1 working for ballet in ,america4 ,he would have insisted that he neither thought nor acted like an 8,imperialist03 that he was a progressive1 not a reactionary2 and he would1 at considerable length1 have advanced his theory that all 8,imperialists0 were reactionaries4 ,he would have repeated to me that even when he was at the ,maryinsky1 he was a rebel and a leader in the revolt against what he felt were the stultifying influences of its inbred conservatism4 ,this would have gone on for some time1 for ,bolm was intelligent1 literate1 articulate1 and ready to make a speech at the drop of a ballet shoe1 or no shoe at all4 ,i have placed ,bolm in this book among the 8,imperialists0 because he had his roots in the ,imperial ,russian ,ballet1 where he was conditioned as child and youth2 he was a product of the ,school in ,theatre ,street and a ,maryinsky soloist for seven years2 he was a contemporary and one-time colleague of the three other members of this quartet1 either in ,russia or with the ,diaghileff ,ballet ,russe4 ,born in ,st4 ,petersburg in #ahhd1 the son of the concert-master and associate conductor of the ,french operatic theatre1 the ,mikhailovsky1 ,bolm entered the ,school at ten1 was a first-prize graduate in #aijd4 ,he was never a great classical dancer2 but he had a first-rate sense of the theatre1 was a brilliant character dancer1 a superlative mime4 ,bolm was the first to take ,anna ,pavlova out of ,russia1 as manager and first dancer of a ,scandinavian and ,central ,european tour that made ballet history4 ,he was1 ,i happen to know1 largely responsible in influencing ,pavlova temporarily to postpone the idea of a company of her own and to abandon their own tour1 because he believed the future of ,russian ,ballet lay with ,diaghileff4 ,although the ,nijinsky legend commences when ,nijinsky first leapt through the window of the virginal bedroom of ,le ,spectre de la ,rose1 in ,paris in #aiaa1 it was ,prince ,igor and ,bolm's virile1 barbaric warrior chieftain that provided the greater impact and produced the outstanding revelation of male dancing such as the ,western ,world had not hitherto known4 ,bolm was intimately associated with the ,diaghileff invasion of the ,united ,states1 when ,diaghileff1 a displaced and dispirited person sitting out the war in ,switzerland1 was invited to bring his company to ,america by ,otto ,h4 ,kahn4 ,but1 owing to the war and the disbanding of his company1 it was impossible for ,diaghileff to reassemble the original personnel4 ,it was a grave problem4 ,neither ,nijinsky1 ,fokine1 nor ,karsavina was available4 ,it was then that ,bolm took on the tremendous dual role of first dancer and choreographer1 engaging and rehearsing what was to all intents and purposes a new company in a repertoire of twenty-odd ballets4 ,the ,diaghileff ,american tours were due in no small degree to ,bolm's efforts in achieving what seemed to be the impossible4 ,after the second ,diaghileff ,american tour1 during which ,bolm was injured1 he remained in ,new ,york4 ,unlike many of his colleagues1 his quick intelligence grasped ,american ideas and points of view4 ,this was evidenced throughout his career by his interest in our native subjects1 composers1 painters4 ,with his own ,ballet ,intime1 his motion picture theatre presentations of ballet1 his ,chicago ,allied ,arts1 his tenure with the ,chicago ,opera ,company1 the ,san ,francisco ,opera ,ballet1 his production of ,le ,coq d',or and two productions of ,petroushka at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 he helped sow the seeds of real ballet appreciation across the country4 ,my acquaintance and friendship with ,adolph ,bolm extended over a long time4 ,his experimental mind1 his eagerness1 his enthusiasm1 his deep culture1 his capacity for friendship1 his hospitality--all these qualities endeared him to me4 ,if one did not always agree with him 7and ,i1 for one1 did not71 one could not fail to appreciate and respect his honesty and sincerity4 ,during a period when ,ballet ,theatre was under my management1 ,i was instrumental in placing him as the rgisseur general 7general stage director to those unfamiliar with ballet's term for this important functionary7 of the company1 feeling that his discipline1 knowledge1 taste1 and ability would be helpful to the young company in maintaining a high performing standard4 ,unhappily1 much of the good he did and could do was negated by an unfortunate attitude on the part of some of our younger ,american dancers1 who have little or no respect for tradition1 reputation1 or style1 and who seem actively to resent achievement--in an art that has its roots in the past although its branches stretch out to the future--rather than respect and admire it4 ,a striking example of this sort of thing took place when ,i had been instrumental1 later on1 in having ,bolm stage a new version of ,stravinsky's ,firebird1 for ,ballet ,theatre1 in #aide1 with ,alicia ,markova and ,anton ,dolin4 ,my last meeting with ,bolm took place at the opening performance of the ,sadler's ,wells production of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 in ,los ,angeles4 ,i shall not soon forget his genuine enthusiasm and how he embraced ,ninette de ,valois as he expressed his happiness that the great full-length ballets in all their splendor had at last been brought to ,los ,angeles4 ,in his later years1 ,bolm lived on a hilltop in ,hollywood2 in ,hollywood1 but not of it1 with ,igor ,stravinsky and ,nicholas ,remisoff as two of his closest and most intimate friends4 ,one night1 in the spring of #aiea1 ,bolm went to sleep and did not wake again in this world4 ,his life had been filled with an intense activity1 a remarkable productivity in his chosen field--thirty-five years of it in the ,united ,states1 in the triple role of teacher1 dancer1 choreographer4 ,as ,i have intimated before1 ,bolm's understanding of the things that are at the root of the ,american character was1 in my opinion1 deeper and more profound than that of any of his colleagues4 ,his achievements will live after him4 ,my last contacts with ,bolm revealed to me a man still vital1 still eager2 but a little soured1 a shade bitter1 because he was conscious the world was moving on and felt that the ballet was shutting him out4 ,before that bitterness could take too deep a root in the heart and soul of a gentle artist1 a ,divine ,providence closed his eyes in the sleep everlasting4 #f4 ,tristan and ,isolde3 ,michel and ,vera ,fokine ,if ever there were two people who seemingly were inseparable1 they were ,michel and ,vera ,fokine4 ,theirs was a modern love story that could rank with those of ,ablard and ,helose1 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,tristan and ,isolde4 ,the romance of the ,fokines continued1 unabated1 till death did them part4 ,the story of ,michel ,fokine's revolution in modern ballet has become an important part of ballet's history4 ,the casual ballet-goer1 to whom one name sounds very much like another1 recognizes the name of ,fokine4 ,he may not realize the full importance of the man1 but he has been unable to escape the knowledge that some of the ballets he knows and loves best are ,fokine works4 ,the literature that has grown up around ,michel ,fokine and his work is fairly voluminous1 as was his due4 ,yet1 for those of today's generation1 who are prone to forget too easily1 it cannot be repeated too often that had it not been for ,michel ,fokine1 there might not have been any such thing as modern ballet4 ,for ballet1 wherein he worked his necessary and epoch-making revolution1 was in grave danger of becoming moribund and static1 and might well1 by this time1 have become extinct4 ,he was a profound admirer of ,isadora ,duncan1 although he denied he had been influenced by her ideas4 ,fokine felt ,duncan1 in her concern for movement1 had brought dancing back to its beginnings4 ,he was filled with a divine disgust for the routine and the artificial practices of ballet at the turn of the century4 ,he was termed a heretic when he insisted that each ballet demands a new technique appropriate to its style1 because he fought against the eternal stereotype4 ,fokine threw in his lot with ,diaghileff and his group4 ,with ,diaghileff his greatest masterpieces were created4 ,both ,fokine and ,diaghileff were complicated human beings2 both were artists4 ,problems were never simple with either of them4 ,there is no reason here to go into the causes for the rupture between them4 ,that there was a rupture and that it was never completely healed is regrettable4 ,it was tantamount to a divorce between the parents of modern ballet4 ,it was1 as is so often the case in divorce1 the child that suffered4 ,for a time following the break1 the ,fokines returned to ,russia2 and then1 in #aiah1 together with their son ,vitale1 spent some time in and out of ,finland1 ,norway1 ,sweden1 and ,denmark4 ,conditions were not ideal for creation1 and nothing was added to the impressive list of ,fokine masterpieces4 ,in #aiai1 ,morris ,gest was immersed in the production of a gargantuan musical show destined for the ,century ,theatre3 ,aphrodite1 based on an ,english translation of ,pierre ,louys' novel4 ,gest made ,fokine an offer to come to ,america to stage a ,bacchanal for the work4 ,fokine accepted4 ,aphrodite was not a very good musical1 nor was it1 as ,i remember it1 a very exciting ,bacchanal2 but it was a great success4 ,fokine himself was far from happy with it4 ,for a number of reasons1 the ,fokines decided to make ,new ,york their home4 ,they eventually bought a large house1 where ,riverside ,drive joins ,seventy-second ,street2 converted part of the house into a dancing studio1 and lived in the rest of the house in an atmosphere of nostalgic gloom1 a sort of ,chopinesque twilight4 ,ballet in ,america was at a very low ebb when ,fokine settled here4 ,there was a magnificent opportunity to hand for the father of modern ballet1 had he but taken it4 ,for some reason he muffed the big chance4 ,perhaps he was embittered by a series of unhappy experiences1 not the least of which was the changed political scene in his beloved ,russia1 to which he was never1 during the rest of his life1 able to make adjustment4 ,he was content1 as an artist1 for the most part to rest on his considerable laurels4 ,there was always ,schhrazade4 ,more importantly1 there was always ,sylphides4 ,fokine's creative life1 in the true sense1 was something he left behind in ,europe4 ,he never seemed to sense or to try to understand the ,american impulse1 rhythm1 or those things which lie at the root of our native culture4 ,in the bleak ,riverside ,drive mansion1 he taught rather half-heartedly at classes1 but gave much of his time and energy in well-paid private lessons to the untalented daughters of the rich4 ,from the choreographic point of view1 he was satisfied1 for the most part1 to reproduce his early masterpieces with inferior organizations1 or to stage lesser pieces for the ,hippodrome or the ,ziegfeld ,follies4 ,one of the latter will suffice as an example4 ,it was called ,frolicking ,gods1 a whimsy about a couple of statues of ,greek ,gods who came to life1 became frightened at a noise1 and returned to their marble immobility4 ,and it may be of interest to note that these goings-on were all accomplished to1 of all things1 ,tchaikowsky's ,nutcracker ,suite4 ,there was also a pseudo-,aztec affair1 devised1 so far as tale was concerned1 by ,vera ,fokine1 and called ,the ,thunder ,bird4 ,the ,aztec quality was emphasized by the use of a pastiche of music culled from the assorted works of ,tchaikowsky1 ,glinka1 ,rimsky-,korsakoff1 ,balakirev1 and ,borodine4 ,it was during the winter of #aibj1 not long after the ,fokines1 with their son ,vitale1 had arrived here1 that we came together professionally4 ,i arranged to present them jointly in a series of programmes at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 with ,arnold ,volpe and his ,symphony ,orchestra4 ,fokine came with me to see the ,metropolitan stage4 ,he arrived at what might have been a ticklish moment4 ,fokine was extremely sensitive to what he called 8pirated0 versions of his works4 ,there was1 of course1 no copyright protection for them1 since choreography had no protection under ,american copyright law4 ,fokine was equally certain that he1 ,fokine1 was the only person who could possibly reproduce his works4 ,as we entered the ,metropolitan1 ,adolph ,bolm was appearing in an opera-ballet version of ,rimsky-,korsakoff's ,le ,coq d',or4 ,the performance had commenced4 ,as ,i have intimated1 after he broke with ,diaghileff1 ,fokine was so depressed that for some time he could not work at all4 ,then he received an invitation from ,anna ,pavlova to come to ,berlin1 where she was about to produce some new ballets4 ,fokine accepted the invitation1 and when ,pavlova asked him to suggest a subject1 ,fokine proposed a ballet based on the opera1 ,le ,coq d',or4 ,pavlova1 however1 considered the plot of the ,rimsky-,korsakoff work to be too political1 and also felt it unwise of her to offer a subject burlesquing the ,tsar4 ,it was not until after ,fokine temporarily returned to the ,diaghileff fold that ,le ,coq d',or achieved production4 ,diaghileff agreed with ,fokine on the subject1 and ,fokine was anxious that it should be mounted in as modern a manner as possible4 ,the story of the opera1 based on ,pushkin's well-known poem1 as adapted to the stage by ,v4 ,bielsky1 requires no comment4 ,fokine's opera-ballet production was1 in its way1 quite unique4 ,there were two casts1 which is to say1 singers and dancers4 ,while one character danced and acted1 the words in the libretto were spoken or sung by the dancing character's counterpart4 ,as a result of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,company's wartime ban on anything ,german1 in #aiag1 ,pierre ,monteux1 the former ,diaghileff conductor1 was imported by the ,metropolitan for the expanded ,french list4 ,one of the results of ,monteux's influence on the ,metropolitan repertoire was ,le ,coq d',or4 ,adolph ,bolm1 by that time resident in ,new ,york1 having remained here after the last ,diaghileff ,american season1 was engaged by ,otto ,h4 ,kahn to stage the work in the style of the ,diaghileff production4 ,bolm1 who had his own ideas1 nevertheless based his work on ,fokine's basic plan1 and that of the ,fokine-,diaghileff production4 ,bolm was meticulous1 however1 in insisting that credit be given to ,fokine for the original idea1 and it was always billed as 8after ,michel ,fokine40 ,the ,metropolitan production1 as designed by the ,hungarian artist1 ,willy ,pogany1 whose sets were among the best the ,metropolitan ever has seen1 resulted in one of the most attractive and exciting productions the ,metropolitan has achieved4 ,aside from the production itself1 the singing of the ,spanish coloratura1 ,maria ,barrientos1 as the ,queen1 the conducting of ,monteux1 and the dancing of ,bolm as ,king ,dodon1 set a new standard for the ,metropolitan4 ,on the occasion ,i have mentioned1 we entered the front of the house1 and ,fokine watched a bit of the performance with me1 standing in the back of the auditorium4 ,he had no comment1 which was unusual for him4 ,after watching for a time1 ,i asked ,fokine if he would care to meet his old colleague4 ,he said he would4 ,together we felt our way back stage in the dimly lighted passages4 ,the pass-door to back-stage was even darker4 ,i stood aside to let ,fokine precede me4 ,then my heart nearly stopped4 ,fokine stumbled and nearly fell prostrate on the iron-concrete steps4 ,he picked himself up1 brushed himself off4 8,mikhail ,mikhailovitch10 ,i said1 half frightened to death1 8you must be careful40 8,it is nothing10 he replied1 8but why in hell isn't the place properly lighted80 ,the meeting with ,bolm1 who had made ,fokine's favorite ballet even more exciting than it actually was1 was cordial enough1 cool1 and uneventful4 ,bolm was by far the more demonstrative4 ,their conversation was general rather than particular4 ,fokine and ,i looked over the stage1 its size and its equipment4 ,fokine thanked ,bolm1 apologized for the interruption1 and took his leave4 ,as we felt our way out to the street1 ,fokine's only comment on ,le ,coq d',or was1 8,the women's shawls should be farther back on the head4 ,they are quite impossible when worn like that4 ,and when they weep1 they should weep40 ,fokine was a stickler for detail4 ,in conversation about dancing1 over and over again he would use two ,russian words1 8,naslajdaites0 and 8laska40 ,freely translated1 those ,russian words suggest 8do it as though you enjoyed yourself0 and 8caressingly40 ,the programme for the appearances at the ,metropolitan had been carefully worked out1 balanced with joint performances1 solos for each1 with symphony orchestra interludes while ,michel and ,vera were changing costumes4 ,for the opening performance it was decided that ,michel and ,vera would jointly do the lovely waltz from ,les ,sylphides2 a group of ,caucasian dances to music arranged by ,asafieff2 the ,mazurka from ,delibes' ,copplia2 and a group of five ,russian dances by ,liadov4 ,fokine himself would do the male solo1 the ,mazurka from ,les ,sylphides1 and a ,liadov ,berceuse2 while ,vera's solo contributions would be ,the ,dying ,swan1 and the arrangement ,fokine made for her of ,beethoven's 8,moonlight ,sonata40 ,the advertising campaign was under full steam ahead1 and rehearsals were well under way4 ,so well were things going1 in fact1 that ,i relaxed my habitual pre-opening tension for a moment at my home1 which was1 in those days1 in ,brooklyn4 ,i even missed a rehearsal1 since ,fokine was at his very best1 keen and interested1 and the music was in the able hands of ,arnold ,volpe1 a musician who worked passionately for the highest artistic aims1 a ,russian-born ,american ,illustration3 ,baron ,s4 ,hurok ,illustration3 ,lucas-,pritchard ,mrs4 ,hurok ,illustration3 ,lido ,lubov ,egorova and ,solange ,schwartz ,illustration3 ,marie ,rambert ,illustration3 ,lido ,olga ,preobrajenska in her ,paris school ,illustration3 ,lydia ,lopokova ,hopp ,illustration3 ,tamara ,karsavina ,illustration3 ,mathilde ,kchessinska ,lido ,illustration3 ,maurice ,goldberg ,michel ,fokine ,illustration3 ,adolph ,bolm ,maurice ,seymour ,illustration3 ,acme ,anna ,pavlova ,illustration3 ,alexandre ,volinine in his ,paris studio1 with ,colette ,marchand ,lido ,illustration3 ,baker ,ballet ,pioneering in ,america3 8,sasha0 ,philipoff1 ,irving ,deakin1 ,olga ,morosova1 8,colonel0 ,w4 de ,basil1 ,sono ,osato ,illustration3 ,s4 ,hurok1 8,colonel0 ,w4 de ,basil and leading members of the de ,basil ,ballet ,russe1 #aicc4 ,back row3 ,david ,lichine1 ,vania ,psota1 ,sasha ,alexandroff1 ,s4 ,hurok2 ,center row3 ,leonide ,massine1 ,tatiana ,riabouchinska1 ,col4 ,w4 de ,basil1 ,nina ,verchinina1 ,yurek ,shabalevsky2 ,front row3 ,edward ,borovansky1 ,tamara ,toumanova ,nikoff pioneer in music4 ,volpe devoted his entire life1 from the time of his arrival in this country until his death1 to the cause of young ,american musicians4 ,he was an ideal collaborator for the ,fokines4 ,there was a fine understanding between ,fokine and ,volpe1 and the performances1 therefore1 were splendid4 ,i felt content4 ,but not for long4 ,my peace of mind was shattered by a telephone call4 ,it was ,mrs4 ,volpe4 ,the news was bad4 ,fokine had suffered an injury during rehearsal4 ,he had pulled a leg tendon4 ,the pain was severe4 ,the rehearsal had been abandoned4 ,i rushed to ,manhattan and up to the old ,marie ,antoinette ,hotel1 famous as the long-time home of that wizard of the ,american theatre1 ,david ,belasco4 ,here the ,fokines had made their temporary home1 while searching for a house4 ,michel was in bed1 with ,vera in solicitous attendance4 ,to understate1 the news was very bad4 ,the doctor1 who had just left1 had said it would be at least six weeks before he could permit ,fokine to dance4 ,but the performance had to be given ,tuesday night4 ,it was now ,sunday4 ,there was all the publicity1 all the advertising1 and the rent of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house had to be paid4 ,this was not all4 ,a tour had been booked to follow the ,metropolitan appearance1 including ,philadelphia1 ,baltimore1 ,washington1 and ,richmond4 ,apart from my own expenses1 there were the responsibilities to the various local managers and managements concerned4 ,something had to be done1 and at once4 ,the newspapers had to be informed4 ,the silence of the hotel bedroom1 hitherto broken only by ,vera's cooing ministrations1 deepened4 ,it was ,i who spoke4 ,an idea flashed through my mind4 8,mikhail ,mikhailovitch10 ,i said1 8could ,vera ,petrovna do a full programme on ,tuesday night on her own80 ,michel and ,vera exchanged glances4 ,there was something telepathic in the communication between their eyes4 ,fokine turned his head in my direction4 8,yes10 he said4 ,quickly the programme was rearranged4 ,fokine suggested adding a ,chopin group1 which he called ,poland--,three ,moods3 ,happiness1 ,revolt1 ,sadness4 ,we went into action4 ,the orchestra seat prices were five dollars1 and a five-dollar top was high in those days4 ,announcements were rushed out1 informing the public in big type that ,vera ,fokina1 ,prima ,ballerina ,russian ,ballet1 would appear1 together with the adjusted programme1 which we agreed upon as follows3 ,arnold ,volpe and his ,symphony ,orchestra would play ,weber's ,oberon ,overture2 ,saint-,saens' ,symphonic ,poem1 ,rouet d',omphale2 ,beethoven's ,egmont ,overture2 ,rimsky-,korsakoff's ,capriccio ,espagnol2 ,ippolitoff-,ivanoff's ,caucasian ,sketches2 and the ,wedding ,procession from ,rimsky-,korsakoff's ,le ,coq d',or4 ,fokina had an evening cut out for her3 the three ,polish moods ,i have mentioned2 ,the ,dying ,swan2 ,the 8,moonlight0 ,sonata2 the ,danses ,tziganes1 by ,nachez2 ,sapeteado1 a ,gitano ,dance1 by ,hartmann2 two ,caucasian ,dances1 to folk music arranged by ,asafief2 and four of ,liadov's ,russian ,folk ,dances4 ,a large sign to the same effect was installed in the lobby of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,the news spread quickly4 ,but the public did not seem to mind4 ,in this eleventh-hour shifting of arrangements1 ,i was happy to have the whole-hearted cooperation of ,john ,brown and ,edward ,ziegler1 the administrative heads of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,company4 ,the first performance was sold out2 the audience was enthusiastic4 ,moreover1 while in those days there were no dance critics1 the press comment1 largely a matter of straight reporting1 was highly favorable4 ,i should like to quote ,the ,new ,york ,times account in full as an example of the sort of attention given then to such an important event1 some thirty-odd years ago3 8,,fokina',s ,,art ,,delights ,,metropolitan ,,audience--,her ,husband and ,partner ,ill1 ,russian ,dancers ,interest ,throng ,alone1 with ,volpe's ,aid3 ,vera ,fokina1 the noted ,russian dancer performed an unusual feat on ,february #aa1 when she kept a great audience in the ,metropolitan keenly interested in her art for almost three hours4 ,when it was announced that ,mr4 ,fokine1 her husband1 was ill and therefore not able to carry out his part of the program1 a murmur of dissatisfaction was audible4 ,but the auditors soon forgot their disappointment and wondered at ,mme4 ,fokina's graceful and vivid interpretations4 8,among the best liked of her offerings was the #8,dying ,swan1' with ,saint-,saens's music4 ,beethoven's #8,moonlight' ,sonata1 well played by an invisible pianist1 ,izia ,seligman1 and the ,russian and ,gipsy pieces4 ,she was compelled to give many encores4 8,arnold ,volpe and his orchestra took a vital part in the program1 playing the music with a fine instinct for the interpretative ideas of the dancer4 ,he conducted his forces through some of the compositions intended as the vehicles for the absent ,mr4 ,fokine1 and thus won an honest share in the success of the entertainment40 ,so much for ballet criticism in ,new ,york in #aibj4 ,the tour had to go on with ,fokina alone1 although ,fokine had recovered sufficiently to hobble about and to supervise and direct and oversee4 ,a certain ,mr4 ,k4 had associated himself as a sort of local representative4 ,mr4 ,k4 was not much of a local manager2 but he did have an unholy talent for cheque-bouncing4 ,it was not a matter of one or two1 due to some error2 they bounded and bounced all over the country in droves1 and daily4 ,if the gods that be had seen fit to give me a less sound nervous system than1 happily1 they have1 ,k4's financial antics could have brought on a nervous breakdown4 ,at the same time1 ,fokine1 with his tremendous insistence on perfection1 hobbled about1 giving orders to all and sundry in a mixture of languages--,russian1 ,french1 ,german1 ,swedish1 and ,danish--that no one1 but no one1 was able to understand4 ,even up to the time of his death1 ,english was difficult for ,mikhail ,mikhailovitch1 and he spoke it1 at all times1 with an unreproducible accent4 ,his voice1 unless excited1 was softly guttural4 ,in typically ,russian fashion1 he interchanged the letters 8g0 and 8h40 ,always there was an almost limitless range of facial expressions4 ,on this tour1 ,fokine1 being unable to dance1 had more time on his hands to worry about everything else4 ,his lighting rehearsals were long and chaotic1 since provincial electricians were not conspicuous either for their ability1 their interest1 or their patience4 ,during the lighting rehearsals1 since he was immobilised by his injury1 ,fokine and ,vera would sit side by side4 ,he knew what he wanted2 but1 before he would finally approve anything1 he would turn to her for her commendation2 and there would pass between them that telepathic communication ,i often saw1 and about which ,i have remarked before4 ,occasionally1 if something amused them1 they would laugh together2 but1 more often than not1 their faces revealed no more than would a skilled poker-player's4 ,fokine could manage to keep his temper on an even keel for a considerable time1 if he put his mind to it4 ,there was no affectation about ,fokine1 either artistically or personally4 ,in appearance there was not a single one of those artificial eccentricities so often associated with the 8artistic temperament40 ,to the man in the street he would have passed for a solidly successful business man4 ,at work he was a taskmaster unrelenting1 implacable1 fanatical frequently to the point of downright cruelty4 ,at rest1 he was a gentleman of great charm and simplicity1 with a sense of humor and a certain capacity for enjoyment4 ,unfortunately1 his sense of humor had a way of deserting him at critical moments4 ,this1 coupled with a lack of tact1 made him many enemies among those who were once his closest friends4 ,these occasional flashes of geniality came only when things were going his way2 but1 if things did not go as he wanted1 his rages could be and were devastating1 all-consuming4 ,one such incident occurred in ,philadelphia4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,philadelphia was marked by incidents4 ,the first was one ,i had with ,edward ,lobe1 then manager of ,philadelphia's ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 then at ,broad and ,poplar ,streets4 ,it had to do with some of the bouncing ,k4's bouncing paper4 ,this straightened out1 ,i returned to the stage to find turmoil rampant4 ,there was another crisis4 ,the crisis had been precipitated by the man whose job it was to operate the curtain4 ,fokine had shouted and screamed 8,zanovess6 ,zanovess60 at the unfortunate individual4 ,now 8,zanovess0 is the ,russian word for curtain4 ,the curtain had not fallen4 ,fokine could not say 8curtain40 ,the operator did not have the vaguest idea of the meaning of 8zanovess40 ,moreover1 the stage-hand suspected1 from the tone of ,fokine's voice1 his barked order1 and the fierce expression of his face that he was being called names4 ,when1 finally1 ,fokine screamed 8,idyot60 at him1 the curtain-man knew for sure he had been insulted4 ,the argument and hostility spread through his colleagues4 ,eventually1 ,i got them calmed down4 ,fokine insisted they were all idiots2 they were all ignorant4 ,this idea leaked through to the stage-hands1 and that did not help matters4 ,i finally suggested that1 since neither of them could understand the other1 the best procedure would be not to scream and shout and stomp--uttering strange mixed ,french and ,russian oaths--but to be quiet and to show by gesture and pantomime1 rather than to give unintelligible verbal orders4 ,so1 with only minor subsequent scenes1 the rehearsal got itself finished4 ,also1 in ,philadelphia1 we had substituted ,salome's ,dance of the ,seven ,veils1 done to ,glazounov's score of the same name1 in place of the 8,moonlight0 ,sonata4 ,it is hardly necessary to point out that the veils1 all seven of them1 are vastly important4 ,because of their importance1 these had been entrusted to the keeping of ,clavia1 ,vera's ,russian maid1 instead of being packed with the other costumes4 ,but1 come performance time1 ,clavia could not be found4 ,hue and cry were raised2 her hotel alerted2 restaurants searched2 but still no ,clavia4 ,she simply had to be found4 ,i pressed ,marie ,volpe1 ,arnold ,volpe's singer-wife1 into the breach to act as maid for ,vera1 and to help her dress4 ,but only ,clavia knew where ,salome's veils had been secreted4 ,the performance started4 ,the search continued4 ,suddenly1 there came a series of piercing screams emanating from an upper floor dressing-room4 ,haunted by visions of the ,phantom of the ,opera1 ,i rushed up the stairs to find ,clavia lying on the floor1 obviously in pain4 ,we managed to get her down to ,fokina's room and placed her on the couch in what was known in ,philadelphia as 8,caruso's ,room10 the star dressing-room ,fokina was using4 ,as we entered1 ,fokina stood ready to go on stage1 costumed for ,the ,dying ,swan4 ,the situation was obvious4 ,clavia was about to give birth to a child4 ,the labor pains had commenced4 ,i pushed ,vera on to the stage and ,marie ,volpe into the room--in the nick of time4 ,mrs4 ,volpe1 a concert singer1 pinch-hitting as a maid for ,vera1 now turned midwife for the first time in her life4 ,by the time the ambulance and the doctor arrived1 mother and infant were doing as well as could be expected4 ,next morning ,mrs4 ,volpe found herself a new role4 ,a lady of high moral scruples1 herself a mother1 she had realized that no one had mentioned a father for the child4 ,mrs4 ,volpe had assumed the role of detective 7a dangerous one1 ,i assure the reader1 in ballet71 and was determined to run down the child's father4 ,the newspaper stories1 with the headline3 8,,child ,,born ,,in ,,caruso',s ,,dressing ,,room10 had not been too reassuring to ,mrs4 ,volpe4 ,i counselled her that she would be well advised to let the matter drop4 ,on our arrival in ,baltimore1 ,i was greeted by the news that my rubber-wizard of a local manager1 the bouncing ,mr4 ,k41 had decamped with the box-office sale1 leaving behind only some rubber cheques4 ,this1 in itself1 ,i felt was enough for one day4 ,but it was not to be4 ,vera1 as curtain time approached1 once again was up to her usual business of exhibiting 8temperament10 spoiling her life1 as she so often did in this respect1 throughout her dancing career4 8,what is it now80 ,i asked4 ,she waxed wroth with great volubility and at considerable length1 with profound indignation that the stage floor-cloth was1 as she said1 8impossible40 ,nothing ,i could say was of any avail4 ,vera refused1 absolutely1 irrevocably1 unconditionally1 to dance4 ,mrs4 ,volpe was to help her into her street clothes1 and at once4 ,she would return to her hotel4 ,she would return to ,new ,york4 ,i must cancel the engagement1 the tour1 all because of the stage-cloth4 ,and the audience was already filling the theatre4 ,i thought quickly and went into action4 ,calling the head carpenter and the property man together1 ,i got them to turn the floor-cloth round4 ,then1 going back to the dressing-room1 where ,vera was preparing to leave1 ,i succeeded in convincing her by showing her that it was an entirely new doth that we had just got for her happiness4 ,vera ,fokina never danced better than that night in ,baltimore4 ,our farewell performance1 with both ,fokines dancing1 took place at ,charles ,dillingham's ,hippodrome1 on ,sunday evening1 #bith ,may1 #aibj4 ,for this occasion1 the ,fokines appeared together1 by popular request1 in the ,harlequin and ,columbine variation from his own masterpiece1 ,carnaval2 ,fokine alone danced the ,dagestanskaja ,lezginka1 and staged a work he called ,amoun and ,berenis1 actually scenes from his ,une ,nuit d',egypte1 which ,diaghileff called ,cloptre1 adapted1 musically1 from ,anton ,arensky's score for the ballet4 ,i quote ,fokine's own libretto for the work3 ,amoun and ,berenis are engaged in the sport of hunting4 ,she represents ,gazelle1 and he the hunter who wounds her in the breast4 ,the engaged couple plight each other to everlasting love4 ,but soon ,amoun betrays his bride4 ,he falls in love with ,queen ,cleopatra4 ,not having the opportunity of coming near his beloved queen1 he sends an arrow with a note professing his love and readiness to sacrifice his life for her4 ,notwithstanding the tears and prayers of ,berenis1 he throws himself into the arms of ,cleopatra1 and1 lured by her tenderness1 he accepts from her hands a cup of poison1 drinks it and dies4 ,berenis finds the corpse of her lover1 forgives him and mourns his death4 ,the ,hippodrome version consisted of 8,the ,meeting of ,amoun and ,berenis0 8,the ,entrance of ,cleopatra10 by the orchestra2 8,the ,dance ,before ,cleopatra02 8,the ,betrayal of ,amoun and the ,jealousy of ,berenis02 8,the ,hebrew ,dance10 by the orchestra2 8,the ,death of ,amoun and the ,mourning of ,berenis40 ,in #aibg1 ,i presented the ,fokines with their 8,american ,ballet10 composed of their pupils1 at the ,masonic ,auditorium1 in ,detroit1 and on subsequent tours4 ,prominent professional dancers were added to the pupil roster4 ,that summer1 with the ,fokines and their company1 ,i introduced ballet to the ,lewisohn ,stadium ,concerts in ,new ,york1 for three performances1 to a record audience of forty-eight thousand people4 ,i also presented them for four performances at the ,century ,theatre in ,central ,park ,west4 ,the ,stadium programmes included ,les ,elves1 arranged to ,mendelssohn's ,overture to a ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 with the addition of the same composer's ,andante and ,allegro from the ,violin ,concerto4 ,also ,medusa1 a tragedy set to ,tchaikowsky's ,symphonie ,pathtique1 a work for four characters1 the title role being danced by ,vera ,fokina1 and the sea god ,poseidon1 who fell in love with the beautiful ,medusa1 danced by ,fokine4 ,it was during one of the ,stadium performances1 ,i remember1 ,i had occasion to go to the ,fokines' dressing-room on some errand4 ,i knocked1 and believing ,i heard an invitation to enter1 opened the door to discover the two ,fokines dissolved in tears of happiness4 ,so moved was ,michel by ,vera's performance of the title role in ,medusa1 that they were sobbing in each other's arms4 8,wonderful1 wonderful1 my darling60 ,fokine was murmuring4 8,such a beautiful performance2 and to think you did it all in such a short period1 with so very few rehearsals2 and the really amazing thing is that you portrayed the character of the creature precisely as it is in my mind60 ,in the love1 the adoration1 the romance of ,michel and ,vera ,fokine1 there was the greatest continuous devotion between man and wife that it has been my privilege to know4 ,fokine's ,american ballet creations have been lost4 ,perhaps it is as well4 ,for the closing chapter of the life of a truly great artist they were sadly inferior4 ,towards the end of his career1 however1 he staged some fresh1 new works in ,france for ,ren ,blum's ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 including ,les ,elements1 ,don ,juan1 and ,l',epreuve d',amour4 ,then1 for de ,basil's ,original ,ballet ,russe1 ,cinderella1 or since he used the ,french1 ,cendrillon1 to a commissioned score by ,baron ,frederic d',erlanger1 which might have been better4 ,but choreographically ,cendrillon was a return to the triumphant ,fokine4 ,there was also his triumphant re-staging of ,le ,coq d',or4 ,perhaps his last really great triumph was his collaboration with ,serge ,rachmaninoff on ,paganini1 a work that takes rank with ,fokine's finest4 ,fokine restaged ,les ,sylphides and ,carnaval for ,ballet ,theatre's initial season4 ,when ,ballet ,theatre was under my management1 he created ,bluebeard1 in #aida1 for ,anton ,dolin4 ,in #aidb1 ,i was instrumental in having ,german ,sevastianov engage ,fokine to stage the nostalgic tragedy1 ,russian ,soldier1 to the music of ,prokofieff4 ,while in ,mexico1 in the summer of #aidb1 working on ,helen of ,troy1 for ,ballet ,theatre1 ,fokine contracted pleurisy1 which developed into pneumonia on his return to ,new ,york1 where he died1 on #bbnd ,august4 ,for a dancer1 he was on the youthful side4 ,he was born in ,mannheim-am-,rhine1 ,germany1 #bfth ,april1 #ahhj1 the son of ,ekaterina ,gindt4 ,according to the official records of the ,st4 ,petersburg ,imperial ,school1 his father was unknown4 ,he was adopted by a merchant1 ,mikhail ,feodorovitch ,fokine1 who gave him his name4 ,in #ahih1 he graduated from the ,st4 ,petersburg ,imperial ,school4 ,in #aije1 he married ,vera ,petrovna ,antonova1 the daughter of a master of the wig-maker's ,guild1 who had graduated from the ,school the year before4 ,at the funeral service at the ,russian ,orthodox ,cathedral1 in ,new ,york1 were assembled all of the dance world in ,new ,york in mid-summer1 to do him honor4 ,some of his works will live on1 but they suffer with each passing year because1 in most cases1 they are not properly done4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells and ,royal ,danish ,ballet productions of the ,fokine works are the exceptions4 ,but all his works suffered continually during his lifetime1 because ,fokine had a faulty memory1 and his restaging of the works was1 all too often1 the product of unhappy afterthoughts4 ,towards the end of his life he became more and more embittered4 ,he1 the one-time great revolutionary1 resented the new developments in ballet1 perhaps because they had not been developed by ,fokine4 ,this bitterness was quite unnecessary1 for ,fokine remains the greatest creator of modern ballet4 ,his works1 properly staged1 will always provide a solid base for all ballet programmes4 ,despite the hue and cry1 despite the lavish praise heaped upon each new experiment by modern choreographers1 and upon the choreographers themselves1 in all contemporary ballet there is no one to take his place4 ,other ballet-masters1 other choreographers1 working with the same basic materials1 in the same spirit1 in the same language1 often require detailed synopses and explanations for their works1 in spite of which the meaning of them often remains lost in the murk of darkest obscurity4 ,i remember once asking ,fokine to supply a synopsis of one of his new works for programme purposes4 ,i shall not forget his reply3 8,no synopsis is needed for my ballets4 ,my ballets unfold their stories on the stage4 ,there is never any doubt as to what they say40 ,i have visited ,vera ,petrovna ,fokine in the castle on the ,hudson where she lives in lonely nostalgia4 ,but it is not quite true that she lives alone2 for she lives with the precious memory of a great love1 a tremendous reputation1 the memory of a great artist1 the artist who created ,les ,sylphides1 ,prince ,igor1 and ,petroushka4 #g4 ,ballet ,reborn ,in ,america3 ,w4 ,de ,basil and ,his ,ballets ,russes ,de ,monte ,carlo ,the last of the two ,american tours of ,serge de ,diaghileff's ,ballets ,russes was during the season #aiaf-aiag4 ,the last ,american tour of ,anna ,pavlova and her company was during the season #aibe-aibf4 ,serge ,diaghileff died at ,venice1 on #aith ,august1 #aibi4 ,anna ,pavlova died at ,the ,hague1 on #bcrd ,january1 #aica4 ,w4 de ,basil's ,ballets ,russes de ,monte ,carlo gave their first ,american performances at the ,st4 ,james ,theatre1 ,new ,york1 on #bast ,december1 #aicc4 ,such ballet as ,america saw between ,pavlova's last performance in #aibf and the first de ,basil performance in #aicc1 may be briefly stated4 ,from #aibd to #aibg1 in ,chicago1 there was the ,chicago ,allied ,arts1 sometimes described as the first 8ballet theatre0 in the ,united ,states1 sparked by ,adolph ,bolm4 ,in #aibf and #aibg1 there were a few sporadic performances by ,mikhail ,mordkin and his ,russian ,ballet ,company1 which included ,xenia ,macletzova1 ,vera ,nemtchinova1 ,hilda ,butsova1 and ,pierre ,vladimiroff4 ,from #aibh to #aica1 ,leonide ,massine staged weekly ballet productions at the ,roxy ,theatre1 in ,new ,york1 including a full-length ,schhrazade1 with four performances daily1 ,massine acting both as choreographer and leading dancer4 ,in #aicj1 he staged ,stravinsky's ,le ,sacre du ,printemps1 for four performances in ,philadelphia and two at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 in ,new ,york1 with the collaboration of ,leopold ,stokowski and the ,philadelphia ,orchestra1 and with ,martha ,graham making one of her rare appearances in ballet1 in the leading role4 ,that is the story4 ,hardly a well-tilled ground in which to sow balletic seed with the hope of a bumper crop4 ,it is not surprising that all my friends and all my rival colleagues in the field of management prophesied dire things for me 7presumably with different motives7 when ,i determined on the rebirth of ballet in ,america in the autumn of #aicc4 ,their predictions were as mournful as those of ,macbeth's witches4 ,the ballet situation in the ,western ,world1 after the deaths of ,diaghileff and ,pavlova1 save for the subsidized ballets at the ,paris ,opera and ,la ,scala in ,milan1 was not vastly different4 ,if you will look through the files of the ,european newspapers of the period1 you will find an equally depressing note3 8,the ,swan passes1 and ballet with her0 444 8,the puppet-master is gone2 the puppets must be returned to their boxes0 444 and a bit later3 8,former ,diaghileff dancers booked to appear in revues and cabaret turns40 444 ,in ,england1 ,j4 ,maynard ,keynes1 ,lydia ,lopokova1 ,ninette de ,valois1 ,marie ,rambert1 ,constant ,lambert1 and ,arnold ,l4 ,haskell had formed the ,camargo ,society for ,sunday night ballet performances1 which organization gave birth to ,marie ,rambert's ,ballet ,club and the ,vic ,wells ,ballet4 ,in #aicc1 the glories of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet were hardly dreams1 not yet a glimmer in ,ninette de ,valois' eye4 ,in ,europe there remained only the ,diaghileff remains and a vacant ,diaghileff contract at ,monte ,carlo4 ,this latter deserves a word of explanation4 ,diaghileff had acquired the name--the ,ballets ,russes de ,monte ,carlo--thanks to the ,prince of ,monaco1 himself a ballet lover1 who had offered ,diaghileff and his company a home and a place to work4 ,ren ,blum1 an intellectual ,french gentleman of deep culture and fine taste1 took over the unexpired ,diaghileff ,monte ,carlo contract4 ,blum was at hand for1 at the time of ,diaghileff's death1 he was at the head of the dramatic theatre at ,monte ,carlo4 ,in fulfilment of the ,diaghileff contract1 for a time ,blum booked such itinerant ballet groups as he could4 ,then1 in #aica1 he organized his own ,ballets ,russes de ,monte ,carlo4 ,george ,balanchine1 who had staged some of the last of the ,diaghileff works1 became the first choreographer for the new company4 ,for the ,monte ,carlo repertoire1 he created three works4 ,to it1 from ,paris1 he brought two of the soon-to-become-famous 8baby ballerinas10 ,irina ,baronova and ,tamara ,toumanova1 both from the classroom of ,olga ,preobrajenska4 ,early in #aicb1 ,ren ,blum joined forces with one of the most curious personalities that modern ballet has turned up1 in the person of a gentleman who wished to be known as ,col4 ,w4 de ,basil4 ,de ,basil had had a ballet company of sorts for some time4 ,i first ran into him in ,paris1 shortly after ,diaghileff's death1 where he had allied himself with ,prince ,zeretelli's ,russian ,opera ,company2 and again in ,london1 where the ,lionel ,powell management1 in association with the ,imperial ,league of ,opera1 had given them a season of combined opera and ballet at the old ,lyceum ,theatre4 ,with ballets by ,boris ,romanoff and ,bronislava ,nijinska1 de ,basil had toured his little troupe around ,europe in buses1 living from hand to mouth2 had turned up for a season at ,monte ,carlo1 at ,ren ,blum's invitation4 ,that did it4 ,de ,basil worked out a deal with ,blum1 whereby de ,basil became a joint managing director of the combined companies1 now under the title of ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo4 ,a season was given in the summer of #aicb1 in ,paris1 at the ,thtre des ,champs ,elyses4 ,it was there ,i first saw the new company4 ,it was then ,i took the plunge4 ,i negotiated4 ,i signed them for a visit to the ,american continent4 ,a book could be devoted to these negotiations alone4 ,it would not be believable2 it would fail to pass every test of credibility ever devised4 ,i feel that this is the point at which to digress for a moment1 in order to sketch in a line drawing of de ,basil1 with some of the shadows and some of the substance4 ,unless ,i do1 no reader will be able to understand why ,i once contemplated a book to be called ,to ,hell ,with ,ballet6 ,to begin with1 de ,basil was a ,cossack and a ,caucasian4 ,neither term carries with it any connotation of gentleness or sensitivity4 ,de ,basil was one of the last persons in the world you would expect to find at the head of an organization devoted to the development of the gentle1 lyric art of the ballet4 ,two more dissimilar partners in an artistic venture than de ,basil and ,blum could not be found4 ,ren ,blum1 the gentle1 cultured intellectual1 was a genuine artist3 amiable1 courteous1 and fully deserving of the often misused phrase--a man of the world4 ,his alliance with de ,basil was foredoomed to failure2 for one of ,ren ,blum's outstanding characteristics was a passion to avoid arguments1 discussions1 scandals1 troubles of any sort4 ,blum commanded the highest respect from his artists and associates2 but they never feared him4 ,to them he was the kind1 understanding friend to whom they might run with their troubles and problems4 ,blum's sensitivity was such that he would run from de ,basil as one would try to escape a plague4 ,ren ,blum1 you would say1 was1 perhaps1 the ivory-tower dilettante4 ,you would be wrong4 ,ren ,blum gave the lie to this during the war by revealing himself a man of heroic stature4 ,on the occupation of ,france1 he was in grave danger1 since he was a ,jew1 and the brother of ,lon ,blum1 the ,socialist leader1 great ,french patriot and one-time ,premier4 ,ren1 however1 was safely and securely out of the country4 ,but he1 too1 was a passionate lover of ,france4 ,france1 he felt1 needed him4 ,tossing aside his own safety1 he returned to his beloved country1 to share its fate4 ,his son1 who was the apple of his father's eye1 joined the ,maquis2 was killed fighting the ,nazis4 ,ren ,blum was the victim of ,nazi persecution4 ,let us look for a moment at the background of ,blum's ballet collaborator4 ,the 8,colonel0 was born ,vassily ,grigorievitch ,voskresensky4 ,in his native milieu he had some sort of police-military career4 ,although he insisted on the title 8,colonel10 he certainly never attained that rank in the ,tsar's army4 ,he was a lieutenant in the ,gendarmes4 ,after the revolution1 in #aiah1 he turned up as a captain with ,bicherakoff's ,cossacks4 ,later on he turned naval and operated in the ,black ,sea4 ,there is an interval in de ,basil's life that has never been entirely filled in with complete accuracy3 the period immediately following his flight and escape from ,russia4 ,the most credible of the legends surrounding this period is that he sold motor-cars in ,italy4 ,eventually1 he turned up in ,paris1 where my trail picked him up at a concert agency called ,zerbaseff1 which concerned itself with finding jobs for refugee artists4 ,it was then he called himself de ,basil4 ,at the time ,i met him1 he had a ,caucasian partner1 the ,prince ,zeretelli whom ,i have mentioned1 and who was a one-time manager of the ,people's ,theatre1 in ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,it was this partnership that brought forth the ,ballet and ,opra ,russe de ,paris1 which gave seasons at the ,thtre des ,champs ,elyses1 in ,paris1 and1 as ,i have mentioned1 at the ,lyceum ,theatre1 in ,london4 ,let me first set down the man's virtues4 ,de ,basil had great charm4 ,by that ,i do not necessarily mean he was charming4 ,his charm was something he could turn on at will1 like a tap1 usually when he was in a tight spot4 ,more than once it helped him out of deep holes1 and sticky ones4 ,he had an inexhaustible fount of energy1 could drive himself and others2 never seemed to need sleep2 and1 aiming at a highly desired personal goal1 had unending patience4 ,with true oriental passivity1 he could wait4 ,he had undaunted courage2 needless1 reckless courage1 in my opinion2 a stupid courage compounded often out of equal parts of stubbornness and sheer bravado4 ,he was a born organizer4 ,he intuitively possessed a flair for the theatre3 a flair without knowledge4 ,he could be an excellent host2 he was a cordon bleu cook4 ,he was generous1 he was simple in his tastes4 ,yet1 with all these virtues1 de ,basil was1 at the same time1 one of the most difficult human beings ,i have ever encountered in a lifetime of management4 ,this tall1 gaunt1 cadaver of a man had a powerful physique1 a dead-pan face1 and a pair of cold1 astigmatic eyes1 before which rested thick-lensed spectacles4 ,he had all the makings of a dictator4 ,like his countryman1 ,joseph ,stalin1 he was completely impossible as a collaborator4 ,he was a born intriguer1 and delighted in surrounding himself with scheming characters4 ,during my career ,i have met scheming characters who1 nevertheless1 have had certain positive virtues3 they succeeded in getting things done4 ,de ,basil's scheming characters consisted of lawyers1 hacks1 amateur managers1 brokers1 without exception third-rate people who damaged and destroyed4 ,it would be an act of great injustice to call de ,basil stupid4 ,he was as shrewd an article as one could expect to meet amongst all the lads who have tried to sell the unwary stranger the ,brooklyn ,bridge1 the ,capitol at ,washington1 or the ,houses of ,parliament4 ,de ,basil deliberately engaged this motley crew of hangers-on1 since his ,caucasian ,machiavellism was such that he loved to pit them one against the other1 to use them to build up an operetta atmosphere of cheap intrigue that ,i felt sure had not hitherto existed save in the ,graustark type of fiction4 ,de ,basil used them to irritate and annoy4 ,he would dispatch them abroad in his company simply to stir up trouble1 to form cliques3 for purposes of chantage2 he would order them into whispered colloquies in corners1 alternately wearing knowing looks and glum visages4 ,de ,basil and his entire entourage lived in a world of intrigue of their own deliberate making4 ,his fussy1 busy little cohorts cost him money he did not have1 and raised such continuous hell that the wonder is the company held together as long as it did4 ,de ,basil's unholy joy would come from creating1 through these henchmen1 a nasty situation and then stepping in to pull a string here1 jerk a cord there1 he would save the situation1 thus becoming the hero of the moment4 ,i shall have more to say on the subject of the 8,colonel0 before this tale is told4 ,now1 with the contracts signed for the first ,american visit1 we were on our honeymoon4 ,meanwhile1 however1 the picture of what ,i had agreed to bring was changing4 ,leonide ,massine1 his stint at the ,roxy ,theatre in ,new ,york completed1 had met a former ,broadway manager1 ,e4 ,ray ,goetz4 ,together they had succeeded in raising some money and planned with it to buy the entire ,diaghileff properties4 ,with this stock in hand1 ,massine caught up with de ,basil1 who was barnstorming through the ,low ,countries with his company in trucks and buses2 and the two of them pooled resources4 ,although ,massine's purchase plan did not go through entirely1 because much of the ,diaghileff material had disappeared through lawsuits and other claims1 nevertheless ,massine was able to deliver a sizable portion of it4 ,as the direct result of ,massine's appointment as artistic director1 a number of things happened4 ,first of all1 ,balanchine quit1 and formed a short-lived company in ,france1 ,les ,ballets #aicc1 the history of which is not germane to this story4 ,before he left1 however1 ,balanchine had created three works for the de ,basil-,blum ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo3 ,la ,concurrence1 ,le ,cotillon1 and ,le ,bourgeois ,gentilhomme4 ,massine1 as his first task1 staged ,jeux d',enfants and ,les ,plages2 restaged three of his earlier works1 ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat1 ,le ,beau ,danube and ,scuola di ,ballo2 and the first of his epoch-making symphonic ballets1 ,les ,prsages1 to ,tchaikowsky's ,fifth ,symphony4 ,these were combined with a number of older works from the ,diaghileff repertoire1 including the three ,fokine masterpieces3 ,les ,sylphides1 ,prince ,igor1 and ,petroushka4 ,massine had strengthened the company4 ,there were the former ,diaghileff rgisseur general1 ,serge ,grigorieff1 of long memory1 as stage director2 his wife1 ,lubov ,tchernicheva1 a leading ,diaghileff figure1 for dramatic roles2 the last ,diaghileff ballerina1 ,alexandra ,danilova1 to give stability to the three 8baby ballerinas03 ,baronova1 ,toumanova1 and ,tatiana ,riabouchinska1 the last from ,kchessinska's private studio1 by way of ,nikita ,balieff's ,chauve ,souris1 where she had been dancing4 ,there was the intriguing ,nina ,verchinina1 a 8different0 type of dancer4 ,there were talented lesser ladies3 ,eugenia ,delarova1 ,lubov ,rostova2 a group of ,english girls masquerading under ,russian names4 ,among the men1 in addition to ,massine1 there were ,leon ,woizikovsky1 ,david ,lichine1 ,roman ,jasinsky1 ,paul ,petroff1 ,yurek ,shabalevsky1 and ,andr ,eglevsky4 ,a successful breaking-in season was given at the ,alhambra ,theatre1 in ,london's ,leicester ,square4 ,while this was in progress1 we set about at the most necessary and vastly important business of trying to build a public for ballet in ,america1 for this is a ballet impresario's first job4 ,that original publicity campaign was1 in its way1 history-making4 ,it took a considerable bit of organizing4 ,no field was overlooked4 ,in addition to spreading the gospel of ballet1 there was a ,sponsors' ,committee1 headed by the ,grand ,duchess ,marie and ,otto ,h4 ,kahn4 ,prince ,serge ,obolensky was an ever-present source of help4 ,it was a chilly and fairly raw ,december morning in #aicc when ,i clambered aboard the cutter at the ,battery1 to go down the ,bay to board the ship at ,quarantine4 ,it is a morning ,i shall not soon forget4 ,i was in ballet up to my neck2 and ,i loved it4 ,there have been days and nights in the succeeding two decades when ,i have seriously played with the notion of what life might have been like if ,i had not gone aboard 7and overboard7 that ,december morning4 ,i took with me the traditional ,russian welcome3 a tray of bread1 wrapped in a white linen serviette1 a little bowl of salt1 which ,i offered to de ,basil4 ,i was careful to see that the reporters and camera men were in place when ,i did it4 ,de ,basil's poker-face actually smiled as ,i handed him the tray1 uncovered the bread1 poured the salt4 ,but only for a moment4 ,a ,russian word in greeting1 and then there was an immediate demand from him to see the theatre4 ,we were on our way4 ,driving uptown to the ,st4 ,james ,theatre1 the arguments commenced4 ,there was the matter of the programme4 ,there was the matter of the size of de ,basil's name2 the question of the relative size of the artists' names2 the type-face2 the order in which they should be listed2 what was to become the everlasting arguments over repertoire and casting4 ,but ,i was in it1 now4 ,i believed in the 8star0 system--not because ,i believe the system to be a perfect one1 by any means1 but because the ,american public1 which had been without any major ballet company for eight years1 and which had had practically no ballet activity1 had to be attracted and arrested by something more than an unknown and heretofore unheard-of company and the photograph of a not particularly photogenic ex-,cossack4 ,the pre-,christmas premire at the ,st4 ,james ,theatre1 on the night of #bast ,december1 marked the beginning of a new epoch in ballet1 and in my career4 ,it was going to be a long pull1 an uphill struggle4 ,i knew that4 ,the opening night audience was brilliant2 the house was packed1 enthusiastic4 ,but the advance sale at the box-office was anything but encouraging4 ,diaghileff had failed in ,america4 ,the losses of his two seasons1 paid for by ,otto ,h4 ,kahn1 ran close to a half-million dollars4 ,i was on my own4 ,since readers are as human as ,i am1 perhaps they will forgive my pardonable pride1 the pride ,i felt sixteen years later1 on reading the historian ,george ,amberg's comment3 8,if it had not been for ,mr4 ,hurok's resourceful management and promotion1 de ,basil would certainly not have succeeded where ,diaghileff failed40 ,but ,i am anticipating4 ,the opening programme consisted of ,la ,concurrence1 ,les ,prsages1 and ,le ,beau ,danube4 ,toumanova in the first2 ,baronova and ,lichine in the second2 ,massine1 ,danilova1 and ,riabouchinska in the third4 ,it was a night4 ,the next day's press was excellent4 ,it was ,john ,martin1 with what ,i felt was an anti-,diaghileff bias1 who offered some reservations4 ,following the opening performance1 ,i gave the first of my many ballet suppers1 this one at the ,savoy-,plaza4 ,it was very gala4 ,the ,sponsors' ,committee turned up en masse4 ,white-gloved waiters served1 among other things1 super hot dogs1 as a native gesture to the visitors from overseas4 ,the 8baby ballerinas0 looked as if they should have been in bed4 ,that is1 two of them did4 ,one of them was missing1 and there was some concern as to what could have happened to ,tamara ,toumanova4 ,however1 there was no necessity for concern for ,tamara1 since she1 with her sense of the theatre1 the theatrical1 and the main chance1 made a late and quite theatrical entry1 with ,paul ,d4 ,cravath on one arm and ,otto ,h4 ,kahn on the other4 ,the new era in ballet was inaugurated by these two distinguished gentlemen and patrons of the arts sipping champagne from a ballet slipper especially made for the occasion by a leading ,fifth ,avenue bootmaker4 ,the opening a matter of history1 the publicity department went into action at double the record-breaking pace at which they had been functioning for weeks4 ,the resulting press coverage was overwhelming and national4 ,but1 however gratifying all this may have been1 ,i had my troubles1 and they increased daily4 ,the publicity simply could not please all the people all the time4 ,i mean the ballet people1 of course4 ,there was always the eternally dissatisfied de ,basil4 ,in addition1 there were three fathers1 nineteen mothers1 and one sister-in-law to be satisfied4 ,then there were daily casting problems4 ,the publicity department was giving the press what it wanted3 feature stories on ballet1 on artists1 on the daily life of the dancer4 ,it was then de ,basil determined that all publicity must be centered on his own august person4 ,he had a point of view1 ,i must admit4 ,dancers were here today1 gone tomorrow4 ,de ,basil and his ballet remained4 ,but no newspaper is interested in running repeated photographs of a dour1 bespectacled male4 ,they wanted 8leg art40 ,when de ,basil insisted that he be photographed1 the camera men would 8shoot0 him with a filmless or plateless camera4 ,in addition to having to contend with what threatened to become a chronic and incurable case of ,basildiaghileffitis1 ,i was losing a potful of money4 ,the ,st4 ,james ,theatre is no better than any other ,broadway house as a home for ballet4 ,the stage is far too small either to display the dcor or to permit dancers to move freely4 ,the auditorium1 even if filled to capacity1 cannot meet ballet expenses4 ,we were not playing to anything like capacity4 ,there was a tour booked2 but1 thanks to a 8stop clause0 in the theatre contract--a figure above which the attraction must continue at the theatre--we could not leave4 ,we had made the 8stop clause0 too low4 ,there was only one thing to do in order to protect the tour4 ,i decided to divide the company into two companies4 ,forced to fulfil two sets of obligations at the end of the first month at the ,st4 ,james ,theatre1 ,i opened a tour in ,reading1 ,pennsylvania1 with ,massine1 ,danilova1 ,toumanova1 the larger part of the corps de ballet1 ,efrem ,kurtz conducting the orchestra1 and all of the ballets in the repertoire except three4 ,the company remaining at the ,st4 ,james had ,baronova1 ,riabouchinska1 ,lichine1 and ,woizikovsky1 with the corps augmented by ,new ,york dancers1 and ,antal ,dorati as conductor4 ,this company gave eight performances weekly of the ,fokine masterpieces1 ,les ,sylphides1 ,petroushka1 and ,prince ,igor4 ,the steadily increasing public did not seem to mind4 ,the response on the road and in ,new ,york was surprisingly good4 ,when we finally left ,new ,york1 the two groups merged1 and we played a second ,chicago engagement1 at the marvellous old ,auditorium ,theatre4 ,all were there1 save for ,grigorieff1 ,alexandra ,danilova1 and ,dorati1 who returned to ,monte ,carlo to fulfil de ,basil's contract with ,blum for a spring season in ,monaco4 ,there was a brief spring season in ,new ,york1 preceded by a week at the ,forrest ,theatre in ,philadelphia1 where ,massine's first 8,american0 ballet had its dress rehearsals and first performances4 ,this was ,union ,pacific1 a four-scened work in which ,massine had the collaboration of the distinguished ,american poet1 ,archibald ,mac,leish1 on the story2 ,albert ,johnson1 on the settings2 ,irene ,sharaff1 with costumes2 and a score1 based on ,american folk-tunes1 by ,nicholas ,nabokoff4 ,it was the first ,russian ballet attempt to deal with the native ,american scene and material1 treating the theme of the building of the first transcontinental railway4 ,we gave its first performance on the night of ,april #f1 #aicd1 and the cast included ,massine himself1 his wife ,eugenia ,delarova1 ,irina ,baronova1 ,sono ,osato1 ,david ,lichine1 and ,andr ,eglevsky1 in the central roles4 ,it was ,massine's prodigious ,barman's dance that proved to be the highlight of the work4 ,the balance of the company eventually returned to ,europe for their summer seasons in ,london and ,paris1 and to stage new productions4 ,back they came in the autumn for another tour4 ,the problem of a proper theatre for ballet in ,new ,york had not been solved2 so ,i took the company from ,europe to ,mexico ,city for an engagement at the newly remodeled ,palacio des ,bellas ,artes4 ,there were problems galore4 ,once again ,i fell back on my right-hand-bower1 ,mae ,frohman1 rushed her to ,mexico to clear them4 ,back from ,mexico by boat to ,new ,york1 with a hurried transfer for trains to ,toronto1 and a long coast-to-coast tour4 ,the ,new ,york engagement that season was brief3 five performances only4 ,the only theatre available was the ,majestic1 whose stage is no less cramped1 and whose auditorium provides no illusion4 ,during this brief season a new work by ,massine was presented3 ,jardin ,public 7,public ,garden74 ,it was based on a fragment from ,andr ,gide's ,the ,counterfeiters1 in a scenario by ,massine and ,vladimir ,dukelsky 7,vernon ,duke7 who supplied the music4 ,it was not one of ,massine's most successful works by any means4 ,but the premire did provide an amusing incident4 ,danilova was cast as a wealthy woman2 ,massine and ,toumanova as ,the ,poor ,couple4 ,on the opening night1 ,danilova1 who showed her wealthy status by dancing a particularly lively rhumba1 lost her underpants while dancing in the center of the stage4 ,the contretemps she carried off with great aplomb4 ,but1 on her exit1 she did not carry off the underwear1 which remained in the center of the stage as a large colored blob4 ,danilova's exit was followed by the entrance of ,toumanova and ,massine1 clad in rags as befitted ,the ,poor ,couple4 ,toumanova1 fixing her eyes on the offending lingerie1 picked it up1 examined it critically1 and then1 as if it were something from the nether world and quite unspeakable1 dramatically hurled it off-stage in an attitude of utter disgust1 as if it were a symbol of the thing she most detested3 wealth4 ,although the five performances were sold out1 we could not cover our expenses4 ,in the autumn of #aice1 when the company returned for its third season1 we were able to bring ,ballet to the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house and1 for the first time since its rebirth in ,america1 the public really saw it at its best4 ,during this time we had made substantial additions to the repertoire3 ,massine's second and third symphonic ballets1 the ,brahms ,choreartium1 and the ,berlioz ,symphonie ,fantastique2 ,nijinska's ,the ,hundred ,kisses4 ,in addition to ,fokine's new non-operatic version of ,le ,coq d',or1 which ,i have mentioned1 there were added ,fokine's ,schhrazade1 ,the ,afternoon of a ,faun1 and ,nijinsky's ,le ,spectre de la ,rose4 ,the gross takings of the fourth ,american season of the de ,basil company reached round a million dollars4 ,by this time matters were coming to a head4 ,all was not1 by any means1 well in ballet4 ,massine1 by this time1 was at swords' points with de ,basil4 ,i was irritated1 bored1 fatigued1 worn out with him and his entourage4 ,since de ,basil had lost his ,monte ,carlo connection1 he had also lost touch with the artistic thought that had served as a stimulus to creation4 ,it is necessary for me to make another digression at this point4 ,the opening chapter of the ,new ,testament is1 as the reader will remember1 a geneological one1 with a formidable list of 8begats40 ,it seems to me the course of wisdom to try to clear up1 if ,i can1 the 8begats0 of ,russian ,ballet since the day on which ,i first allied myself with it4 ,i shall try to disentangle them for the sake of the reader's better understanding4 ,there were so many similar names1 artists moving from one company to another1 ballets appearing in the repertoires of more than one organization4 ,in this saga1 ,i have called this chapter 8,w4 de ,basil and his ,ballets ,russes de ,monte ,carlo40 ,it is a convenient handle4 ,the confusion that was so characteristic of the man de ,basil1 was intensified by the fact that the 8,colonel0 changed the name of the company at least a half-dozen times during our association4 ,to attempt to go into all the involved reasons for these chameleon-like changes would simply add to the confusion1 and would1 ,i feel1 be boring4 ,let me1 for the sake of conciseness and1 ,i hope1 the reader's illumination1 list the six changes3 ,in #aicb1 it was ,ballets ,russes de ,monte ,carlo4 ,from #aicc to #aicf1 it was ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe4 ,in #aicg1 it was ,colonel ,w4 de ,basil's ,ballet ,russe4 ,in #aich1 it was ,covent ,garden ,ballet ,russe4 ,in #aici1 it was ,educational ,ballets1 ,ltd4 ,from #aidj until its demise1 it was ,original ,ballet ,russe4 ,i have said earlier that the alliance between ,ren ,blum and de ,basil was foredoomed to failure4 ,the split between them came in #aicf1 both as a result of incompatibility and of de ,basil's preoccupation with the ,united ,states to the exclusion of any ,monte ,carlo interest4 ,blum had a greater interest in ,monte ,carlo1 with which1 to be sure1 he had a contract4 ,so it was not surprising that ,ren ,blum organized a new ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 with ,michel ,fokine as choreographer4 ,de ,basil and his methods became increasingly aggravating4 ,his chicanery1 his eternal battling1 above all1 his overweening obsession about the size of his name in the display advertising1 were sometimes almost unbearable4 ,he carried a pocket-rule with him and would go about cities measuring the words 8,col4 ,w4 de ,basil40 ,now electric light letters vary in size in the various cities1 and there is no way of changing them without having new letters made or purchased at considerable expense and trouble4 ,i remember a scene in ,detroit1 where de ,basil became so obnoxious that the company manager and ,i climbed to the roof of the theatre and took down the sign with our own hands1 in order to save us from further annoyance that day4 ,all of this accumulated irritation added up to an increasing conviction that life was too short to continue this sort of thing indefinitely1 despite my love for and my interest and faith in ballet both as an art and as a popular form of entertainment4 ,as ,i have said1 ,leonide ,massine's difficulties and relations with de ,basil were becoming so strained that each performance became an ordeal4 ,i never knew when an explosion might occur4 ,there were many points of difference between ,massine and de ,basil4 ,the chief bone of contention was the matter of artistic direction4 ,massine's contract with de ,basil was approaching its expiration date4 ,de ,basil was badgering him to sign a new one4 ,massine steadfastly refused to negotiate unless de ,basil would assure him1 in the contract1 the title and powers of ,artistic ,director4 ,de ,basil as steadfastly refused1 and insisted on retaining the powers of artistic direction for himself4 ,there was1 as is always the case in ,russian ,ballet1 a good deal of side-taking4 ,granted that1 for his purposes1 de ,basil's insistence on keeping all controls over his company in his own hands1 had a point4 ,but let us also regard the issue from the point of view of ability and knowledge1 the prime qualifications for the post4 ,from the portrait ,i have given1 the reader will gather the extent of the 8,colonel's0 qualifications4 ,this would seem to be the time and place for a sketch of ,leonide ,massine1 as ,i know him4 99 99 99 99 99 ,one day there must be a book written about ,massine4 ,not that there is not already a considerable literature dealing with him2 but there is yet to appear a work that has done him anything like justice4 ,for me to attempt more than a line drawing would be presumptuous and manifestly unjust2 but a sketch is demanded4 ,leonide ,massine was born in ,moscow in #ahid4 ,he graduated from the ,moscow ,imperial ,school in #aiab4 ,it was a year later that ,diaghileff1 visiting ,moscow1 was taken by ,poliakov1 the famous ,moscow dramatic critic1 to see a play at the ,ostrovsky ,theatre4 ,it happened that ,massine was appearing in the play in the role of a servant4 ,there is no record as to what ,diaghileff thought of the play or the performance4 ,the one fact that emerges from this chance evening ,diaghileff spent at a theatre is that he was impressed by the manner in which the unknown boy1 ,massine1 carried a tray4 ,diaghileff asked ,poliakov to take him back-stage and introduce him to the talented young mime4 ,artistically1 ,diaghileff was in the process of moving onward from the exclusively ,russian tradition that was represented by ,benois1 ,bakst1 ,stravinsky1 and ,fokine4 ,he was moving towards a greater internationalism1 a broader cosmopolitanism4 ,he was in need of a creative personality who would carry forward this wider concept4 ,diaghileff's intuition told him this seventeen-year-old boy with the enormous brown eyes was the person4 ,diaghileff took ,massine from ,moscow into his company and fashioned him into a present-day ,pygmalion4 ,diaghileff took over the boy's artistic education4 ,as part of a deliberate plan1 ,diaghileff pushed a willing pupil into close contact with the world of modern painting and music1 with the finest minds of the period4 ,picasso1 ,larionov1 ,stravinsky1 and de ,falla became his mentors2 libraries1 museums1 concert halls1 his classrooms4 ,the result was a great cosmopolitan choreographer1 perhaps the greatest living today4 ,an ,american citizen1 he will always have strong ,russian roots4 ,some of his best works are ,russian ballets2 but he is no slavish nationalist4 ,he is as much at home in the cultures of ,italy1 ,scotland1 or ,spain4 ,his was a precocious genius1 discovered by ,diaghileff's intuition4 ,massine began at the top1 and has remained there4 ,massine is difficult to know1 for he is shy1 and he has a great wall of natural reserve that takes a long time to penetrate4 ,once penetrated1 it is possible to experience one of life's greater satisfactions in the conversation1 the intelligence1 the knowledge of the mature ,massine4 ,massine's poise and sense of order never leave him4 ,there is a meticulousness about him and a neatness that indicate the possession of an orderly mind4 ,everything he reads which he feels may be of even the slightest value to him at some future time1 he preserves in large clipping-books4 ,about him is a calm that is exceptional in a ,russian--a calm that is exceptional in any one associated with the dance1 where the habit is to shout as loudly as possible at the slightest provocation1 or no provocation at all1 and to become violently excited and agitated over the most unimportant things4 ,there is about him none of the superficial 8temperament0 too often assumed to be the prerogative of artists4 ,he has a sharp sense of humor2 but it is a sense of humor that is keen and dry4 ,his wit can be sharp and extremely cutting4 ,he has not always been loved by his associates2 but very few of them have ever really known him4 ,filled with fire1 energy1 enthusiasm1 his constant desire is to build something better4 ,as a dancer1 he still dances1 as no one else1 the ,miller in ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat and the ,can ,can ,dancer in ,la ,boutique ,fantasque4 ,personally1 ,i prefer only ,massine in the roles he has created for himself4 ,no other dancer can approach him in these4 ,i have mentioned his long sojourn at the ,roxy ,theatre1 in ,new ,york4 ,under the conditions imposed--a new work to be staged weekly1 to dance four times a day--masterpieces were obviously impossible2 but the work he did was of vast importance in building a dance public in ,new ,york4 ,there are those today who chide ,massine for his all too frequent re-creations of his old pieces1 and lay it to ,massine's obsession with money4 ,it is true1 ,massine does have a concern for money4 ,but1 after all1 he has a wife1 two growing children1 and other responsibilities4 ,however1 ,i do not believe finance is the sole reason1 and ,i1 for one1 wish he would not be eternally reproducing his old works4 ,le ,beau ,danube will live forever as one of the finest genre works of all time4 ,but it must be properly done4 ,i remember1 to my sorrow1 seeing a recent production of the ,danube ,massine staged in ,paris1 with ,roland ,petit--with a company of only fourteen dancers4 ,further comment is not required4 ,i have a deep and abiding affection for ,leonide ,massine as a person--an affection that is very deep and real4 ,as an artist1 ,i believe he is still the greatest individual personality in ballet today--a choreographer of deep knowledge1 imagination1 and ability4 ,the composer of some sixty-odd ballets1 it is the most imposing record in modern ballet's history1 perfectly amazing productivity4 ,no one but himself is capable of restoring them4 ,when produced or restaged without his fine hand1 they are a shambles4 ,i should like to offer my friend1 ,leonide ,massine1 a hope that springs from my heart4 ,i can only urge him1 for his own good and for the good of ballet which needs him1 to rest for a time on his beautiful island in the ,mediterranean and to spend the time there in study and reflection1 crystallizing his ideas4 ,then he will bring to us new and striking creations that will come like a refreshing breeze clearing the murky atmosphere of much of our contemporary ballet scene4 ,if ,massine would only relax his constant drive and follow my suggestion1 the real ,massine would emerge4 ,after a summer on his island1 he gave us one of his most recent creations 7#aieb71 an ,umbrian ,passion ,play1 ,laudes ,evangelli1 to religious music of the ,middle ,ages4 ,an interesting side-light on it is that the very first ballet he had in mind at the beginning of the ,diaghileff association was based on the same idea4 ,at the height of his maturity1 there is no indication of age in ,massine4 ,age1 after all1 is merely a question of how old one feels4 ,i remember1 in the later days of his ballet1 shortly before his death1 ,diaghileff was planning a special gala performance4 ,at a conference of his staff1 he suggested inviting ,pavlova to appear4 ,some of his advisers countered the proposal with the suggestion that ,pavlova was too old4 ,my reply was brief and to the point4 8,pavlova will never age10 ,i said4 8,some people are old at twenty4 ,but ,pavlova1 never2 for genius never looks at the calendar40 ,what was true of ,pavlova1 is equally true of ,leonide ,massine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the growth1 the development1 and the appreciation of ballet in ,america are the result of a number of things1 both individually and in combination4 ,there may exist a variety of opinions on the subject1 but one thing1 ,i know1 is certain3 the present state of ballet in ,america is not the result of chance4 ,in #aicc ,i had signed a contract with de ,basil to bring ballet to ,america2 yet there was an element of chance involved in that my publicity director1 vacationing in ,europe1 saw a performance of the de ,basil company1 and spontaneously cabled me an expression of his enthusiasm4 ,since this employee was not a balletomane in any sense of the word1 his message served to intensify my conviction that then was the time to go forward with my determination to follow my intuition4 ,here ends any element of chance4 ,the basic repertoire of the first years was an extension of the ,diaghileff artistic policies4 ,the repertoire included not only revivals from the ,diaghileff repertoire1 but also new1 forward-looking creations4 ,i was certain that a sound and orthodox repertoire was an essential for establishing a genuine ballet audience in this country4 ,in #aicc1 there was no ballet audience4 ,it was something that had to be created and developed through every medium possible4 ,i had a two-fold responsibility--because ,i loved ballet with a love that amounted to a passion1 and because ,i had a tremendous financial burden which ,i carried single-handed1 without the aid of any ,maecenas2 ,i had to make ballet successful2 in doing so1 willy-nilly ,i had the responsibility of forming a taste where no aesthetic existed4 ,for two decades ,i have had criticism levelled at me from certain places1 criticism directed chiefly at my policies in ballet2 ,i have been criticized for my insistence on certain types of ballets in the repertoires of the companies ,i have managed1 and for my belief in adaptations and varying applications of what is known as the 8star0 system4 ,the only possible answer is that ,i have been proven right4 ,no other system has succeeded in bringing people to ballet or in bringing ballet to the people4 ,it will not be out of place at this time to note the repertoire of the de ,basil company at the time of the breakdown of the relations between ,massine and de ,basil1 which may be said to be the period of the ,massine artistic direction and influence on the de ,basil companies1 from #aicc to #aicg4 ,there were1 if my computation is correct1 and ,i have checked the matter with some care1 a total of forty works1 with thirty-four of them actively in the repertoire4 ,of these1 there were two sound classics stemming from the ,imperial ,russian ,ballet1 creations by ,marius ,petipa and ,lev ,ivanoff3 ,swan ,lake1 in the one-act abbreviation2 and ,aurora's ,wedding1 the last divertissement act of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty or ,the ,sleeping ,princess1 both1 of course1 to the music of ,tchaikowsky4 ,there were three ,russian works1 i4e41 ballets on ,russian subjects3 ,stravinsky's ,petroushka2 the ,polovtsian ,dances from ,prince ,igor2 and ,le ,coq d',or1 a purely balletic and entertaining spectacle1 with the ,rimsky-,korsakoff music rearranged for ballet by ,tcherepnine4 ,all of the foregoing were by ,michel ,fokine4 ,eight other ,fokine works were included1 all originally produced by him for ,diaghileff3 three1 which might be called exotic works--,cloptre1 to the music of ,arensky and others2 ,thamar1 to the music of ,balakireff2 and ,schhrazade1 to the ,rimsky-,korsakoff tone-poem4 ,five ballets typifying the ,romantic ,revolution3 ,stravinsky's ,firebird2 ,carnaval and ,papillons1 both by ,robert ,schumann2 ,le ,spectre de la ,rose1 to the familiar ,weber score2 that greatest of all romantic works1 ,les ,sylphides1 the ,chopin 8romantic reverie40 ,there were two works by ,george ,balanchine3 ,le ,cotillon and ,la ,concurrence1 the former to music by ,chabrier1 the latter to music by ,auric4 ,a third ,balanchine work1 ,le ,bourgeois ,gentilhomme1 was necessarily dropped from the repertoire because the costumes were destroyed by fire4 ,the largest contributor by far to the de ,basil repertoire was ,massine himself4 ,no less than seventeen of the thirty-four works regularly presented1 that is1 fifty per-cent1 were by this prodigious creator4 ,eight of these were originally staged by ,massine for ,diaghileff2 two were revivals of works he produced for ,count ,etienne de ,beaumont1 in ,paris1 in #aicb4 ,seven were original creations for the de ,basil company4 ,the ,diaghileff creations1 in revival--in the order of their first making--were3 ,the ,midnight ,sun1 to music from ,rimsky-,korsakoff's ,the ,snow ,maiden2 ,russian ,folk ,tales1 music by ,liadov2 ,the ,good-,humored ,ladies1 to the ,scarlatti-,tommasini score2 ,manuel de ,falla's ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat2 ,the ,fantastic ,toyshop1 to ,rossini melodies2 ,george ,auric's ,les ,matelots3 ,cimarosiana2 ,vittorio ,rieti's ,the ,ball4 ,the two ,beaumont works3 ,le ,beau ,danube1 and the ,boccherini ,scuola di ,ballo4 ,the creations for the de ,basil company3 the three symphonic ballets--,les ,prsages1 7,tchaikowsky's ,fifth72 ,choreartium1 7,brahms's ,fourth72 ,la ,symphonie ,fantastique1 7,berlioz74 ,also ,children's ,games 7,bizet72 ,beach 7,jean ,francaix72 ,union ,pacific 7,nicholas ,nabokoff72 and ,jardin ,public 7,dukelsky74 ,two other choreographers round out the list4 ,the young ,david ,lichine contributed four2 ,bronislava ,nijinska1 two4 ,the ,lichine works3 ,tchaikowsky's ,francesca da ,rimini and ,la ,pavillon1 to ,borodin's music for strings1 arranged by ,antal ,dorati4 ,the others1 produced in ,europe1 were so unsuccessful ,i could not bring them to ,america3 ,nocturne1 a slight work utilising some of ,mendelssohn's ,midsummer ,night's ,dream music1 and ,les ,imaginaires1 to a score by ,george ,auric4 ,the ,nijinska works3 ,the ,hundred ,kisses1 to a commissioned score by ,baron ,frederic d',erlanger2 the ,danses ,slaves et ,tsiganes1 from the ,dargomijhky opera ,roussalka2 and a revival of that great ,stravinsky-,nijinska work1 ,les ,noces1 which1 for practical reasons1 ,i was able to give only at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 ,new ,york4 ,the following painters and designers collaborated on the scenery and costumes3 ,oliver ,messel1 ,cecil ,beaton1 ,etienne de ,beaumont1 ,nathalie ,gontcharova1 ,korovin1 ,pierre ,hugo1 ,jean ,lurat1 ,albert ,johnson1 ,irene ,sharaff1 ,eugene ,lourie1 ,raoul ,dufy1 ,andr ,masson1 ,joan ,miro1 ,polunin1 ,chirico1 ,jos ,maria ,sert1 ,pruna1 ,andr ,derain1 ,picasso1 ,bakst1 ,larionoff1 ,alexandre ,benois1 ,nicholas ,roerich1 ,mstislav ,doboujinsky4 ,for the sake of the record1 as the company recedes into the mists of time1 let me list its chief personnel during this period3 ,leonide ,massine1 ballet-master and chief male dancer2 ,alexandra ,danilova1 ,irina ,baronova1 ,tamara ,toumanova1 ,tatiana ,riabouchinska1 ballerinas2 ,lubov ,tchernicheva1 ,olga ,morosova1 ,nina ,verchinina1 ,lubov ,rostova1 ,tamara ,grigorieva1 ,eugenia ,delarova1 ,vera ,zorina1 ,sono ,osato1 ,leon ,woizikovsky1 ,david ,lichine1 ,yurek ,shabalevsky1 ,paul ,petroff1 ,andr ,eglevsky1 and ,roman ,jasinsky1 soloists2 ,serge ,grigorieff1 rgisseur4 ,in our spreading of the gospel of ballet1 emphasis was laid on the following3 ,ballet1 repertoire1 personnel4 ,since there were no 8stars0 whose names at the time carried any box-office weight or had any recognizable association1 the concentration was on the 8baby ballerinas10 ,baronova1 ,toumanova1 ,riabouchinska1 all of whom were young dancers of fine training and exceptional talents4 ,they grew as artists before our eyes4 ,they also grew up4 ,they had an unparalleled success4 ,they also had their imperfections1 but it was a satisfaction to watch their progress4 ,ballet was by way of being established in ,america's cultural and entertainment life by the end of the fourth de ,basil season4 ,on the financial side1 that fourth season's gross business passed the million dollar mark2 artistically1 deterioration had set in4 ,with the feud between ,massine and de ,basil irreconcilable1 there was no sound artistic policy possible1 no authoritative direction4 ,the situation was as if two rival directors would have stood on either side of the proscenium arch1 one countermanding every order given by the other4 ,the personnel of the company was lining up in support of one or the other2 factionism was rampant4 ,performances suffered4 ,massine1 meanwhile realizing the hopelessness of the situation so far as he was concerned1 cast about for possible interested backers in a balletic venture of his own1 where he could exercise his own talents and authority4 ,he succeeded in interesting a number of highly solvent ballet lovers1 chief among whom was ,julius ,fleischmann1 of ,cincinnati4 ,just what ,fleischmann's interest in ballet may have been1 or what prompted it1 ,i have not been able to determine4 ,at any rate1 it was a fresh1 new interest4 ,a man of culture and sensitivity1 he was something of a dilettante and a cosmopolitan4 ,when he was at home1 it was on his estate in ,cincinnati4 ,his business interests1 i4e41 the sources that provided him with the means to pursue his artistic occupations1 required no attention on his part4 ,together with other persons of means and leisure1 a corporation was formed under the name ,universal ,art4 ,the corporation turned over the artistic direction1 both in name and fact1 to ,massine1 and he was on his own to choose the policy1 the repertoire1 and the personnel for a new company4 ,ballet in ,america was on the horns of a dilemma4 ,and so was ,i4 #h4 ,revolution and ,counter-revolution3 ,leonide ,massine and the ,new ,ballet ,russe ,de ,monte ,carlo ,in order that the reader may have a sense of continuity1 ,i feel he should be supplied with a bit of the background and a brief fill-in on what had been happening meanwhile at ,monte ,carlo4 ,i have pointed out that de ,basil's preoccupation with ,london and ,america had soon left his collaborator1 ,ren ,blum1 without a ballet company with which to fulfil his contractual obligations to the ,principality of ,monaco4 ,the break between the two came in #aicf1 when ,blum formed a new company that he called simply ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo4 ,blum had the great wisdom and fine taste to engage ,michel ,fokine as choreographer4 ,a company1 substantial in size1 had been engaged1 the leading personnel numbering among its principals some fine dancers known to ,american audiences4 ,nana ,gollner1 the ,american ballerina1 was one of the leading figures4 ,others included ,vera ,nemtchinova1 ,natalie ,krassovska1 ,anatole ,ouboukhoff1 ,anatole ,vilzak1 ,jean ,yasvinsky1 ,andr ,eglevsky1 and ,michel ,panaieff4 ,a repertoire1 sparked by ,fokine creations1 was in the making4 ,back in ,america1 the prime mover in the financial organization of the new ,massine company was ,sergei ,i4 ,denham4 ,it is hardly necessary to add that ,denham and de ,basil had little in common or that they were1 in fact1 arch-enemies4 ,denham had no more previous knowledge of or association with ballet than de ,basil2 actually much less4 ,i have been unable to discover the real source of ,denham's interest in ballet4 ,born ,sergei ,ivanovich ,dokouchaieff1 in ,russia1 the son of a merchant1 he had escaped the ,revolution by way of ,china4 ,his career in the ,united ,states1 before ballet in the persons of ,leonide ,massine and ,julius ,fleischmann swam into his ken1 had been of a mercantile nature1 in one business venture or another1 including a stint as an automobile salesman1 and another as a sort of bank manager1 none of them connected with the arts1 but all of them bringing him into fringe relations with the substantially solvent4 ,no sooner did he find himself in the atmosphere of ballet than he1 too1 became infected with ,diaghileffitis1 a disease that1 apparently1 attacks them all1 sooner or later4 ,it is one of the strange phenomena of ballet ,i have never been able to understand4 ,why is it1 ,i ask myself1 that a former merchant1 an ex-policeman1 or an heir to carpet factory fortunes1 for some reason all gravitate to ballet1 to create and perpetuate 8hobby0 businesses8 ,i have not yet discovered the answer4 ,as in the case of ,denham1 so with the others4 ,lacking knowledge or trained taste1 people like these no sooner find themselves in ballet than down they come with the ,diaghileffitis attack4 ,russian intrigue quickened its tempo1 increased its intensity4 ,denham1 with the smooth1 soft suavity of a born organizer1 drove about the country in his battered little car1 often accompanied by his niece1 ,tatiana ,orlova1 who was later to become the fourth ,mrs4 ,massine1 ostensibly to try to attract more backers1 more money4 ,more often than not1 he followed the exact itinerary of the de ,basil tour4 ,then he would insinuate himself back-stage1 place a chair for himself in the wings during the performances of the de ,basil company1 and there negotiate with dancers in an effort to get them to leave de ,basil and join the new company4 ,at the same time1 he would exhibit what can only be described as a deplorable rudeness to de ,basil1 whose company it was4 ,on the other hand1 de ,basil increased and intensified his machinations to try to induce me to again sign with him4 ,not only did he step up his own personal barrage1 but the intrigues of his associates were deepened4 ,these associates were now three in number4 ,russian intrigue was having an extended field day4 ,on the one hand1 there was ,denham intriguing for all he was worth against de ,basil4 ,on the other1 de ,basil's three henchmen were intriguing against ,denham1 against me1 against each other1 and1 ,i suspect1 against de ,basil4 ,it was a sorry spectacle4 ,it was the sort of thing you come upon in tales of ,balkan intrigue4 ,the cast of this one included a smooth and suave ,russian ex-merchant1 bland and crafty1 easy of smile1 oozing 8culture10 with an attractive dancer-niece as part-time assistant1 and a former ,diaghileff corps de ballet dancer1 a member of de ,basil's company1 as his spy and henchwoman-at-large4 ,arrayed against this trio was the de ,basil quartet3 the 8,colonel0 himself1 and his three henchmen4 ,the first was ,ignat ,zon1 a slightly obese organizer and theatre promoter from ,moscow and ,petrograd1 who1 after the ,revolution1 had turned up in ,paris1 where he allied himself with ,prince ,zeretelli1 de ,basil's former ,caucasian partner4 ,zon was not interested in ballet2 he was a commission merchant1 nothing more4 ,the other two were a comic conspiratorial pair4 ,one was a ,bulgarian lawyer1 who had lived for some time in ,paris1 ,jacques ,lidji1 by name4 ,the other was an undersized1 tubby little hanger-on1 ,alexander ,philipoff1 a fantastic little man with no experience of theatre or ballet1 who neither spoke nor understood a word of anything save ,russian4 ,philipoff certainly was not more than five feet tall1 chubby1 tubby1 rotund1 with a beaming face and an eternally suspicious eye4 ,the contrast between him and the tall1 gaunt de ,basil was ludicrous4 ,privately they were invariably referred to as ,mutt and ,jeff4 ,philipoff constantly sought for motives 7bad7 behind every word uttered1 behind every facial expression1 every gesture4 ,both men were overbearing1 and rather pathetic1 at that4 ,neither of the pair could be called theatre people by any stretch of the imagination4 ,lidji1 the lawyer1 was quite as futile in his own way as ,philipoff4 ,as a pair of characters they might have been mildly amusing in ,the ,spring ,maid type of operetta4 ,as collaborators on behalf of ballet1 they were a trial and a bloody bore4 ,lidji1 incidentally1 was but one of de ,basil's lawyers2 others came and went in swift procession4 ,but ,lidji lasted longer than some1 and1 for a time1 acted as a sort of under-director1 as did ,philipoff4 ,since ,lidji was not1 at the time1 an ,american citizen1 he was unable to engage in the practice of law in the ,states4 ,when he was not otherwise engaged in exercises of intrigue1 ,lidji would busy himself writing voluminous reports and setting down mountains of notes4 ,i am convinced that the reason de ,basil had so many legal advisers was that he never paid them4 ,soon one or another would quit1 and yet another would turn up4 ,i have a theory that1 no matter how poor one may be1 one should always pay one's doctor and one's lawyer2 each can help one out of trouble4 ,my personal problem was relatively simple4 ,with the ,massine group raiding de ,basil's company1 which of the dancers would remain with the 8,colonel08 ,this was problem number one4 ,the other was1 with de ,basil dropping ,massine1 who was the creator and the creative force behind the de ,basil company and who would1 moreover1 be likely to take a number of important artists from de ,basil to his own company1 what would de ,basil have in the way of playable repertoire1 artists1 new creations8 ,to annoyance and aggravation1 now were added perplexity1 puzzlement4 ,it was at about this time1 on one of my ,european visits1 ,i had had extended discussions with ,ren ,blum regarding my bringing him and his new company to ,america4 ,i had seen numerous performances given by his company during their ,london season1 and ,i had been impressed by their quality4 ,during this period of puzzlement on my part1 ,sergei ,denham came to me to try to interest me in the new ,fleischmann venture4 ,denham assured me he had ample financial backing for the new company4 ,my chief concern at this time was the question of the artistic direction of the new organization4 ,i told ,denham that if he would secure by contract the services of ,leonide ,massine in that capacity1 ,i would be interested in taking over the management of the company1 and signed a letter to that effect4 ,subsequently1 the late ,halsey ,malone1 acting as counsel for ,universal ,art1 the corporate title of the ,fleischmann group1 secured ,massine's signature and a detailed contract was drawn up4 ,as matters stood1 ,i had one more season to go with my contractual arrangements with de ,basil1 and ,massine had the better part of another season with the former's company4 ,massine's contract with de ,basil expired while the company was playing in ,san ,francisco1 and the two parted company1 with ,massine1 ,danilova1 and others leaving for ,monte ,carlo4 ,that repertoire consisted of five ,fokine-,diaghileff revivals3 ,carnaval1 ,le ,spectre de la ,rose1 ,les ,sylphides1 ,prince ,igor1 and ,schhrazade4 ,illustration3 ,valente ,anton ,dolin in ,fair at ,sorotchinsk ,illustration3 ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo3 ,alexandra ,danilova as the ,glove ,seller and ,leonide ,massine as the ,peruvian in ,gat ,parisienne ,valente ,illustration3 ,maurice ,seymour ,tamara ,toumanova ,illustration3 ,maurice ,seymour ,alicia ,markova ,illustration3 ,valente ,scene from ,antony ,tudor's ,romeo and ,juliet3 ,hugh ,laing1 ,antony ,tudor1 ,dmitri ,romanoff1 ,lucia ,chase1 ,alicia ,markova ,illustration3 ,ballet ,theatre3 ,jerome ,robbins and ,janet ,reed in ,fancy ,free ,valente ,illustration3 ,gordon ,anthony ,ninette de ,valois ,illustration3 ,angus ,mc,bean ,david ,webster ,illustration3 ,constant ,lambert ,baron ,illustration3 ,magnum ,s4 ,hurok1 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,robert ,helpmann ,illustration3 ,irina ,baronova and ,children ,star ,photo ,illustration3 ,felix ,fonteyn ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,following the premiere of ,sylvia--,frederick ,ashton1 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,s4 ,hurok ,illustration3 ,s4 ,hurok and ,margot ,fonteyn ,felix ,fonteyn ,there was a production of ,delibes's ,copplia1 staged by ,nicholas ,zvereff2 the ,swan ,lake second act2 a version of ,the ,nutcracker1 by ,boris ,romanoff2 and ,aubade1 to the music of ,francis ,poulenc1 staged by ,george ,balanchine4 ,importantly1 there were several new ,fokine creations3 ,l',epreuve d',amour1 a charming 8chinoiserie10 to the music of ,mozart2 ,don ,juan1 a balletic retelling of the romantic tale to a discovered score by ,gluck2 ,les ,elments1 to the music of ,bach2 ,jota ,argonesa1 a work first done by ,fokine in ,petrograd1 in #aiaf2 ,igroushki1 originally staged by ,fokine for the ,ziegfeld ,roof in ,new ,york1 in #aiba2 ,les ,elfes1 the ,mendelssohn work originally done in ,new ,york1 in #aibd4 ,the two other ,fokine works were yet another version of ,the ,nutcracker1 and de ,falla's ,love1 the ,sorcerer1 both of which were later re-done by ,boris ,romanoff4 ,painters and designers included ,andr ,derain1 ,mariano ,andreu1 ,nathalie ,gontcharova1 ,dmitri ,bouchene1 ,mstislav ,doboujinsky1 and ,cassandre4 ,massine's preparations went ahead apace4 ,in ,boston there were intensive researches and concentrated work on the score for what was destined to be one of the most popular works in modern ballet1 ,gat ,parisienne4 ,in a large room in the ,copley ,plaza ,hotel were assembled all the extant scores of ,offenbach operettas1 procured from the ,boston ,public ,library and the ,harvard ,library4 ,there were two pianists1 ,massine1 ,efrem ,kurtz1 the conductor1 copyists4 ,the basic musical material for the ballet was selected there1 under ,massine's supervision4 ,later1 in ,paris1 it was put together and re-orchestrated by ,manuel ,rosenthal4 ,the de ,basil company finished its ,american season and sailed for ,europe4 ,meanwhile the deal was consummated between ,fleischmann1 ,massine1 ,denham and ,blum1 and ,universal ,art became the proprietor of the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo4 ,before the deal was finally settled1 however1 ,fokine had left ,blum and had sold his services to de ,basil1 whose company was playing a ,european tour4 ,massine was the new artistic director of the new ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 while ,fokine had switched to de ,basil4 ,massine was now busily engaged in building up the dancing personnel of his new organization4 ,on the distaff side1 he had ,alexandra ,danilova1 ,eugenia ,delarova1 ,tamara ,toumanova1 ,lubov ,rostova1 from the de ,basil company4 ,from the ,blum company he took ,natalie ,krassovska1 ,jeanette ,lauret1 ,milada ,mladova1 ,mia ,slavenska1 ,michel ,panieff1 ,roland ,guerard1 ,marc ,platoff1 ,simon ,semenoff1 ,jean ,yasvinsky1 ,george ,zoritch1 and ,igor ,youskevitch1 as principals4 ,of the group1 it is of interest to note that three--,mladova1 ,guerard1 and ,platoff--were ,american4 ,in addition1 ,massine engaged the ,english ballerina1 ,alicia ,markova1 then quite unknown to ,american audiences1 although a first lady of ,british ,ballet2 ,nini ,theilade of plastic grace2 and the ,english ,frederick ,franklin1 yet another ,massine discovery4 ,serge ,lifar1 the last ,diaghileff dancing discovery and the leading dancer and spirit of the ballet at the ,paris ,opera1 was added4 ,the new company was potentially a strong one4 ,i was pleased4 ,but ,i was anything but pleased at the prospect of the two companies becoming engaged in what must be the inevitable3 a cut-throat competition between them4 ,the split1 to be sure1 had weakened the de ,basil organization2 the new ,monte ,carlo company had an infinitely better balance in personnel4 ,in some respects1 the ,massine company was superior2 but de ,basil had a repertoire that required only careful rehearsing1 correcting1 and some refurbishing of settings and costumes4 ,with ,massine's departure1 ,david ,lichine had stepped into the first dancer roles4 ,irina ,baronova had elected to remain with de ,basil1 in direct competition with ,toumanova2 others choosing to remain with the old company included ,riabouchinska1 ,grigorieva1 ,morosova1 ,verchinina1 ,tchernicheva1 ,osato1 ,shabalevsky1 ,petroff1 ,lazovsky1 and ,jasinsky4 ,i envisaged1 for the good of ballet and its future1 one big ballet company1 embracing the talents and the repertoires of both4 ,i genuinely feared the co-existence of the two companies1 being certain that the ,united ,states and ,canada were not yet ready to support two companies simultaneously4 ,i pleaded with both to merge their interests1 bury their differences4 ,i devoted all my time and energy in a concentrated effort to bring about this desired end4 ,the problems were complicated2 but ,i was certain that if there was a genuine desire on both sides1 and good will1 a deal would be worked out4 ,it blew hot4 ,it blew cold4 ,as time went on1 with no tangible results visible1 my hopes diminished4 ,it was not only the financial arrangements between the two companies that presented grave obstacles2 there were formidable personality differences4 ,the negotiations continued and were long drawn-out4 ,then1 one day1 the clouds suddenly thinned and1 to my complete surprise1 we appeared to be making progress4 ,almost miraculously1 so it seemed1 the attorneys for ,universal ,art and de ,basil sat down to draw up the preliminary papers for the agreement to agree to merge4 ,through all this trying period there was helpful assistance from ,prince ,serge ,obolensky and ,baron 8,nikki0 ,guinsberg4 ,at last the day arrived when the agreement was ready for joint approval1 clause by clause1 by both parties to the merger1 with myself holding a watching brief as the prospective manager of the eagerly awaited ,big ,ballet4 ,this meeting went on for hours and hours4 ,it opened in the offices of ,washburn1 ,malone and ,perkins1 the ,universal ,art attorneys1 in ,west ,forty-fourth ,street1 early in the afternoon4 ,by nine o'clock at night endless haggling1 ravelled tempers1 recurring deadlocks had1 ,i thought reached their limit4 ,food saved that situation4 ,prince ,obolensky and my attorney1 ,elias ,lieberman1 fetched hamburgers4 ,but1 before they could be consumed1 we were evicted from the offices of the attorneys by the last departing elevator man1 who announced the building was being closed for the night1 and the conference1 hamburgers and all1 was transferred to the ,st4 ,regis ,hotel4 ,at four o'clock the next morning1 a verbal agreement was reached4 ,the deed was done4 ,i felt sure that now we had1 with this combination of all the finest balletic forces extant in the ,western ,world1 the best as well as the biggest4 ,the 8,colonel0 departed for ,berlin to join his company which was playing an engagement there4 ,he was to have signed the agreement before sailing1 but1 procrastinator that he was1 he slipped away without affixing his signature4 ,nor had he authorized his attorney to sign for him1 and it took a flock of wireless messages and cables to extract from him the authority the attorney required4 ,at last it came4 ,i had never been happier4 ,mrs4 ,hurok and ,i got ourselves aboard the ,normandie for our annual summer solstice in ,europe4 ,on board we found the ,julius ,fleischmanns4 ,at dinner the first night out1 our joint toast was in thanks for the merger and to the ,biggest and ,best of all ,ballets4 ,although ,fleischmann showed me one mildly disturbing wireless message1 ,i had five days of peace4 ,it was not destined to continue4 ,when ,i stepped down from the boat train at ,london's ,waterloo ,station1 ,i was greeted by the news that the merger was off4 ,the 8,colonel0 had changed his mind4 ,massine also had become resentful at a division of authority4 ,confusion reigned4 ,as an immediate result1 almost overnight de ,basil lost control and the authoritative voice in his own company4 ,altogether1 it was a complicated business4 ,a new holding company1 calling itself ,educational ,ballets1 ,ltd41 headed by ,baron 8,freddy0 d',erlanger1 banker and composer1 whose bank had a large interest in the de ,basil company1 had taken over the operation of the company1 and had placed a new pair of managing directors in charge3 ,victor ,dandr1 ,anna ,pavlova's husband and manager1 jointly with 8,gerry0 ,sevastianov1 the husband of ,irina ,baronova4 ,the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 which was to have been the scene of the debut of the ,big ,merged ,company1 had been taken for the original organization4 ,it was all a bad dream1 ,i felt4 ,this impression was intensified a hundred fold when ,i sat in the ,high ,court in ,london's ,temple ,bar1 as be-wigged counsel and robed judge performed an autopsy on my dream ballet4 ,here1 with all the trappings of legality1 but no genuine understanding1 a little tragicomedy was being played out4 ,educational ,ballets1 ,ltd41 announced the performance of all the ,massine ballets in the de ,basil repertoire4 ,this spurred ,massine into immediate legal action4 ,massine went into court1 not for damages1 not for money1 but for a declaratory judgment to determine1 once for all1 his own rights in his own creations4 ,the court's decision1 after days of forensic argument1 conducted with that understatement and soft but biting insult that is the prerogative of ,british learned counsel1 was a piece of legalistic hair-splitting4 ,under ,british law1 unlike the ,american1 choreographic rights are protected4 ,would that the choreographic artist had a like protection under our system6 ,by virtue of having presented the works in public performance1 the court decided that de ,basil had the right to continue such presentation3 any works ,massine had created as an employee of de ,basil1 while receiving a salary from him1 ,massine could not reproduce for a period of five years4 ,only the three works he had originally created for ,diaghileff3 ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat1 ,the ,fantastic ,toy-,shop1 and ,le ,beau ,danube1 could be reproduced by him for himself or for any other company4 ,the court action was a fortnight's news-making wonder in ,london4 ,ballet was not helped by it4 ,ballet belongs on the stage1 not in the musty atmosphere of the court room4 ,de ,basil and his lawyers1 ,massine and his lawyers1 ,universal ,art and their lawyers4 ,it is a silly business4 ,x brings an action against ,y over an alleged breach of a theatrical employment contract4 ,let us assume that ,x represents the employer1 ,y the artist-employee4 ,let us assume further that ,x wins the action4 ,y must continue in the employment of ,x4 ,what1 ,i ask you1 is less satisfactory than an artist who is compelled by a court judgment to fulfil a contract8 ,in ballet1 the only persons who benefit in ballet lawsuits are the learned counsel4 ,differences of opinion1 personality clashes are not healed by legal action2 they are accentuated4 ,legal actions of this sort are instituted usually in anger and bitterness4 ,when the legal decision is made1 the final settlement adjudicated1 the bitterness remains4 ,the merger off1 my contract with ,universal ,art came into force4 ,i was committed to the management of a ,london season4 ,since the traditional home of ballet1 the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 had been preempted by the old company1 ,i took ,old ,drury1 the historic ,drury ,lane ,theatre1 whose history is as long1 whose beauty is equally famous1 whose seating capacity is enormous4 ,the two houses are two short blocks apart4 ,the seasons were simultaneous4 ,both were remarkably successful2 both companies played to packed houses nightly4 ,nightly ,i had my usual table at the ,savoy ,grill1 that famed ,london rendezvous of theatrical1 musical1 balletic1 and literary life4 ,nightly my table was crowded with the ebb and flow of departing and arriving guests4 ,the ,london summer1 despite my forebodings1 was halcyon4 ,de ,basil1 at this period1 was not a part of this cosmopolitanism and gaiety4 ,having been forced out of the control of his own company1 at least for the moment1 he became a recluse in a tiny house in ,shepherd's ,market1 typically biding his time in his true-to-form ,caucasian manner1 reflecting on his victory1 although it had been more ,pyrrhic than triumphant4 ,we met for dinner in his band-box house1 most of which time ,i devoted to a final effort to effect a merger of the two companies4 ,it was a case of love's labour lost1 for the opposing groups were poles apart4 ,the summer wore on into the late ,english midsummer heat1 when all ,london takes itself hence4 ,the original company's season at ,covent ,carden slowed down1 came to a stop2 and a fortnight later1 we rang down our final curtain at ,drury ,lane4 ,before leaving for ,paris1 en route home to ,new ,york1 there was a bit of straightening out to be done in ,london4 ,the merger having failed to jell1 a bit of additional adjustment was necessary4 ,in other words1 because of the changed situation1 my contract with ,universal ,art had to be renegotiated4 ,as in all matters balletic1 it would seem1 numerous conferences were required2 but the new contract was eventually negotiated agreeably4 ,back in ,new ,york1 the day of the new ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe opening approached4 ,there were the usual alarums and excursions1 and others not so usual4 ,markova1 of course1 was ,english4 ,moreover1 she danced the coveted role1 the title part in ,giselle4 ,she had already made this part quite personally something of her own4 ,her success in the role during the ,drury ,lane season1 where she had alternated the part with ,tamara ,toumanova1 had been conspicuous4 ,although the role was shared between three ballerinas1 ,markova1 ,toumanova1 and ,slavenska1 ,massine and ,i agreed that1 since the opening performance in ,new ,york was so important and because ,markova was new to the country1 it would provide her with a magnificent opportunity for a debut2 she should dance ,giselle that night4 ,factionism was rampant4 ,pressures of almost every sort were put upon ,massine to switch the opening night casting4 ,a threat of possible violence caused me to take the precaution to have detectives1 disguised as stage-hands standing by2 ,i eliminated the trap-door and understage elevator used in this production as ,giselle's grave1 and gave instructions to have everything loose on the stage fastened down4 ,so literally were these orders carried out that even the lilies ,giselle has to pluck in the second act and toss to her ,albrecht while dancing as a ghost1 were securely nailed to the stage floor4 ,this nearly caused a minor contretemps and what might have turned out to be a ludicrous situation1 when ,markova had to rip them up by main force before she could toss them to ,serge ,lifar1 who was making his first ,new ,york appearance with the company as ,albrecht4 ,lifar's brief association with the new ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe was not a happy one for any of us1 least of all for himself4 ,he certainly did not behave well4 ,in my earlier book1 ,impresario1 ,i dwelt quite fully on certain aspects of his weird fantasies4 ,there is no point in repeating them4 ,always excitable1 here in ,new ,york at that time ,lifar was unable to understand and realize he was not at the ,paris ,opera1 where his every word is law4 ,lifar's fantastic behavior in ,new ,york before we shipped him back to ,paris was but an example of his lack of tact and his overwhelming egoism4 ,he proved to be a colossal headache2 but ,i believe much of it was due to a streak of self-dramatization in his nature1 and a positive delight he takes in being the central character1 the focus of an 8incident40 ,under the influence of a genuine creative urge1 ,massine's directions of the new ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe for two seasons richly fulfilled the promise it held at the company's inception4 ,the public grew larger each season4 ,at the same time1 slowly1 but none the less surely1 that public became1 ,i believe1 more understanding4 ,the ballet public of ,america was cutting its eye-teeth4 ,it was during the early seasons that ,massine added three more symphonic ballets to the repertoire1 with ,beethoven's ,seventh ,symphony2 ,rouge et ,noir1 to the brilliant ,first ,symphony of ,dmitri ,shostakovich2 and ,labyrinth1 a surrealist treatment of the ,seventh ,symphony of ,franz ,schubert4 ,christian ,brard provided scenery and costumes for the first of them2 ,henri ,matisse1 for the second2 ,salvador ,dali1 for the last4 ,the ,shostakovich work was the most successful of the three4 ,regrettably1 all these symphonic ballets are lost to present-day audiences4 ,the outstanding comedy success was ,gat ,parisienne1 the ,offenbach romp1 originally started in ,boston before the company as such existed4 ,the most sensational work was ,massine's first surrealist ballet1 ,bacchanale1 to the ,venusberg music from ,wagner's ,tannhauser4 ,a quite fantastic spectacle1 from every point of view1 it was a ,massine-,dali joke1 one that was less successful when the same combination tried to repeat it in ,labyrinth4 ,there were lesser ,massine works1 produced under frantic pressure2 examples3 ,saratoga1 an unhappy attempt to capture the ,american spirit of the up-state ,new ,york spa1 to a commissioned score by ,jaromir ,weinberger2 ,the ,new ,yorker1 which was certainly no ,american ,gat ,parisienne1 being ,massine's attempt to try to bring to balletic life the characters1 the atmosphere1 and the perky humors of the popular weekly magazine1 all to a pastiche of ,george ,gershwin's music4 ,a third work was one of his last ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe creations1 ,vienna--#ahad1 an evocation of the spirit of the ,congress of ,vienna1 to music by ,carl ,maria von ,weber1 orchestrated by ,robert ,russell ,bennett4 ,bogatyri1 a colorful ,russian spectacle1 designed as a sort of successor to ,fokine's ,le ,coq d',or1 had spectacular scenery and costumes by ,nathalie ,gontcharova1 and was a long and detailed work utilising a movement of a ,borodin string quartet and his ,second ,symphony4 ,in cooperation with ,argentinita1 ,massine staged a quite successful ,spanish divertissement to ,rimsky-,korsakoff's ,capriccio ,espagnol1 using for it the set and costumes ,mariano ,andreu had designed for ,fokine's ,jota ,argonesa4 ,in summing up ,massine's creations for the new company1 ,i have left his most important contribution until the last4 ,it was ,st4 ,francis1 originally done in our first season at ,london's ,drury ,lane1 where it was known as ,noblissima ,visione4 ,a collaboration between the composer1 ,paul ,hindemith1 and ,massine1 it may be called one of ,massine's greatest triumphs and one of his very finest works4 ,the ballet1 unfortunately1 was not popular with mass audiences2 but it was work of deep and moving beauty1 with a ravishing musical score1 magnificent scenery and costumes by ,pavel ,tchelitcheff1 and two great performances by ,massine himself in the title role1 and ,nini ,theilade1 as ,poverty1 the bride of ,st4 ,francis4 ,for the record1 let me note the other works that made up the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo repertoire under my management3 ,massine's productions of ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat1 ,the ,fantastic ,toy ,shop1 and ,le ,beau ,danube4 ,george ,balanchine staged a revival of ,le ,baiser de ,la ,fe 7,the ,fairy's ,kiss7 and ,jeu de ,cartes 7,card ,game71 both ,stravinsky works he had done before1 and all borrowed from the ,american ,ballet4 ,there was a new production of ,delibes's ,copplia1 in a setting by ,pierre ,roy2 and the ,fokine-,blum works ,i have mentioned before4 ,i accepted as a new production a revival of ,tchaikowsky's ,the ,nutcracker1 staged by ,alexandra ,fedorova1 and a re-working of parts of ,tchaikowsky's ,swan ,lake1 also staged by ,fedorova1 under the title of ,the ,magic ,swan4 ,three productions remain to be mentioned4 ,one was ,icare1 staged only at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house in the first season1 a graphic and moving re-enactment of the ,icarus legend1 by ,serge ,lifar1 to percussive rhythms only4 ,the second was ,richard ,rodgers's first and only exclusively ballet score1 ,ghost ,town1 a genre work dealing with the ,california ,gold ,rush4 ,it was the first choreographic job of a talented young ,american character dancer1 ,marc ,platoff1 born ,marcel ,le ,plat1 in ,seattle4 ,not a work out of the top drawer1 it was nevertheless a good try for a young choreographer4 ,the third work in this group is one ,i felt should have been given a better chance4 ,it was ,devil's ,holiday1 by ,frederick ,ashton1 the leading choreographer of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 and his first all-balletic work to be seen on this side of the ,atlantic4 ,done at the opening of our #aici-aidj season1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 under the stress and strain of a hectic departure1 and a hurried one1 from ,europe after the outbreak of the war1 it suffered as a consequence4 ,in settings and costumes by ,eugene ,berman1 its score was a ,tommasini arrangement of ,paganini works4 ,ashton had been able only partially to rehearse the piece in ,paris before the company made its getaway1 eventually to reach ,new ,york on the day of the ,metropolitan opening1 after a difficult and circuitous crossing to avoid submarines4 ,on arrival1 a number of the company were taken off to ,ellis ,island until we could straighten out faulty visas and clarify papers4 ,i am certain ,devil's ,holiday was one of ,ashton's most interesting creations2 it suffered because the creator was unable to complete it and1 as a consequence1 ,america was never able to see it as its creator intended1 or at anything like its best4 ,with the #aidj-aida season1 deterioration had set in at the vitals of the ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe1 ,massine had exerted tremendous efforts4 ,the company he had created was a splendid one4 ,but1 as both leading dancer and chief choreographer1 he had no time to rest1 no time to think4 ,the same sloughing off that took place with the de ,basil company was now becoming apparent in this one4 ,there was a creaking in the vessel proper1 an obvious straining at the seams4 ,the non-,massine productions lacked freshness or any distinctive quality4 ,there were defections among some of the best artists4 ,massine was coming up against a repetition of his de ,basil association4 ,friction between ,massine and ,denham increased1 as the latter became more difficult4 ,i could not be other than sad1 for ,massine had given of his best to create and maintain a fine organization4 ,he had been a shining example to the others4 ,the company had started on a high plane of accomplishment2 but it was impossible for ,massine to continue under the conditions that daily became less and less bearable4 ,heaven knows1 the 8,colonel0 had been difficult4 ,but he had an instinct for the theatre1 a serious love for ballet1 a broad experience1 was a first-class organizer1 and an untiring1 never ceasing1 dynamic worker4 ,sergei ,denham1 by comparison1 was a mere tyro at ballet direction1 and an amateur at that4 ,but1 amateur or not1 he was convinced he had inherited the talent1 the knowledge1 the taste of the late ,serge ,diaghileff4 ,i had not devoted twenty-eight years of hard1 slogging work to the building of good ballet in ,america to allow it to deteriorate into a shambles because of the arbitrariness of another would-be ,diaghileff4 ,it was time for a change4 #i4 ,what ,price ,originality8 ,the ,original ,ballet ,russe ,the condition of the ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe in #aida being as ,i have described it1 it became imperative for me to try to improve the situation as best ,i could4 ,it was a period of perplexity4 ,the 8,colonel10 once more installed in the driver's seat of his company1 with its name now changed from ,educational ,ballets1 ,ltd41 to the ,original ,ballet ,russe1 had been enjoying an extended sojourn in ,australia and ,new ,zealand1 under the management of ,e4 ,j4 ,tait4 ,although ,i knew deterioration had set in with the old de ,basil company--so much so that it had been one of the salient reasons for the formation of the new ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe1 quite apart from the recurring personality clashes--,i was now faced with a deterioration in the latter company1 one that had occurred earlier in its history and that was moving more swiftly3 a galloping deterioration4 ,as ,i watched the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo company performances1 ,i was acutely conscious not only of this1 but ,i saw disruption actively at work4 ,the dancers themselves were no longer interested4 ,they day-dreamed of ,broadway musicals2 they night-dreamed of the hills of ,hollywood and film contracts4 ,some were wistfully thinking in terms of their own little concert groups4 ,the structure was1 to say the least1 shaky4 ,from the reports that reached me of the ,original company's success and re-establishment in ,australia1 ,i sensed the possibility 7and the hope7 that a rejuvenation had taken place4 ,apart from that1 there had been new works added to the repertoire1 works ,i was eager to see and which ,i felt would give the ,american ballet-goer a fresh interest1 for that important individual had every right to be a bit jaded with things as they were4 ,since ,i had taken the precaution to have the 8exclusivity0 clause removed from my ,universal ,art contract1 ,i was free to experiment4 ,i therefore arranged to bring de ,basil and his ,original ,ballet ,russe to ,america from ,australia4 ,they arrived on the ,pacific ,coast1 and we played an engagement in ,los ,angeles1 another in ,chicago1 yet another in ,canada4 ,then ,i brought them to ,new ,york4 ,this was a season when the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house was not available for ballet performances4 ,therefore1 ,i took the ,hollywood ,theatre1 on ,broadway1 today rechristened the ,mark ,hellinger4 ,i opened the season with a four weeks' engagement of the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 followed immediately by the ,original ,ballet ,russe1 making a consecutive period of about fifteen weeks of ballet at one house1 setting up a record of some sort for continuous ballet performances on ,broadway4 ,christmas intervened1 and1 following my usual custom1 ,i gave a large party at ,sherry's in honor of ,mrs4 ,hurok's birthday1 which occurs on the #beth ,december1 at which were gathered the entire personnel of the company1 together with ,katherine ,dunham1 ,argentinita1 and other distinguished guests4 ,if ,i should be asked why ,i again allied myself with the 8,colonel10 ,i already have given a partial answer4 ,there was a sentimental reason1 too4 ,it was a case of 8first love40 ,i wanted to go back to that early love1 to try to recapture some of the old feeling1 the former rapture4 ,i should have realized that one does not go back1 that one of the near impossibilities of life is to recapture the old thrill4 ,those who can are among the earth's most fortunate4 ,this ten-week season was expensive4 ,the pleasure of trying to recapture cost me #gj1jjj in losses4 ,there were1 however1 compensations3 there was the unending circus of 8,mutt and ,jeff10 the four-feet-seven 8,sasha0 ,philipoff and the six-feet-two 8,colonel40 ,there was a repertoire that interested me4 ,it was a pleasure once again to luxuriate in the splendors of ,le ,coq d',or1 although the investiture had become a shade or two tarnished from too much travel and too little touching-up4 ,it was refreshing to see ,baronova and ,toumanova in brisk competition again in the same company1 for the latter had already become one of the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo defections4 ,it is difficult for me to realize that ,irina ,baronova no longer dances4 ,she was the youngest of the 8baby ballerinas40 ,gentle1 shy1 with honey-colored hair1 ,irina was born in ,leningrad1 and eventually reached ,paris1 with her family1 by way of the ,orient4 ,about her was a simple1 classical beauty1 despite the fact that she always found it necessary to disguise 7on the stage7 her rather impudent little nose in a variety of ways by the use of make-up putty4 ,it was so when she started in as a tiny child to study with the great lady of the ,maryinsky1 ,olga ,preobrajenska1 whose nose also has a tilt4 ,to ,george ,balanchine must go the credit for discovering ,baronova in ,preobrajenska's ,school in ,paris1 when he was on the search for new talents at the time of the formation of the de ,basil-,blum ,les ,ballets ,russes de ,monte ,carlo4 ,about her work there was always something joyful and yet1 at the same time1 something that was at once wistful and tender4 ,as a classical dancer there was something so subtle about her art that its true value and her true value came only slowly upon one4 ,there was no flash2 everything about her1 every movement1 every gesture1 flowed one into another--as in swimming4 ,but not only was she a great classical dancer1 she was the younger generation's most accomplished mime4 ,i like to remember her as the ,lady ,gay1 that red-haired trollop of the construction camps1 in ,union ,pacific1 with her persuasive1 characteristic 8come-up-and-see-me-sometime0 interpretation2 to remember her in the minor role of the ,first ,hand in ,le ,beau ,danube1 carefree1 innocent1 flirting at the side of the stage with a park artist4 ,i like to remember her in ,jeux d',enfants1 as she ran through the gamut of jealousy1 petulance1 anger1 and triumph2 in ,les ,prsages1 as the passionate woman loving with her whole being1 fighting off the evil that threatens love2 in the mazurka in ,les ,sylphides2 in ,the ,hundred ,kisses1 imperious1 sulky1 stubborn1 humorously sly2 and as the ,ballerina in ,petroushka1 drawing that line of demarcation between heartless doll and equally heartless flirting woman4 ,performance over1 and away from the theatre1 another transformation took place2 for ,irina was never off-stage the grande artiste1 the ballerina1 but a healthy1 normal girl1 with a keen sense of humor4 ,after a turn or two as a 8legitimate0 actress and a previous marriage1 ,baronova now lives in ,london's ,mayfair1 the wife of a ,london theatrical manager1 with her two children4 ,the triumph of domesticity is ballet's loss4 ,i should like to set down from my memory the additions to the repertoire of the ,original ,ballet ,russe while they had been absent from our shores4 ,there were some definitely refreshing works4 ,chief among these were two ,fokine creations1 ,paganini and ,cendrillon4 ,the former had been worked out by ,fokine with ,sergei ,rachmaninoff1 utilizing for music a slightly re-worked version of the latter's ,rhapsody on a ,theme by ,paganini4 ,serge ,soudeikine had designed a production that ranked at the top of that ,russian designer's list of theatre creations4 ,the entire ballet had a fine theatrical effectiveness4 ,perhaps the whole may not have been equal to the sum of its parts1 but the second scene1 wherein ,paganini hypnotized a young girl by his playing of the guitar and the force of his striking personality1 thereby forcing her into a dance of magnificent frenzy1 was a striking example of the greatness of ,fokine4 ,tatiana ,riabouchinska rose to tremendous heights in the part4 ,i remember ,victor ,dandr1 so long ,pavlova's life-partner and manager1 telling me how1 in this part1 ,riabouchinska reminded him of ,pavlova4 ,dandr did not often toss about bouquets of this type4 ,cendrillon was ,fokine's retelling of the ,cinderella tale4 ,the score1 by ,baron 8,freddy0 d',erlanger1 was certainly no great shakes1 but ,fokine illuminated the entire work with the sort of inventiveness that was so characteristic of him at his best4 ,it would be unjust to compare this production with the later ,frederick ,ashton ,cinderella1 to the ,prokofieff score1 which he staged for the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet2 the approach was quite different4 ,the de ,basil-,fokine production nevertheless had a distinct charm of its own1 enhanced by a genuine fairy-tale setting by ,nathalie ,gontcharova4 ,a lesser contribution to the repertoire was a symbolic piece1 ,the ,eternal ,struggle1 staged by ,igor ,schwezoff1 in ,australia1 to ,robert ,schumann piano music1 orchestrated by ,antal ,dorati4 ,it served the purpose of introducing two ,australian designers to ,america3 the ,misses ,kathleen and ,florence ,martin4 ,there was a duo of works by ,david ,lichine1 one serious and unsuccessful1 the other a comedy that had a substantial audience success and which1 since then1 has moved from company to company4 ,the former1 ,prote1 was arranged to ,debussy's ,danses ,sacr et ,profane1 in a ,chirico setting and costumes4 ,the latter1 ,graduation ,ball1 ,lichine had staged during the long ,australian stay4 ,its music was an admirable selection and arrangement of ,johann ,strauss tunes by ,antal ,dorati4 ,its setting and costumes were by ,alexandre ,benois4 ,much of its humor was sheer horseplay and on the obvious side2 but it was completely high-spirited1 and was the season's comedy success4 ,a third work1 credited to ,lichine1 was ,the ,prodigal ,son1 a ballet that was the outstanding creation of the last ,diaghileff season1 in #aibi4 ,set to a memorable commissioned score by ,serge ,prokofieff1 by ,george ,balanchine1 with ,serge ,lifar1 ,leon ,woizikovsky1 ,anton ,dolin and ,felia ,dubrowska in the central roles1 it had striking and evocative settings and costumes by ,georges ,rouault4 ,de ,basil had secured these properties1 and had had the work re-done in ,australia by ,lichine4 ,lichine insisted he had never seen the ,balanchine original and thus approached the subject with a fresh mind4 ,however1 ,serge ,grigorieff was the general stage director for both companies4 ,it is not beyond possibility that ,grigorieff1 with his sensitive-plate retentive mind for balletic detail1 might have transferred much of the spirit and style of the original to the de ,basil-,lichine presentation4 ,however it may have been1 the result was a moving theatrical experience4 ,my strongest memory of it is the exciting performance given by ,sono ,osato as the exotic siren who seduces the ,prodigal during his expensive excursion among the flesh-pots4 ,during this ,hollywood ,theatre season we also had ,le ,cotillon1 that had served originally to introduce ,riabouchinska to ,american audiences4 ,we also1 ,i am happy to remember1 had ,fokine's ,firebird1 in the original choreography1 and the uncut ,stravinsky score1 together with the remarkable settings and costumes of ,gontcharova4 ,its opening performance provided a few breath-taking moments when ,baronova's costume gave way1 and she fought bravely to prevent an embarrassing exposure4 ,during their tenure of the ,hollywood ,theatre1 we managed one creation4 ,it was ,balustrade4 ,its choreography was by ,george ,balanchine4 ,its music was ,igor ,stravinsky's ,violin ,concerto1 played in the orchestra pit by ,samuel ,dushkin1 for whom it was written4 ,stravinsky himself came on from ,california to conduct the work4 ,as is so often the case with ,balanchine1 it had neither story nor theme nor idea2 it was simply an abstraction in which ,balanchine set out to exploit to the fullest the brittle technical prowess of ,tamara ,toumanova4 ,the only reason ,i could determine for the title was that the setting1 by ,pavel ,tchelitcheff1 consisted of a long balustrade4 ,unfortunately1 despite all the costs1 which ,i paid1 it had1 all told1 one consecutive performance4 ,the close of the season at the ,hollywood ,theatre found me1 once again1 in a perplexed mood4 ,the de ,basil organization1 riddled by intrigue and quite out of focus1 was not the answer4 ,its finances were in a parlous state4 ,i disengaged my emotions and surveyed both the negligible artistic accomplishments and the substantial financial losses4 ,i turned a deaf ear to de ,basil's importunings to have me undertake another ,american tour1 although ,i did sponsor engagements in ,boston and ,philadelphia1 and undertook to send the company to ,mexico and ,south ,america4 ,as matters stood1 neither the company nor the repertoire was good enough4 ,i still had one more season tied to the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 and that1 for the moment1 was enough of trouble4 ,i argued with myself that the ,denham difficulties were sufficient unto one day1 without deliberately and gratuitously adding those of the 8,colonel40 ,fresh troubles arose in ,philadelphia1 from which point the company was to depart for ,mexico ,city4 ,tamara ,toumanova's presence with the company was one of the conditions of the ,mexican contract4 ,it will not be difficult1 ,i think1 for the reader to imagine my feelings when1 on my arrival in ,philadelphia1 ,i was greeted by ,toumanova with the news that she was leaving the company1 that her contract with de ,basil had expired1 and that nothing in her life had given her greater happiness than to be able to quit4 ,de ,basil was not to be found4 ,he had gone into hiding4 ,i went into action4 ,i approached 8,gerry0 ,sevastianov and his wife1 ,irina ,baronova1 to help out the situation by agreeing to have ,baronova go to ,mexico in place of the departing ,toumanova4 ,she consented1 and this cost me an additional considerable sum4 ,having succeeded in this1 de ,basil emerged from his hiding place to hold me up once again by demanding money under duress4 ,he had no money and had to have cash in advance before he would move the company to ,mexico4 ,once there1 he raised objections to the ,baronova arrangements1 did not want her to dance or as a member of the company2 and there was a general air of sabotage1 egged on1 ,i have no doubt1 by a domestic situation1 wherein his wife wanted to dance leading roles4 ,somehow we managed to get through the ,mexico ,city engagement and to get them to ,cuba4 ,there matters came to a head with a vengeance4 ,because of de ,basil's inability to pay salaries1 he started cutting salaries1 with a strike that has become a part of ballet history ensuing4 ,once more ,i dispatched my trusty right hand1 ,mae ,frohman1 to foreign parts to try to straighten matters out4 ,there was nothing she could do4 ,the mess was too involved1 too complicated1 and the only possible course was for me to drop the whole thing4 ,de ,basil1 looking for new worlds to conquer1 started for ,south ,america4 ,his adventures in the ,southern ,hemisphere have no important place in this book1 since the company was not then under my management4 ,they would1 moreover1 fill another book4 ,the de ,basil ,south ,american venture1 however1 enters this story chronologically at a later point4 ,let it be said that the 8,colonel's0 adventures there were as fantastic as the man himself4 ,they included1 among many other things1 defection after defection1 sometimes necessitating a recruiting of dancers almost from the streets2 the performances of ballets with girls who had never heard of the works1 much less seen them1 having to rehearse them sketchily while the curtain was waiting to rise2 the coincidence of performance with the outbreak of a local revolution2 flying his little company in shifts1 since only one jalopy plane1 in a dubious state of repair1 was available4 ,i shall not go into his fantastic financing1 this being one of the few times when1 as ,i suggested at the beginning of this book1 the curtain might be lowered for a few discreet moments1 in order to spare the feelings of others rather than my own4 ,in the quiet of the small hours of the morning1 ,i would lie awake and compare the personalities of the two 8organizers10 de ,basil and ,denham1 reviewing their likenesses and their differences4 ,as ,i dozed off1 ,i came to the conclusion that most generalizations about personality are wrong4 ,when you have spent hours1 days1 months1 years in close association and have been bored and irritated by a flamboyant individual1 you are apt to think that restraint and reticence are the only virtues4 ,until you meet a quiet fellow1 who is quiet either because he has nothing to say or nothing to make a noise about1 and then discover his stillness is merely a convenient mask for deceit4 ,massine1 unable to continue any longer with the ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe management1 severed his connection with the company he had made1 in #aidb4 ,save for a few undistinguished creations1 de ,basil was skating along as best he could on his ,diaghileff heritage2 classicism was being neglected in the frantic search for 8novelties40 ,both companies were making productions1 not on any basis of policy1 but simply for expediency and as cheaply as possible4 ,existing productions in both companies were increasingly slipshod4 ,while it is true that a good ballet is a good ballet1 it is something less than good when it receives niggardly treatment or when it is given one less iota than the strictest attention to detail4 ,that is exactly what happened when the companies split1 and split again3 the works suffered2 this1 together with the recurring internal crises1 boded ill for the future of ballet4 ,there was the ever-present need for money for new productions4 ,diaghileff had one ,maecenas after another4 ,by the beginning of the third decade of the twentieth century1 a ,maecenas was becoming a rare bird indeed4 ,today he is as dead as the proverbial ,dodo4 ,i had certain definite convictions about ballet1 ,i still have them4 ,one of them is that the sound cornerstone of any ballet company must be formed of genuine classics4 ,but these must never take the form of 8modern0 versions1 nor additionally suffer from anything less than painstaking productions1 top-drawer performances1 and an infinite respect for the works themselves4 ,ballet may depart from the classical base as far as it wishes to experiment1 but the base should always be kept in sight2 and psychological excursions1 explorations into the subconscious1 should never be permitted to obscure the fact that the basic function of ballet is to entertain4 ,by that ,i do not mean to suggest ballet should stand still1 should chain itself to reaction and the conservatism of a dead past4 ,it should look forward1 move forward2 but it must take its bearings from those virtues of a living past1 which is its heritage3 all of which can be summed up in one brief phrase--the classical tradition4 ,there are increasingly frequent attempts to create ballets crammed with symbols dealing with various aspects of sex1 perversion1 physical and psychological tensions4 ,in one of the world's great ballet centers there have been attempts to use ballet as a means to promulgate and propagandize political ideologies4 ,i am glad to say the latter have been completely unsuccessful and they have returned to the classics4 ,i should be the last person to wish to limit the choreographer's choice of subject material4 ,that is ready to his hand and mind4 ,the fact remains that1 in my opinion1 ballet cannot 7and will not7 be tied down to any one style1 aesthetic1 religion1 ideology1 or philosophy4 ,therefore1 it seems to me1 the function of the choreographer is to express balletic ideas1 thought1 and emotion in a way that first and foremost pleases him4 ,but1 at the same time1 ,i should like to remind every choreographer of a distinguished authority1 when he said1 8,pleasure1 and pleasure alone1 is the purpose of art40 ,but pleasure differs in kind according to the way that individuals and groups of individuals differ in mental and emotional make-up4 ,thus ballet provides pleasure for the intellectual and the sensualist1 the idealist and the realist1 the ,catholic1 the ,protestant1 the ,atheist4 ,and it will remain the function of the choreographer to provide this infinite variety of pleasure until such time that all men think1 feel1 and act alike4 ,ballet was at a cross-road4 ,i was at a cross-road in my career in ballet4 ,it was at this indecisive point there emerged a new light on the balletic horizon4 ,it called itself ,ballet ,theatre4 ,it interested me very much4 #aj4 ,the ,best of ,plans 444 ,ballet ,theatre ,during the very late 'thirties1 ,mikhail ,mordkin had had a ballet company1 giving sporadic performances on ,sunday nights1 occasionally on week-day evenings1 and1 now and then1 some out-of-town performances4 ,it was a small company1 largely made up of ,mordkin's pupils1 of which one1 ,lucia ,chase1 was prima ballerina4 ,miss ,chase was seen in1 among other parts1 the title role of ,giselle1 in which she was later replaced by ,patricia ,bowman4 ,this little company is credited with having given the first performance on this continent of the full-length ,tchaikowsky ,sleeping ,beauty4 ,in order that the record may be quite clear on this point1 the production was not that of the ,petipa masterpiece1 but rather ,mordkin's own version4 ,it was presented at ,waterbury1 ,connecticut1 in #aicg4 ,waterbury is the home town of ,lucia ,chase4 ,lucia ,chase was the ,princess ,aurora of the production4 ,so far as the records reveal1 there was a single performance4 ,the season of #aich-aici was the ,mordkin company's last4 ,it was1 as a company1 foredoomed to failure from the very start1 in my opinion4 ,its repertoire was meagre1 unbalanced2 it had no dancers who were known2 it lacked someone of ballerina stature4 ,towards the end of the company's existence1 ,mordkin had an associate1 ,richard ,pleasant1 whose interest in ballet had1 in earlier days1 caused him to act as a supernumerary in de ,basil company productions1 and who had an idea3 an idea that has lurked in the minds of a number of young men ,i know1 to wit3 to form a ballet company4 ,it is one thing to want to form a ballet company1 another to do it4 ,in addition to having the idea1 one must have money--and a great deal of it4 ,in this case1 idea and money came together simultaneously1 for the ,mordkin school and company had ,lucia ,chase1 with ambitions and interest as well4 ,lucia ,chase had money--a great deal of it--and she wanted to dance4 ,she had substantially financed the ,mordkin company4 ,pleasant went ahead with his plan for a grandiose organization--with his ideas and ,chase's money4 ,the ,mordkin company was closed up2 and a new company1 on a magnificent scale1 calling itself ,ballet ,theatre1 was formed4 ,the ,mordkin venture had been too small1 too limited in its scope1 too reactionary in thought1 so ,mordkin himself was pushed into the background1 soon to be ousted altogether1 and the tremendous undertaking went forward on a scale the like of which this country had never seen4 ,in a ,utopia such a pretentious scheme would have a permanent place in the cultural pattern1 for the company's avowed policy1 at the outset1 was to act as a repository for genuine masterpieces of all periods and styles of the dance2 it would be to the dance what a great museum is to the arts of sculpture and painting4 ,the classical1 the romantic1 the modern1 all would find a home in the new organization4 ,the company was to be so organized that it could compete with the world's best4 ,it should be large4 ,it should have ample backing4 ,the company's debut at the ,center ,theatre1 in ,new ,york's ,rockefeller ,center1 on #aath ,january1 #aidj1 was preceded by a ballyhoo of circus proportions4 ,the rehearsal period preceding this date was long and arduous4 ,the company's slogans included one announcing that the works were 8staged by the greatest collaboration in ballet history40 ,it was a 8super0 organization--imposing1 diverse and diffuse4 ,but it was a big idea1 albeit an impractical one4 ,its impracticability1 however1 did not lessen the impact of its initial impression4 ,more than thirteen years have elapsed since ,ballet ,theatre made its bow1 and one can hardly regard its initial roster of contributors even now without an astonished blink of the eyes4 ,there were twenty principal dancers1 fifteen soloists1 a corps de ballet of fifty-six4 ,in addition1 there was a ,negro group numbering fourteen4 ,there was an additional ,spanish group of nineteen4 ,the choreographers numbered eleven2 an equal number of scene and costume designers2 three orchestra conductors4 ,eighteen composers1 living and dead1 contributed to the initial repertoire of as many works4 ,although the founders were ,american1 as was the backing1 there was no slavish chauvinism in its repertoire1 which was cosmopolitan and catholic4 ,only two of its eleven choreographers were natives3 ,eugene ,loring and ,agnes de ,mille4 ,the company was international4 ,three of the choreographers were ,english3 ,anton ,dolin1 ,andre ,howard1 and ,antony ,tudor4 ,four were ,russian3 ,michel ,fokine1 ,adolph ,bolm1 ,mikhail ,mordkin1 ,bronislava ,nijinska4 ,only five of the eighteen works that made up the repertoire of the introductory season of ,ballet ,theatre remain in existence3 ,giselle1 originally staged1 after the traditional production1 by ,anton ,dolin1 who had joined the venture after an ,australian stint with de ,basil's ,original ,ballet ,russe2 ,swan ,lake1 in the one-act version1 also staged by ,dolin2 ,fokine's masterpiece1 ,les ,sylphides2 the oldest ballet extant1 ,la ,fille ,mal ,garde1 staged by ,bronislava ,nijinska2 and ,adolph ,bolm's production of the children's fairy tale1 ,peter and the ,wolf1 to the popular ,prokofieff orchestral work1 with narrator4 ,it was significant to me that the outstanding successes of that first season were the classics4 ,first1 there was ,les ,sylphides1 restored by the master himself4 ,this1 coupled with ,dolin's ,swan ,lake1 and ,giselle1 constituted the backbone of the standard repertoire4 ,the first four weeks' season was1 perhaps1 as expensive a balletic venture as ,new ,york has known1 with the possible exception of the ,ballet ,international of the ,marquis de ,cuevas1 some four years later4 ,following ,ballet ,theatre's introductory burst of activity1 there was a hiatus1 during which the company gave sporadic performances in ,philadelphia1 some appearances at the ,lewisohn ,stadium in ,new ,york1 and appeared in ,chicago in conjunction with the ,chicago ,opera ,company4 ,before ,ballet ,theatre embarked on its second season1 trouble was cooking4 ,there were indications ,lucia ,chase and ,pleasant were not seeing exactly eye to eye4 ,the second ,new ,york season was announced to open at the ,majestic ,theatre1 on #aath ,february1 #aida4 ,now the ,majestic ,theatre is a far cry from the wide open spaces of the ,center ,theatre4 ,it is the house where ,i had given a brief and costly season with de ,basil's ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo in the early days1 on a stage so small that no justice can be done to dance or dancers1 and where the capacity does not admit of meeting expenses even when sold out4 ,pleasant's newest idea1 announced before the season opened1 was to present a 8company40 ,there were to be no distinctions or classifications of dancers4 ,one of the time-honored institutions of ballet was also abolished2 there was no general stage director1 or rgisseur-general1 as he is known in the ,french terminology of ballet4 ,instead1 the company was divided1 like all ,gaul1 into three parts1 to be known as 8,wings10 with ,anton ,dolin in charge of the 8,classic ,wing02 ,antony ,tudor1 of the 8,english ,wing02 ,eugene ,loring1 of the 8,american ,wing40 ,five new works were added to the repertoire1 of which only two remain3 ,eugene ,loring's ,billy the ,kid1 to one of ,aaron ,copland's finest scores1 and ,agnes de ,mille's ,three ,virgins and a ,devil1 to ,ottorino ,respighi's ,antiche ,danze ed ,arie4 ,dolin's ,pas de ,quatre1 produced at this time1 has been replaced in the company's repertoire by another version4 ,the differences between ,pleasant and ,chase came to a head1 and the former was forced to resign at the end of the four weeks' season1 which resulted in more substantial losses4 ,it was at this time that ,i was approached on behalf of the organization by ,charles ,payne1 seeking advice as to how to proceed4 ,we lunched together in ,rockefeller ,plaza1 and while ,i am unable to state that the final decision was wholly mine or that the terminal action was taken exclusively on my advice1 ,i counselled ,payne that1 in my opinion1 the only course for them to follow would be to close down the company completely1 place everything they owned into storage1 and start afresh after reorganization4 ,receipts at the box-office having fallen as low as #cai a performance1 there was no other choice4 ,in any event1 my advice was followed4 ,reorganization was under way4 ,in an organization of this magnitude and complexity1 reorganization was something that took a great deal of both thought and time4 ,it was by no means a simple matter4 ,while the reorganization was in its early1 indecisive stages1 with protracted debates going on within the circle as to whether it should continue in any form or fold its wings in the sleep everlasting1 ,anton ,dolin came to me to ask me to take over the management of the venture4 ,this was not a thing to be regarded lightly4 ,the situation in ballet in general1 and with the ,monte ,carlo ,ballet ,russe in particular1 being as ,i have described it1 ,i was interested in and attracted by the potential value of the company1 if the proper sort of reorganization could be effected4 ,their ,chicago season had been a complete fiasco at the box-office4 ,there is a legend to the effect that1 in an effort to attract a few people into the ,chicago ,opera ,house1 members of the company stood outside the building as the office-workers from the surrounding buildings wended their way homeward to the suburban trains1 passing out free tickets4 ,the legend also has it that they managed to get some of these free tickets into the hands of a local critic who was one of the crowd4 ,i do not wish to bore the reader with the details of all the debates that highlighted those days4 ,sufficient is it to say that they were crowded and that the nights were often sleepless4 ,anton ,dolin was responsible for having ,german 78,gerry07 ,sevastianov1 no longer associated with de ,basil1 appointed as managing director1 in succession to the resigned ,pleasant4 ,the negotiations commenced and were both long and involved between all parties concerned which included discussion with ,lucia ,chase and her attorney1 ,harry ,m4 ,zuckert4 ,matters were reaching a point where ,i felt a glimmer of light could be detected1 when a honeymoon intervened1 due to the marriage of ,zuckert4 ,ballet waited for romance4 ,throughout the long drawn-out discussions and negotiations1 ,zuckert was always pleasant1 cooperative1 diplomatic1 and evidenced a sincere desire to avoid any friction4 ,among the first acts of ,sevastianov1 after taking over the directorship1 was to engage his wife1 ,irina ,baronova1 as a leading ballerina1 together with ,antal ,dorati1 former musical director of the de ,basil company1 and today the musical director of the ,minneapolis ,symphony ,orchestra1 to direct and supervise the music of ,ballet ,theatre4 ,later1 through the good offices of ,anton ,dolin1 ,alicia ,markova1 whose contract with the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo had terminated1 became one of the two ballerine of the company4 ,the negotiations dragged on during the summer4 ,meanwhile1 with the company and its artists inactive1 ,markova and ,dolin1 on their own1 leased ,jacob's ,pillow1 the ,ted ,shawn farm and summer theatre in the ,berkshires1 and gave a number of performances under the collective title of ,international ,dance ,festival4 ,this was a quite independent venture1 but ,markova and ,dolin peopled their season and school with the personnel of ,ballet ,theatre4 ,this summer in the ,berkshires had a two-fold effect on the company3 first1 the members were thus able to work together as a unit2 second1 with three choreographers in residence1 it was possible for them to lay out and develop the early groundwork of three works1 subsequently to be added to the ,ballet ,theatre repertoire3 ,slavonika1 by ,vania ,psota2 ,princess ,aurora1 by ,anton ,dolin2 and ,pillar of ,fire1 by ,antony ,tudor4 ,two of these were major contributions2 one was pretty hopeless4 ,dolin's ,princess ,aurora was a reworking of the last act of ,tchaikowsky's ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 a sort of ,aurora's ,wedding1 with the addition of the ,rose ,adagio1 giving the company another classic work that remains in the company's repertoire today1 with some 8innovations40 ,pillar of ,fire1 set to ,arnold ,schnberg's ,verklrte ,nacht1 revealed a new type of dramatic ballet which1 in many respects1 may be said to be ,tudor's masterpiece4 ,slavonika was set by the ,czech ,psota to a number of ,dvorak's ,slavonic ,dances1 and was an almost total loss1 from every point of view4 ,the original version1 as first produced1 ran fifty-five minutes4 ,i thought it would never end4 ,but1 as the tour proceeded1 it was cut1 and cut again4 ,the last time ,i saw it was when ,i visited the company in ,toronto4 ,then it was blessedly cut down to six minutes4 ,after that1 no further reduction seemed possible1 and it was sent to the limbo of the storehouse1 never to be seen again4 ,the deal between ,ballet ,theatre and myself was closed during the time the company was working at ,jacob's ,pillow1 and ,i took over the company in ,november1 #aida4 ,it might be of interest to note some of the chief personnel of the company at that time4 ,among the women were3 ,alicia ,markova1 ,irina ,baronova1 ,lucia ,chase1 ,karen ,conrad1 ,rosella ,hightower1 ,nora ,kaye1 ,maria ,karnilova1 ,jeanette ,lauret1 ,annabelle ,lyon1 ,sono ,osato1 ,nina ,popova1 and ,roszika ,sabo2 among the men were3 ,anton ,dolin1 ,ian ,gibson1 ,frank ,hobi1 ,john ,kriza1 ,hugh ,laing1 ,yurek ,lasovsky1 ,nicolas ,orloff1 ,richard ,reed1 ,jerome ,robbins1 ,dmitri ,romanoff1 ,borislav ,runanin1 ,donald ,saddler1 ,simon ,semenoff1 ,george ,skibine1 and ,antony ,tudor1 to list them alphabetically1 for the most part4 ,later1 ,alicia ,alonso returned to the organization4 ,a considerable number had been brought as a strengthening measure by ,sevastianov4 ,one of the company's weaknesses was in its classical and romantic departments4 ,while there were ,fokine's ,les ,sylphides and ,carnaval1 ,i felt more ,fokine ballets were necessary to a balanced repertoire4 ,sevastianov engaged ,fokine to re-stage ,le ,spectre de la ,rose and ,petroushka1 and to create a new work for ,anton ,dolin and ,irina ,baronova4 ,fokine started work on ,bluebeard1 to an ,offenbach score1 arranged and orchestrated by ,antal ,dorati1 with scenery and costumes by ,marcel ,vertes4 ,meanwhile1 ,i lived up to my contract with the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 and presented them1 in the autumn of #aida1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 and subsequently on tour4 ,in order to prepare the new works1 ,ballet ,theatre went to ,mexico ,city1 returning to ,new ,york to open at the ,forty-fourth ,street ,theatre1 on #abth ,november1 #aida4 ,in addition to the existing ,ballet ,theatre repertoire1 four works were added and had their first ,new ,york performances3 ,psota's ,slavonika1 and ,dolin's re-creation of ,princess ,aurora1 which ,i have mentioned1 together with ,le ,spectre de la ,rose1 and ,bronislava ,nijinska's ,the ,beloved ,one4 ,the last was a revival of a work originally done to a ,schubert-,liszt score1 arranged by ,darius ,milhaud1 for the ,markova-,dolin ,ballet in ,london4 ,in the ,new ,york production it had scenery and costumes by ,nicolas de ,molas4 ,it was not a success4 ,the season was an uphill affair4 ,business was not good1 but matters were improving slightly1 when we reached that fatal ,sunday1 the seventh of ,december4 ,pearl ,harbor night had less than #djj in receipts4 ,the world was at war4 ,the battle to establish a new ballet company was paltry by comparison4 ,nevertheless1 our plans had been made2 responsibilities had been undertaken2 there were human obligations to the artists1 who depended upon us for their livelihood2 there were responsibilities to local managers1 who had booked us4 ,there was a responsibility to the public2 for1 in such times1 ,i can conceive no reason why the cultural entertainment world should stand still4 ,it is a duty1 ,i believe1 to see that it does not4 ,in ,russia1 during the war1 the work of the ballet was intensified2 in ,britain1 the ,sadler's ,wells organization carried on1 giving performances throughout the country1 in camps1 in factories1 in fit-ups1 as an aid to the morale both civilian and military4 ,there could be no question of our not going forward4 ,leaving ,new ,york1 we played ,boston1 ,philadelphia1 a group of ,canadian cities1 ,chicago4 ,with such a cast and repertoire1 it was reasonable to expect there would be large audiences4 ,the expectation was not fulfilled4 ,the stumbling-block was the title3 ,ballet ,theatre4 ,the use of the two terms--8ballet0 and 8theatre0--as a means of identifying the combination of the balletic and theatrical elements involved in the organization1 is quite understandable1 in theory4 ,as a practical name for an individual ballet company1 it is utterly confusing and frustrating4 ,i am not usually given to harboring thoughts of assassination1 but ,i could murder the person who invented that title and used it as the name for a ballet company4 ,ballet in ,america does not exist exclusively on the support of the initiated ballet enthusiast1 the 8balletomane0--to use a term common in ballet circles to describe the ballet 8fan40 ,the word 8balletomane0 itself is of ,russian origin1 a coined word for which there is no literal translation4 ,ballet1 in order to exist1 must draw its chief support from the mass of theatregoers1 from the general amusement-loving public1 those who like to go to a 8show40 ,the casual theatregoer1 when confronted with posters and a marquee sign reading 8,ballet ,theatre10 finds himself confused1 more likely than not believing it to be the name of the theatre building itself4 ,my own experience and a careful survey has demonstrated this conclusively4 ,my losses in these days of ,ballet ,theatre were prodigious4 ,both ,chase and ,sevastianov were aware of them4 ,other managements1 in view of such losses1 might well have dropped the entire venture4 ,in view of the heavy deficits ,i was incurring and bearing single-handed1 ,i felt some assistance should be given4 ,an understanding was reached whereby ,i agreed to reduce the number of new productions to be furnished for the next season1 in order that their expenses might be minimized4 ,in consideration of this a certain amount was refunded4 ,at that moment it was a help2 but not a sufficient help to reduce my losses to less than #fj1jjj4 ,as a matter of fact1 the agreement was beneficial to both sides4 ,in my case1 it temporarily eased the burden of meeting a heavy weekly payroll at a time when there were practically no receipts2 as for ,ballet ,theatre1 it substantially reduced their investment in new productions4 ,the continuing war presented additional problems4 ,personnel changes were frequent on the male side of the company owing to the war-time draft4 ,there was an increasing demand for ballet2 but a new uninformed1 uninitiated public was not in the market for ballet companies1 but for ballets--works about which they had somehow heard4 ,i had two companies1 ,ballet ,theatre and the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 and ,i presented them1 one after the other1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,in my opinion1 many of the problems could have been solved by a merger of the two groups1 had such a thing been possible1 thus preserving1 ,i believe1 the best properties and qualities of each of them4 ,during the spring of #aidb1 two new works were presented3 ,tudor's ,pillar of ,fire1 on which he had been working for a long time1 and ,fokine's ,russian ,soldier4 ,the latter was done at a time when we were all thrilled by the tremendous effort the ,russians were making in their battles1 their heroic battles1 against the ,nazi invader4 ,in discussing the idea with ,fokine1 himself ,russian to the core1 we emphasized the symbolic intent of the tragedy1 that of the simple ,russian peasant who sacrifices his life for his homeland4 ,although we of course did not realize it at the time1 this was to be the last work ,fokine was to complete in his long list of balletic creations4 ,russian ,soldier had some of the best settings and costumes ever designed by the ,russian painter1 ,mstislav ,doboujinsky4 ,for music1 ,fokine utilized the orchestral suite devised by ,serge ,prokofieff from his score for the satirical film1 ,lieutenant ,kije1 which was extremely effective as music1 but with which ,i was never entirely happy1 since ,prokofieff1 the musical satirist1 had packed it with his own very personal brand of satire for the satiric film for which the music was originally composed4 ,at the same time1 ,i doubt that any substantial portion of the audience knew the source of the music and detected the satire2 the great majority found the work a moving experience4 ,aside from being perhaps ,tudor's most important contribution to ballet1 ,pillar of ,fire--with its settings and costumes by ,jo ,mielziner1 his first contribution as a noted ,american designer to the ballet stage--served to raise ,nora ,kaye from the rank and file of the original company to an important position as a new type of dramatic ballerina4 ,leonide ,massine1 parting with the company he had built1 joined ,ballet ,theatre as dancer and choreographer before the company's departure for a second summer season at the ,palacio des ,bellas ,artes in ,mexico ,city1 as guests of the ,mexican ,government4 ,in addition to performances there1 the company used the ,mexican period as one of creation and rehearsal4 ,massine was in the midst of a creative frenzy1 working on two new ballets4 ,one was ,don ,domingo1 which had some stunning scenery and costumes by the ,mexican artist1 ,julio ,castellanos2 an intriguing score by ,sylvestre ,revueltas2 a ,mexican subject by ,alfonso ,reyes2 ,don ,domingo was prompted by the sincere desire to pay a tribute to the country south of the border which had played host to the company4 ,that was ,massine's intention4 ,unfortunately1 the work did not jell1 and was soon dropped from the repertoire4 ,the other work was ,aleko1 which takes rank with some of the best of ,massine's creations4 ,it was a subject close to his heart and to mine1 the poetic ,pushkin tale of the lad from the city and his tragic love for the daughter of a gypsy chieftain1 a love that brings him to two murders and a banishment4 ,as a musical base1 ,massine took the ,trio for piano1 violin1 and violoncello which ,tchaikowsky dedicated 8to the memory of a great artist10 ,nicholas ,rubinstein1 in an orchestration by ,erno ,rapee4 ,the whole thing was a fine piece of collaboration between ,massine and the surrealist painter1 ,marc ,chagall2 and the work was deeply moving1 finely etched1 with a strong feeling for character4 ,i have particularly happy memories of watching ,chagall and his late wife working in happy collaboration on the ,aleko production in ,mexico ,city4 ,while he busied himself with the scenery1 she occupied herself with the costumes4 ,the result of this fine collaboration on the part of all the artists concerned resulted in a great ,russian work4 ,the ,ballet ,theatre management was1 to put it mildly1 not in favour of ,aleko4 ,it was a production on which ,i may be said to have insisted4 ,fortunately1 ,i was proved correct4 ,although it was dropped from the repertoire not long after ,ballet ,theatre and ,i came to a parting of the ways1 it has now1 ten years after its production1 been crowned with success in ,london4 ,presented at the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 by ,ballet ,theatre1 in the summer of #aiec1 it has proved to be the outstanding hit of their ,london season1 both with press and public4 ,i cannot remember the unemotional and objective ,times 7,london7 waxing more enthusiastic over a balletic work4 ,during the ,mexican hegira the company re-staged the ,eugene ,loring-,aaron ,copland ,billy the ,kid1 still one of the finest ,american ballets1 although originally created in #aich4 ,certainly it is one of ,copland's most successful theatre scores4 ,simon ,semenoff also brought forth a condensed and truncated version of ,delibes's ,copplia1 as a vehicle for ,irina ,baronova1 with settings and costumes by ,robert ,montenegro4 ,it was not a success4 ,it was a case of tampering with a classic2 and ,i hold firmly to the opinion that classics should not be subjected to tampering or maltreatment4 ,there is a special hades reserved for those choreographers who have the temerity to draw mustaches on portraits of lovely ladies4 ,yet another ,mexican creation that failed to meet the test of the stage was ,romantic ,age1 a ballet by ,anton ,dolin1 to assorted music by ,vincenzo ,bellini1 in a setting and with costumes by ,carlos ,merida4 ,an attempt to capture some of the balletic atmosphere of the 8romantic age0 in ballet1 it was freely adapted from the idea of ,aglae1 or ,the ,pupil of ,love1 a work by ,philippe ,taglioni1 dating back to #ahda1 originally a vehicle of ,marie ,taglioni4 ,michel ,fokine and his wife ,vera were also with the company in ,mexico ,city1 re-staging his masterpiece1 ,petroushka1 and commencing a new work1 ,helen of ,troy1 based on the ,offenbach opra bouffe1 ,la ,belle ,hlene4 ,unfortunately1 ,fokine was stricken with pleurisy and returned to ,new ,york1 only to die from pneumonia shortly after4 ,helen of ,troy1 however1 promised well and a substantial investment had already been made in it4 ,david ,lichine was called in and worked with ,antal ,dorati on the book1 as ,dorati worked on the ,offenbach music1 with ,lichine staging the work on tour after the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house season in ,new ,york4 ,still later1 when ,vera ,zorina appeared with the company1 ,george ,balanchine restaged it for his wife4 ,the final result was presumably a long way from ,fokine1 but a version of it still remains in the ,ballet ,theatre repertoire today4 ,andr ,eglevsky joined the company during this season4 ,later on1 ,irina ,baronova1 under doctor's orders1 left4 ,because there was no sound artistic direction and no firm discipline in the company1 ,i urged ,sevastianov to engage an experienced and able ballet-master and rgisseur-general in the person of ,adolph ,bolm1 to be responsible for the general stage direction1 deportment1 and the exercise of an artistic discipline over the company's dancers1 particularly the dissident elements in it1 which made working with them exceedingly difficult at times4 ,sevastianov discussed the matter with ,miss ,chase1 who agreed4 ,before accepting1 ,bolm telephoned me from ,california seeking my advice and ,i could but urge him to accept because ,i felt this would go a long way toward stabilizing the company artistically4 ,it was at the close of the autumn season of #aidb1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 that ,i bade good-bye to the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo and ,universal ,art4 ,there was a brief ceremony back-stage at the end of the last performance4 ,denham and ,i both made farewell speeches4 ,it is always a sad moment for me to leave a company for whose success ,i have given so much of my time1 my energy1 and money4 ,i felt this sadness keenly as ,i took leave of the nice kids4 ,the subsequent ,ballet ,theatre tour developed recurring headaches4 ,they were cumulative1 piling up into one big headache1 and it will be less trying both to the reader and to myself to recount it later in one place1 at one time4 ,with the spring of #aidc1 back we came to the ,metropolitan for our spring season4 ,there was a managerial change4 ,german ,sevastianov went off to war as a member of the ,united ,states ,army1 and ,j4 ,alden ,talbot became managing director in his stead4 ,this began the period of the wisest direction ,ballet ,theatre has known4 ,janet ,reed joined the company as a soloist1 and ,vera ,zorina appeared as guest artist in ,helen of ,troy1 and in a revival of ,george ,balanchine's ,errante4 ,this was a work set to the music of ,schubert-,liszt1 originally done for ,tilly ,losch for ,les ,ballets #aicc1 in ,london1 when ,balanchine left de ,basil1 and one which the ,american ,ballet revived at the ,adelphi ,theatre1 in ,new ,york1 two years later1 with ,tamara ,geva4 ,balanchine also revived ,stravinsky's ,apollon ,musagte1 with ,andr ,eglevsky1 ,zorina1 ,nora ,kaye1 and ,rosella ,hightower1 to one of ,stravinsky's most moving scores4 ,the other work was history-making4 ,it was ,antony ,tudor's ,romeo and ,juliet4 ,it was a work of great seriousness and fine theatrical invention4 ,on the opening night ,tudor had not finished the ballet1 although he had been at it for months4 ,it was too late to postpone the premire1 so1 after a good deal of persuading1 it was agreed to present it in its unfinished state4 ,the curtain on the first performance fell some twelve minutes before the end4 ,i have told this tale in detail in ,impresario4 ,the matter is historic4 ,there is no point in laboring it4 ,tudor is an outstanding creator in the field of modern ballet4 ,romeo and ,juliet is a monument to his creative gifts4 ,the pity is that it no longer can be given by ,ballet ,theatre1 no longer seen by the public1 with its sharp characterization1 its inviolate sense of period1 the tenseness of its drama sustained in the medium of the dance4 ,tudor's original idea with ,romeo and ,juliet was to utilize the ,serge ,prokofieff score for the successful ,soviet ballet of the same title4 ,however1 he found the ,prokofieff score was unsuitable for his choreographic ideas4 ,he eventually decided on various works by the ,english composer1 ,frederick ,delius4 ,because of the war1 it was found impossible to secure this musical material from ,england4 ,consequently1 ,antal ,dorati1 the musical director1 orchestrated the entire work from listening to gramophone recordings of the ,delius pieces4 ,how good a job it was is testified by ,sir ,thomas ,beecham1 the long-time friend of ,delius and the redoubtable champion of the composer's music4 ,i engaged ,sir ,thomas to conduct a number of performances of ,romeo and ,juliet at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 and he was amazed by the orchestration1 commenting1 8,astounding6 ,perfectly astounding6 ,it is precisely as written by my late friend40 ,the list of ,beechamiana is long2 but here is one more item which ,i believe has the virtue of freshness4 ,i should like to record an incident of ,sir ,thomas's first orchestral rehearsal of ,romeo and ,juliet4 ,as ,i recall it1 this rehearsal had to be sandwiched in between a broadcast concert rehearsal ,sir ,thomas had to make and the actual orchestral broadcast to which he was committed4 ,there was no time to spare4 ,our orchestra was awaiting him at their places in the ,metropolitan pit4 ,the rehearsal was concise1 to the point1 with few stoppings or corrections on ,sir ,thomas's part4 ,at the conclusion1 ,sir ,thomas looked the men over with a pontifical eye4 ,then he addressed them as follows3 8,ladies and gentlemen4 ,i happen to be one of those who believes music speaks its own language1 and that words about it are usually a waste of time and effort4 ,however1 a word or two at this juncture may not be amiss4444 ,i happened to know the late composer1 ,mr4 ,delius1 intimately4 ,i am also intimately acquainted with his music4 ,i have only one suggestion1 gentlemen4 ,tonight1 when we play this music for this alleged ballet1 if you will be so good as to confine yourselves to the notes as written by my late friend1 ,mr4 ,delius1 and not improvise as you have done this afternoon1 ,i assure you the results will be much more satisfactory4444 ,thank you very much40 ,and off he went4 ,that night the orchestra played like angels4 ,the ballet was in its second season when ,i invited ,sir ,thomas to take over the performances4 ,it was a joy to have him in command of the forces4 ,too little attention is accorded the quality of the orchestra and the conductor in ballet4 ,quite apart from the musical excellence itself1 few people realize of what tremendous value a good conductor and a good orchestra can be to ballet as a whole4 ,romeo and ,juliet never had such stage performances as those when ,sir ,thomas was in charge4 ,and this is not said in disparagement of other conductors4 ,not only was the ,beecham orchestral tone beautifully transparent1 but ,sir ,thomas blended stage action and music so completely that the results were absolutely unique4 ,the company responded nobly to the inspiration4 ,it was during this season1 endeavoring to utilize every legitimate means to stimulate interest on the part of the public that1 in addition to ,sir ,thomas and various guest dancing stars1 ,i also brought ,igor ,stravinsky from ,california to conduct his own works during the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house engagement4 ,for the sake of the record1 let me briefly cite the chronological tabulation of ,ballet ,theatre through the period of my management4 ,in the autumn of #aidc1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 there were three new productions1 one each by ,massine1 ,tudor1 and ,david ,lichine3 ,mademoiselle ,angot1 ,dim ,lustre1 and ,fair at ,sorotchinsk4 ,massine took the famous operetta by ,charles ,lecocq1 ,la ,fille de ,mme4 ,angot1 and in a series of striking sets by ,mstislav ,doboujinsky1 turned it into a ballet1 which1 for some reason1 failed to strike fire4 ,it is interesting to note that when1 some years later1 ,massine produced the work for ,sadler's ,wells at ,covent ,garden1 it was a considerable success4 ,tudor's ,dim ,lustre1 despite the presence of ,nora ,kaye1 ,rosella ,hightower1 ,hugh ,laing1 and ,tudor himself in the cast1 was definitely second-rate ,tudor4 ,called by its creator a 8psychological episode10 this sophisticated ,edwardian story made use of ,richard ,strauss's ,burleske1 an early piano concerto of the composer's1 with a set and costumes by the ,motley sisters4 ,lichine's ,fair at ,sorotchinsk was a ballet on a ,ukrainian folk tale straight out of ,gogol1 with ,moussorgsky music1 including a witches' sabbath to the ,night on a ,bald ,mountain1 with settings and costumes by ,nicolas ,remisoff4 ,it was an addition to the repertoire1 if only for the performance of ,dolin as ,red ,coat1 the ,devil of the ,ukraine1 who danced typically ,russian ,cossack toe-steps and made toe-pirouettes4 ,had the ,cossack 8,colonel0 de ,basil seen this1 he would1 ,i am sure1 have envied ,dolin for once in his life4 ,while ,fair at ,sorotchinsk did not have a unanimously favorable reception at the hands of the press1 it was generally liked by the public1 as evidenced by the response at the box-office4 ,after the #aidc-aidd tour1 two more works were added during the spring season at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 two sharply contrasted works by ,american choreographers3 ,jerome ,robbins and ,agnes de ,mille4 ,robbins's ,fancy ,free was a smash hit1 a remarkable comedy piece of ,american character in a peculiarly native idiom4 ,as a result of this work1 ,robbins leapt into fame exactly as ,agnes de ,mille had done a couple of years before as the result of her delightful ,rodeo4 ,fancy ,free was a collaborative work between ,robbins and the brilliant young composer and conductor1 ,leonard ,bernstein1 whose score was as much of a hit as was the ballet itself4 ,bernstein's conducting of the orchestra was also a telling factor1 for his dynamism and buoyancy was transmitted to the dancers4 ,agnes de ,mille's work1 ,tally-,ho1 was in a much different mood from her ,rodeo4 ,from present-day ,america1 she leapt backwards to the ,france of ,louis ,,xvi1 for a period farce-comedy1 set to ,gluck melodies1 re-orchestrated by ,paul ,nordoff4 ,the settings and costumes1 in the style of ,watteau1 were by the ,motleys1 who had decorated her earlier ,three ,virgins and a ,devil4 ,combining old world elegance with bawdy humor1 ,tally-,ho had both charm and fun1 and although the company worked its hardest and at its very best for ,agnes1 and although she put her very soul into it1 it was not the success that had been hoped4 ,only one premire marked the autumn season at the ,metropolitan4 ,it was one done by ,balanchine1 called ,waltz ,academy1 the first work he had created for ,ballet ,theatre1 in contrast to numerous revivals ,i have mentioned4 ,it was not a very good ballet1 static in effect1 although classical in style4 ,its setting was a reproduction of the ballet room at the ,paris ,opera1 by ,oliver ,smith4 ,the music was a dry orchestration of dance melodies1 largely waltzes1 by ,vittorio ,rieti1 who composed a pair of latter-day ,diaghileff works4 ,a ballet that could have been entertaining and lively1 just missed being either4 ,the lack of new works and the necessity to stimulate public interest made it necessary to add guest stars1 particularly since ,markova and ,dolin had left the company to appear in ,billy ,rose's revue1 ,the ,seven ,lively ,arts4 ,consequently1 ,tamara ,toumanova1 ,tatiana ,riabouchinska1 ,david ,lichine1 and ,andr ,eglevsky made guest appearances4 ,the subsequent tour compounded internal complications until the only ameliorating feature of my association was the wise and understanding cooperation of ,j4 ,alden ,talbot1 who was1 ,i knew1 on the verge of resigning his post1 for reasons not entirely different from my own in considering writing a book to be called ,to ,hell with ,ballet6 ,on tour1 during #aidd-aide1 ,tudor rehearsed the only new work to be offered during the #aide spring season at the ,metropolitan4 ,it was ,undertow1 the story of an adolescent's neurosis1 suggested to ,tudor by the well-known playwright1 ,john van ,druten4 ,it was packed with symbols1 ,freudian and otherwise2 and my own reaction to its murky tale dealing with an ,oedipus complex1 a bloody bitch1 a lecherous old man's affair with a whore1 a mad wedding1 a group of drunken charwomen1 a rape of a nasty little girl by four naughty little boys1 and a shocking murder1 was one of revulsion4 ,the score was specially commissioned from the present head of the ,juilliard ,school1 the ,american ,william ,schuman4 ,the settings and costumes1 as depressing as the work itself1 were by the ,chicago painter1 ,raymond ,breinin4 ,the rigors of war-time ballet travel were considerable1 a constant battle to arrive on time1 to be able to leave in time to arrive in time at the next city4 ,each day presented a new problem4 ,but it had its comic side as well4 ,we had played the ,pacific ,northwest and1 after an engagement in ,portland1 there followed the most important engagement of the west thus far1 that at the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house1 in ,san ,francisco4 ,there was immense difficulty in getting the company and its properties out of ,portland at all4 ,it should be remembered1 and there is no harm pointing out that the entire railway transportation system of our country from ,portland1 ,oregon1 in the far ,northwest1 to ,new ,orleans1 in the middle of the ,gulf of ,mexico1 is in the hands of a single railway1 thousands of miles of it single-track line1 with no competition1 and thus a law unto itself4 ,for a long time1 during this particular tour1 this railway insisted1 because of military commitments1 it could not handle the company and its baggage cars from ,portland to ,san ,francisco in time for the first performance there4 ,the reader should know that there are no reduced fares or concessions for theatrical or ballet companies4 ,first-class fares are paid1 and full rates for ,pullmans and food4 ,my representative1 with a broad experience in these matters1 continued to battle1 and it was eventually arranged that the company would be attached in 8tourist0 coaches to a troop train bound for the south1 but with no dining facilities for civilians and no provision for food or drink4 ,at least1 it would get them to ,san ,francisco in time for the opening performance4 ,so1 the rickety tourist cars were attached to the troop train and the journey commenced4 ,the artists were carefully warned by my representative that this was a troop train1 that no food would be available1 and that each member of the company should provide himself enough food and beverage for the journey4 ,at daybreak of the next morning1 cold and dismal1 the train stopped at a junction point in the ,cascades to add a locomotive for the long haul over the 8divide40 ,opposite the station was a 8diner40 ,twelve members of the company1 including four principal artists1 in nightclothes--pyjamas1 nightgowns1 kimonos1 bed-slippers1 with lightweight coats wrapped round them--insisted on getting down from the train and crossing to the little 8diner0 for 8breakfast40 ,our company manager warned them not to leave the train2 told them that there would be no warning1 no signal1 since this was not a passenger train but a troop train1 and that they risked missing the train altogether4 ,he begged1 pleaded1 ordered--to no avail4 ,off they went in the cold of the dawn1 in the scantiest of nightclothes4 ,silently and without warning1 as the manager had foretold1 the train pulled out1 leaving a dozen1 including four leading artists1 behind in an ,oregon tank town without clothes or tickets4 ,by dint of a dozen telephone calls and as many telegrams1 the nightgown-clad ,d4,p4's were picked up by a later train4 ,after fourteen hours in day coaches1 crowded with regular passengers1 they arrived at the ,san ,francisco ,ferry1 still in their nightclothes1 thirty minutes before curtain time2 they were whisked in taxis to the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house4 ,the curtain rose on time4 ,the evening was saved4 ,it had its amusing side4 ,it was one of the many hardships of wartime touring1 merely one of the continuous headaches1 although a shade on the unusual side4 ,it was also yet another example of the utter lack of discipline and consideration in the company1 and of the stubborn refusal of some of its members to cooperate in the cause of a fine art4 ,another of the many incidents having to do with the difficulties of war-time touring was one in ,augusta1 ,georgia1 where no hotel or other housing accommodations could be found1 due to the war-time overcrowding4 ,most of the company slept1 as best they could1 in the railway station or in the public park4 ,it is recorded that ,alicia ,markova spent the night sleeping on the sidewalk in the entrance-way to a grocer's shop1 wrapped in newspapers and a cloak by the company manager1 while that guardian angel spent the night sitting on the edge of an adjoining vegetable-stand1 watching over her1 smoking an endless chain of cigarettes4 ,this attitude was but an indication of the good sportsmanship the youngsters evidenced on more than one occasion1 proving that1 au fond1 they were1 on the whole1 good 8troupers40 ,while ,i had been prepared for the departure from the company of ,j4 ,alden ,talbot1 ,i was saddened1 nevertheless1 when he left4 ,lucia ,chase and the scene designer1 ,oliver ,smith1 became joint managing directors1 with the result that there was precious little management and even less direction4 ,we played a summer season in ,california1 at the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house in ,san ,francisco1 in conjunction with the ,city's ,art ,commission1 and at the ,hollywood ,bowl in ,los ,angeles4 ,in ,hollywood we rehearsed some of the new works to be given in ,new ,york in the autumn4 ,they were five in number1 and unequal both in quality and appeal4 ,only one was a real success4 ,the five works were by an equal number of choreographers3 ,simon ,semenoff1 ,michael ,kidd1 ,john ,taras1 ,jerome ,robbins1 and ,adolph ,bolm4 ,semenoff's work1 ,gift of the ,magi1 was an attempt to make a ballet out of ,o4 ,henry's little short story of the same title1 a touching tale of the pathos of a young married couple with taste and no money4 ,for the ballet1 young ,lukas ,foss wrote a workmanlike score1 and ,raoul ,pne du ,bois supplied a great deal of scenery1 difficult to manipulate4 ,nora ,kaye and ,john ,kriza1 as the young lovers1 gave it a sweetness of characterization4 ,but1 despite scenery1 costumes1 properties1 and sweet characterization1 there was no real choreography1 and the work soon left the repertoire4 ,michael ,kidd's first choreographic attempt for ,ballet ,theatre1 and his first full-scale work as a matter of fact1 was a theatre piece4 ,a musical comedy type of work1 it never seemed really to belong in a ballet repertoire4 ,kidd called it ,on ,stage6 ,for it ,norman dello ,joio provided a workable and efficient score1 and ,oliver ,smith designed a back-stage scene that looked like back-stage4 ,the costumes were designed by ,alvin ,colt4 ,another first choreographic effort was young ,john ,taras's ,graziana1 for which ,i paid the costs4 ,here was no attempt to ape the ,broadway musical comedy theatre4 ,it was a straightforward1 fresh1 classical piece4 ,taras had set the work to a ,violin ,concerto by ,mozart4 ,he used a concise group of dancers1 seventeen all told1 four of whom were soloists4 ,there was no story1 simply dancing with no excuses1 no apologies1 no straining for 8novelty10 tricks1 stunts1 or gags4 ,it was1 in effect1 ballet1 and the public liked it4 ,just what the title meant ,i never knew4 ,my guess is that ,taras had to call it something1 and ,graziana was better than ,number ,one4 ,the ,robbins work came directly from ,broadway1 or the ,avenue of the ,americas1 to be precise4 ,it was called ,interplay1 and had originally been done for a variety show at the ,ziegfeld ,theatre4 ,it was ,robbins's second work4 ,it was merely a piece of athletic fun4 ,it was a genuine hit4 ,for music it had ,morton ,gould's ,interplay ,between ,piano and ,orchestra1 which he had originally written for a commercial radio programme as a brief concert piece for ,jos ,iturbi1 with orchestra4 ,the 8interplay0 in the dance was that between classical dance and 8jive40 ,actually what emerged was a group of kids having a lot of fun4 ,for once1 in a long while1 ,i could relax and smile when ,i saw it1 for this was a period when ,i had little time for relaxation and even less cause to smile4 ,the production of ,stravinsky's ,firebird is something with which ,i shall deal separately4 ,there was still another season to tour and a spring season at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 in #aidf4 ,in outlining the productions and chronology of ,ballet ,theatre during this period1 ,i have tried to be as objective as possible so that the organization's public history may be a matter of record4 ,its private history1 in so far as my relations are concerned1 is quite another matter4 ,the troubles1 the differences1 the discussions1 the intrigues of de ,basil and his group1 of ,universal ,art were1 for the most part1 all of a piece4 ,i cannot say ,i ever got used to them1 but ,i was prepared for them4 ,i knew pretty much the pattern they would follow1 pretty much what to expect4 ,being forewarned1 ,i was forearmed4 ,with ,ballet ,theatre ,i had expected something different4 ,here ,i was not dealing with the involutions and convolutions of the ,cossack and the ,slavic mind4 ,here1 ,i felt1 would be an ,american approach4 ,if1 as a long-time ,american1 ,i felt ,i knew anything about the ,american people1 one of their most distinctive and noteworthy characteristics was their honesty of approach1 their straightforwardness1 directness1 frankness4 ,alas1 ,i was filled with disillusionment on this point4 ,ballet ,theatre1 in its approach to any problem where ,i was concerned1 had a style very much its own3 full of queer tricks1 evasions1 omissions1 and unexpected twists of mind and character1 as each day disclosed them4 ,there were two chief bones of contention4 ,one was the billing4 ,i have pointed out the lack of public interest in ,ballet ,theatre when ,i took it over and how the very title worked to its disadvantage4 ,if ballet is to remain a great1 universal entertainment in this country1 and is1 by the purchase of tickets at the box-office1 to help pay its own way1 at least in part1 we must have a great mass audience as well as 8devotees40 ,the other bone of contention1 and the one which eventually caused the rupture of our association1 was the matter of guest artists4 ,the opposition to guest artists was maintained on an almost hysterical level4 ,there were1 as in every discussion1 two sides to the question4 ,reasonably stated1 ,lucia ,chase's argument could have been that ,ballet ,theatre was an organic whole2 that it was an instrument with the sensitivity of a symphony orchestra1 and 8stars0 damaged such a conception4 ,as a matter of fact1 it was her basic argument4 ,the argument1 plausible enough on the surface1 does not1 however1 stand up under examination1 for the comparison with a symphony orchestra does not hold4 ,lacking the foresight and wisdom to keep the members of her company under contract1 each season there were presented to ,miss ,chase a flock of new faces1 new talents1 unfamiliar with the repertoire1 trained in a variety of schools with a corresponding variety of styles2 it took them months to become a fully functioning and completely integrated part of ,miss ,chase's 8organic whole40 ,great symphony orchestras hold their players together jealously year after year4 ,great symphony orchestras manage to reduce their colossal deficits to some extent by the engagement of distinguished soloists to appear with their 8organic wholes40 ,such is the present state of musical appreciation in this country that it is an open secret that in many cities the way to sell out1 or nearly sell out the house1 is to engage soloists with box-office appeal4 ,i do not here refer to such great symphonic bodies as the ,boston ,symphony ,orchestra1 the ,philadelphia ,orchestra1 the ,new ,york ,philharmonic-,symphony ,orchestra1 but ,i do refer to those symphonic bodies in those many cities that are something less than metropolitan centers4 ,nor do ,i mean to suggest that this situation is one to be commended or applauded1 or that it represents the ultimate desired raison d'tre for the existence of a symphony orchestra4 ,but ,i do suggest it is the only system feasible in the perilous situation today in which our symphonic bodies are compelled to operate4 ,the analogy between ballet and symphony in this view is not apposite4 ,again there was no attempt on ,miss ,chase's part to understand the situation2 there was merely stubborn1 unrelenting opposition after recrimination4 ,it should be recorded that ,j4 ,alden ,talbot during his tenure as general manager of ,ballet ,theatre fully realized and understood the situation and shared my feelings4 ,i remember one day in ,montreal when ,i had a conference with ,lucia ,chase to go over the entire matter of guest artists4 ,i listened patiently to her mounting hysteria4 ,i pointed out that1 as the company became better known throughout the country1 as the quality of public ballet appreciation improved1 the company of youngsters might be able to stand on their own pointes2 but that1 since the company and its personnel were as yet unknown1 it would require infinite time1 patience1 and money to build them up in the consciousness of the public2 and that1 meanwhile1 at this point in the company's existence1 the guest stars gave a much needed fillip to the organization1 and that1 to put it bluntly1 they were a great relief to some of the public1 at any rate2 for the great public has always liked guest stars and some local managements have insisted on them2 of that the box-office had the proof4 ,it was my contention that the guest star principle had been responsible for ,american interest in ballet4 ,i hope the reader will pardon me if ,i link that system1 coupled with my own love1 enthusiasm1 and faith in ballet1 with the popularity that ballet has in this country today4 ,there is such a thing as an unbecoming modesty1 and ,i dislike wearing anything that is unbecoming4 ,,tamara ,,toumanova ,it was during the #aide-aidf season1 for example1 that ,i engaged ,tamara ,toumanova as a guest artist4 ,in addition to appearing in ,swan ,lake1 ,les ,sylphides1 and various classical pas de deux1 ,i had ,bronislava ,nijinska stage a short work she called ,harvest ,time1 to the music of ,henri ,wieniawski1 orchestrated by ,antal ,dorati1 in which ,toumanova appeared with ,john ,kriza1 supported by a small corps de ballet4 ,the association1 ,i fear1 was not too happy for any of us1 including the 8,black ,pearl40 ,there was a resentment towards her on the part of some of the artists1 and ,toumanova1 over-anxious to please1 almost literally danced her head off2 but the atmosphere was not conducive to her best work4 ,having watched ,toumanova from childhood1 knowing her as ,i do1 it is not easy1 nor is it a simple matter for me to draw an objective portrait of her1 as she is today4 ,one thing ,i shall not do1 and that is to go very deeply into biographical background4 ,that she was born in a box-car in ,siberia1 while her parents were escaping into ,china from the ,russian ,revolution1 is a tale too often told--as are the stories of her beginnings as a dancer in ,paris with ,olga ,preobrajenska1 and an appearance at the ,paris ,trocadero on a ,pavlova programme1 at the age of five or so4 ,it was her father1 ,vadim ,boretszky-,kasadevich1 who called a temporary halt to the child prodigy business1 by insisting that dance be suspended for a year until she could do some school work4 ,discovered at ,preobrajenska's school by ,george ,balanchine1 he placed her with the de ,basil company1 and for a half-dozen years she remained there1 save for a brief interlude with ,balanchine's short-lived ,les ,ballets #aicc4 ,it was that same year that ,i brought the de ,basil company to ,america the first time1 where she joined the trinity of 8baby ballerinas0--,baronova and ,riabouchinska1 of course1 being the other two4 ,it is a matter of history how ,toumanova became the ,american rotogravure editors' delight2 how ,america became ,toumanova-conscious4 ,strong1 remarkably strong though her technique was even in those days1 her performances were frequently uneven4 ,toumanova was a temperamental dancer then1 as now1 and to those who know only her svelte1 slender1 mature beauty of today1 there may be some wonder that in those days she had to fight a recurring tendency towards embonpoint1 and excessive embonpoint4 ,but there were always startling brilliancies4 ,in ,jeux d',enfants and ,cotillon1 ,i remember the dazzling fouetes4 ,it is one of ,toumanova's boasts that she was the first dancer to do thirty-two double fouetes and sixteen triples in actual performance4 ,i am not an authority on these technical matters and can1 therefore1 merely record the statement4 ,her unsuccessful ,broadway appearance 7a musical called ,stars in ,your ,eyes7 was followed by a reunion with the de ,basil ,company in ,australia and a short season with him at the ,hollywood ,theatre1 in ,new ,york2 and there was a later sojourn with the ,massine ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo4 ,then ,hollywood beckoned4 ,there was one film in which she played an acting part1 ,days of ,glory4 ,the picture was certainly not much to talk about1 but she married the producer-writer1 ,casey ,robinson4 ,since then1 she has turned up as guest-artist with one organization after another3 the ,paris ,opera ,ballet1 the ,marquis de ,cuevas company1 ,anton ,dolin's ,festival ,ballet in ,london1 the ,san ,francisco ,civic ,ballet2 a nomadic balletic existence1 interrupted by another ,hollywood film appearance1 this time in the role of ,pavlova in ,tonight ,we ,sing1 based on my earlier book1 ,impresario4 ,as a person there is something about her that is at once naive and ingenuous and1 at the same time1 deep and grave and tragic4 ,she cries still when she is happy1 and is also able to cry when she is sad4 ,she adores to be praised2 but1 unlike some other dancers ,i know1 she is also anxious for criticism4 ,she solicits it4 ,and when she feels the criticism is sound1 she does her best to correct--at least for the moment--the faults that have prompted it4 ,her devotion to her mother--8,mamochka0--herself an attractive1 voluble1 and highly emotional woman1 is touching and sometimes a shade pathetic4 ,toumanova's whole life1 career1 and story have been1 for the most part1 the thrice-familiar tale of the ,white ,russian migr4 ,like all migr stories1 hers is extremely sentimental4 ,sentiment and sentimentality play a big part in ,tamara's life4 ,she is1 ,i feel1 unbreakable1 unquenchable4 ,she is1 in her maturity1 even more beautiful than she was as a 8baby ballerina40 ,she is1 ,i suppose1 precisely the popular conception of what a glamorous ballerina is1 or at least should be4 ,her personality is that of a complete theatrical extrovert4 ,the last row of the gallery is her theatre target4 ,hers is not a subtle personality4 ,it is a sort of motion picture idea of a ballerina assoluta1 a sort of reincarnation of the fascinating creatures from whose carriages adoring balletomanes unhitched the horses and hauled them to ,maxim's for supper1 dining the course of which the creatures were toasted in vintage champagne drunk from slippers4 ,it doesn't really matter that her conception is a bit dated4 ,with ,toumanova it is effective4 ,tamara's conception of the ballerina in these terms is deliberate4 ,she admits her desire is to smash the audience as hard as she can4 ,with her a straight line is veritably the shortest distance between two points1 and no ballerina makes the distance between herself and her audience so brief4 ,this conception has been known to lead to overacting and to the ignoring of the colleagues with whom she is dancing at the time4 ,there is with her1 as ever1 great charm1 an eager enthusiasm1 and ,i am happy to say1 a fine sense of loyalty4 ,this is a quality ,i particularly appreciate4 ,it has been shown to me on more than one occasion4 ,when ,i brought the ,paris ,opera ,ballet for the ,new ,york ,city ,festival1 ,tamara was not nor had she been at that time a member of the ,paris ,opera ,company4 ,she barely knew ,lifar1 yet it was she who became his champion in ,new ,york4 ,it was a calculated risk to her career which she took1 because she respected ,lifar as an artist1 did not believe the stories about him1 and was interested in fair play4 ,as ,i watch ,toumanova today1 ,i see but an extension in time1 space and years of the 8baby ballerina0 in her adult personality2 there is still an extravagant and dazzling glamor2 there is still steely technique2 there is still a childlike naivete about her1 even when she tries to be ever so sophisticated2 everything about her is still dramatic and dramatized4 ,and there is still 8,mamochka10 in constant attendance1 helping1 criticizing1 urging2 and although ,tamara has been happily married for a decade or so1 8,mamochka0 is still the watchdog4 ,many ballet 8mamas0 are not only difficult1 but some of them are overtly disliked4 ,toumanova's mother is another category4 ,she has been at all times a fine and constructive help to ,tamara1 both with practical assistance and theoretical advice4 ,tamara's approach to the dance is beautiful to observe4 ,her devotion to ballet amounts almost to a religion4 ,nothing under the sun is more important to her than her work1 her attendance at lessons4 ,nothing ever is permitted to interfere with these4 ,i firmly believe that such is her concentration and devotion to her work that1 if a fire were to break out back-stage during a performance while ,tamara was in the midst of her fabulous fouetes1 she would continue with them1 completely unperturbed1 more intent on fouetes than on fire4 ,the ,montreal discussions with the ,ballet ,theatre direction on the subject of guest stars produced no understanding of the situation2 only the tiresomely reiterated1 8,it's a sacrilege6 ,it's a crime60 ,what was a 8crime0 then1 was a sheer necessity4 ,let us look1 for a moment1 at the ,ballet ,theatre situation today1 after it is no longer under my management1 but entirely on its own1 responsible for its own destiny4 ,during the last year of our association1 following the resignation of ,j4 ,alden ,talbot as managing director1 as ,i have pointed out1 ,lucia ,chase1 who pays the bills1 and ,oliver ,smith became joint managing directors4 ,they were running the company when we came to a parting of the ways4 ,it was they who protested most bitterly over the guest-star system4 ,now1 with the company1 after thirteen years of existence1 presumably established1 ,miss ,chase is firmly perpetrating the same 8crime0 herself4 ,i certainly do not object to it4 ,but surely what was a 8sacrilege10 what was a 8crime0 at the time ,i was responsible for their perpetration1 must1 now that the ,ballet ,theatre is on its own1 no longer be either sacrilegious or criminal4 ,another recurring trouble source and the cause of many a contentious discussion was the question of new productions4 ,the arguments and conferences over them were seemingly endless4 ,now the question of new productions is one of the most vital and important in ballet management1 and one of the most pressing4 ,all ballet management contracts call for a ballet company to supply a certain number of new works each year4 ,the reason for this is that there must be a constant flow of new ballets in a repertoire in order to attract the attention of both the critics and the public4 ,standard works form the core of any repertoire and at least one is necessary on every programme4 ,but ballet itself1 in order to keep from becoming stagnant1 must refresh itself by constantly expanding its repertoire4 ,frequently1 in contrast to the undying classics1 nothing can be deader than last years 8novelty40 ,my contractual arrangement provides that the management shall have the right either to accept or reject new work as being acceptable or otherwise4 ,as time went on1 many of the new works produced1 some of which were accepted by me against my sounder judgment1 proved1 as ,i feared1 to be unacceptable to the general public throughout the country4 ,it should be clearly understood that ballet cannot live on ,new ,york alone4 ,america is a large continent1 and the hinterland audiences1 while lacking1 perhaps1 some of the quality of sophistication of metropolitan audiences1 are highly selective and quite as critical today as are their ,new ,york counterparts4 ,a ,new ,york success is by no means an assurance of a like reception in ,kalamazoo or ,santa ,barbara4 ,ballet needs both ,santa ,barbara and ,kalamazoo1 as it needs ,new ,york4 ,the building of repertoire should be the joint task of the company direction and the management--since their desired ends are the same1 viz41 the successful continuation of the organization4 ,repertoire is a responsible and exceedingly demanding task4 ,it certainly required no clairvoyance on my part to discern a very definite antagonism toward any repertoire suggestions ,i offered4 ,certain types of ballets were badly needed and were not forthcoming4 ,perhaps ,i can most clearly illustrate my point by recapitulating the ,ballet ,theatre repertoire at the time we parted company4 ,there were3 ,fokine's heritage--,les ,sylphides1 ,carnaval1 7no longer in repertoire71 ,petroushka 7no longer in repertoire71 ,spectre de la ,rose 7no longer in repertoire71 plus two creations1 ,bluebeard1 and ,russian ,soldier 7no longer in repertoire74 ,andre ,howard had staged ,death and the ,maiden and ,lady ,into ,fox 7both dropped before ,i took over the company74 ,bronislava ,nijinska had revived ,la ,fille ,mal ,garde and ,the ,beloved ,one 7no longer in the repertoire74 ,anton ,dolin had revived ,swan ,lake1 ,giselle 7now performed in a ,balanchine version71 ,princess ,aurora 7now touched up by ,balanchine71 and had created ,quintet 7dropped after the first season71 ,capriccioso 7dropped in the second season71 ,pas de ,quatre 7now done in a version by ,keith ,lester71 and ,romantic ,age 7no longer in the repertoire74 ,leonide ,massine had revived ,the ,fantastic ,toy ,shop1 ,capriccio ,espagnol1 and ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat 7all out of repertoire74 ,he had produced three new works1 ,don ,domingo1 ,aleko1 and ,mlle4 ,angot1 none of which was retained in the repertoire4 ,antony ,tudor had revived ,the ,lilac ,garden1 ,judgment of ,paris1 ,dark ,elegies1 ,gala ,performance1 and had produced ,pillar of ,fire1 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,dim ,lustre1 and ,undertow1 none of which remain4 ,agnes de ,mille had produced ,black ,ritual1 ,three ,virgins and a ,devil1 and ,tally-,ho1 none of which is actively in the repertoire4 ,jos ,fernandez had produced a ,spanish work1 ,goyescas1 which lasted only the first season4 ,david ,lichine had revived ,graduation ,ball1 and had produced ,helen of ,troy and ,fair at ,sorotchinsk 7the latter no longer in repertoire74 ,adolph ,bolm had revived his ,ballet ,mecanique 7first season life only71 produced ,peter and the ,wolf1 a perennial stand-by1 and the short-lived version of ,firebird4 ,john ,taras had contributed ,graziana1 and ,simon ,semenoff a version of ,copplia and ,gift of the ,magi1 neither of the three existing today4 ,jerome ,robbins's ,fancy ,free and ,interplay remain while his ,facsimile has been forgotten4 ,balanchine had revived ,apollo1 ,errante1 and had produced ,waltz ,academy1 all of which have disappeared4 ,in order to save the curious reader the trouble of any computation1 this represents a total of fifty-one ballets either produced during my association with ,ballet ,theatre or else available at the time we joined hands4 ,from this total of fifty-one1 a round dozen are performed1 more or less1 today4 ,a cursory glance will reveal that the repertoire was always deficient in classical works4 ,they are the backbone of ballet4 ,it is to be regretted that the ,tudor ballets1 which were the particular glory of ,ballet ,theatre1 have been lost to the public4 ,i shall not labor the point of our differences1 save to cite one work as an example4 ,that is the production of ,firebird4 ,this was the first ,stravinsky ballet for ,diaghileff1 and was first revealed in ,fokine's original production at the ,paris ,opera in the ,diaghileff season of #aiaj1 with ,tamara ,karsavina in the title role1 ,fokine himself as the handsome ,tsarevich1 ,enrico ,cecchetti as the fearsome ,kastchei1 and ,vera ,fokina as the beautiful ,tsarevna whom the ,tsarevich marries at the end4 ,in later productions ,adolph ,bolm took ,fokine's place as the ,tsarevich4 ,the original settings and costumes were by ,golovine4 ,for a later ,diaghileff revival the immensely effective production by ,nathalie ,gontcharova was created4 ,this was the production revealed here by the de ,basil company1 a quite glorious spectacle4 ,firebird had always been a popular work when well done4 ,from a musical point of view it has been one of the most popular works in the ,stravinsky catalogue1 both in orchestral programmes and over the radio4 ,one of the surest ways to attract the public to ballet is through musical works of established popularity4 ,this does not mean works that are cheap or vulgar1 for vulgarity and popularity are by no stretch of the imagination synonymous3 it means ,swan ,lake1 ,the ,nutcracker1 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 ,schhrazade1 ,copplia1 ,petroushka1 ,firebird--,i mention only a few--the music of which has become familiar1 well-known1 and loved through the medium of radio and gramophone recordings4 ,this is the music that brings people to ballets of which it is a part4 ,miss ,chase was flatly opposed to ,firebird4 ,her co-director had no choice but to follow her lead4 ,i was insistent that ,firebird be given as one of the new productions required under our contract for the season #aide-aidf2 and then the trouble began in earnest4 ,there were various dissident elements in the ,ballet ,theatre organization1 as there are in all ballet companies4 ,these elements had no very clear idea of what they wanted1 or for what they stood4 ,their vision was cloudy1 their aims vague1 their force puny4 ,the company lacked not only any artistic policy1 but also a managing director capable of formulating one1 and able to mould these various dissident elements into what ,miss ,chase liked to call her 8organic whole40 ,with the exception of ,j4 ,alden ,talbot and ,german ,sevastianov1 there had never been a managing director or manager worthy of the title or the post4 ,during the ,talbot regime1 my relations with the ,ballet ,theatre were at their highest level4 ,i always found ,talbot helpful1 understanding towards our mutual problems1 cooperative1 of assistance in many ways4 ,because of his belief in the organization and his genuine love for ballet1 ,talbot gave his services as general manager without fee or compensation of any sort other than the pleasure of helping the company4 ,it is almost entirely thanks to ,talbot that ,fancy ,free achieved production4 ,talbot was also instrumental in founding and maintaining an organization known as ,ballet ,associates1 later to become ,ballet ,associates in ,america1 since the function of the society is to cultivate ballet in general in ,america in the field of understanding1 and1 more specifically and particularly1 to encourage1 promote and foster those creative workers whose artistic collaboration makes ballet possible1 viz41 choreographers1 composers1 and designers4 ,the practical function of the society is very practical indeed1 for it means finding that most necessary fuel3 money4 ,the organization1 through the actively moving spirit of ,j4 ,alden ,talbot1 sponsored by substantial contributions no less than four ,ballet ,theatre productions3 ,tudor's ,pillar of ,fire and ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,agnes de ,mille's ,tally-,ho1 and ,dolin's ,romantic ,age4 ,it was entirely responsible for ,michael ,kidd's ,on ,stage6 ,a cultured1 able gentleman of charm1 taste1 and sensitivity1 ,j4 ,alden ,talbot was the only person associated with ,ballet ,theatre direction able to give it a sound direction1 since he was able not only to shape a definite policy1 which is vastly important1 but also to give it a sound business management4 ,following ,talbot's departure1 there came frequent changes in management1 changes seemingly made largely for purely personal reasons4 ,at the time of the stresses and strains over the inclusion of ,firebird into the repertoire1 although ,lucia ,chase and ,oliver ,smith were the titular managing directors1 there was no head to the organization and no director or direction1 in fact4 ,actually1 caprice was at the helm and ,ballet ,theatre had a flapping rudder1 a faulty compass1 with ,chase and ,smith taking turns at the wheel trying to keep the badly listing ship into the wind4 ,acting as manager was a former stage-manager1 without previous experience or any knowledge whatever of the intricate problems of business management4 ,with the enthusiasm of an earnest ,boy ,scout1 he commenced a barrage of bulletins and directives1 and ludicrously introduced calisthenics classes for the dancers1 complete with dumb-bells1 down to the institution of his own conception of the 8,stanislavsky0 method of dramatic expression1 the latter taking the form of setting the company to acting out charades on the trains while on tour4 ,coincidental with this was increased intrigue and the outward expression of his theme song1 which he chanted to all within earshot1 the burden of which was3 8,how can we get rid of ,hurok8 ,how can we get rid of ,hurok8 ,who needs him80 ,the question of the ,firebird production was1 as ,i have suggested1 the most contentious and controversial of any that arose in my relationships with ,ballet ,theatre4 ,firebird was hounded by troubles of almost every description1 as each day upturned them4 ,its production was marked by disputes1 aggravations1 and untold difficulties from first to last4 ,if history is to be believed1 that sort of thing has been its lot from its inception in the ,diaghileff days of #aiaj4 ,the ,adolph ,bolm production eventually reached the stage of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 after a series of vicissitudes1 on the night of the #bdth ,october1 #aide1 with ,alicia ,markova in the title role1 and ,anton ,dolin in the role of ,ivan ,tsarevich1 originally danced in the ,diaghileff production by ,michel ,fokine4 ,the ,firebird is an expensive work to produce2 there are numerous scenes1 each requiring its own setting and a large complement of costumes4 ,in order to help overcome some of the financial problems involved1 ,i agreed with ,ballet ,theatre to contribute a certain sum to the cost of production4 ,i shall have something more to say about this a bit later4 ,as for the work itself1 ,i can only say that the conception and the performance were infinitely superior to that which1 in these latter days1 is given by the ,new ,york ,city ,ballet1 to which organization1 as a gesture1 ,i gave the entire production for a mere token payment so far as the original costs to me were concerned4 ,under my contractual arrangements with ,ballet ,theatre1 the organization was obligated to provide a new second ballet for the season4 ,i felt ,firebird had great audience-drawing possibilities4 ,ballet ,theatre insisted ,firebird was too expensive to produce and countered with the suggestion that ,antony ,tudor would stage a work on the musical base of ,bartok's ,concerto for ,orchestra4 ,while this work would have been acceptable to me1 ,i could discover no evidence that it was in preparation4 ,pursuing the matter of ,firebird1 ,ballet ,theatre informed me they were not in a position to expend more than #ae1jjj in any production4 ,i suggested they prepare careful estimates on the cost of ,firebird4 ,this was done--at least1 they showed me what purported to be estimates--and these indicated the costs would be something between #ag1jjj and #bj1jjj4 ,therefore1 in order to ease their financial burden1 ,i offered to pay the costs of the production in excess of #ae1jjj1 but not to exceed #e1jjj4 ,and so it was1 at last1 settled4 ,we had all agreed on a distinguished ,russian painter1 resident in ,hollywood1 a designer of reputation1 who not only had prepared a work for ,ballet ,theatre1 but whose contributions to ballet and opera with other organizations had been considerable4 ,despite these arrangements1 as time went on1 there were definite indications that ,firebird would not be ready for the opening date at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 which had been agreed upon4 ,no activity concerning it was apparent1 and ,adolph ,bolm1 its choreographer1 was still in ,hollywood4 ,on the #aeth ,september1 ,i addressed an official letter to ,ballet ,theatre concerning the delay4 ,while no reply to this was forthcoming1 ,i subsequently learned that1 without informing the original designer who had been engaged and contracted to design the scenery and costumes1 and who had finished his task and had turned his designs over to the scene painters1 without informing the choreographer1 without informing me1 ,ballet ,theatre had surreptitiously engaged another designer1 who also was at work on the same subject4 ,we were now faced with two productions of the same work which would1 of course1 require payment4 ,a telephone call from ,ballet ,theatre to one of my staff1 however1 added the interesting information that ,firebird 7in any production7 would not be presented until ,i paid them certain moneys4 ,the member of my staff who received this message1 quite rightly refused to accept the message1 and insisted it should be in writing4 ,it was not until the #bcrd ,october1 the day before the work was scheduled to be produced1 that ,oliver ,smith1 of the ,ballet ,theatre direction1 threatened officially to delay the production of ,firebird until ,i paid them the sum they demanded4 ,in other words1 ,ballet ,theatre would not present the ,stravinsky work1 and it would not open1 unless ,i paid them #aa1hbd4hg towards its costs4 ,these unsubstantiated costs included those of both productions1 all in the face of my definite limitation of #e1jjj to be paid on one production1 since it was impossible to imagine that there would be two of them4 ,here was an ultimatum4 ,the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house was already sold out to an audience expecting to see the new ,firebird4 ,all-out advertising and promotion had been directed towards that event4 ,the ultimatum was1 in effect1 no money1 no production4 ,it was1 in short1 a demand for money under duress1 for which there is a very ugly word4 ,at any rate1 here was a bona fide dispute1 a matter to be discussed2 and ,i suggested that ,ballet ,theatre submit the matter to arbitration1 both disputants agreeing1 of course1 to be bound by the arbiter's decision4 ,lucia ,chase1 ,oliver ,smith1 and ,ballet ,theatre's new general manager refused to submit the matter to arbitration4 ,the ultimatum remained3 no money1 no performance4 ,the sold-out house had been promised ,firebird4 ,the public was entitled to see it4 ,i paid them #aa1hbd4hg1 the sum they demanded1 under protest1 noting this money was demanded and paid under duress4 ,firebird had its first performance the next night1 as scheduled4 ,meanwhile1 the dress-rehearsal that afternoon had been marked by a succession of scenes that can only be characterized as disgraceful1 the whole affair being conducted in an atmosphere of tensity1 ill-feeling1 carping1 with every possible obstacle being placed in the way of a satisfactory performance and devoid of any spirit of cooperation4 ,it soon became apparent to me that the troubles attendant upon the ,firebird production were merely symptomatic of something much larger1 something much more sinister2 something that was1 in effect1 a conspiracy to break the contract between us1 a contract which was to continue for yet another season4 ,i learned through reliable sources that ,ballet ,theatre was surreptitiously attempting to secure bookings on their own with some of the local managers with whom ,i had booked them in the past1 and with whom ,i was endeavoring to make arrangeents for them for the ensuing season4 ,on the #bhth ,february1 ,i served official notice on the directorate of ,ballet ,theatre calling upon them to cease this illegal and unethical practice1 and1 at the same time1 notified all managers of my contract with the organization4 ,it was early in our #aidf spring engagement at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 and ,i was working alone one evening in my office4 ,it was late1 the staff having long since left1 and ,i continued at my desk until it was time for me to leave for the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,i had not dined1 intending to have a bite in ,sherry's ,bar during one of the intervals4 ,as ,i was crossing the by now deserted and partly darkened lower lobby of my office building1 a stranger lunged forward from the shadows and thrust a sheaf of papers into my hand1 then hurried into the street4 ,surprised1 astonished1 puzzled1 ,i returned to my office to examine them4 ,the papers were a summons and complaint from ,ballet ,theatre4 ,although my contract with the organization had another year still to run1 ,lucia ,chase and ,oliver ,smith were attempting to cancel the contract in mid-season4 ,the grounds on which the action was based1 as were subsequently proved1 had no basis in fact4 ,but the company was slipping4 ,it had no policy1 no one capable of formulating or maintaining one4 ,it was losing valuable members of its personnel1 some of whom could no longer tolerate the whims and capriciousness of 8,dearie10 as ,chase was dubbed by many in the company4 ,jerome ,robbins had gone his way4 ,dorati1 who gave the organization the only musical integrity and authority it had1 had departed4 ,others1 ,i knew1 were soon to be on their way4 ,dry rot was setting in4 ,as matters stood1 with the direction as it was1 ,i had no assurance of any permanent survival for it4 ,the company continued from day to day subject to the whims of ,lucia ,chase4 ,the result was insecurity for the dancers1 with all of them working with a weather-eye peeled for another job4 ,one more season of this company1 ,i felt1 and ,i would be responsible for dragging a corpse about the country1 unless1 of course1 ,i should myself become a corpse4 ,ballet ,theatre's lawyers and my trusted counsel of many years' standing1 ,elias ,lieberman1 arranged a settlement of our contract4 ,among its clauses was a proviso that the properties for ,firebird remained my property1 together with a cash payment to me of #ab1jjj4 ,when the final papers were signed1 we all shook hands4 ,the parting between us may be described as 8friendly40 99 99 99 99 99 ,what the future of ,ballet ,theatre may be1 ,i have no way of knowing4 ,i am not a prophet2 ,i am a manager4 ,ballet ,theatre's subsequent career has not been particularly eloquent2 not especially fortunate4 ,there has been a period when there was no ballet season1 with the decision to spend a 8sabbatical0 coming so late that many artists were left with no employment at a time of the year when all other possibilities for work with other companies had been exhausted4 ,my own feeling1 while wishing them well1 is that1 so long as ,ballet ,theatre continues to have no categorical policy or practice1 and so long as it attempts to continue with expediency dictating its equivocal programme1 its future is circumscribed4 ,it is an axiom that a ballet company's character is determined by the personality of its director4 ,however many collaborators ,miss ,chase may have on paper1 ,ballet ,theatre is and will remain her baby4 ,co-directors1 advisory boards1 even the tax-exempt1 non-profit organization called ,ballet ,theatre ,foundation1 formed in #aidg1 as a 8sponsoring0 group1 do not alter the fact that ,miss ,chase is its sponsor4 ,she pays the piper and the organization will dance to his melody4 ,sponsoring groups of the type ,i have mentioned have little value or meaning today4 ,ballet will not achieve health by dripping economic security down from the top4 ,the theory that propping can be done by this method of dripping props from the top1 does not mean from the top of ballet1 but1 hopefully1 from the top of the social and financial worlds4 ,healthy ballet cannot come1 in my opinion1 from being treated as an outlet or excuse for parties1 nor from parties as an adjunct to ballet4 ,the patronage of the social world in such organizations is practically meaningless today4 ,it was useful1 in bygone days1 to have a list of fancy names out of the ,blue ,book as patrons4 ,the large paying audience which ballet must have1 and which ,i have developed through the years1 certainly pays no attention to social patronage today4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i suspect they resent it4 ,the only people conceivably impressed by such a list of names would be a handful of social climbers and society columnists4 ,the only patrons worth the ink to print their names are those who pay for tickets at the box-office1 average citizens1 even as you and ,i4 ,ballet cannot pay for itself1 for new productions1 for commissioned works1 by its box-office takings1 any more than can opera or symphony orchestras4 ,the only future ,i can see is some form of ,government subsidy for ballet and the other arts4 ,some of our leading spirits in the fields of art are opposed to this idea4 ,this is difficult for me to understand4 ,i cannot conceive how there could be any hesitancy on that score4 ,we know that in ,great ,britain and in most countries of ,europe the arts1 including ballet1 are subsidized by the ,government4 ,these countries are not ,communist-dominated4 ,here in the ,united ,states many big businesses are subsidized by the ,government in one form or another1 at one time or another4 ,there are the railways1 the airlines1 the shipping companies1 the mine subsidies1 the oil subsidies--and the something like twenty-seven-and-one-half percent deduction allowed annually on new buildings erected is also a form of subsidy4 ,in the ,united ,states only the arts and the artists are taboo when it comes to ,government help4 ,i do not suggest that any of the arts should be dependent upon charity1 either by individuals or foundations4 ,i feel it is the plain duty of ,government and of the lawmakers to finance and subsidize the arts3 ballet1 orchestras1 opera1 painters1 sculptors1 writers1 composers4 ,a country with the tremendous wealth we have should not have to depend on charity or hobbyists for the advancement of culture and cultural activities4 ,since we still lack what ,i feel is the only proper form of cultural subsidy1 we needs must get on as best we can with the private hobbyist support4 ,in this respect1 ,lucia ,chase has been an extremely generous sponsor of ,ballet ,theatre4 ,i have said that a ballet company's character is determined by the personality of its director4 ,i should like to add1 by the personality of its sponsor as well4 ,let us look at the personality of ,lucia ,chase4 ,with a fortune compounded in unequal parts of ,yonkers ,axminster and ,waterbury ,brass1 her largess has been tossed with what has seemed akin to reckless abandon4 ,a lady of 8middle years10 she was born in ,waterbury1 ,connecticut1 one of several children of a member of the ,chase ,brass ,company clan4 ,a cultured lady1 she went to the 8right0 finishing school1 did the 8right0 things1 and1 it is said1 early evinced an interest in singing and in the theatre4 ,she married ,thomas ,ewing1 to whom the sobriquet1 8the ,axminster carpet tycoon10 has been applied4 ,on his death1 ,miss ,chase was left with a fortune and two sons4 ,her distraction over the loss of her husband1 so it is said1 drove her to an early love as a possible means of assuaging her grief1 viz41 the dance4 ,she took ballet lessons from ,mikhail ,mordkin2 financed the newly formed ,mordkin ,ballet2 in #aicg1 became its prima ballerina4 ,so far as the record reveals1 her debut was made in the ,brass ,city of her birth1 in no less a role than the ,princess ,aurora in ,the ,sleeping ,beauty4 ,as a dancer1 she is an excellent comedienne2 yet for years she fancied herself as a classical ballerina4 ,her insistence on dancing in such ballets as ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 ,giselle1 ,pas de ,quatre1 ,petroushka1 ,princess ,aurora1 and most of all1 ,les ,sylphides1 was so regrettable that it raises the question that1 if she is so unconscious of her own limitations as a dancer1 what are her qualifications for the directorship of a ballet company8 ,at the beginning of every venture1 at the inception of every new idea1 ,lucia ,chase bursts with a remarkable1 pulsating enthusiasm4 ,then1 after a time1 turning a deaf ear to the voice of experience1 and discovering to her astonishment that things have not worked out as she expected1 she sulks1 tosses all ideas of policy aside1 and then turns impatiently and impulsively to something that is in the way of a new adventure4 ,off she goes on a new tack4 ,eagerly and rashly she grasps frantically at the next idea or suggestion forthcoming from any one who is1 at that moment1 in favor4 ,so1 she thinks1 this time ,i have got it6444 ,the pattern repeats itself endlessly and expensively4 ,it started thus1 with her financing of the ,mordkin ,ballet1 before the days of ,ballet ,theatre4 ,with the ,mordkin ,ballet1 aside from financing it1 she danced2 danced the roles of only the greatest ballerinas4 ,this pleasure she had4 ,so far as operating a ballet company is concerned1 she still leaps about without a policy1 and each time the result seems unhappily to follow the same disappointing pattern4 ,above all1 ,lucia ,chase has what amounts to sheer genius for taking the wrong advice and for surrounding herself with1 for the most part1 inexperienced1 unqualified1 and mediocre advisers4 ,her most successful years were those when1 by happy chance rather than by any design1 the organization was managed and directed by the able ,j4 ,alden ,talbot1 informed gentleman of taste and business ability4 ,it was during the ,talbot regime that ,miss ,chase had her smallest deficits and ,ballet ,theatre attained its period of highest achievement4 ,when left to her own devices1 ,miss ,chase is1 so far as policy is concerned1 uncertain1 undetermined1 irresolute1 and meandering4 ,the future of ,ballet ,theatre as a serious institution in our cultural life is questionable1 in my opinion1 because ,miss ,chase1 after all these years1 has not yet learned how to conduct or discipline a ballet company2 has not learned that important policy decisions are not made because of whims4 ,because of these things1 the organization as it stands1 possesses no real and firm basis for sound artistic achievement1 progress1 or permanence4 ,there is no indication of personality1 or color1 or any real authority in the company's conduct4 ,more and more there are indications or intimations of some sort of middle-of-the-road policy--if it really is policy and not a temporary whim2 even so there is no indication whatsoever of the destination towards which the vehicle is bound4 ,with lavish generosity1 ,lucia ,chase has spent fantastic sums of money on ,ballet ,theatre and on its predecessor1 the ,mordkin ,ballet4 ,since ,ballet ,theatre is a non-profit organization and corporation1 a substantial part of this money may be said to be the taxpayer's money1 since it is tax-exempt4 ,since the ultimate aim of the organization has not been attained1 since it has not assumed aesthetic responsibility1 or respected vital tradition1 or preserved significant masterpieces of every style1 period1 and origin1 as does an art museum1 and as was announced and avowed to be its intention2 since it has not succeeded in educating the masses for ballet2 it must be borne in mind that the remission of taxes in such cases is largely predicated upon the educational facets of such an organization whose taxes are remitted4 ,i would be the last person to deny that ,miss ,chase has made a contribution to ballet in our time4 ,to do so would be ridiculous4 ,but ,i do insist that1 whatever good she has done1 almost invariably she has negated it and contradicted it by an impulsive capriciousness4 #aa4 ,indecisive ,interlude3 ,de ,basil's ,farewell and ,a ,pair of ,classical ,britons ,with ,ballet ,theatre gone its own way1 ,i was placed in a serious predicament4 ,according to a long established and necessary custom1 bookings throughout the country are made at least a season in advance4 ,this is imperative in order that theatres1 halls1 auditoriums may be properly engaged and so that the local managers may arrange their series1 develop their promotional campaigns1 sell their tickets1 thus reducing to as great an extent as possible the element of risk and chance involved4 ,since my contract with ,ballet ,theatre had had one more year to run1 the transcontinental bookings for the ,ballet ,theatre company had been made for the entire season4 ,it was necessary for me to keep faith with the local managers who had built their seasons around ballet and1 since local managers have faith both in me and in the quality of the ballet ,i present1 ,i was on a spot4 ,the question was3 what to do8 ,something had to be done to fulfil my obligations4 ,i had no regrets about the departure of ,ballet ,theatre1 other than that personal wrench ,i always feel at parting company with something to which ,i have given so much of myself4 ,the last weeks with ,ballet ,theatre added nothing but trouble4 ,there was a ludicrous contretemps in the nation's capital4 ,jascha ,horenstein1 for some reason known only to himself1 put down his baton before the beginning of the long coda at the end of ,swan ,lake1 and walked out of the pit4 ,as he departed1 he left both the dancers and the ,national ,symphony ,orchestra players suspended in mid-air1 with another five minutes left for the climax of the ballet4 ,as a consequence1 the performance ended in a debacle4 ,matters balletic were in a bad way4 ,it is times such as these that present me with a challenge4 ,there is no easy solution2 and frequently1 almost usually1 such solutions as there are1 are reached by trial and error4 ,this was no exception4 ,i began the trial and error period by building up1 as an experiment1 the ,markova-,dolin company1 with a group of dancers1 including ,andr ,eglevsky and soloists1 together with a corps de ballet largely composed of ,ballet ,theatre personnel that had broken away because of dissatisfaction of one sort or another4 ,in addition to ,markova1 ,dolin1 and ,eglevsky1 the company included ,margaret ,banks1 a ,sadler's ,wells trained dancer from ,vancouver1 ,roszika ,sabo1 ,wallace ,siebert1 and others1 with young ,john ,taras as choreographer and ballet-master4 ,the reader who has come this far will realize some of the problems involved in building up a repertoire4 ,here we were1 starting from scratch4 ,the two basic works were a ,giselle1 staged by ,dolin1 with ,markova in her best role1 and ,swan ,lake4 ,in staging the second act of ,swan ,lake1 ,dolin used a setting designed by the ,marquessa de ,cuevas for the ,international ,ballet4 ,dolin also mounted the last act of ,the ,nutcracker4 ,john ,taras staged a suite of dances from ,tchaikowsy's ,eugene ,onegin2 and the balance of the repertoire was made up from various classical excerpts4 ,milwaukee1 ,chicago1 and ,detroit were selected as try-out towns in the spring of #aidf4 ,the celestial stars that hung over the experiment cannot be called benign4 ,the well-worn adage that it never rains but it pours1 was hardly ever better instanced than in this case4 ,it was the spring of the nation-wide railway strike1 and the dates of our performances coincided with it4 ,by grace of the calendar we managed to get the company to ,milwaukee1 where the company's first performances were given at the old ,pabst ,theatre4 ,by interurban street-car and trucks we got the company to the ,chicago ,opera ,house4 ,there the difficulties multiplied4 ,owing to the firm restrictions placed upon the use of electricity in public places1 in order to conserve the dwindling coal supply1 it was impossible to light the ,opera ,house auditorium or foyers1 which were swathed in gloom1 broken only by faint spots of dull glow emanating from a few oil lanterns4 ,the current for the stage lighting was supplied from a ,united ,states ,coast ,guard vessel1 which we had1 with great difficulty1 persuaded to move along the river side of the ,opera ,house1 to the engine-room of which vessel we ran cables from the stage4 ,the ship could generate just enough 8juice0 for stage purposes only4 ,that 8just enough0 might have been precisely that in computed wattage2 but it was direct current4 ,our lighting equipment operated on alternating current1 and1 by the time the 8juice0 was converted1 the actual power was limited to the point that1 try as the technical staff did1 the best we were able to obtain was a sort of passable low visibility on the stage4 ,to add to the general fun1 the ,coast ,guard vessel broke loose from its moorings1 floated across the ,chicago ,river1 destroyed some pilasters of the ,chicago ,daily ,news and jammed the ,randolph ,street drawbridge of the ,city of ,chicago1 adding to the general confusion1 to say nothing of the costs4 ,when it came time for the company to move to ,detroit1 no trains were running1 and buses and trucks would not cross state lines4 ,it took some master-minding on the part of our staff to arrange to have the company1 baggage cars and all1 attached to a freight train1 which was carrying permitted perishable fruits and vegetables4 ,in ,detroit1 the slump had set in4 ,the feeling of depression engendered by the darkened buildings and streets1 the dimly-lighted theatres1 the murk of stygian restaurants1 together with the fact that the ,detroit engagement had to be played at one of the 8legitimate0 theatres rather than at the ,masonic ,temple which1 for years1 had been the local home for ballet1 played havoc with the engagement2 people1 bewildered by the situation1 one which was as darkness is to light1 were discouraged and daunted4 ,they remained away from the theatre in droves and the losses were fantastic4 ,using the word in the best theatrical sense and tradition1 it was a catastrophe4 ,perhaps it was as well that it was2 somehow ,i cannot entirely reject the conviction that things more often than not work out for the best1 for as the company and the repertoire stood1 it would not fill the bill4 ,nor was there anything like sufficient time to build either a company or a repertoire4 ,the projected ,markova-,dolin company was placed in mothballs4 ,the problems1 so far as the ensuing season was concerned1 remained critical4 ,the ,markova-,dolin combination was to emerge later in a different form4 ,for the present it marked time1 while ,i pondered the situation1 with no solution in sight4 ,at this crucial moment an old friend1 ,nicholas ,koudriavtzeff1 entered the picture4 ,an ,american citizen of long standing1 by birth he was a member of an old aristocratic ,russian family4 ,his manner1 his life1 his thinking are ,continental4 ,a man of fine culture1 he is an idealistic business man of the theatre and concert worlds2 a gentle1 kind1 able person1 with an irresistible penchant for getting himself involved1 for swimming in waters far beyond his depth1 largely because of his idealism1 together with his warmheartedness and his gentleness4 ,it is this very gentleness1 coupled with a certain softness1 that makes it almost impossible for him to say 8no0 to anyone4 ,he is married to a former ,diaghileff dancer and de ,basil soloist1 ,tatiana ,lipkovska4 ,they divide their homes between ,new ,york and ,canada1 where he is one of the leading figures in ,montreal's musical-balletic life1 and where1 on a gracious farm1 he raises glorious flowers1 fruits1 and vegetables for the ,montreal market4 ,his wife1 in her ballet school1 passes on to aspiring pupils the sound tradition of the classical dance4 ,koudriavtzeff had been mixed up in ballet1 in one capacity or another1 for years4 ,there was a time when he suffered from that contagious and deplorable infliction3 ballet gossip1 in which he was a practiced practitioner2 but there are indications that he is well on his way to recovery4 ,he is a warm friend and a good colleague4 ,koudriavtzeff and ,i have something1 ,i suspect1 in common4 ,attracted and attached to something early in life1 a concept is formed1 and we become a part of that idea4 ,from this springs a sort of congenital optimism1 and we are inclined to feel that1 whatever the tribulations1 all will somehow work out successfully and to the happiness of all concerned4 ,in this respect1 ,i put myself into the same category4 ,i strongly suspect ,i am infected with the same virus as ,koudriavtzeff4 ,one of my real pleasures is to linger over dinner at home4 ,it is no particular secret that ,i am something of a gourmet and ,i know of no finer or more appropriate place to enjoy good food than at home4 ,so1 it is with something of the sense of a rite that ,i try1 as often as the affairs of an active life permit1 sometime between half-past six and seven in the evening to have a quiet dinner at home with ,mrs4 ,hurok4 ,the telephone bell1 that prime twentieth century annoyance1 interrupted1 as it so often does1 the evening's peace4 8,won't they let you alone80 was ,mrs4 ,hurok's only comment4 ,it was ,koudriavtzeff4 8,call me back in half an hour40 ,i said4 ,he did4 8,i should like to talk with you1 ,mr4 ,hurok10 he said in the rather breathless approach that is a ,koudriavtzeff conversational characteristic4 ,since he was already talking1 ,i suggested he continue--over the telephone4 ,but no1 this was not possible1 he said4 ,he must talk to me privately2 something very secret4 ,could he come to my home1 there and then8 ,was it a matter of business8 ,i inquired4 ,it was4 ,i demurred4 ,i had had enough of business for one day4 ,however1 there was such urgency in ,koudriavtzeff's voice1 after making due allowance for an almost perpetual urgency with ,koudriavtzeff1 even in discussing the weather1 that ,i agreed4 ,he must have telephoned from a booth round the corner1 for ,koudriavtzeff arrived1 breathless1 almost as soon as ,i had put down the instrument4 ,we sat down over a glass of tea4 ,for a few minutes the conversation concerned itself with generalities4 ,since ,i did not feel especially social1 ,i brought the talk around to particularities4 8,well1 what can ,i do for you80 ,i inquired4 ,the story came pouring out like water from a burst dam4 ,it developed1 as ,i pieced it together1 that ,koudriavtzeff was trying to make certain bookings for de ,basil's ,original ,ballet ,russe on the way back from ,south ,america4 ,although there were some bookings1 he had not been able to secure sufficient dates and1 under the arrangement he had made with the 8,colonel10 ,koudriavtzeff was obliged to deliver4 ,that was not all4 ,not only was he short with dates2 he did not have the means with which to make the necessary campaign1 even if he had obtained the dates4 ,i pondered the situation4 8,is de ,basil in ,south ,america80 ,i asked4 8,no10 replied ,koudriavtzeff4 8,he is here in ,new ,york40 ,somehow1 ,i could not regard this as good news4 ,i pondered the matter again4 ,after all ,i had gone through with this man1 ,i asked myself1 why should ,i continue to listen to ,koudriavtzeff8 ,if ever there was a time when ,i should have said1 firmly1 unequivocally 8to hell with ballet10 it was at this moment4 ,but ,i continued to listen4 ,with one ear ,i was listening to the insistent refrain3 8,to hell with ballet40 ,with the other1 ,i was harking to my responsibilities to the local managers1 to my lease with the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,koudriavtzeff proceeded with his rapid-fire chatter4 ,from it one sentence came sharp and dear3 8,will you please be so kind1 ,mr4 ,hurok8 ,will you1 please1 see de ,basil80 ,it could have been that ,i was not thinking as clearly and objectively as ,i should have been at that moment4 ,i agreed4 ,the next evening1 de ,basil1 ,koudriavtzeff1 and ,i met4 ,mrs4 ,hurok sounded the warning4 8,i don't object to your seeing him10 she said1 8but you're not going in with him again80 ,the meetings were something ,i kept from the knowledge of my office for several days4 ,as ,i have pointed out before1 de ,basil was a ,caucasian4 ,the ,caucasians and the ,georgians have several qualities in common1 not the least of which is the love of and desire for intrigue1 coupled with infinite patience1 never-flagging energy1 and nerves of steel4 ,it was perfectly possible for de ,basil to sit for days and nights on end1 occasionally uttering a few words1 silent for long1 long periods1 but waiting1 patiently waiting4 ,it is these alleged virtues that make the ,caucasians the most efficient and successful members of those bodies whose job it is to practice the delicate art of the third-degree3 the ,o4,g4,p4,u41 the ,n4,k4,v4,d4 ,i had agreed to meet de ,basil1 and now ,i was in for it4 ,there was one protracted meeting after another1 with each seeming to merge1 without perceptible break1 into the next4 ,the 8,colonel0 had a 8heart10 which he coddled2 he brought with him his hypochondriacal collection of 8pills10 some of which were for his 8heart10 some for other uses4 ,with their help1 he managed to keep wide awake but impassive through night after night4 ,discussion1 argument2 argument1 discussion4 ,as the conferences proceeded1 de ,basil reinforced his 8pills0 with his lawyers1 this time the omnipresent ,lidji and ,asa ,sokoloff4 ,no one could be more aware of the 8,colonel's0 inherent avoidance of honesty or any understandable code of ethics than ,i1 yet he invariably commenced every conversation with3 8,now if you will only be sincere and serious with me44440 ,always it was the other fellow who was insincere4 ,nearly all these meetings took place in the upper ,fifth ,avenue home of a friend of de ,basil's1 a former ,time magazine associate editor1 where he was a house-guest4 ,i cannot imagine what sort of home life he and his wife could have had during this period when1 what with the long sessions and the constant comings and goings1 the place bore a stronger resemblance to a committee room adjacent to an ,american political convention than a quiet1 conservative ,fifth ,avenue home4 ,not only was the place crowded with antiques1 for de ,basil's host was a 8collector10 but the 8,colonel0 had piled these pieces one on the top of another to turn the place into a warehouse4 ,it was during the after-war shortage of food in ,europe1 whither the 8,colonel0 was repairing as soon as he could4 ,here1 in his host's home1 the 8,colonel0 had opened his own package and shipping department4 ,box upon box1 crate upon crate of bulky foods3 mostly spaghetti4 ,all sorts of foods3 cost cheap1 bulk large4 ,this was the first time in my ballet career that ,i had written down a repertoire on cases of spaghetti4 ,as these meetings continued1 and took the toll of human patience and endurance1 we were joined by my loyal adjutant1 ,mae ,frohman1 who was served a sumptuous dish of not particularly tasty but certainly very filling ,russo-,caucasian-,georgian-,bulgarian negotiations4 ,it is not to be supposed that this period was brief4 ,it went on for nearly three weeks1 day and night4 ,one night progress was made2 but before morning we were back where we started4 ,miss ,frohman begged me to call off the entire business1 to get out of it while the getting was good4 ,the more she saw and heard1 the more certain she was that her intuition was right2 this was something to be given a wide berth4 ,but ,i was in it now4 ,there was no going back4 ,time1 however1 was running out4 ,i had booked passage to fly to ,europe4 ,the date approached1 as dates have a way of doing1 until we reached the day before my scheduled departure4 ,mrs4 ,hurok remonstrated with me over the whole business4 8,what good can come from this80 she protested4 8,are you mad80 ,perhaps ,i was4 8,what are you trying to do80 she went on4 8,trying to kill yourself80 ,perhaps ,i was4 ,it was not a matter of trying2 but it could be4 ,while de ,basil was working his way back from ,south ,america with his little band1 he managed to secure another engagement in ,mexico ,city4 ,it was there that that interesting figure of the world of ballet and its allied arts1 the ,marquis de ,cuevas1 saw the de ,basil organization4 ,the ,marquis1 a colorful gentleman of taste and culture1 is1 perhaps1 the outstanding example we have today of the sincere and talented amateur in and patron of the arts4 ,he is a ,european-,american1 despite his ,south ,american birth4 ,he had a disastrous season of ballet in ,new ,york1 in #aidd1 with his ,ballet ,international1 for which he bought a theatre1 and lost nigh on to a million dollars in a two-months' season--which may1 to date1 be the most expensive lesson in how not to make a ballet4 ,today the ,marquis's company functions as a part of the ,european scene4 ,during his initial season in ,new ,york1 he had created a reasonably substantial repertoire1 including four works of quality ,i felt could be added to the de ,basil repertoire in combination1 in the event ,i succeeded in coming to terms with the 8,colonel40 ,these works were ,sebastian1 ,the ,mute ,wife1 ,constantia1 and ,pictures at an ,exhibition4 ,after viewing the de ,basil company in ,mexico ,city1 the ,marquis had an idea that it might be wise for him to join up with the 8,colonel40 ,returning to ,new ,york1 the ,marquis came to me to discuss the matter4 ,i succeeded in dissuading him from investing and buying the worn-out scenery1 costumes1 and properties1 which were1 to all intents and purposes1 valueless4 ,the ,marquis departed for ,france4 ,as the protracted negotiations with de ,basil continued1 ,i cabled the ,marquis1 informing him that ,i had parted with ,ballet ,theatre1 and that ,i was negotiating with de ,basil4 ,pointing out my obligations to the local managers1 and to the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 ,i asked the ,marquis if he would participate1 or contribute a certain amount of money1 and add his repertoire to that of the 8,colonel40 ,the final de ,basil conference before my scheduled departure for ,europe commenced early4 ,the night wore on4 ,we were again on the verge of reaching an agreement4 ,by two o'clock in the morning the possibility had diminished and receded into the same vague1 seemingly unattainable distance where it had so long rested4 ,then1 shortly after four o'clock1 the pieces suddenly all fell into place1 with all of us1 including ,mae ,frohman1 in a state of complete exhaustion1 as the verbal agreement was reached4 ,the bland1 imperturbable1 expressionless de ,basil was the sole exception1 at least to outward appearances4 ,since my ,europe-bound plane was departing within a few hours1 it was necessary that all the voluminous documents be drawn up and signed before my departure4 ,the lawyers1 ,lidji1 ,sokoloff1 and my own legal adviser and friend1 ,elias ,lieberman1 worked on these as we sipped hot1 black coffee1 for the millionth time4 ,the sun was bright when we gathered round a table in the ,fifth ,avenue apartment where de ,basil was a guest1 and affixed our signatures4 ,it was six o'clock in the morning4 ,at twelve o'clock my plane rose over ,la ,guardia and headed for ,paris4 ,it was the first commercial plane to make the flight to ,paris after the ,war4 ,mrs4 ,hurok1 ,mae ,frohman1 and ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,artur ,rubinstein were at the field to wish me 8bon voyage40 ,in ,paris ,i met the ,marquis and ,marquessa de ,cuevas1 the latter a gracious lady of charm and taste4 ,food was short in ,paris1 hard to find1 and of dubious quality4 ,somehow1 the ,marquessa had been able to secure a chicken from her farm outside ,paris1 and we managed a dinner4 ,i explained the settlement ,i had made with de ,basil to the ,marquis1 and urged his cooperation joining de ,basil as ,artistic ,director1 hoping that1 as a result1 something fine could be built1 given time and patience4 ,such an arrangement would also permit at least some of the ,marquis's repertoire from deteriorating in the store-house1 and bring the works before a new and larger public4 ,carerras1 the manager for the ,marquis at the time1 was flatly opposed to de ,cuevas cooperating in any way with the 8,colonel10 but eventually de ,cuevas decided to do what1 once again1 proved to be the impossible1 viz41 to collaborate with the ,caucasian de ,basil4 ,this much having been settled1 ,i went on to ,london1 where ,i saw the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet at ,covent ,garden for the first time2 shortly afterwards ,i left for ,california1 to spend a little time at my ,beverly ,hills home which ,i had maintained during the war4 ,on my arrival in ,california1 there were messages from my office awaiting me4 ,they were disturbing4 ,already troubles were brewing4 ,the de ,basil repertoire was in dubious condition4 ,something must be done1 and at once4 ,moreover1 despite de ,basil's assurances1 the repertoire was too small in size and was inadequately rehearsed4 ,i left for ,new ,york by the first available plane4 ,on my arrival in ,new ,york1 ,i quickly made arrangements to send ,john ,taras1 the young ,american who had been the choreographer and ballet-master for the ,markova-,dolin experiment1 to ,south ,america to whip the company into shape4 ,with him went a group of ,american dancers to augment the personnel4 ,meanwhile1 as the days sped on1 every conceivable difficulty arose over getting the de ,basil company and its repertoire out of ,south ,america4 ,there were financial troubles4 ,as was so often the case1 de ,basil had no money4 ,but he did have debts and other liabilities that had to be liquidated before the company could be permitted to move4 ,one thing piled on another4 ,when these matters had been straightened out1 the climax came in the form of a general strike in ,rio de ,janeiro1 with the situation out of hand and shooting in the streets4 ,this prevented the company from embarking for ,new ,york2 not only was it impossible for passengers to board the ship1 but neither scenery1 properties1 nor luggage could be loaded4 ,further delay meant that they could not arrive in ,new ,york in time for the mid-,october opening at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 which ,i had had engaged for months1 and for which season the advertising was in full swing1 the promotional work done4 ,once again1 fast action was necessary to save the situation4 ,in ,new ,york we had the de ,cuevas repertoire1 but no company4 ,by long distance telephone ,i got ,john ,taras to leave ,rio de ,janeiro for ,new ,york by plane4 ,i engaged yet another group of artists here in ,new ,york1 and ,taras1 immediately upon his arrival1 commenced rehearsals with this third group on the de ,cuevas repertoire1 in order to have something in readiness to fulfil my obligations in the event that the de ,basil company was unable to reach ,new ,york in time for the opening4 ,it was1 at best1 makeshift1 but at least something would be ready4 ,the season could open on time1 and faith would be kept4 ,while these difficulties and problems were compounding1 the 8,colonel0 was far from the ,south ,american battlefield4 ,he was safely in ,new ,york1 stirring up the already quite sufficiently troubled waters4 ,i was more firmly convinced than ever before that to have two closely-linked members of the same family in the same field of endeavor is bad4 ,two singers in one family1 ,i submit1 is very bad4 ,two dancers in one family is very1 very bad4 ,but when a manager or director of a ballet company has a wife who is a dancer in his own company--that is the worst of all4 ,these profound observations are prompted by the marital complications that provided the chief contentious bone of this period of stress4 ,these marital arrangements were two in number4 ,de ,basil's first wife1 who had divorced him1 had married the company's choreographer1 ,vania ,psota1 the creator of the late and unlamented ,slavonika1 of early ,ballet ,theatre days1 and both ,psota and his wife were with the company1 soon1 ,i prayed1 to arrive in ,new ,york4 ,de ,basil1 already in town1 had married ,olga ,morosova1 one of the company's artists4 ,this was an additional complication1 for1 although ,morosova was only a soloist1 upon her marriage she had immediately been promoted to the role of the company's prima ballerina4 ,all leading roles1 de ,basil insisted1 must now be danced by her4 ,the arguments were almost continuous1 and only a ,caucasian could have endured them1 unscarred4 ,the battle raged4 ,to sum up1 ,i should like to offer a word of caution4 ,if you who read these lines are a dancer1 do not marry the manager4 ,it cuts both ways3 if you are a manager1 do not marry a dancer4 ,if1 by chance these lines are read by one who has ambitions to become a ballet manager1 do not allow yourself any romantic connection with a dancer in the company4 ,it simply does not work1 and it is not good for ballet1 or for you4 ,all of these continuing1 persisting discussions served merely to speed the days4 ,opening night was drawing perilously near1 coming closer and closer1 while de ,basil's company and repertoire were still being held in ,rio de ,janeiro by the general strike4 ,the 8,colonel0 again needed money4 ,unless the money he required was forthcoming1 strike or no strike1 the company would not embark4 ,once again ,i was being held up1 with the gun at my back2 on legal advice and out of sheer necessity1 the money was forthcoming4 ,this type of blackmail1 the demand for money under duress1 was threatening to become a habit in ballet1 ,i felt4 ,but1 after all1 if ,i sought to allocate blame for the situation1 there was no one to whom it could be charged except myself4 ,it was my own fault for having consented to listen to the siren voice of ,koudriavtzeff in the first place4 ,no one can make greater trouble for one1 ,i believe1 than one's own self4 ,i had agreed to the whole unhappy business against the considered advice of all those in whom ,i had confidence and faith4 ,there was nothing to be done but to see it through with as much grace as ,i could muster4 ,i determined1 however1 to take stock4 ,this time ,i was certain4 ,i was1 at last1 satisfied that when this season finished1 ,i was finished with ballet4 ,no more4 ,never again4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the de ,basil crowd eventually arrived at a ,south ,brooklyn pier1 barely in time1 on a holiday afternoon before the ,metropolitan opening4 ,the rush1 the drive1 the complicated business of clearing through customs promised more headaches1 more heartaches1 and yet more unforeseen expense4 ,we now had two companies merged for the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house engagement4 ,in this respect we had been fortunate1 for the de ,basil scenery and costumes were in a pitiable state of disrepair4 ,since there was neither sufficient time nor money for their rehabilitation1 we provided both1 and1 meanwhile1 had the advantage of the de ,cuevas works4 ,de ,basil had been able to make but few additions to his repertoire during the lean and long ,south ,american hegira4 ,these were ,yara and ,cain and ,abel4 ,yara had been choreographed by ,psota1 to a score by ,francisco ,mignone4 ,it was a lengthy attempt to bring to the stage a ,brazilian legend4 ,it had striking sets and costumes by ,candido ,portinari1 and little else4 ,cain and ,abel was a juicy tid-bit in which ,david ,lichine perpetrated a 8treatment0 of the ,genesis tale to1 of all things1 cuttings and snippets from ,wagner's ,die ,gtter-,dammerung4 ,it was a silly business4 ,the four works from the ,marquis de ,cuevas repertoire were given a wider public1 and helped a bad situation4 ,sebastian1 with an excitingly dramatic score by ,gian-,carlo ,menotti1 his first for ballet1 had been staged by ,edward ,caton1 in a setting by ,oliver ,smith4 ,it made for a striking piece of theatre4 ,the ,mute ,wife was a light but amusing comedy1 adapted by the ,american dancer-choreographer1 ,antonia ,cobos1 from the familiar tale by ,anatole ,france1 ,the ,man ,who ,married a ,dumb ,wife1 to ,paganini melodies1 principally his ,perpetual ,motion1 orchestrated by ,vittorio ,rieti4 ,the third work1 ,constantia1 was a classical ballet by ,william ,dollar1 done to ,chopin's ,piano ,concerto in ,f ,minor1 enlisting the services of ,rosella ,hightower1 ,andr ,eglevsky1 and ,yvonne ,patterson4 ,its title1 confusing to some1 referred to ,chopin's 8,ideal ,woman10 ,constantia ,gladowska1 to whom the composer dedicated the musical work4 ,thanks to ,ballet ,associates in ,america1 there was one new work4 ,it was ,camille1 staged by ,john ,taras1 in quite unique settings by ,cecil ,beaton1 for ,alicia ,markova and ,anton ,dolin4 ,it was a balletic attempt to tell the familiar ,dumas tale4 ,in this case1 the music1 instead of being out of ,traviata by ,verdi to use stud-book terminology1 consisted of ,franz ,schubert melodies1 orchestrated by ,vittorio ,rieti4 ,it was not the success one hoped and1 after seeing a later one by ,tudor1 to say nothing of one by ,dolin1 ,i am more and more persuaded that ,camille belongs to ,dumas and ,verdi1 to ,rachel and ,sarah ,bernhardt1 not to ballet4 ,there was also an unimportant but fairly amusing little ,pas de ,trois1 for ,markova1 ,dolin1 and ,eglevsky1 set by ,jerome ,robbins to the ,minuet of the ,will o' the ,wisps1 and the ,dance of the ,sylphs1 from ,berlioz' ,the ,damnation of ,faust4 ,it was a burlesque1 highlighted by the use of a bit of the ,rkoczy ,march as an overture1 loud enough and big enough to suggest that a ballet company of gargantuan proportions was to be revealed by the rising curtain4 ,the trans-continental tour compounded troubles and annoyances with heavy financial losses4 ,the ,original ,ballet ,russe carried with it the heavy liability of a legend to a vast new audience4 ,this audience had heard of the symphonic ballets2 there were nostalgic tales told them by their elders about the 8baby ballerinas10 ,toumanova1 ,baronova1 ,riabouchinska4 ,there were no symphonic ballets4 ,the 8baby ballerinas0 had grown up and were in other pastures4 ,the repertoire and the interpretations revealed the ravages of time4 ,perhaps the truth was that legends have an unhappy trick of falling short of reality4 ,while the long tour was in progress1 the ,marquis de ,cuevas was making arrangements with the ,principality of ,monaco for a season at ,monte ,carlo with his own company4 ,immediately on getting wind of this1 the 8,colonel0 did his best to try to doublecross the ,marquis4 ,this time1 the 8,colonel0 did not succeed4 ,for several seasons1 the de ,cuevas company1 under the title ,grand ,ballet de ,monte ,carlo1 largely peopled with ,american dancers1 including ,rosella ,hightower1 ,marjorie ,tallchief1 ,jocelyn ,vollmar1 ,ana ,ricarda1 and others1 and under the choreographic direction of ,john ,taras1 functioned there4 ,when his ,monte ,carlo contract was at an end1 the name of the company was changed to the ,grand ,ballet du ,marquis de ,cuevas4 ,in #aiea1 the ,marquis brought his company to ,new ,york for a season at the ,century ,theatre4 ,it was completely unsuccessful1 and while the losses were less than the initial ,american season1 when it was called ,ballet ,international1 since there were no production costs to be met1 much less a theatre to be bought1 it was indeed an unfortunate occasion4 ,the debacle1 ,i believe1 was not entirely the fault of the ,marquis1 since the entire season was mismanaged and mishandled from every point of view4 ,the long1 unhappy tour of the ,original ,ballet ,russe dragged its weary way to a close4 ,nothing ,i could imagine would be more welcome than that desired event4 ,when it was all over1 ,i was happy to see them push off to ,europe4 ,the losses ,i incurred were so considerable that it still is a painful subject on which to ponder1 even from this distance of time4 ,suffice it to say they were very considerable4 ,the ,original ,ballet ,russe had been living on its capital far too long4 ,in ,london1 in #aidg1 the 8,colonel0 made an attempt to reorganize his company4 ,clutching at straws1 the shrewd 8,colonel10 ,i am sure1 realized that if he had any chance for survival1 it would be on the basis of a successful ,london season1 scene of his first triumphs4 ,for this purpose1 he formed a new company1 since almost none of the original organization survived4 ,it was a failure4 ,nothing daunted1 in #aiea1 he was preparing to try again4 ,death intervened1 and ,vassily ,grigorievitch ,voskresensky1 better known to the world of ballet as ,colonel ,w4 de ,basil1 was gathered to his fathers4 ,i was shocked but not surprised when the news reached me4 ,he had1 ,i knew1 been living a devil-may-care existence4 ,we had quarrelled1 argued1 fought4 ,we had1 on the other hand1 worked together for a common end and with a common belief and purpose4 ,he was truly an incredible man4 ,i was enjoying a brief holiday at ,evian when the news came to me1 through mutual friends1 that de ,basil was seriously ill4 8,i am going to ,paris to see him and to do what ,i can10 ,i told them4 ,the next day ,i was at lunch when there came a telephone call from ,paris4 ,it was his one-time agent1 ,mme4 ,bouchenet1 to tell me1 to my great regret1 that de ,basil had just died4 ,we had had our continuing differences1 but his had been a labor of love2 he had loved ballet passionately4 ,he had been a truly magnificent organizer4 ,may he rest in peace4 ,de ,basil was1 ,i suppose1 technically an amateur in the arts2 but he managed to do a great service to ballet4 ,by one means or another1 he formed a great ballet company4 ,he had the vision to sponsor one of the most revolutionary steps in ballet history since the 8romantic revolution03 ,massine's symphonic ballets4 ,in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles1 he succeeded in keeping a company of warring personalities together for years4 ,on the financial side1 still an amateur1 without the benefit of many guarantees from social celebrities or industrial magnates1 he managed to keep going4 ,his methods were1 to say the least1 unorthodox2 he was amazing1 fantastic1 and1 as ,i have said1 incredible4 ,he was no ,diaghileff4 ,he was de ,basil4 ,diaghileff was a man of deep culture1 vast erudition1 an inspirer of all with whom he came into contact4 ,de ,basil was a sharp business man1 a shrewd negotiator1 an adroit manager4 ,he was a personality4 ,in the history of ballet1 ,i venture to suggest1 he will be remembered as the man who was the instrument by which and through which new life was instilled in the art of the ballet at a time when it was in dire danger of becoming moribund4 ,why and how he came to be that instrument is of little importance4 ,the important thing is that he was4 ,at the time of de ,basil's death little remained save a memory4 ,for four seasons1 at least1 by reason of his instinct1 his drive1 his collaborators1 he presented to ballet something as close to perfection as is possible to imagine4 ,for that1 all who genuinely love ballet should be grateful4 99 99 99 99 99 ,although ,i heaved a sigh of relief when the 8,colonel0 and his ragtag-bobtail band clambered aboard the ship bound for ,europe1 there were still serious problems to be considered4 ,the uppermost questions that troubled me were merely two parts of the same query3 8,why should ,i go on with this ballet business80 ,i asked myself4 8,haven't ,i done enough80 ,against any affirmative answer ,i could give myself1 were arranged two facts3 one1 the magnetic 8pull0 ballet exerted upon me2 two1 the existence of a contract with the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 which had to be fulfilled4 ,so it was that1 in the autumn of #aidg1 that ,i gave a short season of ballet there4 ,it was not a season of great ballets1 but of great artists4 ,the programmes centered about ,alicia ,markova1 ,anton ,dolin1 ,andr ,eglevsky4 ,from this emerged a dance-group company1 compact1 flexible1 the ,markova-,dolin ,company1 which toured the country from coast to coast with a considerable measure of success4 ,this was not1 of course1 ballet in the grand manner4 ,it was chamber ballet2 a dozen dancers1 a small1 well-chosen group of artists1 together with a small orchestra and musical director4 ,in addition to the two stars1 the company included ,oleg ,tupine1 ,bettina ,rosay1 ,rozsika ,sabo1 ,natalia ,condon1 ,kirsten ,valbor1 ,wallace ,siebert1 ,royes ,fernandez1 ,george ,reich1 with ,robert ,zeller1 young ,american conductor1 proteg of ,serge ,koussevitsky and ,pierre ,monteux1 as ,musical ,director4 ,the repertoire included three new works3 ,fantasia1 a ballet to a ,schubert-,liszt score1 with choreography by ,bronislava ,nijinska2 ,henry ,,viii1 a ballet by ,rosella ,hightower1 to music of ,rossini1 arranged by ,robert ,zeller1 and costumes by the ,san ,francisco designer1 ,russell ,hartley2 ,lady of the ,camellias1 another balletic version of the ,dumas tale1 choreographed by ,anton ,dolin to portions of ,verdi's ,la ,traviata1 arranged and orchestrated by ,zeller2 the ,jerome ,robbins ,pas de ,trois1 to the ,damnation of ,faust excerpts1 in costumes by the ,american ,john ,pratt2 and two classical works1 viz41 ,famous ,dances from ,tchaikowsky's ,the ,nutcracker1 staged jointly by ,markova and ,dolin1 with costumes by ,alvin ,colt2 and ,suite de ,danse1 a romantic group1 including some of ,les ,sylphides1 in the ,fokine choreography2 a ,johann ,strauss ,polka1 staged by ,vincenzo ,celli2 ,pas ,espagnole1 to music by ,ravina1 by ,ana ,ricarda2 ,vestris ,solo1 to music by ,rossini1 choreographed by ,celli2 and ,dolin's delicious ,pas de ,quatre4 ,henry ,,viii1 ,rosella ,hightower's first full work as a choreographer1 was no balletic masterpiece1 but it provided ,dolin with a part wherein1 as the portly1 bearded1 greatly married monarch of ,britain1 he was able to dance and act in the great tradition of ,red ,coat1 ,devil of the ,ukraine1 ,bluebeard1 ,gil ,blas1 ,tyl ,eulenspiegel1 ,sganarelle1 ,get-,rich-,quick ,wallingford1 and all the other picaresque heroes of ballet1 theatre1 and literature4 ,while ,dolin1 of course1 confined himself to the choreographer's patterning1 ,i should not have been surprised if he had resorted to falling over sofas1 squirting ,elizabethan soda water syphons in the face of ,katherine ,parr1 or being carried off to the royal bedchamber in a complete state of intoxication4 ,while such an organization is far from ideal for the presentation of spectacular ballet1 which must have a large company1 eye-filling stage settings1 and all the appurtenances of the modern theatre1 since ballet is essentially a theatre art1 it nevertheless permitted us to take a form of ballet to cities and towns where1 because of physical conditions1 the full panoply of ballet at its most glamorous cannot be given4 ,the highlight of this tour occurred at the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house1 in ,san ,francisco1 where1 because of an unusual combination of circumstances1 an extremely interesting collaboration was made possible4 ,the ,san ,francisco ,civic ,ballet1 an organization that promised much in the way of a civic supported ballet company of national proportions1 had just been formed1 and with the cooperation of the ,san ,francisco ,art ,commission1 and with the full ,san ,francisco ,symphony ,orchestra1 was undertaking its first season4 ,at its invitation1 it was possible for us to combine its first productions with those of the ,markova-,dolin company1 and1 in addition to the ,san ,francisco ,civic ,ballet creations1 a splendid production of ,giselle was made1 staged by ,dolin1 with ,markova1 according to all reports1 including that of the informed critic1 ,alfred ,frankenstein1 giving one of the most remarkable interpretations of her long career in the title role4 ,this tribute is the more remarkable1 since ,giselle is one of ,frankenstein's 8blind spots0 in ballet4 ,no critic is entirely free from bias or prejudice1 and since even ,i admit that--countless examples to the contrary notwithstanding--the critic is also a human being1 why should he be utterly free from those very human qualities or defects1 as the case may be8 ,the artists of the ,markova-,dolin company supplemented the ,san ,francisco company1 with the local company supplying the production1 the two groups merging for substantial joint rehearsal4 ,i have said the ,san ,francisco ,civic ,ballet promised much4 ,it is to be regretted that means could not be forthcoming to insure its permanence4 ,its closing was the result of the lack of that most vital element1 proper subsidy4 ,these things shock me4 ,the ,markova-,dolin company was no more the ultimate answer to my balletic problem than was the ,original ,ballet ,russe4 ,it was1 however1 something more than a satisfactory stop-gap2 it was also a very pleasant association4 ,markova and ,dolin are a quite remarkable pair4 ,for years their stars were congruent4 ,until recently there were indications that they had become one1 a fixed constellation1 supreme1 serene1 sparkling4 ,those gods in whose hands lie the celestial disposition have seen fit to shift their orbits so that now each goes his or her separate course4 ,i1 for one1 cannot other than express my personal regret that this is so4 ,one complemented the other4 ,i would go so far as to say that one benefited the other4 ,both as individual artists and in partnership1 the distinguished pair of ,britons are an ornament to their art and to their native land4 ,,alicia ,,markova ,alicia ,markova1 ne ,lilian ,alicia ,marks1 was born in ,london1 #ast ,december1 #aiaj4 ,her life has been celebrated in perhaps as many volumes and articles as any other ballerina1 if for no other reason than that the ,english seem to burst into print about ballet and to encase their words between solid covers more extensively than any other people ,i know1 not excluding the ,french4 ,it is almost a case of scratch an ,englishman and you will find a ballet author4 ,because of this extensive bibliography1 the details of ,markova's career need not concern me here1 save to establish the highlights in a public life that has been extraordinarily successful4 ,when ,markova arrived in this country to join the ,massine ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 she already had behind her a high position in ,british ballet2 yet she was1 in a sense1 shy and naive4 ,her father had died when ,alicia was thirteen4 ,there were three other sisters1 and an ,irish mother1 who had adopted orthodox ,judaism on her marriage to ,alicia's father1 all in need of support4 ,alicia became the head of and bread-winner for the family4 ,the mother worked hard at the business of being a mother1 but kept away from the theatre's back-stage4 ,the story of the family life of the mother and the four daughters sounds like a ,louisa ,m4 ,alcott novel1 with theatre innovations and variations4 ,before she became a pupil at the ,chelsea studio of ,seraphina ,astafieva1 late of the ,imperial and ,diaghileff ,ballets1 little ,alicia had been a principal in a ,london ,christmas pantomime and had already been labeled 8the miniature ,pavlova40 ,it was in this studio that her path crossed that of one ,sydney ,francis ,patrick ,chippendall ,healey-,kay1 soon to have his name truncated and changed to ,anton ,dolin by ,serge ,diaghileff4 ,it was ,dolin who brought ,alicia ,marks to ,diaghileff's attention1 not1 however1 without some difficulty4 ,dolin's conversations with ,diaghileff about 8the miniature ,pavlova0 brought only disgust from the great founder of modern ballet4 ,the pretentiousness and presumptuousness of such a title roused only repugnance in the great man4 ,eventually1 ,dolin succeeded in bringing ,diaghileff to a party at the ,king's ,road studio of ,astafieva1 where little ,miss ,marks1 at fourteen1 danced4 ,as a result1 ,diaghileff changed ,marks to ,markova1 dropped the ,lilian1 and took her1 with governess1 into his company1 detailing one of his current soloists1 ,ninette de ,valois by name1 to keep a weather-eye out for the child4 ,markova was on her way rapidly up the ladder1 with two ,balanchine creations under her pointes1 ,the ,song of the ,nightingale and ,la ,chatte1 when ,diaghileff died4 ,this meant a complete change of focus for ,markova1 in #aibi4 ,she earned a living for herself and her family for a time dancing in the ,english music halls1 dancing for ,marie ,rambert's ,ballet ,club and the ,camargo ,society for buttons4 ,after two years at ,marie ,rambert's ,ballet ,club1 where ,frederick ,ashton took her in hand1 as coach and teacher1 adviser1 and mentor extraordinary1 she became the leading ballerina of the ,vic-,wells ,ballet1 the predecessor of ,sadler's ,wells1 where1 under the overall guidance of ,ashton and de ,valois1 she danced the first ,english ,giselle1 the full-length ,swan ,lake1 and ,the ,nutcracker4 ,dolin was a guest star of the ,vic-,wells in those days2 their stellar paths again intertwined as they had at ,astafieva's studio1 and in the ,diaghileff ,ballet4 ,in the fall of #aice1 ,dolin and ,markova formed the ,markova-,dolin ,ballet1 with a full repertoire of classical works1 playing ,london and touring throughout ,great ,britain4 ,markova1 if she is honest1 and ,i have no reason to believe she is not1 should be the first to admit her profound debt to three persons in ballet3 ,anton ,dolin1 who has projected her1 protected her1 and occasionally pestered her2 ,frederick ,ashton and ,marie ,rambert who1 jointly and severally1 encouraged1 advised1 and guided her4 ,in #aich1 ,i was instrumental in having ,markova join the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 where she competed with ,danilova1 ,toumanova1 and ,slavenska4 ,her ,london triumph in our season at ,drury ,lane was not entirely unexpected4 ,after all1 she was dancing on her home stage4 ,her performance in ,giselle1 on #abth ,october1 #aich1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 made history4 ,there was an element in the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo direction1 of which ,leonide ,massine was not one1 that was not at all pleased with the idea of having ,markova with the company4 ,despite her great ,london success1 ,alicia decided she would be wise not to come to ,america4 ,alicia and her mother1 ,i remember1 came to the ,savoy to see me about this4 ,mrs4 ,hurok and ,i urged her to reconsider her decision4 ,she was determined to resign from the company4 ,she did not feel 8at home0 in the organization4 ,although 8,freddy0 ,franklin1 who had been a member of the ,markova-,dolin ,company1 had joined the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 ,alicia felt alone1 and she would be without ,anton ,dolin1 and would miss her family4 ,mrs4 ,hurok and ,i finally succeeded in dissuading her from her avowed intention1 and in convincing her that a great future for her lay in the ,united ,states4 ,from the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo she came to ,ballet ,theatre1 where1 under my management1 she co-starred with ,dolin4 ,her roles with that company as guest star which ,i arranged and paid for1 together with almost one-half of her salary at other times1 for ,lucia ,chase did not take kindly to ,alicia ,markova as a member of ,ballet ,theatre1 and the ,american tour of the ,markova-,dolin company1 all of these ,i have dealt with at length4 ,during one of the seasons of the ,london ,festival ,ballet1 which was organized by ,dolin for the two of them1 the team came to a parting of the ways4 ,like so many associations of this kind1 the break could have been the result of any one or more of a combination of causes4 ,one who is sincerely interested in both of them1 expresses the hope that it may be only a passing difference4 ,yet1 pursuing a course ,i follow in the domestic lives of my personal friends1 ,i apply it to the artistic lives of these two1 and leave it to them to work out their joint and several destinies4 ,there are limits beyond which even a loyal and fond manager may not go with impunity4 ,one of the greatest ballerinas of our own or any other time1 ,i cannot say that ,markova's triumphs have not altered her4 ,to be sure1 although she still has a manner that is sometimes reserved1 outwardly timid1 ,i nevertheless happen to know that behind it all lurks a determined1 stubborn1 and sometimes downright blind willfulness1 coupled with a good deal of unreasonability4 ,it was not for nothing that she earned from ,leonide ,massine the sobriquet of 8,chinese ,torture0--as ,massine used to put it1 8like small drops of water constantly falling on the head40 ,as a dancer1 ,markova is in the straight and direct classical line1 as ,michel ,fokine once observed to me1 while watching her ,giselle4 ,bearing these things in mind1 including the fact that the gods have been less than generous to her in matters of face and figure1 ,i am deeply moved by her expertness1 her ethereality1 her precision1 her simplicity4 ,yet1 on the other hand1 ,i can only deplore the stylization and mannered quality she brings to her latter-day performances4 ,when she is at her best1 ,markova has something above and beyond technique3 a certain evanescent1 purely luminous detachment4 ,all these things reinforce my conviction that ,markova should confine herself to the great classical interpretations1 and recognize her own physical limitations1 even within this field4 ,her ,giselle is in a class by itself4 ,she has made the role her own4 ,personally1 however1 ,i do not find she gives me the same satisfaction as the ,swan ,queen1 nor in ,fokine's ,les ,sylphides4 ,to my way of thinking1 her ,swan ,queen1 while technically precise1 lacks both that deep plumbing of the emotions and the grand1 regal manner that the role requires4 ,her ,prelude in ,sylphides is spoiled1 in my opinion1 by excessive mannerisms4 ,it is in ,giselle and ,the ,nutcracker that ,markova can bring joy and pleasure to an immense public1 that joy the public always receives1 whether they know the intricate details of ballet or not1 by seeing a great classical ballerina at her best4 ,one of ,markova's best characterizations was that of ,taglioni in ,dolin's ,pas de ,quatre1 a delightful cameo1 yet today1 or1 at least1 the last time ,i saw it1 it1 like her ,prelude in ,sylphides1 suffered from an accretion of manner1 until it bordered on the grotesque4 ,one of the qualities ,markova has in common with ,pavlova1 some of whose qualities she has1 is her agelessness4 ,as ,i said of ,pavlova1 8genius knows no age10 so might it be said of ,diaghileff's 8little ,english girl0 now grown up4 ,the great ,russian painter and co-founder of the ,diaghileff ,ballet1 ,alexandre ,benois1 the most noted designer of ,giselle1 once asserted that ,pavlova's ability to transmute rather ordinary and sometimes banal material into unalloyed gold was a theatrical miracle4 ,it is in roles for which she is peculiarly and individually almost uniquely fitted that ,markova1 too1 is able to work a theatrical miracle4 ,under the proper direction1 under which she will not be left to her own devices1 and will not be required to make her own decisions1 but will have them made for her by a wise and intelligent director conscious of her limitations1 ,markova will be able the better to fulfil her destiny4 ,it is to that desired end that ,i have been deeply interested in the fact that she had secured an invitation from the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 at the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 for her to become1 once again1 a member of the company1 with certain freedoms of action outside the company when her services are not required4 ,the initial step has been taken4 ,it is in such a setting that she belongs4 ,i hope she will continue in this setting4 ,always ,i have been her devoted friend from the beginning of her ,american successes1 and shall continue to be4 ,it is ballerinas of the type of ,alicia ,markova who help make ballet the great art it is4 ,there are all too few of them4 ,often ,i have told ,anton ,dolin that the two of them1 ,markova and ,dolin1 individually and collectively1 have been of immeasurable service and have done great honor to ballet both in ,england and throughout the world4 ,,anton ,,dolin ,the erstwhile ,sydney ,patrick ,chippendall ,healey-,kay1 metamorphosed into ,anton ,dolin whose star has so often paralleled and traversed that of ,markova1 was born at ,slinfold1 ,sussex1 #bjth ,july1 #aijd4 ,a principal dancer of the ,diaghileff ,ballet at an early age1 he was unique as the only non-,russian premier danseur ever to achieve that position4 ,leaving ,diaghileff in #aibf1 he organized the ,nemtchinova-,dolin ,ballet1 with which they toured ,england and ,europe4 ,alternating ballet with the dramatic and musical theatre1 he turned up in ,new ,york in ,lew ,leslie's unhappy ,international ,revue1 along with ,gertrude ,lawrence1 ,harry ,richman1 and the unforgettable ,argentinita4 ,on his return to ,london1 ,dolin became the first guest-star of the ,vic-,wells ,ballet before it exchanged the ,vic for ,sadler's4 ,in #aice1 with the valued help of the late ,mrs4 ,laura ,henderson1 he was indefatigable in the formation of the ,markova-,dolin ,ballet1 one of the results of which was the laying of the foundation stones of ballet's popularity in ,great ,britain4 ,a period with the de ,basil company in ,australia was followed by his extended ,american sojourn1 with ,ballet ,theatre1 the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 as guest artist1 ,the ,seven ,lively ,arts1 the ,original ,ballet ,russe1 and again under my management with the ,markova-,dolin company4 ,without making too detailed a research1 ,i should say that the ,dolin literature is nearly as extensive as that about ,markova1 making due allowance for the fact that the glamorous ballerina always lends herself to the printed page more attractively than her male vis-a-vis4 ,however1 ,dolin1 often as busy with his pen as with his feet1 has added four volumes of his own authorship to the list4 ,divertissement1 published in #aica1 and ,ballet-,go-,round1 published in #aich1 were sprightly volumes of autobiographical reminiscence and highly personal commentary and observation4 ,there has also been a slender volume on the art of partnering and1 more recently1 a biographical study of ,markova entitled ,alicia ,markova3 ,her ,life and ,art4 ,my acquaintance and friendship with ,dolin dates back to the ,diaghileff season of #aibe4 ,it is an acquaintance and friendship ,i value4 ,there is an old bromide to the effect that dancers' brains are in their legs4 ,as in all generalizations of this sort1 it contains something more than a grain of truth4 ,dolin is one of the shining exceptions to this role4 ,shrewd1 cultured1 with a fine background1 he is the possessor of a poised manner1 and something else1 which is1 ,i regret to say1 rare in the dancer3 a concern for ethics4 ,there is a weird opinion held in many parts of this country and on the continent of ,europe1 to the effect that the ,englishman is a dull and humorless sort of fellow4 ,this stupid charge is quite beyond the understanding of any one who has thought twice about the matter4 ,i have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing ,england and the ,english for a great many years and1 as a consequence1 ,i venture to assume the pleasing privilege of informing a deluded world that1 whatever else there may or may not be in ,england1 there is more fun and laughter to the square acre than there is to the square mile of any other known quarter4 ,my observation has been that even if an ,englishman does achieve a gravity alien to the common spirit about him1 he is not able to keep it up for long4 ,dolin is the possessor of a brilliant sense of humour and much wit1 both often biting2 but he has a quality which invites visitations of the twin spirits of high and low comedy4 ,a firm believer in the classical ballet1 in ,russian ballet1 if you will1 ,dolin1 like his kinsmen in ,british ballet1 gets about his business with1 on the whole1 a minimum of fuss4 ,socially1 and ,i speak from a profound experience and a personal knowledge drawn from my own ,russian roots1 the ,russians are unlike any other ,european people1 having a large measure of the ,asiatic disregard for the meaning and use of the clock1 the watch1 the sun-dial1 or even the primitive hourglass4 ,slow movement and time without limit for reflection and conversation are vital to them1 and unless they can pass a substantial portion of the day in discussions1 they become ill at ease and unhappy4 ,but1 although deliberate enough in most things1 they have a way of blazing out almost volcanically if annoyed or affronted or thwarted4 ,in this latter respect only1 the ,english-,irish ,anton ,dolin may be said to be ,russian4 ,when ,dolin's dancing days are finished1 there will always be a job for 8,pat0 as an actor--at times1 to be sure1 with a touch of ham1 but always theatrically effective4 ,he is one of the few dancers who could ever be at home on the speaking stage4 ,in the early founding days of the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 ,i was very anxious that he join ,massine as one of the leading figures of the company4 ,dolin shared my desire1 and was eager to become a member1 but there did not appear to be any room for him2 and1 moreover1 with ,lifar and ,massine in the company1 matters were difficult in the extreme1 and plagued by the winds of complexity4 ,dolin's lovely mother1 to whom he is devoted1 lived with him in ,new ,york during the period of his residence here4 ,now that he is back in ,england1 at the head of his own company1 the ,london ,festival ,ballet1 she is with him there4 ,it was she1 a shrewd pilot of his career1 who begged me to take 8,pat0 under my wing4 ,a gracious1 generous lady1 ,i am as fond of her as ,i am of 8,pat40 ,when he was offered a leading dancing and choreographic post at the inception of ,ballet ,theatre1 he sought my advice4 ,i was instrumental in his joining the company2 he helped me to take over the management of the company later on4 ,his 8,russianness0 that ,i have mentioned1 releases itself in devastating flares and flashes of 8temperament40 ,these outbursts express themselves very often in rapid-fire iteration of a single phrase3 8,i shan't dance6 ,i shan't dance6 ,i shan't dance60 ,yet ,i always know that1 when the time comes for his appearance1 8,pat0 will be on hand4 ,neither illness nor accident prevents him from doing his job4 ,there was an occasion on tour1 in the far north and in the midst of an icy blizzard1 when he insisted on dancing with a fever of one hundred three degrees4 ,he may not have danced with perfection1 but he danced4 ,today1 and in the past as well1 there are and have been some who have not cared for his dancing4 ,certain sections of the press have the habit of developing a pronouncedly captious tone in dealing with ,dolin the dancer4 ,i would remind those persons of the perfectly amazing theatrical sense ,dolin always exhibits4 ,i would remind them that1 in my opinion and in the opinion of others more finely attuned to the niceties of the classical dance1 ,dolin is one of the finest supporting partners it is possible for a ballerina to have4 ,markova is never shown to her best advantage with any other male dancer than ,anton ,dolin4 ,my opinion1 on which ,i make no concessions to any one1 is that ,dolin is one of the finest ,albrechts in the world today4 ,without ,dolin1 ,giselle remains but half a ballet4 ,as a re-creator1 he has few peers and no superiors4 ,i can think of no one better qualified to recreate a masterpiece of another era1 with regard to the creator's true intent and meaning1 nor do ,i know of any choreographer who has a greater feeling1 a finer sense1 or a more humble respect for 8period and tradition40 ,as a dancer1 there are still roles which require a minimum of dancing and a maximum of acting4 ,these roles are preeminently ,dolin's1 and in these he cannot be equaled4 ,as for ,anton ,dolin1 the person1 as opposed to ,anton ,dolin1 the artist1 he is that rare bird in ballet3 a loyal friend1 blessedly free from that besetting balletic sin--envy2 generous1 kindly1 human1 always helpful1 ever the good comrade4 ,would that dance had more men of his character1 his liberality1 his broadmindedness1 his ever-present readiness to be of service to his colleagues4 ,although 8,pat0 is not above certain meannesses1 certain capriciousness1 he has an uncanny gift of penetrating to the heart of a matter1 and his ability to hit the nail on the very centre of the head often gains for him the advantage over people who have the reputation of being experts in their particular callings4 ,on the very top of all is his ability to open the charm tap at will4 ,on occasion1 ,i have been of a mind to choke him1 so annoyed have ,i been at him4 ,we have parted in a cloud of aggravation and exacerbation4 ,yet1 on meeting him an hour later1 there was only an ,irish smile with twinkling eyes1 all radiating good will and genuine affection4 ,this is the ,anton ,dolin ,i know1 the ,dolin ,i like best4 ,as these lines are written1 all concerned are working on a budget to determine if it is not possible to bring ,dolin and his company to ,america for a visit4 ,it is my hope that satisfactory arrangements can be made1 for it would give me great pleasure to present 8,pat0 at the head of his fine organization4 ,i can only say to ,dolin that if we succeed in completing mutually agreeable conditions3 8,what a job we will do for you60 #ab4 ,ballet ,climax-- ,sadler's ,wells ,and ,after4444 ,sadler's ,wells--a name with which to conjure--had been a part of my balletic consciousness for a long time4 ,i had observed its early beginnings1 its growth from the ,old ,vic to ,sadler's ,wells to the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 with the detached interest of a ballet lover from another land4 ,i had read about it1 heard about it from many people1 but ,i had not had any first hand experience of it since the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust had invited the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet to move to ,covent ,garden from their famous ballet center1 ,sadler's ,wells4 ,this they did1 early in #aidf1 leaving behind yet another company called the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet4 ,i arrived in ,london in ,april1 #aidf1 at a time when ,i was very definitely under the impression that ,i would give up any active participation in ballet in any other form than as an interested member of the audience4 ,the ,london to which ,i returned was1 in a sense1 a strange ,london--a ,london just after the war1 a city devastated by bombs1 a city that had suffered grave wounds both physical and spiritual1 a city of austerity4 ,it was also a ,london wherein ,i found1 wherever ,i went1 a people whose spirits were1 nevertheless1 high2 human beings whose chins were up4 ,the typical ,cockney taxi-driver who brought me from ,waterloo to my long-time headquarters1 the ,savoy1 summed it all up on my arrival1 when he said3 8,we'll come out of this orlrite4 ,we weren't born in the good old ,english climate for nothin'4 ,it's all a bit of a disappointment2 but we're used to disappointments1 we are4 ,why when ah was a kid as we 'ad a nice little picnic all arranged for ,saturday afternoon1 as sure as fate it rained and the bleedin' picnic was put orf again4444 ,we're goin' to 'ave our picnic one day2 this 'ere picnic's just been put orf1 that's all44440 ,as the porters were disposing of my luggage1 the genial commissionaire at the ,savoy1 ,joe ,hanson1 added his bit to the general optimism4 ,after greeting me1 he asked me if ,i had heard about the shipwreck in the ,thames1 opposite the ,savoy4 ,i had not1 and wondered how ,i had missed the news of such a catastrophe4 8,well1 it was like this1 guv'nor10 he said4 8,churchill1 ,eden1 ,atlee and ,ernie ,bevin went out on the river in a small boat to look the place over4 ,just as they were a-passin' the 'otel 'ere1 a sudden squall blew up and the boat was capsized40 ,he paused and blew his nose vociferously into a capacious kerchief4 8,who do you think was saved80 8,churchill80 ,i enquired4 ,he shook his head in the negative4 8,eden80 ,he shook his head4 8,atlee80 ,again he shook his head4 8,bevin80 ,once more the negative4 8,no one saved80 ,i could hardly believe my ears4 8,ah1 there's where you're wrong1 sir4444 ,england was saved60 ,the commissionaire's big frame shook with prideful laughter4 ,i freshened myself in my room and went down to my favorite haunt1 my ,london ,h4 ,q41 as ,i like to call it1 the ,savoy ,grill1 that gathering place of the theatrical1 musical1 literary1 and balletic worlds of ,london4 ,one of the ,savoy ,grill's chief fixtures1 and for me one of its most potent attractions1 was the always intriguing buffet1 with my favorite ,scottish salmon4 ,this time the buffet1 while putting up a brave decorative front1 was a little disappointing and1 to tell the truth1 a shade depressing4 ,but a glance at the entertainment advertisements in ,the ,times 7the 8,thunderer10 ,i noted1 was now a four-page sheet7 showed me that the entertainment world was in full swing1 and there was excitement in the air4 ,i dined alone in the ,grill1 then returned to my room and changed to black tie and all1 for it was to be a festive evening1 and walked the short distance between the ,savoy ,hotel and the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden4 ,i was going to the ballet in a completely non-professional capacity1 as a member of the audience1 going for the sheer fun of going1 with nary a balletic problem on my mind4 ,i was to be the guest of ,david ,webster1 the ,administrator of ,covent ,garden1 who met me at the door and1 after a brief chat1 escorted me to my seat4 ,my eyes traveled around the famous and historic ,opera ,house1 only recently saved from the ignominy of becoming a public dance hall4 ,here it was1 shining and dignified in fresh paint1 in damask1 and in the new warm red plush fauteuils2 poor though ,britain was1 the house had just been remodelled1 redecorated1 reseated1 with a new and most attractive 8crush bar0 installed4 ,the depression ,i had felt earlier in the day vanished completely4 ,now that evening had come1 there was a different aspect1 a changed atmosphere4 ,i looked at the audience that made up the sold-out house4 ,from the top to the bottom of the great old ,opera ,house they were a happy1 relaxed1 anticipatory people1 ready to be entertained and stimulated4 ,in the stalls1 the audience was well-dressed and some of the evening frocks were1 ,i felt1 of marked splendor4 ,but the less expensive portions of the house were filled1 too1 and ,i remembered something that great director1 ,ninette de ,valois1 who had made all this possible1 had said way back in #aicg3 8,the gallery1 the pit ,american readers should understand that the 8pit0 in the ,british theatre is usually that part of the house behind the 8stalls0 or orchestra seats1 and is not1 as in the ,states1 the orchestra pit where the musicians are placed and the amphitheatre are the basis and backbone of the people s theatre4444 ,that they are the most loyal supporters will be maintained with deep appreciation by those who control the future of the ballet40 ,there was1 as ,i have said1 an anticipatory atmosphere on the part of the audience1 as if the temper of the people had become graver1 simpler1 and more concentrated2 as if1 during the war1 when the opportunities for recreation and amusement were more restricted1 transport more limited1 the intelligence craved and sought those antidotes to a troubled consciousness of which ballet and its allied arts are the most potent4 ,while ,i relaxed and waited for the rising curtain with that same anticipatory glow that ,i always feel1 yet1 somehow1 intensified tonight1 ,i reflected1 too1 on the miracle that had been wrought4 ,i remembered ,david ,webster had told me how1 only the year before1 the company was preparing for a good-will tour to ,south ,america1 and how the sudden end of the war had made that trip impracticable and unnecessary4 ,it had become more urgent to have the company at home4 ,negotiations had been initiated between the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 the ,british ,arts ,council1 and ,boosey and ,hawkes1 who had taken over the ,covent ,garden lease1 for the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet to make its headquarters at ,covent ,garden1 where it would be presented by the ,covent ,carden ,opera ,trust4 ,having been turned into a cheap dance hall before the war1 ,covent ,garden's restoration as a theatre devoted to the finest in opera and ballet required very careful planning4 ,all of this whetted my appetite4 ,my eyes traveled to the ,royal ,box1 to the ,royal ,crest on the great curtains1 to the be-wigged footmen4444 ,slowly the lights came down to a dull glow1 went out4 ,a sound of applause greeted the entry into the orchestra pit of the conductor1 the greatly talented musical director of the ,sadler's ,wells organization1 ,constant ,lambert4 ,in a moment1 the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 was filled with the magnificent sound of the overture to ,tchaikowsky's ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 played as only ,lambert could play it4 ,then the curtain rose1 revealing ,oliver ,messel's perfectly wonderful setting for the first act of this magnificent full-length ballet4 ,over all1 about all1 was the great music of ,tchaikowsky4 ,my eyes1 my ears1 my heart were being filled to overflowing4 ,the biggest moment of all came with the entrance of ,margot ,fonteyn as the ,princess4 ,i was overwhelmed by her entire performance2 but ,i think it was her first entrance that made the greatest impact on me1 with the fresh youthfulness of the young ,princess1 the radiant gaiety of all the fairy tale heroines of the world's literature compressed into one4 ,i was so enchanted as ,i followed the stage and the music that ,i forgot all else but the miraculous unfolding of this ,perrault-,tchaikowsky fairy story4 ,here1 at last1 was great ballet4 ,the art of pantomime1 so long dormant in ballet in ,america1 had been restored in all its clarity and simplicity of meaning4 ,the high quality of the dancing by the principals1 soloists1 and corps de ballet1 the settings1 the costumes1 the lighting1 all literally transported me to another world4 ,i knew then1 in a great revelation1 that great ballet was here to stay4 8,this is ,ballet60 ,i said1 almost half aloud4 ,after the performance1 back at the ,savoy ,grill once more1 at supper ,i met1 once again1 ,ninette de ,valois1 whose taste and drive and determination and abilities have made ,sadler's ,wells the magnificent institution it is4 8,madame10 ,i said to her1 8,i think you're ready to go to the ,states40 8,are we80 8,yes10 ,i replied1 8you are ready40 ,the supper was gay and charming and animated4 ,i was filled with enthusiasm and was a long time falling asleep that night4 ,after that evening1 there was no longer any attitude of 8to hell with ballet0 on my part4 ,ballet1 ,i realized1 with a fresh conviction solidifying the revelation ,i had had the night before1 was here to stay4 8,to hell with ballet0 had given way to 8three cheers for ballet60 ,after breakfast1 the next morning1 ,i telephoned ,david ,webster to invite him to luncheon so that ,i might discuss details of the proposed ,american venture with him4 ,during the course of the luncheon we went into all the major points and problems4 ,webster1 ,i found1 shared my enthusiasm for the idea and agreed in principle4 ,but1 in accordance with the traditionally ,british manner1 the thought and care and consideration that is given to every phase and every department1 every suggestion1 every idea1 such matters do not move as swiftly as they do in the ,states4 ,before ,i started out for my usual ,london 8constitutional0 backwards and forwards across ,waterloo ,bridge1 from where one looks up the ,thames towards the ,houses of ,parliament and ,big ,ben1 mother of all our freedoms1 ,i sent flowers to ,margot ,fonteyn with a note of appreciation for her magnificent performance of the night before and for the great pleasure she had given me4 ,there followed extended discussions with ,ninette de ,valois1 the ,director of whom1 perhaps1 the outstanding characteristic is that her outlook is such that her greatest ambition is to see the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet become such an institution in its own right that1 as she puts it1 8no one will know the name of the director40 ,however1 before any decisions could be reached1 it became necessary for me to get home4 ,so1 with the whole business still very much up in the air1 ,i returned to ,new ,york4 ,no sooner was ,i back in my office than there came an invitation from ,mayor ,william ,o',dwyer and ,grover ,whalen for me to take over the direction of the dance activities for the ,festival for the ,one ,hundred ,fiftieth ,anniversary ,celebration of the ,city of ,new ,york4 ,i accepted the honor in the hope that ,i might be able to organize a completely international and representative ,dance ,festival1 wherein the leading exponents of ballet and other forms of dance would have an opportunity to demonstrate their varied repertoires and techniques4 ,to that end1 ,i sent invitations in the name of the ,city of ,new ,york to all the leading dance organizations in the world1 seeking their participation in the ,festival4 ,the response was unanimously immediate and enthusiastic2 but1 unfortunately1 many of the organizations1 possessing interesting repertoires and styles1 were not in a position to undertake the costs of travel from far distant points1 together with the heavy expenses for the transportation of scenery1 equipment1 and costumes4 ,among these was the newly-organized ,san ,francisco ,civic ,ballet4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells organization accepted the invitation in principle1 as did the ,paris ,opera ,ballet1 through its director1 ,monsieur ,georges ,hirsch4 ,ram ,gopal1 brilliant exponent of the dance of ,india1 accepted through his manager ,julian ,braunsweg2 and1 in this case1 ,i was able to assist him in his financial problems1 by bringing him at my own expense4 ,representing our native ,american dance were ,doris ,humphrey and ,charles ,weidman1 together with their company4 ,i happen to feel this group is one of the most representative of all our native practitioners of the 8free0 dance1 in works that often come to grips with the problems and conflicts of life1 and which eschew1 at least for the time1 pure abstraction4 ,most notable of these works1 works in this form1 is their trilogy3 ,new ,dance--,theatre ,piece--,with ,my ,red ,fires ,american dance groups were invited but for one reason or another were not able to accept4 ,as preparations for the ,festival moved ahead1 ,david ,webster arrived from ,london to investigate the physical possibilities for the participation of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet as the national ballet of ,great ,britain4 ,the logical place for a ,dance ,festival of such proportions and such significance1 and one of such avowedly international and civic nature1 would have been the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,unfortunately1 the ,metropolitan had commitments with another ballet company4 ,my friend and colleague1 ,edward ,johnson1 the then ,general ,manager of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,company1 regretted the situation and did everything in his power to remedy the position and free our first lyric theatre for such an important civic event4 ,however1 the other dance organization insisted on its contractual rights and refused to give way1 or to divide the time in any way4 ,the only other place left1 therefore1 was the ,new ,york ,city ,center1 in ,west ,fifty-fifth ,street4 ,webster made a thorough inspection of this former ,masonic ,temple from front to back1 but found the place entirely inadequate1 with a stage and an orchestra pit infinitely too small1 and the theatre itself quite unsatisfactory for a company the size of the ,covent ,garden organization and productions4 ,as a matter of fact1 it would be hard to find a less satisfactory theatre for ballet production4 ,as ,webster and ,i went over the premises together1 ,i sensed his feeling about the building1 which ,i shared4 ,nevertheless1 ,i tried to hide my disappointment when1 at last1 he turned to me and said3 8,it's no go4 ,we can't play here4 ,let us postpone the visit till we can come to be seen on your only appropriate stage1 the ,metropolitan40 ,we had had preliminary meetings with the ,british ,consul ,general and his staff2 plans and promotion were rapidly crystallizing1 and my disappointment was none the less keen simply because ,i knew the reasons for the postponement were sound1 and that it could not be otherwise4 ,the ,dance ,festival itself1 without ,sadler's ,wells1 had its successes and left a mark on the local dance scene4 ,the ,city ,center was no more satisfactory1 ,i am afraid1 for the ,ballet of the ,opera of ,paris1 presented by the ,french ,national ,lyric ,theatre1 under the auspices of the ,cultural ,relations ,department of the ,french ,foreign ,ministry1 than it would have been for the ,covent ,garden company4 ,it was necessary to trim the scenery1 omit much of it1 and use only part of the personnel of the company at a time4 ,but1 on the other hand1 it was a genuine pleasure to welcome them on their first visit to the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,in addition to the ,dance ,festival ,season in ,new ,york1 we played highly successful engagements in ,montreal1 ,toronto1 and ,chicago4 ,the company was headed by a distinguished ,french ballerina in the true ,french style1 ,yvette ,chauvir4 ,other principal members of the company1 all from the higher echelons of the ,paris ,opera1 included ,roger ,ritz1 ,christiane ,vaussard1 ,michel ,renault1 ,alexandre ,kalioujny1 ,micheline ,bardin1 and ,max ,bozzini1 with ,robert ,blot and ,richard ,blareau as conductors4 ,the repertoire included ,ports of ,call1 ,serge ,lifar's ballet to ,jacques ,ibert's ,escales2 ,salad1 a ,lifar work to a ,darius ,milhaud creation2 ,lifar's setting of ,ravel's ,pavane2 ,the ,wise ,animals1 based on the ,jean de la ,fontaine fables1 by ,lifar1 to music by ,francis ,poulenc2 ,suite in ,white1 from ,eduardo ,lalo's ,naouma2 ,punch and the ,policeman1 staged by ,lifar to a score by ,jolivet2 ,divertissement1 cuttings from ,tchaikowsky's ,the ,sleeping ,beauty2 ,the ,peri1 ,lifar's staging of the well-known ballet score by ,paul ,dukas2 ,the ,crystal ,palace1 ,balanchine's ballet to ,bizet's symphony1 known here as ,symphony in ,c2 ,vincent d',indy's ,istar1 in the ,lifar choreography2 ,gala ,evening1 taken from ,delibes' ,la ,source1 by ,leo ,staats2 ,albert ,aveline's ,elvira1 to ,scarlatti melodies orchestrated by ,roland ,manuel2 ,andr ,messager's ,the ,two ,pigeons1 choreographed by ,albert ,aveline2 the ,rameau ,castor and ,pollux1 staged by ,nicola ,guerra2 ,the ,knight and the ,maiden1 a two-act romantic ballet1 staged by ,lifar to a score by ,philippe ,gaubert2 and ,les ,mirages1 a classical work by ,lifar1 to music by ,henri ,sauguet4 ,serge ,lifar returned to ,america1 not to dance1 but as the choreographer of the company of which he is the head4 ,i happen to know certain facts about ,lifar's behavior during the ,occupation of ,france1 facts ,i did not know at the time of the publication of my earlier book1 ,impresario4 ,certain statements ,i made in that book concerning ,serge ,lifar were made on the basis of such information as ,i had at the time1 which ,i believed was reliable4 ,i have subsequently learned that it was not correct1 and ,i have also subsequently had additional1 quite different1 and reliably documented information which makes me wish to acknowledge that an error of judgment was expressed on the basis of inconclusive evidence4 ,lifar may not have been a hero2 very possibly1 and quite probably1 he may have been indiscreet2 but it is now obvious to any fair-minded person that there has been a good deal of malicious gossip spread about him4 ,lifar was restored to his post at the head of the ,paris ,opera ,ballet by ,m4 ,georges ,hirsch1 ,administrator1 ,director of the ,french ,national ,lyric ,theatres1 himself a war-hero with a distinguished record4 ,the dancers of the ,paris ,opera ,ballet threatened to strike unless ,lifar was so restored2 the stage-hands1 with definite indications of ,communist inspiration1 to strike if he was4 ,hirsch had the courage of his convictions4 ,i have found that ,lifar did not take the ,paris ,opera ,ballet to ,berlin during the ,occupation1 as has been alleged in this country1 although the ,germans wanted it badly2 and ,i happen to know numerous other ,french companies did go4 ,i also have learned that it was ,serge ,lifar who prevented the ,paris ,opera ,ballet from going4 ,i happen to know that ,lifar did fly in a ,german plane to ,kieff1 his birthplace2 as ,i happen to know that he did not show ,hitler through the ,paris ,opera itself1 as one widely-spread rumor has had it4 ,as a matter of fact1 stories to the effect that he did both these things have been widely circulated4 ,i happen to have learned that ,lifar made a tremendous effort to save that splendid gentleman1 ,ren ,blum1 but was unable to prevail against ,blum's patriotic but unfortunately stupid determination to remain in ,paris4 ,i also happen to know that ,lifar was personally active in saving many ,jews and also other liberals from deportation4 ,moreover1 ,i know that1 as has always been characteristic of ,lifar1 because he was one who had1 he helped from his own pocket those who had not4 ,the performances of the ,ballet of the ,paris ,opera at the ,city ,center were not the slightest proof of the quality of its productions or its performance4 ,the shocking limitations of the playhouse made necessary a vast reduction of its personnel1 its scenery1 its essential quality4 ,the ,paris ,opera ,ballet is1 of course1 a ,state ,ballet in the fullest sense of the term4 ,it is an aristocratic organization1 conscious of the great tradition that hangs over it4 ,the air is thick with it4 ,its dancers are civil servants of the ,republic of ,france and their promotion in rank follows upon a strict examination pattern4 ,it would be interesting one day to see the company at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 where its original setting could be approximated1 although ,i fear the ,metropolitan has nothing comparable with the foyer de la dance of the ,paris ,opera4 ,here is ballet on a big scale and in the grand manner1 with all the scenic and costume panoply of the art at its most grandiose4 ,it is the sort of fine ballet that succeeds in giving the art an immense popularity with the masses4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,i am negotiating with the very able ,maurice ,lehmann1 the successor to ,georges ,hirsch as ,director-,general of the ,opera1 and ,i can think of no happier result than to be able to bring this rich example of the balletic art of ,france to ,america under the proper circumstances and conditions1 if for no other reason than to compensate the organization for their previous visit4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,international ,dance ,festival over1 my chief desire was to bring ,sadler's ,wells to this continent4 ,perhaps it would be as well1 for the sake of the reader who may be unfamiliar with its background and thus disposed to regard this as merely another ballet company1 to shed a bit of light on the ,sadler's ,wells organization4 ,following the death of ,diaghileff1 in #aibi1 we knew that ballet in ,britain was in a sad state of decline1 from which it might well never have emerged had it not been for two groups1 the ,ballet ,club of ,marie ,rambert and the ,camargo ,society4 ,each was to be of vital importance to the ballet picture in ,britain and1 indirectly1 in the world4 ,the offspring of the ,ballet ,club was the ,rambert ,ballet2 that of the ,camargo ,society1 the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet4 ,as a matter of fact1 the ,camargo ,society1 a ,sunday night producing club1 utilized the ,ballet ,club dancers and another studio group headed by the lady now known as ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 ,d4,b4,e41 ,d4 ,litt4 ,back in #aica1 at the time of the formation of the ,camargo ,society1 the little acorn from which grew a mighty ,british oak1 ,dame ,ninette1 8,madame0 as she is known to all who know her1 was plain ,ninette de ,valois1 who was born ,edris ,stannus1 in ,ireland1 in #ahih4 ,she had joined the ,diaghileff ,ballet as a dancer in #aibc1 had risen to the rank of soloist 7a rare accomplishment for a non-,russian71 and left the great man1 daring to differ with him on the direction he was taking1 something amounting to lese majest4 ,she had produced plays1 in the meantime1 at ,dublin's famous ,abbey ,theatre and at ,cambridge ,university's ,festival ,theatre2 and had also formed a choreographic group of her own which she brought along to the ,camargo ,society to cooperate4 ,when she did so1 she was far from famous4 ,as a matter of fact1 she was1 to all intents and purposes1 unknown4 ,one ,sunday night in #aica1 two things happened to ,ninette de ,valois3 she became famous overnight1 which1 knowing her as ,i do1 was of much less importance to her than the fact that1 quite unwittingly1 she laid the foundation for a ,british ,national ,ballet under her own direction4 ,the work she produced for the ,camargo ,society on this ,sunday night in #aica did it4 ,it was not a ballet in the strictest or accepted sense of the word4 ,its composer called it ,a ,masque for ,dancing4 ,the work was ,job1 a danced and mimed interpretation of the ,biblical story1 in the spirit of the painter and poet ,blake1 to one of ,ralph ,vaughan ,williams's noblest scores4 ,from ,biblical inspiration she turned to the primitive1 in a production of ,darius ,milhaud's ,creation du ,monde1 a noble subject dealing with the primitive gods of ,easter ,island1 set to the #aibc jazz of the ,french composer4 ,coincidental with the ,camargo ,society activities1 ,ninette de ,valois was making arrangements with another great ,englishwoman1 ,lilian ,baylis1 who had brought opera and drama to the masses at two theatres in the less fashionable parts of ,london1 the ,old ,vic1 in the ,waterloo ,road1 and ,sadler's ,wells1 in ,islington's ,rosebery ,avenue4 ,lilian ,baylis wanted a ballet company4 ,armed with only her own determination and high-mindedness1 she had established a real theatre for the masses4 ,ninette de ,valois1 for a penny1 started in with her group to do the opera ballets at the ,old ,vic3 those interludes in ,carmen and ,faust and ,samson and ,delilah that exist primarily to keep the dull businessman in his seat with his wife instead of at the bar4 ,however1 ,lilian ,baylis gave ,ninette de ,valois a ballet school1 and it was in the theatre1 where a ballet school belonged1 a part of and an adjunct to the theatre4 ,the ,vic-,wells ,ballet1 soon to become the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 was the result4 ,it was not nearly as easy and as simple as it sounds as ,i write it4 ,it is beyond me fully to convey to the reader those qualities of tenacity of purpose1 of driving energy1 of fearless courage that this remarkable woman was forced to draw upon in the early years4 ,there was no money2 and before a single penny could be separated from her1 it had to be melted from the glue with which she stuck every penny to the inside of her purse4 ,alicia ,markova joined the company4 ,anton ,dolin was a frequent guest artist4 ,it was1 in a sense1 a ,markova company1 with the three most popular works3 ,swan ,lake1 ,the ,nutcracker1 and ,giselle4 ,but1 most importantly1 ,ninette de ,valois had that vital requisite without which1 no matter how solvent the financial backing1 no ballet company is worth the price of its toe-shoes1 viz41 a policy4 ,ninette de ,valois' policy for repertoire is codified into a simple formula3 #a7 ,traditional-classical and romantic works4 #b7 ,modern works of future classic importance4 #c7 ,current work of more topical interest4 #d7 ,works encouraging a strictly national tendency in their creation generally4 ,the first constitutes the foundation-stone1 technical standard1 and historical knowledge that is demanded as a 8means test0 by which the abilities of the young dancers are both developed and inspired4 ,the second1 those works which both musically and otherwise have a future that may be regarded as the major works of this generation4 ,the third1 the topical and sometimes experimental1 of merely ephemeral interest and value1 yet important as a means of balancing an otherwise ambitious programme4 ,the fourth is important to the national significance of the ballet4 ,such works constitute the nation's own contribution to the theatre1 and are in need perhaps of the most careful guidance of the groups4 ,it was the classics which had1 from the beginning1 the place of priority3 ,swan ,lake 7,act ,,ii71 ,les ,sylphides1 ,carnaval1 ,copplia1 ,the ,nutcracker1 ,giselle1 and the full-length ,swan ,lake4 ,in #aice1 ,markova left ,sadler's ,wells to form her own company with ,dolin4 ,with ,markova's departure1 the whole character of the ,sadler's ,wells company changed4 ,the ,company became the ,star4 ,the company got along without a ballerina and concentrated on its own personality1 on developing dancers from its school1 and on its direction4 ,creation and development continued4 ,however1 during this time1 there was emerging not precisely a 8star10 but a great ballerina4 ,ballerina is a term greatly misused in the ,united ,states1 where any little dancer is much too often referred to both in the press and in general conversation in this way4 ,ballerina is a title1 not a term4 ,the title is one earned only through long1 hard experience4 ,it is attained only in the highly skilled interpretation of the great standard classical parts4 ,russia1 ,france1 ,italy1 ,denmark1 countries where there are state ballets1 know these things4 ,we in the ,united ,states1 ,i fear1 do not understand4 ,a 8star0 is not one merely by virtue of billing4 ,a ballerina is1 of course1 a 8star10 even in a company that has no 8stars0 in its billing and advertising4 ,a true ballerina is a rare bird indeed4 ,in an entire generation1 it should be remembered1 the ,russian ,imperial ,ballet produced only enough for the fingers of two hands4 ,the great ballerina ,i have mentioned as having come up through the ,sadler's ,wells ,company1 as the product of that company1 is more than a ballerina4 ,she is a prima ballerina assoluta1 a product of ,sadler's ,wells training1 of the ,sadler's ,wells system1 a member of that all-round team that is ,sadler's ,wells4 ,her name is ,margot ,fonteyn4 ,i shall have something to say about her later on4 ,i have pointed out that the backbone of the ,sadler's ,wells repertoire is the classics4 ,therein1 in my opinion1 lies one of the chief reasons for its great success4 ,there is a second reason1 ,i believe4 ,that is that1 along with ,ninette de ,valois' sound production policy1 keeping step with it1 sometimes leading it1 is an equally sound musical policy4 ,sitting in with de ,valois and ,frederick ,ashton1 as the third of the directorial triumvirate1 was the brilliant musician1 critic1 and wit1 ,constant ,lambert1 who exerted a powerful influence in the building of the repertoire1 and who1 with the sympathetic cooperation of his two colleagues1 made the musical standards of ,sadler's ,wells the highest of any ballet company in my knowledge and experience4 ,the company grew and prospered4 ,the war merely served to intensify its efforts--and its accomplishments4 ,its war record is a brilliant1 albeit a difficult one2 a record of unremitting hard work and dogged perseverance against terrible odds4 ,the company performed unceasingly throughout the course of the war1 with bombs falling4 ,once the dancing was stopped1 while the dancers fought a fire ignited by an incendiary bomb and thus saved the theatre4 ,the company was on a good-will tour of ,holland1 under the auspices of the ,british ,council1 in the spring of #aidj4 ,they were at ,arnheim when ,hitler invaded4 ,packed into buses1 they raced ahead of the ,panzers1 reached the last boat to leave1 left minus everything1 but everything3 productions1 scenery1 costumes1 properties1 musical material1 and every scrap of personal clothing4 ,once back in ,britain1 there was no cessation4 ,the lost productions and costumes were replaced2 the musical material renewed1 some of it1 since it was manuscript1 by reorchestrating it from gramophone recordings4 ,as the ,battle of ,britain was being fought1 the company toured the entire country1 with two pianos in lieu of orchestra1 with ,constant ,lambert playing the first piano4 ,they played in halls1 in theatres1 in camps1 in factories2 brought ballet to soldiers and sailors1 to airmen1 and to factory workers1 often by candlelight4 ,they managed to create new works4 ,back to ,london1 to a ,west ,end theatre1 with orchestra1 and then1 because of the crowds1 to a larger ,west ,end playhouse4 ,it was at the end of the war1 as ,i have mentioned earlier1 that the music publishing house of ,boosey and ,hawkes1 with a splendid generosity1 saved the historic ,royal ,opera ,house1 at ,covent ,garden1 from being turned into a popular dance hall4 ,a common error on the part of ,americans is to believe that because it was called the ,royal ,opera ,house1 it was a ,state-supported theatre1 as1 for example1 are the ,royal ,opera ,house of ,denmark1 at ,copenhagen1 and the ,paris ,opra4 ,among those ,maecenases who had made opera possible in the old days in ,london was ,sir ,thomas ,beecham1 who made great personal sacrifices to keep it open4 ,when ,boosey and ,hawkes took over ,covent ,garden1 it was on a term lease4 ,on taking possession they immediately turned over the historic edifice to a committee known as the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust1 of which the chairman was ,lord ,keynes1 the distinguished economist and art patron who1 as plain ,mr4 ,john ,maynard ,keynes1 had been instrumental in the formation of the ,camargo ,society1 and who had married the one-time ,diaghileff ballerina1 ,lydia ,lopokova2 this committee had acted as god-parents to the ,sadler's ,wells company in its infancy4 ,the ,arts ,council supported the venture1 and ,david ,webster was appointed ,administrator4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a word or two about the ,arts ,council and its support of the arts in ,britain is necessary for two reasons3 one1 because it is germane to the story of ,sadler's ,wells1 and1 two1 germane to some things ,i wish to point out in connection with subsidy of the arts in these troubled times1 since ,i believe a parallel can be drawn with our own hit-and-miss financing4 ,under the ,british system1 there is no attempt to interfere with aesthetics4 ,the late ,sir ,stafford ,cripps pointed out that the ,government should interfere as little as possible in the free development of art4 ,the ,british ,government's attitude has1 perhaps1 been best stated by ,clement ,atlee1 as ,prime ,minister1 when he said3 8,i think that we are all of one mind in desiring that art should be free40 ,he added that he thought the essential purpose of an organized society was to set free the creative energies of the individual1 while safeguarding the well-being of all4 ,the ,government1 he continued1 must try to provide conditions in which art might flourish4 ,there is no 8,ministry of ,fine ,arts0 as in most continental and ,south ,american countries4 ,the ,government's interest in making art better known and more within the reach of all is expressed through three bodies3 the ,arts ,council1 the ,british ,film ,institute1 and the ,british ,council4 ,the ,arts ,council was originally known by the rather unwieldy handle of ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4 7,the ,council for the ,encouragement of ,music and the ,arts71 originally founded by a gift from an ,american and ,lord ,de ,la ,warr1 then ,president of the ,board of ,education4 ,in #aide1 the ,government decided to continue the work1 changed the name from ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4 to the ,arts ,council of ,great ,britain1 gave it ,parliamentary financial support1 and granted it1 on #i ,august1 #aidf1 a ,royal ,charter to develop 8a greater knowledge1 understanding and practice of fine arts exclusively1 and in particular to increase the availability of the fine arts to the public 444 to improve the standard of the execution of the fine arts and to advise and cooperate with 444 ,government departments1 local authorities and other bodies on matters concerned directly or indirectly with those objects40 ,now1 the ,arts ,council1 while sponsored by the ,government1 is not a ,government department4 ,its chairman and governors 7called members of the ,council7 are appointed by the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer after consultation with the ,minister of ,education and the ,secretary of ,state for ,scotland4 ,the ,chancellor answers for the ,council in the ,house of ,commons4 ,while the ,council is supported by a ,government grant1 its employees are in no sense civil servants1 and the ,council enjoys an independence that would not be possible were it a ,government department4 ,the first chairman of the ,arts ,council1 and also a former chairman of ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a41 was ,lord ,keynes4 ,his influence on the policy and direction of the organization was invaluable4 ,there are advisory boards1 known as panels1 appointed for three years1 experts chosen by the ,council because of their standing in and knowledge of their fields4 ,among many others1 the following well-known artists have served1 without payment3 ,sir ,laurence ,olivier1 ,john ,gielgud1 ,noel ,coward1 ,peggy ,ashcroft1 ,j4 ,b4 ,priestley1 ,dame ,myra ,hess1 ,benjamin ,britten1 ,tyrone ,guthrie1 ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 and ,henry ,moore4 ,while statistics can be dull1 a couple are necessary to the picture to show how the ,arts ,council operates4 ,for example1 the ,arts ,council's annual grant from the ,british ,treasury has risen each year3 in #aide-aidf1 the sum was #bce1jjj 7#feh1jjj72 in #aiej-aiea1 #fge1jjj 7#a1hij1jjj74 ,treasury control is maintained through a ,treasury ,assessor to the ,arts ,council2 on his advice1 the ,chancellor of the ,exchequer recommends to ,parliament a sum to be granted4 ,the ,assessor is in a position to judge whether the money is being properly distributed1 but he does not interfere with the complete autonomy of the ,council4 ,the ,council1 in its turn1 supports the arts of the country by giving financial assistance or guarantees to organizations1 companies1 and societies2 by directly providing concerts and exhibitions2 or by directly managing and operating a company or theatre4 ,the recipient organizations1 for their part1 must be non-profit or charitable trusts capable of helping carry out the ,council's purpose of bringing to the ,british people entertainment of a high standard4 ,such organizations must have been accepted as non-profit companies by ,h4 ,m4 ,commissioners of ,customs and ,excise1 and exempted by them from liability to pay ,entertainments ,duty4 ,an example of the help tendered may be gathered from the fact that in #aiej1 eight festivals1 ten symphony orchestras1 five theatres1 twenty-five theatre companies1 seven opera and ballet companies1 one society for poetry and music1 two art societies1 four arts centers1 and sixty-three clubs were being helped4 ,in addition1 two theatres1 three theatre companies1 and one arts center were entirely and exclusively managed by the ,arts ,council4 ,some of the best-known ,british orchestras1 theatres1 and companies devoted to opera1 ballet1 and the drama are linked to the ,arts ,council3 ,the ,hall ,orchestra1 the ,london ,philharmonic ,orchestra1 the ,london ,symphony ,orchestra1 ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust1 ,covent ,garden ,opera ,company1 and the ,sadler's ,wells ,companies are among them4 ,also the ,old ,vic1 ,tennent ,productions1 ,ltd41 and the ,young ,vic ,theatre companies4 ,government assistance to opera in twentieth century ,britain did not begin with the ,arts ,council4 ,in the early 'thirties ,parliament granted a small subsidy to the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,syndicate for some two years to help present grand opera in ,covent ,garden and the provinces at popular prices4 ,a total of #dj1jjj 7#aab1jjj7 had been paid when the grant was withdrawn after the financial crisis of #aica1 and it was more than ten years before national opera became a reality4 ,in the meantime1 some ballet companies and an opera company began to receive ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4 support4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,opera ,company and ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,company1 for instance1 began their association with ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4 in #aidc4 ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4 was also interested in plans stirring in #aidd and #aide to reclaim the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 as a national center for ballet and opera4 ,i have pointed out how this great theatre in ,london1 with a history dating back to the eighteenth century1 was leased in #aidd by the international music firm of ,boosey and ,hawkes1 who1 in turn1 rented it to the newly formed ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust4 ,the ,trust1 an autonomous body whose original chairman was ,lord ,keynes1 is a non-profit body which devotes any profits it may make to ,trust projects4 ,late in #aidi1 ,h4 ,m4 ,ministry of ,works succeeded ,boosey and ,hawkes as lessees1 with a forty-two-year lease4 ,the ,arts ,council1 in taking over from ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a41 inherited ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4's interest in using ,covent ,garden for national ballet and opera4 ,the ,council granted ,covent ,garden #be1jjj 7#gj1jjj7 for the year ended #ca ,march1 #aidf1 and #ee1jjj 7#aed1jjj7 for the following year4 ,at the same time1 it was granting ,sadler's ,wells ,foundation #aj1jjj 7#bh1jjj7 and #ae1jjj 7#db1jjj7 in those years4 ,the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust1 in the meantime1 had invited the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet to move to ,covent ,garden from their famous ballet center1 ,sadler's ,wells4 ,this it did1 early in #aidf1 leaving behind another company called the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet4 ,ninette de ,valois continued to direct both groups4 ,it was a year later the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,company gave its first presentation under the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust1 and the two chief ,covent ,carden companies1 opera and ballet1 were solidly settled in their new home4 ,the ,trust continues to receive a grant from the ,arts ,council 7#ade1jjj #djf1jjj in #aidi-aiej71 and it pays the rent for the ,opera ,house and the salaries and expenses of the companies4 ,so far as the ballet company is concerned1 the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet pretty well pays its own way1 except for that all-besetting expense in ballet1 the cost of new productions4 ,the opera company requires relatively more support from the ,trust grant1 as it has re-staged and produced every opera afresh1 not using any old productions4 ,moreover1 the attendance for ballet is greater than that for opera4 ,the aim of ,covent ,garden and its ,administrator1 ,david ,webster1 is to create a steady audience1 and to appeal to groups that have not hitherto attended ballet and opera1 or have attended only when the most brilliant stars were appearing4 ,seats sell for as little as #bs #f;d 7#ce71 rising to #bfs #c;d 7#c4fg7 and the ballet-and-opera-going habit has grown noticeably in recent years4 ,it is interesting to note the audience for opera averaged eighty-three per cent capacity1 and for the ballet ninety-two per cent4 ,the two ,british companies alternately presenting ballet and opera provide most of the entertainment at ,covent ,garden1 but foreign companies such as the ,vienna ,state ,opera with the ,vienna ,philharmonic ,orchestra1 ,la ,scala ,opera1 the ,paris ,opra ,comique1 the ,ballet ,theatre from ,new ,york1 the ,new ,york ,city ,ballet ,company1 the ,grand ,ballet of the ,marquis de ,cuevas1 and ,colonel de ,basil's ,original ,ballets ,russes have had short seasons there4 ,the ,arts ,council is in association with the two permanent companies coincidentally operating at ,sadler's ,wells--the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet and the ,sadler's ,wells ,opera ,company4 ,other opera and ballet companies associated with the ,arts ,council are the ,english ,opera ,group1 ,ltd41 and the ,ballet ,rambert1 while the ,arts ,council manages the ,st4 ,james ,ballet ,company4 ,all these companies tour in ,britain1 and some of them make extended tours abroad4 ,the ,ballet ,rambert1 for instance1 has made a tour of ,australia and ,new ,zealand1 which lasted a year and a half1 a record for that area4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet has made long and highly successful tours of the ,european continent4 ,its first visit to ,america occurred in the autumn of #aidi1 when the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust1 in association with the ,arts ,council and the ,british ,council1 presented the group at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house in ,new ,york ,city1 and in various other centres in the ,united ,states and ,canada1 under my management4 ,a second and much longer visit took place in #aiej-aiea1 with which visits this chapter is primarily concerned4 ,sadler's ,wells has a ballet school of something more than two hundred students1 including the general education of boys and girls from ten to sixteen4 ,scholarships are increasing in number2 some of these are offered by various ,county ,councils and other local authorities1 and a number by the ,royal ,academy of ,dancing4 ,in addition to the ,arts ,council1 ,i have mentioned the ,british ,council1 and no account of ,britain's cultural activities could make any pretensions to being intelligible without something more than a mention of it4 ,it should be pointed out that the major part of the ,british ,council's work is done abroad4 ,established in #aicd1 the ,british ,council is ,britain's chief agent for strengthening cultural relations with the rest of the ,british ,commonwealth1 ,europe1 the ,middle ,east1 the ,far ,east1 the ,united ,states1 and ,latin ,america4 ,it is responsible for helping to make ,british cultural achievements known and understood abroad1 and for bringing to the ,british1 in turn1 a closer knowledge of foreign countries4 ,like many other ,british cultural bodies1 the ,british ,council derives its main financial support from the ,government 7through grants from the ,foreign ,office1 plus certain sums on the ,colonial and ,commonwealth votes71 and is a body corporate1 not a ,government organization4 ,its staff are not civil servants and its work is entirely divorced from politics1 though the ,council has a certain amount of ,state control because nine of the ,executive ,committee 7fifteen to thirty in number7 are nominated by ,government departments4 ,the ,british ,council's chief activities concern educational exchanges with foreign countries of students1 teachers1 and technicians1 including arranging facilities for these visitors in ,britain2 they include supporting libraries and information services abroad where ,british books and other reading materials are readily available1 and further include the financing of tours of ,british lecturers and exhibitions1 and of theatrical1 musical1 and ballet troupes abroad4 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet has toured to ,brussels1 ,prague1 ,warsaw1 ,poznau1 ,malm1 ,oslo1 ,lisbon1 ,berlin1 and the ,united ,states and ,canada under ,british ,council auspices with great success4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet has toured the ,united ,states and ,canada1 under my management1 with equal success1 and is soon to visit ,africa1 including ,kenya ,colony4 ,the ,old ,vic ,company1 the ,boyd ,neel ,string ,orchestra1 and the ,ballet ,rambert toured ,australia and ,new ,zealand1 and the ,old ,vic has toured ,canada4 ,john ,gielgud's theatre company has visited ,canada4 ,in addition1 the ,british ,council has sponsored visits abroad of such distinguished musicians as ,sir ,adrian ,boult1 ,sir ,john ,barbirolli1 ,sir ,malcolm ,sargent1 and ,maggie ,teyte4 ,one of the ,british ,council's important trusts is the responsibility for the special gramophone recordings of distinguished musical works and of the spoken word4 ,this promotion is adding notably to record libraries1 and is helping to make the best music available to listeners all over the world4 ,it is also the ,government's principal agent for carrying out the cultural conventions agreed upon with other members of the ,united ,nations4 ,these provide1 in general1 for encouraging mutual knowledge and appreciation of each other's culture through interchanging teachers1 offering student scholarships1 and exchanging books1 films1 lectures1 concerts1 plays1 exhibitions1 and musical scores4 ,the relationship between the ,british ,council and the ,arts ,council is necessarily one of careful collaboration4 ,in the time of ,c4 ,e4 ,m4 ,a4 many tasks were accomplished in common1 such as looking after foreign residents in ,great ,britain4 ,now the division of labor of the two ,councils is well defined1 with clear-cut agreement on their respective responsibilities for the various entertainment groups that come to or go from ,britain4 ,the ,british ,council helps ,british artists and works of art to go ahead2 the ,arts ,council assists artistic activities in ,britain1 including any that may come from abroad4 ,both bodies have a number of committee members in common1 and the feeling between the groups is close and friendly4 ,it is1 ,i feel1 characteristic of the ,british that1 without a definite1 planned1 long-term programme for expanding its patronage of the arts1 the ,british ,government has nevertheless come to give financial aid to almost every branch of the art world4 ,this has developed over a period of years1 with accumulated speed in the last twelve because of the war1 because the days of wide patronage from large private incomes are disappearing if not altogether disappeared1 and also perhaps because of an increasing general realization of the people's greater need for leisure-time occupation4 ,in all of this ,i must point out quite emphatically that it is the ,british ,government's policy to encourage and support existing and valuable institutions4 ,thus the great symphony orchestras1 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 ,covent ,garden ,opera1 and various theatre companies are not run by the ,government1 but given grants by the ,arts ,council1 a corporation supported by ,government money4 ,what is more1 there is no one central body in ,britain in charge of the fine arts1 but a number of organizations1 with the ,arts ,council covering the widest territory4 ,government patronage of the arts in ,britain1 as has frequently been true of other ,british institutions1 has grown with the needs of the times1 and the organization of the operating bodies has been flexible and adaptable4 ,the bodies that receive ,government money1 such as the ,arts ,council1 the ,british ,broadcasting ,corporation1 and the ,british ,council are relatively independent of the ,government1 their employees not being civil servants and their day-to-day business being conducted autonomously4 ,there is no attempt on the part of the ,government to interfere with the presentations of the companies receiving ,state aid1 though often the ,government encourages experimentation4 ,a very happy combination of arts sponsorship is now permissible under a comparatively recent ,act of ,parliament that allows local government authorities to assist theatrical and musical groups fully4 ,now1 for instance1 an orchestra based anywhere in ,britain may have the financial backing of the town authorities1 as well as of the ,arts ,council and private patrons4 ,while accurate predictions about the future course of relations between ,government and the arts in ,britain are not1 of course1 possible1 it seems likely1 however1 that all of mankind will be found with more1 rather than less1 leisure in the years to come4 ,in the days of the industrial revolution in ,britain a hundred-odd years ago1 the people1 by which ,i mean the working classes1 had little opportunity for cultivating a taste for the arts4 ,now1 with the average number of hours worked by ,british men1 thanks to trade unionism and a more genuinely progressive and humanitarian point of view1 standing at something under forty-seven weekly1 there is obviously less time devoted to earning a living1 leaving more for learning the art of living4 ,it may well be that the next hundred years will see even more intensive efforts made to help people to use their leisure hours pleasantly and profitably4 ,as long ago as the early #aicj's1 at a time when he was so instrumental in encouraging ballet through the founding of the ,camargo ,society1 ,lord 7then ,j4 ,maynard7 ,keynes wrote that he hoped and believed the day would come when the problem of earning one's daily bread might not be the most important one of our lives1 and that 8the arena of the heart and head will be occupied1 or reoccupied1 by our real problems--the problems of life and of human relations1 of creation and behavior and religion40 ,then1 8for the first time since his creation10 ,lord ,keynes continued1 8man will be faced with his real1 his permanent problem--how to use his freedom from pressing economic cares1 how to occupy the leisure science and compound interest will have won for him to live wisely and agreeably and well40 99 99 99 99 99 ,stripped to the simplest explanation possible1 ,sadler's ,wells leased its company to ,covent ,garden for a period of years4 ,the move must have entailed a prodigious amount of work for all concerned and for ,ninette de ,valois in particular4 ,quite apart from all the physical detail involved3 new scenery1 new musical material1 new costumes1 more dancers1 there was1 most importantly1 a change of point of view1 even of direction4 ,with a large theatre and orchestra1 and large responsibilities1 experimental works for the moment had to be postponed4 ,new thinking had to be employed1 because the company's direction was now in the terms of the ,maryinsky ,theatre1 the ,bolshoi1 the ,paris ,opra4 ,the keystone of the arch that is ,sadler's ,wells's policy is the full-length productions of classical ballets4 ,the prime example is ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 my own reactions to which1 when ,i first saw it1 ,i have already recounted4 ,in the production of this work1 the company was preeminent1 with ,margot ,fonteyn as a bright1 particular star2 but the 8star0 system1 if one cares to call it that1 was utilized to the full1 since each night there was a change of cast2 and it must be remembered that in ,london it is possible to present a full-length work every night for a month or more without changing the bill1 whereas in this country1 almost daily changes are required4 ,this1 it should be pointed out1 required a good deal of audience training4 ,the magnificent production of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty cost more than #aj1jjj1 at ,british costs4 ,what the costs for such a production as that would have been on this side of the ,atlantic ,i dislike to contemplate4 ,the point is that it was a complete financial success4 ,another point ,i should like to make is that while ,the ,sleeping ,beauty was presented nightly1 week after week1 there was no slighting of the other classical works such as the full-length ,swan ,lake1 ,copplia1 ,les ,sylphides1 and ,giselle2 nor was there any diminution of new works or revivals of works from their own repertoire4 ,it was in #aidh ,i returned to ,london further to pursue the matter of their invasion of ,america4 ,it was my very dear friend1 the late ,ralph ,hawkes of the music publishing firm of ,boosey and ,hawkes1 the leaseholders of ,covent ,garden1 who helped materially in arranging matters and in persuading the ,sadler's ,wells direction and the ,british ,arts ,council that they were ready for ,america and that1 since ,hawkes was closely identified with ,america's musical life1 that this country was ready for them4 ,meanwhile1 ,ninette de ,valois grew increasingly dubious about full-length1 full-evening ballets1 such as ,the ,sleeping ,beauty and ,swan ,lake1 in the ,states1 and was convinced in her own mind that the ,united ,states and ,canadian audiences not only would not accept them1 much less sit still before a single work lasting three and one-half hours4 ,much1 of course1 was at stake for all concerned and it was1 indeed1 a serious problem about which to make a final1 inevitable decision4 ,the conferences were long and many4 ,conferences are a natural concomitant of ballet4 ,but there was a vast difference between these conferences and the hundreds ,i had had with the ,russians1 the ,caucasians1 the ,bulgarians1 and the ,axminsters4 ,here were neither intrigues nor whims1 neither suspicion nor stupidity4 ,on the contrary1 here was reasonableness1 logic1 frankness1 fundamental ,british honesty4 ,george ,borodin1 a ,russian-born ,englishman and a great ballet-lover1 once pointed out that ballet is a medium that transcends words1 adding 8the tongue is a virtuoso that can make an almost inexhaustible series of noises of all kinds40 ,in my countless earlier conferences with other ballet directorates1 really few of those noises1 alas1 really meant anything4 ,at last1 the affirmative decision was made and we arrived at an agreement on the repertoire for the ,american season1 to include the full-length works1 along with a representative cross-section1 historically speaking1 of the ,sadler's ,wells repertoire of their shorter works4 ,the matter settled1 ,i left for home4 ,on my return to ,new ,york1 still other problems awaited me4 ,the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 the only possible ,new ,york stage on which ,sadler's ,wells could appear1 was faced with difficulties and perplexities1 with other commitments for the period when the ,british visitors would be here4 ,however1 thanks to the invaluable cooperation and assistance of ,edward ,johnson1 ,alfred ,p4 ,sloan1 and ,mrs4 ,august ,belmont1 it was decided that a part of the season should be given to ,sadler's ,wells4 ,had it not been for their friendly1 intelligent1 and influential offices1 ,new ,york might not have had the pleasure and privilege of the ,sadler's ,wells visit4 ,the road at last having been cleared1 our promotional campaign was started and was limited to four weeks4 ,the response is a matter of theatrical history4 ,here1 for the first time in the ,united ,states1 was a company carrying on the great tradition in classical ballet1 with timely and contemporary additions4 ,here was a company with a broad repertoire based on and imbedded in the full-length classics1 but also bolstered with modern works that strike deep into human experience4 ,here were choreographers who strove to broaden the scope of their art and to bring into their works some of the richness of modern psychology and drama1 always balletic in idiom1 with freedom of style1 who permitted their dramatic imaginations to guide them in creating movement and in the use of music4 ,by boat came the splendid productions1 the costumes1 the properties1 loads and loads of them4 ,by special chartered planes came the company1 and the technical staff1 the entire contingent headed by the famous directorial trio1 ,ninette de ,valois1 ,frederick ,ashton1 and ,constant ,lambert1 with the executive side in the capable hands of ,david ,webster1 ,general ,administrator4 ,the technical department was magnificently presided over by ,herbert ,hughes1 ,general ,manager of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 and the late ,louis ,yudkin1 ,general ,stage ,director4 ,it was an ,american ballerina1 ,nora ,kaye1 who hustled ,margot ,fonteyn from the airport to let her have her first peek at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,the curtain was up when they arrived1 revealing the old gold and red auditorium4 ,margot's perceptive eyes took it all in at a glance4 ,she took a deep breath1 clasped her hands in front of her4 8,thank goodness10 she said1 8it's old and comfortable and warm and rich1 as an opera house should be40 ,she paused for a reflective moment and added1 8,i was so afraid it would be slick and modern like everything else here1 all steel and chromium1 and spit and polish4 ,i'm glad it's old604 ,on an afternoon before the opening1 my very good friend1 ,hans ,juda1 publisher of ,britain's international textile journal1 ,ambassador1 together with his charming wife1 gave a large and delightful cocktail party at ,sherry's in the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house for a large list of invited guests from the worlds of art1 business1 and diplomacy4 ,hans ,juda is a very helpful and influential figure in the world of ,british textiles and wearing apparel4 ,it was he1 together with the amiable ,james ,cleveland ,belle of the famous ,bond ,street house of ,horrocks1 who arranged with ,british designers1 dressmakers1 textile manufacturers1 and tailors to see that each member of the ,sadler's ,wells company was outfitted with complete wardrobes for both day and evening wear2 the distaff side with hats1 suits1 frocks1 shoes1 and accessories2 the male side with lounge suits1 dinner jackets1 shoes1 gloves1 etc4 ,the men were also furnished with1 shall ,i say1 necessaries for the well-dressed man1 which were soon packed away1 viz41 bowler hats 78derbies0 to the ,american native7 and 8brollies0 7umbrellas to ,broadway74 ,the next night was1 in more senses than one1 the ,,big night3 a completely fabulous premire4 ,the ,metropolitan was sold out weeks in advance1 with standees up to1 and who knows1 perhaps beyond1 the normal capacity4 ,hundreds of ballet lovers had stood in queue for hours to obtain a place in the coveted sardine space1 reaching in double line completely round the square block the historic old house occupies on ,broadway1 ,seventh ,avenue1 ,thirty-ninth and ,fortieth ,streets4 ,the orchestra stalls and boxes were filled with the great in all walks of life4 ,the central boxes of the 8,golden ,horseshoe10 draped in the ,stars and ,stripes and the ,union ,jack1 housed the leading figures of the diplomatic and municipal worlds4 ,although the date was #i ,october1 it was the hottest night of the summer1 as luck would have it4 ,the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house is denied the benefit of modern air-conditioning2 the temperature within its hallowed walls1 thanks to the mass of humanity and the lights1 was many degrees above that of the humid blanket outside4 ,despite all this1 so long as ,i shall live1 ,i shall never forget the stirring round of applause that greeted that distinguished figure1 ,constant ,lambert1 as he entered the orchestra pit to lead the orchestra in the two anthems1 the ,star ,spangled ,banner and ,god ,save the ,king4 ,the audience resumed their seats2 there was a bated pause1 and then from the pit came the first notes of the overture to ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 under the sympathetic baton of that finest of ballet conductors4 ,so long as ,i shall live ,i shall never forget the deafening applause as the curtains opened on the first of ,oliver ,messel's sets and costumes4 ,that applause1 which was repeated and repeated--for ,fonteyn's entrance1 increasing in its roar until1 at the end1 ,dame ,ninette had to make a little speech1 against her will--still rings in my ears4 ,i have had the privilege of handling the world's greatest artists and most distinguished attractions2 my career has been punctuated with stirring opening performances of my own1 and ,i have been at others quite as memorable4 ,however1 so far as the quality of the demonstrations and the manifestations of enthusiasm are concerned1 the premire of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 on #i ,october1 #aidi1 was the most outstanding of my entire experience4 ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 outwardly as calm as ever1 but1 ,i suspect1 inwardly a mass of conflicting emotions1 was seated in the box with ,mayor ,o',dwyer4 ,as the curtains closed on the first act of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 and the tremendous roar of cheers and applause rose from the packed house1 the ,mayor laid his hand on 8,madame's0 arm and said1 8,lady1 you're in60 ,crisply and a shade perplexed1 8,madame0 replied3 8,in8444 ,really80 ,genuinely puzzled now1 she tried unsuccessfully to translate to herself what this could mean4 8,strange language10 she thought1 8,i'm in8444 ,in what8444 ,what on earth does that mean80 ,we met in the interval4 ,i grasped her hand in sincere congratulation4 ,she patted me absently as she smiled4 ,then she turned and spoke4 8,look here10 she said1 8could you translate for me1 please1 something ,his ,lordship just said to me as the curtain fell8 ,put it into ,english1 ,i mean80 ,it was my turn to be puzzled4 8,madame0 was1 ,i thought1 seated with ,mayor ,o',dwyer4 ,had she wandered about1 moved to another box8 8,his ,lordship80 8,yes1 yes1 of course4 ,your ,lord ,mayor1 with whom ,i am sitting40 ,i hadn't thought of ,o',dwyer in terms of a peer4 8,yes1 yes10 she continued1 8as the applause1 that very surprising applause rang out at the end1 the ,lord ,mayor turned to me and said1 #8,lady1 you're in6' ,just like that4 ,now will you please translate for me what it is8 ,tell me1 is that good or bad80 ,laughingly ,i replied1 8,what do you think80 8,i really don't know0 was her serious and sincere response4 ,the simple fact was that ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 ,d4,b4,e41 ,d4 ,litt41 to whose untiring efforts ,sadler's ,wells owes its success1 its existence1 its very being1 honestly thought the company was failing in ,new ,york4 ,this most gala of gala nights was crowned by a large and extremely gay supper party given by ,mayor ,o',dwyer1 at ,gracie ,mansion1 the official residence of the ,mayor of the ,city of ,new ,york4 ,it was a warm and balmy night1 with an ,indian ,summer moon--one of those halcyon nights all too rare4 ,because of this1 it was possible to stage the supper in that most idyllic of settings1 on the spacious lawn overlooking the moon-drenched ,east ,river1 with the silhouettes of the great bridges etched in silver lights against the glow from the hundreds of colored lights strung over the lawn4 ,beneath all this gleamed the white linen of the many tables1 the sparkle of crystal1 the gloss of the silver4 ,two orchestras provided continuous dance music1 the food and the champagne were ineffable4 ,it was a party given by the ,mayor3 to honor the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet and to cement those cultural ties between the two great world centers1 ,london and ,new ,york4 ,what better means are there for mutual understanding and admiration8 ,there was1 however1 a delay on the part of the company in leaving the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 a quite extended delay4 ,three large buses waited at the stage door1 manned by ,police ,department ,inspectors in dress uniforms1 with gold badges4 ,but this was the first time the company had worn the new evening creations ,i have mentioned4 ,it took longer to array themselves in these than it did for them to prepare for the performance4 ,as a matter of fact1 ,margot ,fonteyn and ,moira ,shearer were the last to be ready1 each of them ravishing and stunning1 the dark1 flashing brunette beauty of ,fonteyn in striking contrast to the soft1 pinkish loveliness of ,shearer4 ,then it was necessary for our staff and the police to form a flying wedge to clear a path from the stage door to the waiting buses through the tightly-packed crowd that waited in ,fortieth ,street for a glimpse of the triumphant stars4 ,safe aboard at last1 off the cavalcade started1 headed by a ,police ,department squad car1 with siren tied down1 red lights flashing1 together with two motorcycle police officers fifteen feet in advance and the same complement1 squad car and outriders1 bringing up the rear of the procession1 through the red traffic lights1 thus providing the company with yet another ,american thrill4 ,there was a tense instant as the procession left the ,metropolitan and the police sirens commenced their wail4 ,the last time the company had heard a siren was in the days of the blitz in ,london1 when1 no matter how inured one became1 the siren's first tintinnabulation brought on that sudden shock that no familiarity can entirely eradicate4 ,it was ,constant ,lambert's dry wit that eased the situation4 8,it's all right1 girls10 he called out1 8that's the #8all clear4'04 ,heading the receiving line at ,gracie ,mansion1 as the company descended the wide stairs into the festive garden1 were the ,mayor and ,grover ,whalen1 ,sir ,oliver and ,lady ,franks1 ,sir ,alexander ,cadogan1 the ,honorable ,trygve ,lie1 ,president ,romulo4 ,there was a twinkle in ,mayor ,o',dwyer's eye1 as some of the corps de ballet girls curtsied with a 8,good-evening1 your ,lordship40 ,toasts were drunk to the ,president of the ,united ,states1 the ,king of ,england1 ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 to the ,mayor1 to ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,moira ,shearer1 and the other principals4 ,the party waxed even gayer4 ,dancers seem never to tire of dancing4 ,it was three in the morning when the ,mayor made a short speech to say 8good-night10 explaining that he was under doctor's orders to go to bed1 but that the party was to continue unabated1 and all were to enjoy themselves4 ,it was past four o'clock when it finally broke up1 and the buses1 with their police escorts1 started the journey back through a sleeping ,manhattan to deposit the company at their various hotels4 ,constant ,lambert1 the lone wolf1 lived apart from the rest at an ,east ,side hotel4 ,all the rest of the company had been dropped1 when three buses1 six inspectors1 two squad cars1 four motorcycle officers1 halted before the sedate hostelry after five in the morning1 and ,constant ,lambert1 the sole passenger in the imposing cavalcade1 slowly and with a grave1 seventeenth-century dignity1 solemnly shook hands with drivers1 motor police1 and all the inspectors1 thanked them for the extremely interesting1 and1 as he put it1 8highly informative0 journey1 saluted them with his sturdy blackthorn stick1 and disappeared within the chaste portals of the hotel1 while the police stood at salute1 and two bewildered milk-men looked on in wonder4 ,the ,new ,york season was limited only by the availability of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,we could have played for months4 ,also1 the company was due back at ,covent ,garden to fulfil its obligations to the ,british taxpayer4 ,following the ,metropolitan engagement1 there was a brief tour1 involving a special train of six baggage cars1 diner1 and seven ,pullmans1 visiting1 with equal success and greeted by capacity and turn-away houses1 ,washington1 ,richmond1 ,philadelphia1 ,pittsburgh1 ,chicago1 and ,michigan ,state ,college at ,east ,lansing2 thence across the border into ,canada1 for engagements at ,toronto1 ,ottawa1 and ,montreal1 to honor the ,commonwealth4 ,before ,david ,webster returned to ,london1 we discussed the matter of an early return for a longer stay4 ,i pointed out that1 with such an evident success1 ,sadler's ,wells could not afford to delay its return for still further and greater triumphs4 ,now1 ,i emphasized1 was the time to take advantage of the momentum of success2 now1 if ever1 was the time1 since the promotion1 the publicity1 the press notices1 all were cumulative in effect4 ,webster1 ,i knew1 was impressed4 ,i waited for his answer4 ,but he shook his head slowly4 8,sol10 he said1 8it's doubtful4 ,frankly1 ,i do not think it is possible40 ,meanwhile1 ,i discussed the entire matter of the return with leading members of the company4 ,all were of a single opinion1 all of one mind4 ,they were anxious and eager to return4 ,such are the workings of the ,sadler's ,wells organization1 however1 that it was necessary to delay a decision as to a return visit until at least the #crd or #dth of ,january1 #aiej1 in order that the matter could be properly put before the ,british ,arts ,council and the ,british ,council for their final approval4 ,it should not be difficult for the reader to understand the anxiety and eagerness with which ,i anticipated that date4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it seems to me that during this period of suspense it might be well for me to sum up my impression of the repertoire that made up the initial season4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet repertoire for the first ,american season consisted of the following works3 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty2 ,le ,lac des ,cygnes 7,swan ,lake7 in full2 ,cinderella1 in three acts2 ,job2 ,faade2 ,apparitions2 ,the ,rake's ,progress2 ,miracle in the ,gorbals2 ,hamlet2 ,symphonic ,variations2 ,a ,wedding ,bouquet2 and ,checkmate4 ,the order is neither alphabetical nor necessarily in the order of importance4 ,actually1 irrespective of varying degrees of success on this side of the ,atlantic1 they are all important1 for they represent1 in a sense1 a cross-section of the repertoire history of the company4 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 in its ,sadler's ,wells form1 is a ballet in a ,prologue and three acts4 ,the story is a collaboration by ,marius ,petipa and ,i4 ,a4 ,vsevolojsky1 7the ,director of the ,russian ,imperial ,theatres at the time of its creation71 after the ,charles ,perrault fairy tale4 ,the music1 of course1 is ,tchaikowsky's immortal score4 ,the scenery and costumes are by ,oliver ,messel4 ,the original ,petipa choreography was reproduced by ,nicholas ,sergueff4 ,it was the work which so brilliantly inaugurated the company's occupation of the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 on #bjth ,february1 #aidf4 ,sadler's ,wells had previously revived the work in #aici1 on a smaller scale1 under the title ,the ,sleeping ,princess4 ,my unforgettable memories of the present production are topped by the inspired interpretation of the title role by ,margot ,fonteyn1 who alternated moods of subtlety and childlike simplicity with brilliant fireworks1 always within the ballet's frame4 ,there is the shining memory of ,beryl ,grey's magnificent ,lilac ,fairy1 the memory of the alternating casts1 one headed by ,moira ,shearer1 entirely different in its way4 ,there is1 as a matter of fact1 little difference between the casts4 ,always there were such ensemble performances as the ,states had never before seen4 ,over all shone the magnificence of ,oliver ,messel's scenery and costumes4 ,the full-length ,swan ,lake 7,le ,lac des ,cygnes71 actually in four acts1 was a revelation to audiences for years accustomed to the truncated second act version4 ,its libretto1 or book1 is a ,russian compilation by ,begitschev and ,geltser4 ,it was first presented by ,sadler's ,wells in the present settings and costumes by ,leslie ,hurry1 with the original choreography by ,marius ,petipa and ,lev ,ivanov1 reproduced by ,nicholas ,sergueff1 on #gth ,september1 #aidc4 ,this production replaced an earlier one1 first done at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre1 on #bjth ,november1 #aicd1 with ,alicia ,markova as the ,swan ,queen1 and the scenery and costumes by ,hugh ,stevenson4 ,on the #acth ,april1 #aidg1 it came to ,covent ,garden1 with an increased corps de ballet1 utilizing the entire ,covent ,garden stage1 as it does at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,as always1 ,margot ,fonteyn is brilliant in the dual role of ,odette-,odile4 ,in all my wide experience of ,swan ,queens1 ,fonteyn today is unequaled4 ,with the ,sadler's ,wells company1 there is no dearth of first-rate ,swan ,queens3 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,moira ,shearer1 ,beryl ,grey1 ,violetta ,elvin4 ,altogether1 in case the reader has not already suspected it1 ,swan ,lake is1 ,i think1 my favorite ballet4 ,it is not only a classical ballet2 it is a classic4 ,the haunting ,tchaikowsky score1 its sheer romanticism1 its dramatic impact1 all these things individually and together1 give it its pride of place with the public of ,america as well as with myself4 ,here my vote is with the majority4 ,the third full-length work1 so splendid in its settings and so bulky that its performances had to be limited by its physical proportions only to the largest stages1 was ,cinderella1 which took up every inch on the great stage of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house4 ,cinderella was the first full evening ballet in the modern repertoire of ,sadler's ,wells4 ,a three-act work1 with choreography by ,frederick ,ashton1 to the score by ,serge ,prokofieff1 its scenery and costumes are by the ,french painter1 ,jean-,denis ,malcls4 ,here was an instance where the chief choreographer of ,sadler's ,wells1 ,frederick ,ashton1 had the courage to tackle a full-length fairy story1 the veritable stuff from which true ballets are made in the grand tradition of classical ballet3 a formidable task4 ,the measure of his success is that he managed to do it by telling a beautiful and thrice-familiar fairy tale in a direct and straightforward manner1 never dragging in spectacle for the sake of spectacle4 ,moreover1 he was eminently successful in avoiding1 on the one hand1 those sterilities of classicism that lead only to boredom1 and the grotesqueries of modernism1 on the other4 ,for music1 ,ashton took the score ,prokofieff composed for the ,soviet ballet of the same name1 but created an entirely new work to the music4 ,the settings and costumes by ,malcls could not have been more right1 filled as they are with the glamor of the fairy tale spirit and utterly free from any trace of vulgarity4 ,i shall always remember the ,ugly ,sisters of ,ashton and ,robert ,helpmann1 in the best tradition of ,english pantomime4 ,moreover1 the production was blessed with three alternating ,cinderellas1 each individual in approach and interpretation3 ,fonteyn1 ,shearer1 and ,elvin4 ,job1 the reader will remember1 is not called a ballet but 8,a ,masque for ,dancing40 ,the adaptation of the ,biblical legend in the spirit of the ,william ,blake drawings is the work of a distinguished ,british surgeon and ,blake authority1 ,geoffrey ,keynes4 ,it was the first important choreographic work of ,ninette de ,valois4 ,its scenery and costumes were the product of ,john ,piper2 its music is one of the really great scores of that dean of living ,british composers1 ,ralph ,vaughan ,williams4 ,in the music1 completely modern in idiom1 ,vaughan ,williams has followed the overall pattern of the sixteenth and seventeenth century 8,masques10 using period rhythms 7but not melodies7 such as the ,pavane1 the ,minuet1 the ,saraband1 and the ,gaillard4 ,the production itself is on two levels1 in which all the earthly1 material characters remain on the stage level1 while the spiritual characters are on a higher level1 the two levels being joined by a large flight of steps4 ,one character stands out in domination of the work4 ,that is ,satan1 created by ,anton ,dolin1 and danced here by ,robert ,helpmann4 ,the climax of ,job occurs when ,satan is hurled down from heaven4 ,the whole thing is a work of deep and moving beauty--a serious1 thoughtful work that ranks as one of ,ninette de ,valois' masterpieces4 ,faade represented the opposite extreme in the ,sadler's ,wells repertoire4 ,there was considerable doubt on the part of the company's directorate that it would be acceptable on this side of the ,atlantic1 because of its essential ,british humor2 it was also feared that it might be dated4 ,as matters turned out1 it was one of the most substantial successes among the shorter works4 ,faade was originally staged by ,ashton for the ,camargo ,society in #aica1 came to the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet in #aice1 was lost in the ,german invasion of ,holland1 and was restored in the present settings and costumes of ,john ,armstrong in #aidj4 ,it is1 of course1 freely adapted from the ,edith ,sitwell poems1 with the popular score by ,sir ,william ,walton4 ,fresh1 witty1 and humorous throughout1 there is no suggestion of either provincialism or of being dated4 ,its highlights for me were the ,tango1 superbly danced by ,frederick ,ashton and ,moira ,shearer1 who alternated with ,pamela ,may1 and the ,yodelling ,song with its bucolic milkmaid4 ,apparitions perhaps bore too close a resemblance in plot to ,massine's treatment of the ,berlioz ,symphonie ,fantastique1 although the former is a much earlier work1 having been staged by ,ashton in #aicc4 ,its story is by ,constant ,lambert2 its music1 a ,lambert selection of the later music of ,franz ,liszt1 re-orchestrated by ,gordon ,jacob4 ,cecil ,beaton designed the extremely effective scenery and costumes4 ,it was taken into the ,sadler's ,wells repertoire in #aicf4 ,it provided immensely effective roles for ,margot ,fonteyn and ,robert ,helpmann4 ,strikingly successful was ,ninette de ,valois' ,the ,rake's ,progress4 ,this is a six-scene work1 based on ,william ,hogarth's famous series of paintings of the same name4 ,its story1 like its music1 is by ,gavin ,gordon4 ,its setting1 a permanent closed box1 subject to minor changes during the action1 scene to scene1 with an act-drop of a ,london street1 is by the late ,rex ,whistler1 as are the costumes1 ,hogarthian in style4 ,it is a highly dramatic work1 in reality a sort of morality play1 perhaps1 more than it is a ballet in the accepted sense of the term1 but a tremendously important work in the evolution of the repertoire that is so peculiarly ,sadler's ,wells4 ,miracle in the ,gorbals is another of the theatre pieces in the repertoire4 ,the choreographic work of ,robert ,helpmann1 it is based on a story by ,michael ,benthall1 to a specially commissioned score by ,sir ,arthur ,bliss4 ,its setting and costumes are by the ,british artist1 ,edward ,burra4 ,it was a wartime addition to the repertoire in the fall of #aidd4 ,like ,the ,rake's ,progress1 ,miracle in the ,gorbals is also a sort of morality play1 with strong overtones of a sociological tract4 ,bearing plot and theme resemblances to ,jerome ,k4 ,jerome's ,the ,passing of the ,third ,floor ,back1 it puts the question3 8,what sort of treatment would ,god receive if he returned to earth and visited the slums of a twentieth century city80 ,a realistic work1 it deals with low-life in a strictly down-to-earth manner4 ,as a spectacle of crowded tenement life1 it mingles such theatrical elements as the raising of the dead1 murder1 suicide1 prostitution4 ,the ,bliss music splendidly underlines the action4 ,with all of its drama and melodrama1 it was not1 nevertheless1 one of my favorite works4 ,the other ,helpmann creation was ,hamlet1 staged by him two years before ,miracle in the ,gorbals1 in #aidb4 ,utilizing the ,tchaikowsky fantasy-overture1 its tremendously effective scenery and costumes are by ,leslie ,hurry4 ,hamlet was not an attempt to tell the ,shakespeare story in ballet form4 ,rather is it a work that attempts to portray the dying thoughts of ,hamlet as his life passes before him in review4 ,drama rather than dance1 it is a spectacle1 linked from picture to picture by dances1 a work in which mime plays an important part4 ,symphonic ,variations1 set to ,csar ,franck's work for piano and orchestra of the same title1 was ,ashton's first purely dance work in abstract form4 ,a work without plot1 it employed only six dancers1 three couples1 on an immense stage in an immensely effective setting of great simplicity by ,sophie ,fedorovich4 ,the six dancers were3 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,moira ,shearer1 and ,pamela ,may2 ,michael ,somes1 ,henry ,danton1 and ,brian ,shaw4 ,there is no virtuoso role4 ,it is a lyric work1 calm1 ordered1 in which the classical spirit is exalted in a mood of all for one1 one for all4 ,a ,wedding ,bouquet is certainly the most genuinely witty work in all modern ballet repertoire4 ,the work of that genuine wit and gentleman of impeccable taste in music1 literature1 and painting1 the late ,lord ,berners1 it was staged by ,ashton in #aicg4 ,utilizing a text by ,gertrude ,stein1 spoken by a narrator seated at a table at the side of the stage1 its music1 its scenery1 its costumes1 all are by ,lord ,berners4 ,at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 the narrator was the inimitable ,constant ,lambert4 ,in later performances1 the role was taken over by ,robert ,irving1 the chief conductor4 ,the work1 a collaboration between ,ashton1 ,berners1 and ,gertrude ,stein1 is the most completely sophisticated ballet ,i know4 ,the amazing thing about it to me is that with its utterly integrated ,stein text1 it goes as well in large theatres as it does in the smaller ones4 ,the text is as important as the dancing or the music4 ,for me1 aside from the hilarity of the work itself1 was the pleasure ,i derived from the performance of ,moira ,shearer as the thwarted spinster who loved her dog1 and ,june ,brae1 who danced the role of ,josephine1 who was certainly not fitted to go to a wedding1 as ,gertrude ,stein averred4 ,as the ,bridegroom1 ,robert ,helpmann provided a comic masterpiece4 ,checkmate was the first ,british ballet to have its premire outside the country1 having been first presented as a part of the ,dance ,festival at the ,international ,exposition in ,paris1 in the summer of #aicg4 ,both music and book are by ,sir ,arthur ,bliss1 with scenery and costumes by the ,anglo-,american artist1 ,e4 ,mc,knight ,kauffer4 ,the concerns of the ballet are with a game of chess1 with the dancers pawns in the game4 ,it appeals to me strongly1 and ,i feel it is one of ,ninette de ,valois' finest choreographic achievements4 ,it is highly dramatic1 leading to a grim tragedy4 ,its music is tremendously fine and ,mc,knight ,kauffer's settings and costumes are striking1 effective1 and revolutionary4 ,this is a work of first importance in all ballet repertoire4 ,i embarked upon a continuing bombardment of ,ninette de ,valois and ,david ,webster by cables and long-distance telephone calls4 ,i never for a instant let the matter out of my mind4 ,as ,i counted off the days until a decision was due1 the old year ran out4 ,it was on ,new ,year's ,eve1 while working in my office1 that ,i was taken ill4 ,i had not been feeling entirely myself for several days1 but illness is something so foreign to me that ,i laughed it off as something presumably due to some irregularity of living4 ,suddenly1 late in the afternoon of ,new ,year's ,eve1 ,i found myself doubled up with pain4 ,i was rushed to hospital4 ,a hasty blood-count revealed the necessity for an immediate appendectomy4 ,before the old year was greeted by the new1 ,i had submitted to surgery4 ,the doctors said it was just in time--a case of 8touch and go40 ,a good many things in my life have been that4 ,a minimum of a week's hospitalization was imperative1 the doctors said1 and after that another fortnight of quiet recuperation4 ,i remained in hospital the required week4 ,very soon after1 against the united wishes of ,mrs4 ,hurok and my office1 ,i was on a plane bound for ,london4 ,at the ,london airport ,i was met by ,david ,webster1 who took me as quickly and as smoothly as possible to my old stamping-ground1 the ,savoy ,hotel1 where1 on ,webster's firm insistence1 ,i spent the next twelve hours in bed4 ,there followed extended consultations with ,ninette de ,valois and ,webster2 but neither was able to give a definite answer on the all-important matter of the second ,american tour4 ,i pointed out to them that1 in order to protect all concerned1 bookings were already being made across the ,united ,states and ,canada3 bookings involving in many instances1 definite guarantees4 ,as ,i waited for a decision1 my office was daily badgering me4 ,i was at a loss what to reply to them4 ,there were daily inconclusive trans-,atlantic telephone conversations with my office and daily inconclusive conversations with the ,sadler's ,wells directorate4 ,at last there came a glimmer4 ,webster announced that he believed a final decision could be reached at or about #afth ,february4 ,he required1 he said1 that much further time in order to be able to figure out the precise costs of the venture and to determine what1 if anything1 might be left after the payment of all the terrific costs4 ,in other words1 he had to determine and calculate the precise nature of the risk4444 ,figures1 figures1 and still more figures4444 ,cables backwards and forwards across the ,atlantic1 with my ,new ,york office checking and rechecking on the capacities of the auditoriums1 theatres1 opera houses1 and halls in which the bookings had been made4 ,the #afth ,february passed and still no decision was forthcoming4 ,on #aith ,february1 all that could be elicited from ,webster was3 8,i simply can't say at this juncture40 ,he added that he appreciated my position and regretted the daily disappointments to which ,i was being subjected4 ,there came the #bbnd of ,february1 in the ,united ,states the anniversary of the birth of ,george ,washington4 ,this year in ,london1 the #bbnd of ,february was the eve of the ,general ,election4 ,most of the afternoon ,i spent with ,webster at his flat1 going over papers4 ,we dined together and1 as we parted1 ,webster's only remark was3 8,see you at the performance40 ,meanwhile the pressure on me from ,new ,york increased4 8,what is going to happen80 became the reiterated burden of the daily messages from my office4 ,other matters in ,new ,york were requiring my attention1 and it had become necessary to inform ,webster that it would be impossible for me to remain any longer in ,london and that ,i was sailing in the ,queen ,mary on ,friday4 ,election ,eve ,i went to the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 to watch another ,sadler's ,wells performance4 ,in the main foyer ,i ran into ,webster4 8,can you guarantee us our expenses and a profit80 he asked4 8,i can40 8,it's a deal40 ,it was eight-thirty in the evening of the #bbnd ,february that the verbal deal was made4 ,five hours difference in time made it three-thirty in the afternoon in ,new ,york4 ,i hurried back to the ,savoy and called ,mae ,frohman4 8,what's going to happen80 8,it's all set10 ,i replied4 ,back to ,covent ,garden ,i went4 ,in the ,crush ,bar1 ,webster and ,i toasted our deal with a bottle of champagne4 ,during ,election ,day1 ,webster1 8,madame10 and ,i worked on repertoire and final details2 but1 for the most part1 we gave our attention to the early returns from the ,general ,election4 ,after the performance that night at the ,garden1 ,david ,webster and his friend ,james ,cleveland ,belle1 joined me at the ,savoy and remained until four in the morning1 with one eye and one ear on the returns4 ,the next day ,i sailed in the good ,queen ,mary and had a lovely crossing1 with my good friend1 ,greer ,garson1 on board to make the trip even more pleasant4 ,mrs4 ,hurok1 my daughter ,ruth1 ,mae ,frohman1 and my office staff met me at the ,cunard pier2 and ,i told the whole story1 in all its intricate detail1 to them4 ,but there were still loose ends to be caught up1 and ,april found me again back in ,london4 ,the night following my arrival1 ,i gave a big party at the ,savoy1 with ,ninette de ,valois1 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,moira ,shearer and ,david ,webster as the guests of honor4 ,we toasted the success of the first ,american season2 drank another to the success of the forthcoming and much more extended tour4 ,while in ,london1 we clarified and agreed upon many details1 including the final repertoire for the second ,american venture--which was to reach1 not only from coast to coast1 but to dip into the far south as well as far to the north4 ,back in ,new ,york for a brief stay and then1 in ,june1 ,mrs4 ,hurok and ,i left for our annual sojourn in ,europe4 ,this time we went direct to ,london1 where we revelled in the performances at ,covent ,garden4 ,i have always loved ,london and always have been a great admirer of ,london1 the place1 and of those things for which it stands as a symbol4 ,i love suddenly coming upon the fascinating little squares1 with their stately old houses1 as often as not adorned with a fifteenth-century church4 ,although modernism sometimes almost encroaches1 they still retain an old-fashioned dreaminess4 ,about all is the atmosphere of history1 tradition1 and the aura of a genuinely free people4 ,the ,royal ,opera ,house itself has a particular fascination for me4 ,so far as ,i am concerned1 there is not the slightest incongruity in the fact that its faade looks out on a police station and police court and that it is almost otherwise surrounded by a garden market4 ,a patina of associations seems to cover the fabric1 both inside and out--whether it is the bare boards and iron rails of the high old-fashioned gallery1 or the gilt and red plush and cream-painted woodwork1 the thin pillars of the boxes1 the rather awkward staircases1 the 8,crush0 bar and the other bars1 the red curtain bearing the coat of arms of the reigning ,monarch4 ,then1 lights down1 the great curtain sweeps up1 and once again1 for the hundredth time1 the tense magic holds everyone in thrall4 ,i love the true ballet lovers who are not to be found in the boxes alone or in the stalls exclusively4 ,many of them sit in the lower-priced seats in the upper circle1 the amphitheatre1 and in the gallery4 ,the night before an opening or an important revival or cast change1 a long queue1 equipped with camp-chairs and sandwiches1 waits patiently to be admitted to the gallery seats the following evening4 ,there is one figure ,i miss now at ,covent ,carden1 one that seemed to me to be a part of its very fabric4 ,for years1 going back stage to see ,anna ,pavlova1 ,chaliapine1 others of my artists1 and in the days of the de ,basil ,ballet1 it was he who always had a cheery greeting4 ,in #aidh1 ,tom ,jackson closed his eyes in the sleep everlasting1 to open them1 one hopes1 at some ,great ,stage ,door4 ,he was the legendary stage door-keeper1 was ,tom ,jackson1 and certainly one of the most important persons in ,covent ,garden4 ,he was a gentleman in the best sense of the word4 ,many were the celebrated artists he saw come and go during his long regime4 ,everybody spoke to him in their own tongue1 although ,jackson invariably replied in ,english4 ,he was1 ,i remember1 in charge of the artists' mail1 and knew everyone1 and remembered every name and every face4 ,jackson was not only interested in his stage door1 but took deep interest in the artistic aspect of ,covent ,garden4 ,immediately after a performance of either ballet or opera1 he made up his mind whether it had been good or bad4 ,sometimes it fell to ,jackson's lot to regulate matters outside the ,garden4 ,the gallery queues1 as is the ,london custom1 attract all sorts of itinerant musicians and entertainers to the ,floral ,street side where they display and reveal their art to the patiently waiting galleryites4 ,if the hurdy-gurdies and public acclamations grew so loud that they might disturb any in the offices above1 ,jackson1 with infallible tact1 stopped the disturbance without offending the queuers or the entertainers by his interference4 ,jackson guarded the ,garden inexorably and was relentless on questions of admission4 ,with unerring instinct1 he distinguished between friend and foe1 and was renowned for his treatment of the yellow press and its columnists1 with its nose for gossip and scandal4 ,he is said once to have unceremoniously deposited an over-enthusiastic columnist in the street1 after having refused a considerable sum of money for permission to photograph a fainting ballerina4 ,he was once seen chasing a large woman who was brandishing a heavy umbrella around the outside of the building4 ,the large woman1 in turn1 was chasing ,leonide ,massine running at full tilt4 ,the woman1 obviously a crackpot1 had accused ,massine of stealing her idea for a ballet4 ,jackson caught the woman and disarmed her4 ,the ,london stage doorkeeper is really a breed unto himself4 ,i love opening nights at ,covent ,garden1 when it becomes1 quite apart from the stage1 a unique social function in the display of dresses and jewels1 despite the austerity4 ,it is always a curious mixture of private elegance and public excitement4 ,the excitement extends to all streets of the district1 right down to the ,strand1 making a strange contrast with the cabbage stalls1 stray potatoes1 and the odor of vegetables lingering on from the early market4 ,the impeccable and always polite ,london police are in control of all approaches1 directing the endless stream of cars without delay as they draw up in the famous covered way under the portico4 ,ceremoniously they take care of all arriving pedestrians1 and surprisingly hold up even the most pretentious and important traffic to let the pedestrian seat-holder through4 ,the richly uniformed porters keep chattering socialites from impeding traffic with a stern ritual all their own1 and announcing waiting cars in stentorian tones4444 ,ever in my mind ,covent ,garden is associated with that sacred hour back stage before a ballet performance1 the company in training-kits1 practising relentlessly4 ,only those who know this hour can form any idea of the overwhelming cost of the dancers' brief glamorous hour before the public4 ,particularizing from the general1 from the very beginning1 in all contacts with the ,british and with ,sadler's ,wells1 the relations between all concerned have been like those prevailing in a kind and understanding family1 and they remain so today4 ,and now at the ,savoy is the best smoked salmon in the world--,scottish salmon4 ,when ,i am there1 a special large tray of it is always ready for me4 ,it is a passion ,i share with ,ninette de ,valois1 who insists it is her favorite dish4 ,the question ,i am about to ask is purely rhetorical3 ,is there anything finer than smoked ,scottish salmon1 with either a cold1 dry champagne or ,scotch whiskey8 ,the repertoire for the second ,american-,canadian tour of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet included1 in addition to ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 the four-act ,le ,lac des ,cygnes 7,swan ,lake71 ,faade1 ,a ,wedding ,bouquet1 ,the ,rake's ,progress and ,checkmate1 the following works new to ,america3 their own production of ,giselle1 ,les ,patineurs1 ,don ,quixote1 and ,dante ,sonata4 ,giselle1 in the ,sadler's ,wells version1 with its ,adam score1 has scenery and costumes by ,james ,bailey1 and was produced by ,nicholas ,sergueff1 after the choreography of ,coralli and ,perrot4 ,the original ,wells production was at the ,old ,vic1 in #aicd1 with ,alicia ,markova in the title role4 ,the production for ,covent ,garden dates from #aidf1 with ,margot ,fonteyn as ,giselle4 ,it requires no comment from me save to point out that ,fonteyn is one of the most interesting and effective interpreters of the role in my experience1 and ,i have seen a considerable number of ,giselles4 ,les ,patineurs had been seen in ,america in a version danced by ,ballet ,theatre4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells version is so much better that there is no real basis for comparison4 ,this version1 by ,frederick ,ashton1 dates back to #aicg4 ,it has an interesting history4 ,it is my understanding that the original idea was that ,ninette de ,valois would stage it4 ,the story has it that1 one night at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre1 ,ashton1 whose dressing-room adjoined that of ,constant ,lambert1 heard the latter working out dance rhythms from two ,meyerbeer operas1 ,star of the ,north and ,the ,prophet4 ,the story goes on that ,ashton was moved by the melodies and that because 8,madame0 was so occupied with executive and administrative duties1 the choreographic job was given to him4 ,ashton states that he composed this ballet1 which is exclusively concerned with skating1 without ever having seen an ice-rink4 ,i find it one of the most charming ballets in the repertoire1 with something in it for everyone4 ,in these days of so-called 8ice-ballets10 which have little or no relation to ballet1 however much they may have to do with ice1 ,i find here an academic ballet1 which is very close to skating4 ,don ,quixote was seen in but a few cities4 ,it was the most recent work1 at that time1 to be shown4 ,choreographed by ,ninette de ,valois1 it was a ballet in five scenes with both its scenario and its music by ,robert ,gerhard1 with scenery and costumes by ,edward ,burra4 ,the story1 of course1 was the ,cervantes tale4 ,it was not a 8dancing0 ballet1 in the sense that it had no virtuoso passages4 ,but it told its story1 nevertheless1 through the medium of dance rather than by mime and acting4 ,my outstanding impressions of it are the splendid score1 ,margot ,fonteyn's outstanding characterization of a dual role1 and the shrewdly observed ,sancho ,panza of the young ,alexander ,grant4 ,dante ,sonata was1 in a sense1 a collaborative work by ,frederick ,ashton and ,constant ,lambert4 ,its date is #aidj4 ,its scenery and costumes are by ,sophie ,fedorovich4 ,the music is the long piano sonata by ,franz ,liszt1 ,d'aprs une lecture de ,dante1 utilizing the poem by ,victor ,hugo4 ,the orchestration of the piano work by ,lambert1 with its use of ,chinese tam-tam and gong1 is singularly effective4 ,at the time of its production1 there was a story in general circulation to the effect that ,ashton found his inspiration for the work in the sufferings of the ,polish people at the hands of the ,nazi invaders4 ,this appears not to have been the case4 ,the truth of the matter seems to have been that at about the time he was planning the work1 ,ashton was deeply moved by the death of a close and dear relative4 ,the chief influence would1 therefore1 seem to be this1 and thus to account for the choreographer's savagery against the inevitability and immutability of death4 ,it is not1 in any sense1 a classical work1 for ,ashton1 in order to portray the contorted and writhing spirits1 went to the 8free0 or 8modern0 dance for appropriate movements4 ,while1 in the wide open spaces of ,america1 it did not fulfil the provincial audiences' ideas of what they expected from ballet1 nevertheless it had some twenty-nine performances in the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,the second ,american season opened at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 on ,sunday evening1 #ajth ,september1 #aiej4 ,again it was hot4 ,the full-length ,le ,lac des ,cygnes 7,swan ,lake7 was the opening programme4 ,the evening was a repetition of the previous year3 capacity1 cheering houses1 with special cheers for ,fonteyn4 ,the demand for seats on the part of the ,new ,york public was even greater than the year before1 with a larger number consequently disappointed and unable to get into the ,metropolitan at all4 ,from the company's point of view1 aside from hard work--daily classes1 rehearsals1 and eight performances a week--there was a round of entertainment for them1 the most outstanding1 perhaps1 being the day they spent as the guests of ,j4 ,alden ,talbot at ,smoke ,rise1 his ,new ,jersey estate4 ,the last night's programme at the ,metropolitan season was ,the ,sleeping ,beauty4 ,the final night's reception matched that of the first4 ,ninette de ,valois' charming curtain speech1 in which she announced another visit on the part of the company to ,new ,york--8but not for some time0--couldn't keep the curtain down1 and the calls continued until it was necessary to turn up the house lights4 ,following the ,new ,york engagement1 ,sadler's ,wells embarked on the longest tour of its history1 and the most successful tour in the history of ballet4 ,the ,new ,york season extended from #ajth ,september to #ast ,october4 ,the company appeared in the following cities3 ,philadelphia1 ,pittsburgh1 ,atlanta1 ,birmingham1 ,new ,orleans1 ,houston1 ,los ,angeles1 ,san ,francisco1 ,sacramento1 ,denver1 ,lincoln1 ,des ,moines1 ,omaha1 ,tulsa1 ,dallas1 ,oklahoma ,city1 ,memphis1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,bloomington1 ,lafayette1 ,detroit1 ,cleveland1 ,cincinnati1 ,chicago1 ,winnipeg1 ,boston1 ,white ,plains1 ,toronto1 ,ottawa1 ,montreal1 and ,quebec4 ,starting on the #ajth ,september1 in ,new ,york1 the tour closed in ,quebec ,city on #bhth ,january1 #aiea4 ,in thirty-two cities1 during a period of five months1 the people of this continent had paid more than two million and one-half dollars to see the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet4 ,on ,election ,eve in ,london1 ,david ,webster had asked me if ,i could guarantee them their expenses and a profit4 ,on the first tour the company covered some ten thousand miles4 ,on the second tour1 this was extended to some twenty-one thousand4 ,the box-office records that were broken by the company could only add to the burden of statistics4 ,suffice it to say1 they were many4 ,history was made3 the sort of history that can be made again only by the next ,sadler's ,wells tour4 ,some idea of the magnitude of the transportation and railroading problems involved in an extended tour of this sort may be gathered from the fact that the 8,sadler's ,wells ,special0 consisted of six ,pullman sleeping cars1 six baggage cars1 and two dining cars1 together with a club-bar-lounge car on long journeys4 ,i made it a point to be with the company at all the larger cities4 ,i left them at ,philadelphia1 and awaited their arrival in ,los ,angeles4 ,neither ,i nor ,los ,angeles has ever seen anything like the opening night of their engagement at the enormous ,shrine ,auditorium1 or like the entire engagement1 as a matter of fact4 ,because of a company rule that1 on opening nights and in the case of parties of official or semi-official greeting nature1 the entire personnel of the company and staff should attend in a body1 an unfortunate situation arose in ,los ,angeles4 ,a ,beverly ,hills group had announced a large party to which some of the company had been invited1 without having cleared the matter in advance4 ,the resultant situation was such that the advertised and publicized party was cancelled4 ,the sudden cancellation left the company without a party with which to relieve the strain of the long trek to the ,pacific ,coast1 and the tense excitement of the first performance in the world's film capital4 ,as a consequence1 ,i arranged to give a large party to the entire company and staff1 in conjunction with ,edwin ,lester1 the ,director of the ,los ,angeles ,civic ,light ,opera ,association1 and the local sponsor of the engagement4 ,the party took place at the ,ambassador ,hotel1 where the entire company was housed during the engagement1 with its city within a city1 its palm-shaded swimming-pool4 ,as master of ceremonies and guest of honor1 we invited ,charles ,chaplin1 distinguished artist and famous ,briton4 ,among the distinguished guests from the film world were1 among many others1 ,ezio ,pinza1 ,edward ,g4 ,robinson1 ,greer ,garson1 ,barry ,fitzgerald1 ,gene ,tierney1 ,cyd ,charisse1 ,joseph ,cotton1 ,louis ,hayward4 ,chaplin was a unique master of ceremonies1 urbane1 gentle1 witty4 ,as judge of a ballroom dancing contest1 ,chaplin awarded the prize to ,herbert ,hughes1 non-dancer and the company's general manager4 ,at the end of this phenomenal engagement1 the company bade au revoir to ,los ,angeles and the many friends they had made in the film colony1 and entrained for ,san ,francisco for an engagement at that finest of all ,american opera houses1 the ,war ,memorial4 ,i have an especial fondness for ,san ,francisco1 its atmosphere1 its spirit1 its people1 its food4 ,yet a curious fact remains3 of all the larger ,american cities1 it is coolest in its outward reception of all forms of art4 ,even with ,sadler's ,wells1 ,san ,francisco followed its formal pattern4 ,it was the more startling in contrast with its sister city in the south4 ,the demonstrations there were such that they had to be cut off in order to permit the performances to continue and thus end before the small hours2 the ,los ,angeles audiences seemed determined not to let the company go4 ,by contrast1 the ,san ,francisco audiences were perfunctorily polite in their applause4 ,i have never been able quite to understand it4 ,in the case of the ,sadler's ,wells premire at the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house1 ,san ,francisco1 the company was enchanted with the building3 a real opera house1 a good stage1 a place in which to work in comfort4 ,the opening night audience had been attracted not only by interest in the company1 but as charity contributors to a home for unmarried mothers4 ,the bulk of the stalls and boxes were socially minded4 ,they arrived late1 from dinners and parties4 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty must start at the advertised time because of its length4 ,it cannot wait for late-comers4 ,there was an unconscionable confusion in the darkened opera house as the audience rattled down the aisles1 chattering1 greeting friends1 and shattering the spell of the ,prologue1 disturbing those who had taken the trouble to arrive on time as much as they did the artists on the stage4 ,my concern on this point is as much for the audience as for the dancers4 ,a ballet1 being a work of art1 is conceived as an entity1 from beginning to end1 from the first notes of the overture1 till the last one of the coda4 ,the whole is the sum of its parts4 ,the noisy and inconsiderate late-comers1 by destroying parts1 greatly damage the whole4 ,the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house in ,san ,francisco1 although a municipal property1 has a divided executive in that its physical control is in the hands of the local chapter of the ,american ,legion1 which make the rules and regulations for its operation4 ,i do not know of any theatre with more locked doors1 more red tape and more annoying1 hampering regulations4 ,there is1 to be sure1 a certain positive virtue in the rule that forbids any unauthorized person to be permitted to pass from the auditorium to the stage by ways of the pass-door between the two4 ,but1 like any rule1 it must be administered with discretion4 ,the keeper of the pass-door at the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house is a gentleman known as the 8,colonel10 to whom1 ,i feel1 8orders is orders10 without the leavening of either discretion or plain 8horse sense40 ,on the opening night of ,sadler's ,wells1 a list of names of the persons authorized to pass had been given to this functionary by checking the names on the theatre programme4 ,when ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 ,d4,b4,e41 ,d4 ,litt41 ,director of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 attempted to go back stage after the first act of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 she was stopped at the pass-door by the guardian 8,colonel40 ,very simply she told him1 8,i am ,ninette de ,valois40 ,that meant nothing to the 8,colonel40 8,madame's0 name1 he pointed out1 was not checked off4 ,it was not even printed on the 8official0 staff4 ,in another part of the programme1 there it was in small type4 ,but the 8,colonel0 was adamant4 ,horatio at the bridge could not have been more formidable4 ,he was a composite of ,st4 ,peter at the gate and ,st4 ,michael with his flaming sword4 ,while all this was going on1 ,i was in the imposing1 marble-sheathed front lobby of the ,opera ,house1 in conversation with critics and ,san ,francisco friends1 sharing their enthusiasm1 when ,i suddenly felt my coat tails being sharply pulled4 ,the first tug ,i was sure was some mistake1 and ,i pretended not to notice it4 ,then my coat tails were tugged at again1 unmistakably yanked4 8,what is it80 ,i thought4 8,who is it80 ,i turned quickly1 and found a tense1 white-faced 8,madame0 looking at me1 as she might transfix either a dancer who had fallen on his face1 or a ,cabinet ,minister with whom she had taken issue4 8,what's wrong80 ,i asked4 8,the man10 she said1 pointing in the direction of the pass-door1 8wouldn't let me through40 ,crisply she added1 8,he didn't know who ,i was4 ,this is disgraceful1 absolutely disgraceful4 ,unforgivable1 ,i must say40 ,she turned quickly on her heel and disappeared4 ,i was greatly upset1 and immediately took steps to have the oversight corrected4 ,i was miserable4 ,i sent for 8,bertie0 ,hughes1 the able general manager of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet company1 told him what had happened1 explained how distressed ,i was over the stupid incident4 ,hughes smiled his quiet smile4 8,come on1 have a drink and forget it10 he said4 8#8,madame' will have forgotten all about it within five minutes of watching the performance40 ,as we sipped our drink1 ,i was filled with mortification that 8,madame10 of all people1 should have run afoul of a too literal interpreter of the regulations4 8,look here10 said ,hughes1 8cheer up1 don't be disturbed40 ,but the evening had been spoiled for me4 ,a really splendid party followed1 given by ,h4 ,m4 ,consul ,general in honor of the company1 at ,san ,francisco's ,bohemian ,club4 ,the ,bohemian ,club is one of ,san ,francisco's genuine landmarks1 a famous organization of artists1 writers1 professional and business men1 whose 8,high ,jinks0 and 8,low ,jinks0 in midsummer are among the cultural highlights of the area4 ,dispirited1 ,i went only from a sense of duty4 ,it turned out to be one of the fine parties of the entire tour2 but ,i was fatigued1 distraught1 and the de ,valois contretemps still oppressed me4 ,i helped myself to some food1 and hid away in a corner4 ,i was1 to put it bluntly1 in a vile mood4 ,again ,i felt my coat tails being tugged4 8,who is it this time80 ,i thought4 ,it was not my favorite manner of being greeted1 ,i decided1 there and then4 ,cautiously ,i turned4 ,again it was 8,madame40 8,what's the trouble80 she asked1 now all solicitude4 8,why are you hiding in a corner8 ,you don't look well4 ,shouldn't you see a doctor80 8,i don't need a doctor40 8,surely1 something is wrong with you4 ,you look pale1 and it's not the very least bit like you to be off sulking in a corner4 ,what's the trouble80 8,the insult to you10 ,i said4 ,i remembered what ,hughes had said1 when 8,madame0 replied3 8,insult8 ,insult8444 ,what insult8 ,did you insult me8444 ,what on earth are you talking about80 ,there was no point1 ,i felt1 in reminding her of the incident4 8,when you want to speak to me10 ,i said1 8must you pull my coat off my back80 8,the next time ,i shall do it harder10 she said with her very individual little laugh4 8,don't you think we have been here long enough8444 ,come along now1 take us home40 ,this is ,ninette de ,valois4 99 99 99 99 99 ,following the ,san ,francisco engagement1 the company turned east to the ,rocky ,mountain area1 the ,south and ,middle ,west1 to arrive in ,chicago for ,christmas4 ,the ,chicago engagement was but a repetition of every city where the company appeared3 sold-out houses1 almost incredible enthusiasm4 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty was the opening programme4 ,because of the magnitude of the production1 it was impossible to present it except in ,new ,york1 ,los ,angeles1 ,san ,francisco1 ,chicago1 and ,boston4 ,both public and press were loud in their praises of the company1 the production1 the music4 ,another delightful piece of hospitality was the party given at the ,racquet ,club in ,chicago1 following the first performance by ,ruth ,page1 the well-known ,american dancer and choreographer1 and her husband1 ,thomas ,hart ,fisher4 ,not only was there a wonderful champagne supper in the ,club's ,refectory1 at which the members of the company were the first to be served2 but this was followed by a cabaret1 the climax of which came when ,margot1 in a striking ,dior gown of green1 stepped down to essay the intricate steps of a new and unknown 7to her7 ,south ,american ball-room rhythm4 ,she had never before seen or heard of the dance1 but it was a joy to watch the musicality she brought to it4 ,it is not my custom to visit artists in the theatre before a performance1 unless there has been some complaint1 some annoyance1 some trouble of some sort1 something to straighten out4 ,however1 on this opening night in ,chicago1 ,i happened to be back stage in the ,opera ,house on some errand4 ,since ,i was so close1 ,i felt ,i wanted to wish the artists good-luck for their first ,chicago performance1 and1 passing1 knocked at ,margot's dressing-room door4 ,no reply4 ,i waited4 ,i knocked again4 ,no answer4 ,puzzled1 ,i walked away to return ten minutes later4 ,i knocked again4 ,again no answer4 ,worried1 ,i opened the door4 8,don't you hear me1 ,margot80 ,i asked4 ,without glancing up1 there came two words1 no more4 ,two words1 bitten off1 crisp and sharp3 8,g-e-t ,o--u--t60 ,it was utterly unlike her4 ,what had happened8 ,i could not imagine4 ,we had dined together the night before1 together with 8,freddy0 ,ashton1 8,bobby0 ,helpmann and ,moira ,shearer4 ,it had been a gay dinner1 jolly4 ,margot had been her witty1 amusing self4 ,she had1 ,i knew1 been eagerly awaiting a letter from ,paris1 a letter from a particular friend4 ,perhaps it had not come4 ,perhaps it had4 ,whatever it was1 ,i reasoned1 at least it was not my fault4 ,i was not to blame4 ,we met after the performance at the party4 ,i was puzzled4 8,are you angry at me80 ,i asked her4 8,i80 ,she smiled an uncomprehending smile4 8,why on earth should ,i be angry at you80 8,you didn't answer when ,i knocked at your door several times1 and then1 when ,i spoke1 you told me1 in no uncertain fashion1 to get out40 8,don't you know that1 before a performance1 ,i won't talk to anyone80 she said sternly4 ,then she kissed me4 8,don't take me too seriously10 she smiled1 patting me on the shoulder1 8but1 remember1 ,i don't want to see anyone before ,i go on40 ,,margot ,,fonteyn ,in ,margot ,fonteyn we have1 in my opinion1 the greatest ballerina of the western world1 the greatest ballerina of the world of ballet as we know it4 ,born ,margaret ,hookham1 in ,surrey1 in #aiai1 the daughter of an ,english businessman father and a dark-skinned1 dark-haired mother of ,irish and ,brazilian ancestry1 who is sometimes known as the ,black ,queen in the company1 a reference to one of the leading characters in ,checkmate4 ,margot was taken to ,china as a small child1 where the family home was in ,shanghai4 ,there was also an interim period when she was a pupil in a school in such a characteristically ,american city as ,louisville1 ,kentucky4 ,margot tells a story to the effect that she was taken as a child to see a performance by ,pavlova1 and that she was not particularly impressed4 ,it would be much better 8copy10 infinitely better for publicity purposes1 to have her say that visit changed the whole course of her life and that1 from that moment1 she determined not only to be a dancer1 but to become ,pavlova's successor4 ,but ,margot ,fonteyn is an honest person4 ,her first dancing lessons came in ,shanghai1 at the hands of the ,russian dancer and teacher1 ,goncharov4 ,back in ,london1 she studied with ,seraphina ,astafieva1 in the same ,chelsea studio that had produced ,markova and ,dolin4 ,at the age of fourteen1 her mother took her1 apparently not with too much willingness on ,margot's part1 up to the ,wells in ,islington1 to the ,sadler's ,wells ,school4 ,ninette de ,valois is said to have announced after her first class1 in the decisive manner of 8,madame10 a manner which brooks no dissent3 8,that child has talent40 ,fonteyn1 in the early days1 harbored no ideas of becoming a ballerina4 ,her idealization of that remote peak of accomplishment was ,karsavina1 the one-time bright1 shining star of the ,diaghileff ,ballet4 ,all of which is not to say that ,margot did not work hard1 did not enjoy dancing4 ,in class1 in rehearsal1 in performance1 ,fonteyn developed her own individuality1 her own personality1 without copying or imitating1 consciously or unconsciously1 any other artist4 ,it was after ,markova left ,sadler's ,wells to form her own company in association with ,dolin that ,fonteyn began to come into her own4 ,ninette de ,valois had a plan1 to which1 like all her plans1 she adhered4 ,she had been grooming ,fonteyn to take ,markova's place4 ,the fact that she has done so is a matter of history1 record1 and fact4 ,this is not the place for a catalogue of ,fonteyn's roles1 or a list of her individual triumphs4 ,margot ,fonteyn is very much with us1 before us1 among us1 at the height of her powers4 ,she speaks for herself4 ,i merely want to give the reader enough background so that he may know the basic elements which have gone into the making of ,margot ,fonteyn1 prima ballerina assoluta4 ,as a dancer1 ,i find her appeal to me is two-fold3 first as a pure classical dancer2 second as an actress-dancer1 by which ,i mean a dancer with a fine ability to characterize4 ,this is important1 for it implies few1 if any1 limitations4 ,pavlova1 as ,i have pointed out1 was free from limitations in the same way and1 ,i think1 to a similar degree4 ,anna ,pavlova had a wide variety3 she was a superb dramatic dancer in ,giselle2 she was equally at home in the brittle1 glamorous ,fairy ,doll2 as the light-hearted protagonist of the ,rondino2 as the bright-colored flirt of the ,tchaikowsky ,christmas4 ,tamara ,karsavina ranged the gamut from ,carnaval1 ,les ,sylphides1 and ,pavillon d',armide1 on the one hand1 to ,schhrazade1 ,thamar1 and the ,miller's ,wife in ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat1 on the other1 doing all with equal skill and artistry4 ,in the same way1 ,fonteyn ranges1 with equal perfection from the ,princess ,aurora of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 the title role of ,cinderella1 and ,mam'zelle ,angot1 the ,millers wife in ,the ,three-,cornered ,hat1 the tragic ,giselle1 ,swanilda in ,copplia1 the peasant ,dulcinia in ,don ,quixote1 on the one hand1 to the pure1 abstract dancing appeal of her lyrical roles in ballets such as ,symphonic ,variations1 ,scnes de ,ballet1 ,ballet ,imperial1 and ,dante ,sonata1 on the other4 ,as a dancer1 ,fonteyn is freer of mannerisms than any other ballerina ,i have known1 devoid of tricks and those stunts sometimes called 8showmanship0 that are so often mere vulgar lapses from taste4 ,about everything she does there is a strange combination of purity of style with a striking individuality that ,i can only identify and explain by that overworked term1 8personality40 ,she has a superb carriage1 the taut back of the perfect dancer1 the faultless line and the ankles of the true ballerina4 ,over all is a great suppleness3 the sort of suppleness that can make even an unexpected fall a thing of beauty4 ,for ballerinas sometimes fall1 even as ordinary mortals4 ,one such fall occurred on ,fonteyn's first entrance in the nation's capital1 before a gala audience at the ,washington premire of ,sadler's ,wells1 with an audience that included ,president ,truman1 ,sir ,oliver ,franks1 and the entire diplomatic corps4 ,the cramped1 ill-suited platform of ,constitution ,hall1 was an inadequate1 makeshift excuse for a stage4 ,as ,fonteyn entered to the resounding applause of thousands1 she slipped on a loose board and fell1 but gracefully and with such beauty that those in the audience who did not know might easily have thought it was a part of the choreographer's design4 ,on the company's return to ,london1 at the close of the tour1 the entire personnel were the guests at a formal dinner tendered to them by ,h4 ,m4 ,government4 ,the late ,sir ,stafford ,cripps1 then ,chancellor of the ,exchequer1 gave the first toast to ,fonteyn4 ,turning to her1 ,sir ,stafford1 in proposing the toast1 said3 8,my dear lady1 it has been brought to my attention that1 in making your first entry into the ,american capital1 you fell flat on your face40 ,the ,chancellor paused for an instant as he eyed her in mock severity1 then added3 8,i beg you not to take it too much to heart4 ,it is not the first time1 nor1 ,i feel sure1 will it be the last1 when your countrymen will be obliged to assume that same prostrate position on entering that city40 ,to sum up my impressions of ,fonteyn1 the dancer1 ,i should be ,illustration3 ,angus ,mc,bean ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,frederick ,ashton1 ,ninette de ,valois1 ,leonide ,massine ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,beryl ,grey as the ,princess ,aurora ,illustration3 ,baron ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,nadia ,nerina in ,faade ,illustration3 ,roland ,petit ,germaine ,kanova ,illustration3 ,roger ,wood ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,margot ,fonteyn and ,alexander ,grant in ,tiresias ,illustration3 ,magnum ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,john ,field and ,violetta ,elvin ,illustration3 ,baron ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,le ,lac des ,cygnes--,john ,field and ,beryl ,grey ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,last ,act of ,le ,lac des ,cygnes ,baron ,illustration3 ,magnum ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,giselle--,robert ,helpmann and ,margot ,fonteyn ,illustration3 ,baron ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet3 ,elaine ,fifield as ,swanilda in ,copplia ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet3 ,david ,blair and ,svetlana ,beriosova in ,copplia ,roger ,wood ,illustration3 ,baron ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,a ,wedding ,bouquet ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,act ,i4 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty--,the ,princess falls beneath the spell of ,carabosse ,baron ,illustration3 ,agnes de ,mille ,illustration3 ,john ,lanchbery1 ,conductor1 ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet ,denis de ,marney ,illustration3 ,john ,hollingsworth1 ,conductor1 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,maurice ,seymour ,illustration3 ,robert ,irving1 ,musical ,director1 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,baron ,illustration3 ,the ,sadler's ,wells production of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty3 ,puss-in-,boots ,illustration3 ,robert ,helpmann as the ,rake in ,the ,rake's ,progress ,baron ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,rowena ,jackson as ,odile in ,le ,lac des ,cygnes ,derek ,allen ,illustration3 ,colette ,marchand ,lido ,illustration3 ,baron ,moira ,shearer ,illustration3 ,moira ,shearer and ,daughter ,central ,press ,photo ,illustration3 ,baron ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,symphonic ,variations--,moira ,shearer1 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,michael ,somes1 ,pamela ,may ,baron ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,america is closer3 loading at ,port of ,london ,illustration3 ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet3 ,scenery and costumes start the trek for ,america ,acme-,,pa ,illustration3 ,gyenes ,antonio ,spanish ,ballet3 ,antonio ,illustration3 ,antonio ,spanish ,ballet3 ,serenada ,gyenes doing her something less than justice if ,i failed to call attention to a supreme quality in her work1 viz41 that quality of implied ease in all she does1 bringing unstrained pleasure to the onlooker2 coupled as it is with a spiritual quality with which her performances seem to shimmer4 ,all these things1 so far as ,i am concerned1 add up to a ballerina absolutely unique in my experience4 ,margot ,fonteyn is1 to me1 the true artist1 because a great dancer must be a human being before she is an artist2 her art must1 in the last resort1 be the expression of her personal attitude to life4 ,she is many-sided2 and the wonder is that she is able to have this breadth of cultural outlook when so much of her time has had to be spent in acquiring technique1 dealing with its problems and the means of expression4 ,no amount of technique1 no amount of technical brilliance or recondite knowledge will hide the paucity of emotion or intellect in an artist's make-up4 ,technique1 after all1 is no more than the alphabet and the words of an art1 and it is only the difficulty of acquiring a superlative technique that has led so many astray4 ,but along what a fatal path they have been led6 ,how often are we told that the true artist must devote her whole energies to her art1 without the realization that art is the highest expression of mankind and has value only in so far as it is enriched with the blood of life4 ,as for ,fonteyn1 the person1 whom ,i love and admire1 ,i have no gossip to offer1 few anecdotes1 no whisperings4 ,about her there is not the slightest trace of pose1 pretentiousness1 or pettiness4 ,while she is conscious she is a great ballerina1 one of the top-ranking artists in any art in the world today1 she is equally conscious she is a human being4 ,basically1 she is shy and quite humble4 ,splendidly poised1 immaculately and impeccably groomed1 chic in an international rather than in a ,parisian sense1 she is definitely an elegant person4 ,the elegance of her private appearance she carries over into her appearance as a ballerina4 ,anna ,pavlova1 of all other dancers ,i have known1 had this same quality4 ,usually ,margot dresses in colors that are on the dark side1 like her own personal coloring4 ,small-featured1 small-boned1 her clothes1 exquisite in cut1 are strikingly simple4 ,she is not given to jewelry1 save for earrings without which ,i cannot remember ever having seen her4 ,she is remarkably beautiful1 but not in the ,g4,i4 pin-up type sense4 ,again there is the similarity to ,anna ,pavlova1 who would look elegant and chic today in any salon or drawing-room1 because her elegance was timeless4 ,by all this1 ,i do not mean to suggest that ,fonteyn's ,christian ,dior evening frocks and day dresses are not modish1 but nothing she wears suggests the 8latest word40 ,one more word about her actions4 ,i have mentioned her complete lack of pretentiousness4 ,i should like to emphasize her equal lack of apparent awareness of her exalted position in her chosen calling4 ,with the company1 she makes no demands1 puts on no airs4 ,there is no false grandeur and none of the so-called 8temperament0 that many lesser ballerinas feel called upon to display upon the slightest provocation1 and often upon no provocation at all4 ,she is one who submits to the discipline of a great and continuous and uninterrupted and secure company4 ,fonteyn works as hard1 with daily classes and rehearsals1 mayhap harder1 as any other of the large personnel4 ,her relations with the company are on the same plane4 ,when the company travels in buses1 ,margot piles into the buses with them1 joins in with the company at all times1 is a member of it and an inspiration to it4 ,the company1 individually and collectively1 love her and have the highest respect for her4 ,margot's warning to me not to try to disturb her before a performance had nothing to do with pose or 8temperament40 ,it is simply that in order to live up to her reputation she has a duty1 exactly as she has a duty to the role she is to enact1 and because of these things1 she has the artist's natural nervousness increased before the rise of the curtain4 ,she must be alone and silent with her thoughts in order to have herself under complete control and be at her best4 ,in all ballet ,i have never known a finer colleague1 or one possessed of a greater amount of genuine good-heartedness4 ,the examples of this sort of thing are endless1 but one incident pointing it up stands out in my mind4 ,a certain ,american ballerina was on a visit to ,london4 ,margot invited this ,american girl to go to ,paris with her4 8,freddy0 ,ashton was also coming along1 she said1 and it would be fun4 8,i can't go10 replied the ,american ballerina4 8,i've nothing to wear that's fit to be seen in ,paris40 8,come1 come1 don't be silly10 replied ,margot4 8,here1 take this suit of mine4 ,i've never worn it40 ,and she handed over a new ,christian ,dior creation4 ,now ,margot at that time was by no means too blessed with the world's goods1 and could not afford a new ,dior outfit too often4 ,on their arrival in ,paris1 the group telephoned me at the ,meurice and came to see me4 ,turning to the ,american ballerina1 a long-time friend of mine1 ,i could not help admiring her appearance4 8,where did you get that beautiful suit80 ,i enquired4 8,margot gave it to me1 isn't she sweet80 she replied1 quite simply4 ,this is ,margot ,fonteyn3 always ready to share with others2 always thinking of others1 least of all1 of herself4 ,the following incident sums up the ,margot ,fonteyn ,i know and love4 ,on the final night of the second ,american tour1 after the last performance1 ,i gave a farewell supper for the entire company at the ,chateau ,frontenac1 in ,quebec ,city4 ,there were speeches1 of which more later4 ,when they were over1 a corps de ballet member spontaneously rose to propose a toast to ,margot ,fonteyn1 on her great personal triumph in ,north ,america4 ,the rounds of applause that followed the toast reminded me of the opening night at the ,metropolitan in ,new ,york4 ,that applause had come from an audience of paying customers1 who had just witnessed a new dancer scoring a triumph in an exciting performance4 ,the applause that went on for minutes and minutes1 came from her own colleagues1 many of whom had grown up with her from the ,school4 ,my eyes were moist4 ,after a long time1 ,fonteyn rose to thank them4 ,in doing so1 she reminded them that a ballerina was only as good as her surroundings and that it was impossible for a ballerina to exist without the perfect setting1 which they provided4 ,here was a great artist1 the greatest living ballerina we of the western world know1 with all her triumphs1 all her successes about her1 at the apex of her career2 very much of the present1 here was the true artist1 the loyal comrade1 the humble1 grateful human being4 ,from ,chicago1 a long journey to ,winnipeg for a four-day engagement to be filled at the request of the ,british ,council and ,david ,webster1 following a suggestion from ,h4 ,m4 the ,king4 ,winnipeg had suffered shocking damage from floods1 and ,his ,majesty had promised ,winnipeg a visit from the ,ballet while it was in ,america as a gala to lift the spirits of the people4 ,here the company had its first taste of real cold1 for the thermometer dropped to thirty-two degrees below zero4 ,the result was that when it came time to entrain for the journey half-way across the continent to ,boston1 the next point on the itinerary1 the baggage car doors were so frozen that they had to be opened with blowtorches and charges of explosives4 ,it was a four-day and three-night journey from ,winnipeg to ,boston1 in sub-zero1 stormy weather4 ,the intense cold slowed the locomotives and froze the storage batteries1 with the result that save for the lounge-bar car1 the cars were in complete darkness and were dimly lighted at bed-time by a few spluttering candles4 ,the severe cold had also caused the steam lines in the train to freeze1 so that the temperature inside the cars was such that all made the journey wrapped in overcoats and blankets1 wearing the heterogeneous collection of ear-lapped caps which they had purchased1 even to ,north-west ,canadian wool and fur shakos that blossomed in ,winnipeg4 ,somewhere east of ,chicago the 8,sadler's ,wells ,special0 got itself behind the wreck of a freight train which had blocked the tracks1 necessitating a long detour over the tracks of another railway1 causing still further delays4 ,nine hours late1 the ice-covered train bearing a company that had gone through the most gruelling train adventure of the tour1 limped into ,boston's ,south ,station4 ,there followed a tense period1 for the minimum time required to set and light ,the ,sleeping ,beauty is twelve hours4 ,it was another case of 8touch and go40 ,two hours were required to get the train broken up and all the scenery cars placed for unloading2 then the procession of great trucks from the cars to the ,opera ,house commenced2 there followed the unloading1 the taking-in1 the hanging1 the setting1 the installation of all the heavy and complicated lighting equipment1 for the theatres of ,america1 for the most part1 are either poorly equipped or not at all1 and the ,boston ,opera ,house is in the latter category4 ,hundreds of costumes had to be unpacked1 pressed1 and distributed4 ,but such is the efficiency of the ,sadler's ,wells organization1 its general stage director1 the late ,louis ,yudkin1 and our own ,american staff1 together with the valued assistance of the ,boston local manager1 ,aaron ,richmond1 that the curtain rose at the appointed minute4 ,i had gone to ,boston for the duration of the engagement there4 ,bearing in mind the extensive travelling the company had had1 climaxed by the harrowing journey from ,winnipeg1 ,i was concerned about their fatigue and also how it might affect the quality of the performance4 ,my memory of the ,boston premire of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty is that it was one of the very best ,i had seen anywhere4 ,sir ,oliver ,franks1 the ,british ,ambassador1 and ,lady ,franks1 together with ,lord ,wakehurst1 head of the ,english-,speaking ,union1 one of the ,governors of the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust1 and now ,governor-,general of ,northern ,ireland1 came to ,boston for the opening1 and greeted the company at a delightful supper and reception following the performance4 ,lord ,wakehurst has been a veritable tower of strength in the development of international cultural relations during the ,sadler's ,wells tours2 together with ,lady ,wakehurst1 he is a charming host whose hospitality ,i have enjoyed in their ,london home4 ,the interest of ,sir ,oliver ,franks1 ,lord ,wakehurst1 and the ,british ,council as evidenced throughout the entire tour1 together with the splendid cooperation of the ,english-,speaking ,union1 all helped in one of the main reasons for the tour1 quite apart from any dollars the company might be able to garner4 ,that was the extension of cultural relations between the two great ,english-speaking nations4 ,cultural relations are basically a matter of links between individuals rather than links between governments1 and such a tour as ,sadler's ,wells made1 bringing the richness of ,british ballet to hundreds of thousands of individuals1 helps develop those private relationships2 and the sum of them presents a comprehensive picture of ,britain to the world4 ,in our struggle for peace in the world1 nothing is more essential than cultural understanding4 ,it should be pointed out that the ,british ,council does not send overseas companies primarily for financial gain1 and its policy in these matters is not dictated by financial considerations4 ,the charter of ,,unesco states that since wars begin in the minds of men1 it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed4 ,personally1 ,i am inclined to doubt if wars ever begin in the minds of men1 but ,i should be the last to dispute that it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed4 ,it was on the #bhth ,january1 #aiea1 that the greatest ballet tour in ,north ,american history came to an end in ,quebec ,city4 ,it was a night of mixed feelings4 ,the company was1 of course1 eager to get home to ,london1 and also had a longing to continue here4 ,there were the tugs of parting on the part of our ,american staff4 ,our ,american ,sadler's ,wells ,orchestra1 forty-odd strong1 the largest orchestra to tour with a ballet company in ,america1 adored the company and the curtain had to be held on the last ballet on the programme1 for the entire orchestra lined up to collect autographed photographs of their favorites1 and refused to heed the orchestra personnel manager's frantic pleas to enter the pit before each musician had his treasured picture4 ,it was quite unusual1 ,i assure you1 for musicians are not noted for their interest in a ballerina4 ,a sentimental1 romantic interest between a musician and a dancer is something quite different1 and is not at all unusual4 ,although it was ,sunday night1 when the 8blue laws0 of ,quebec frown upon music1 gaiety1 and alcohol1 we managed1 nevertheless1 to have a genuine farewell celebration1 which took the form of an after-performance dinner at the ,chateau ,frontenac4 ,the company got into their evening-clothes for the last time on this side of the ,atlantic1 piled into buses at the theatre and returned to the hotel1 while the 8,sadler's ,wells ,special0 that was to take them back to ,montreal1 waited at the station4 ,it waited a long time1 for the night's celebration at the ,chateau lasted until four-thirty in the morning4 ,it was a festive affair1 with as fine a dinner as could be prepared1 and the wines and champagne were both excellent and ample4 ,we had set up a pre-dinner cocktail room in one of the ,chateau's private rooms1 and had taken the main restaurant1 the great hall of the ,chateau1 for the dinner4 ,before the dancing commenced--yes1 despite the long tour1 despite the two days the company had spent skiing and tobogganing in ,quebec1 with three performances in an inadequate theatre1 they danced--the dessert was served4 ,i should like to list the entire menu1 but the dessert will give an indication of its nature4 ,the lights in the great dining room were extinguished1 the orchestra struck a chord1 and a long line of waiters entered each bearing flaming platters of ,omelette ,norvegienne ,flambe des ,mignardires4 ,the guests included the ,premier of ,quebec and officials of the ,quebec ,government4 ,the only note that dimmed the gaiety of the occasion was the absence of ,dame ,ninette de ,valois and ,david ,webster1 both in ,london preparing for the new season4 ,it was not an occasion for long speeches2 our hearts and our stomachs were too full4 ,however1 ,i expressed my sincere thanks to the entire organization and1 in the absence of 8,madame0 and ,webster1 ,herbert ,hughes1 the general manager of the ,ballet1 replied1 and announced to the company the figures for the tour1 amidst cheers4 ,then followed the touching incident of the toast to ,fonteyn ,i have mentioned4 ,before the dancing began1 a sudden mania for autographs started1 with everybody collecting every other person's autograph on the large1 specially printed menus1 which ,i had previously autographed4 ,apparently all wanted a menu as a souvenir of a venture that had gone down in the annals of ballet and entertainment as the greatest success of all time4 ,from then on the dancing was general1 the gaiety waxed higher4 ,i was doing a schottische with the two-hundred-fifty pound ,cockney ,chief ,carpenter1 ,horace ,fox1 when one of my staff who was responsible for transportation slid up to the orchestra leader and whispered 8,the ,king60 ,we all stood silently at attention for the last time4 ,it was well past four in the morning1 and it was to be yet another case of 8touch and go0 if the 8,sadler's ,wells ,special0 could make ,montreal in time for the departure of the special ,,boac planes which were to take the company back to ,london4 ,the company changed into traveling clothes as quickly as possible1 and buses slithered down the steep slopes of ,quebec to the ,station1 where harried railroad officials were holding the train4 ,there was yet another delay for one person who was left behind on urgent business1 finally to be seen coming1 with two porters carrying his open bags and yet another bellboy with unpacked clothes and toilet articles4 ,as the last of the retinue was pushed aboard1 the train started4 ,but it was long before sleep came1 and for another two hours the party continued up and down the length of the train1 in compartments1 bedrooms1 washrooms1 as staff1 orchestra1 stage-hands broke all unwritten laws of fraternization4 ,all were asleep1 however1 when the train swayed violently and with groaning and bumping came to a sudden stop4 ,it was the last journey and it1 of course1 simply had to happen4 ,the flanges on the wheels of two of the baggage cars that had made the #ba1jjj-mile journey gave way just as the train started the long crossing of the ,three ,rivers ,bridge between ,quebec and ,montreal4 ,fortunately1 we were moving slowly at the approach to the bridge1 slowing down for the crossing1 or else--,i shudder to think what might have occurred if we had been trying to make up time--the greatest tour of history would have ended in a ghastly tragedy4 ,as a result of the derailment taking place on the bridge1 we were hours late arriving in ,montreal4 ,but the tour was over6 ,here was a tour where every record of every sort had been broken4 ,it had reached the point where1 if there was a pair of unoccupied seats in any auditorium from coast to coast and back again1 we were all likely to feel as if the end of the world was at hand4 ,i have mentioned the mundane matter of the financial returns4 ,from a critical point of view1 ,i cannot attempt to summarize the spate of eulogy that greeted the company in every city4 ,cynics may have something to say about this1 to the effect that the critics had been overpowered by size and glamor4 ,but a careful consideration of it all1 a sober analysis1 disproves any suggestion that this was the result of any uncritical rush of blood to the head4 ,on the contrary1 it reveals that the critical faculty was carefully exercised and that the collective testimony to the excellence of ,sadler's ,wells was based on sound appreciation4 ,it is impossible for me to bring to a close this phase of the concise history of the association in ballet of which ,i am the proudest in my life without sketching an outline of the quartet that makes ,sadler's ,wells the great institution it is1 together with a few of the outstanding personalities that give it color and are such an important part of it4 ,the list is long1 and lack of space limits my consideration to a few4 ,first of all1 let me pay tribute to that directorial triumvirate to whom1 collectively and individually1 ,sadler's ,wells owes its existence and its superior place in the world of ballet in our time3 ,ninette de ,valois1 ,frederick ,ashton1 and ,constant ,lambert4 ,lamentably1 the triumvirate is now a duo1 owing to the recent untimely passing of the third member4 ,,ninette ,,de ,,valois ,i have more than once indicated my own deep admiration for ,ninette de ,valois and have sketched1 as best ,i can1 her tremendous contribution4 ,in all my experience of artists1 ,i have never known a harder worker1 a more single-purposed practical idealist1 a more concentrated and devoted human being4 ,in addition to being the chief executive of ,sadler's ,wells1 burdened with the responsibility for two ballet companies and a school1 she is a striking creator4 ,living with her husband-physician down in ,surrey1 she does her marketing before she leaves home in the morning for the ,garden2 travels up on the suburban train2 spends long hours at her work2 goes back to ,surrey1 often late at night1 sometimes to prepare dinner1 since the servant problem in ,britain is acute2 and has been known to tidy up her husband's surgery for the next morning1 before herself calling it a day4 ,all this1 day in and day out1 is done with zest and vigor4 ,an idealist she is and yet1 at the same time1 completely realistic4 ,without wishing to cast the remotest reflection on the feminine sex1 ,i would say that ,ninette de ,valois has a masculine mind in her approach to problems artistic or business1 and to life itself4 ,she feels things passionately1 and these qualities are apparent in everything she does4 ,when her mind is made up1 there is no budging her4 ,in a less intelligent person this might be labelled stubbornness4 ,like the majority of ,english dancers1 prior to her establishment of a ,british national ballet1 she was brought up in the traditions of ,russian ballet4 ,but it should be remembered that she was the first one to break up the foundation of the ,russian tradition1 utilizing its richness to create an ,english national school4 ,at ,sadler's ,wells1 in collaboration with ,constant ,lambert1 she has devoted a great deal of attention to the music of our time1 although this has never taken the form of any denial or repudiation of the tradition of the old ,russian school--on the contrary1 her work at ,sadler's ,wells has been a continuation and development of that school1 using the new to enrich the old4 ,as a person with whom to work1 ,i find her completely fascinating4 ,i have never known any one even faintly like her4 ,her magnificent sense of organization is but one aspect of what ,i have called her 8masculinity0 of mind4 ,figures as well as fouetts are a part of her life4 ,she is adept at handling both situations and individuals4 ,her dancers obey the slightest lifting of her eyebrows1 for she is a masterful person1 although quite impersonal in her mastery4 ,she possesses the art of the single withering sentence4 ,her superb organizing ability has enabled her to surround herself with a highly able staff2 but the sycophantic 8yes-man0 is something for which she has no time4 ,hers is a rapid-working mind1 often being several leaps ahead of all others in a conference4 ,sincere1 honest criticism she welcomes2 anything other1 she detests4 ,i remember an occasion when a certain critic made a comment based on nothing more than personal bias and a twisted1 highly personal approach4 ,her response was acid1 biting1 withering1 and ,i was glad ,i was not on the receiving end4 ,i am sure that ,ninette de ,valois was convinced of her mission early in her career4 ,that mission--to found a truly national ,british ballet--she has richly fulfilled4 ,much of the work involved in this fulfilment has been the exercise of great organizing and executive ability3 in the formulation of policy and plans as well as carrying them out2 in the employment of a large number of talented and efficient people2 in determining the scale on which the venture should be conducted4 ,i have spoken of 8,madame's0 ability to handle people4 ,this has earned her1 in some quarters1 an undeserved reputation for being a forbidding and austere person4 ,the fact that she is1 as she must be1 a strict disciplinarian with her company1 does not mean that she cannot be a genuinely gay and amusing person4 ,in certain respects1 despite her ,irish birth as ,edris ,stannus1 she is a veritable ,english lady1 in the best sense of the term1 with an ,english lady's virtues 7and they are numerous74 ,these virtues include1 among others1 a very definite1 forceful1 but quiet efficiency2 more than average common sense2 a passion for being fair2 the inbred necessity for being economical4 ,against all this is set that quality of idealism that turned a dancing school into a great national ballet4 ,idealism dreamed it1 practicality brought it to fruition4 ,in those far-off days before the second world war1 when ,i used to visit the ballet in ,russia1 it was one of my delights to go to the classes of the late ,agrippina ,vaganova1 one of the greatest of ballet teachers of all time1 and to watch this wise and highly talented ballet-mistress at work4 ,i noted that it was ,vaganova's invariable custom to open her classes with a two or three minute talk1 in which she would compliment the company1 and individuals in particular1 on their work in the ballet performance the night before1 closing with3 8,i am proud of you4 ,thank you very much40 ,then they would go to work in the class1 subjected to the strictest discipline1 and1 sometimes1 to the sharpest and most caustic sort of criticism imaginable4 ,then1 at the end of the class1 again came individual approbation and encouragement4 ,this is the sort of little thing ,i have never observed at ,sadler's ,wells4 ,it may1 of course1 be there2 and again1 it may not4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells personnel love 8,madame02 regard it as a high privilege to be a part of the ,wells organization2 do not look on their association merely as a 8job40 ,it might be that 8,madame0 could advantageously employ ,vaganova's method in this regard1 use her example in her own relations with her company4 ,certainly1 it could do no harm1 as ,i see it4 ,it may well be that she does4 ,the point is that ,i have never seen it in practice4 ,in the better part of a lifetime spent in the midst of the dance1 ,i can remember no one with a greater devotion to ballet1 or one willing to make more sacrifices for it1 and for the spreading of its gospel4 ,let me cite just one example of this devotion4 ,it was during the second ,north ,american tour of the ,sadler's ,wells company that1 despite all the demands made upon her time and energy1 she was impelled to undertake a long lecture tour of ,canada and the ,northwest to spread the gospel of ballet and the ,british ,council4 ,herbert ,hughes1 the general manager1 came to me to point out that since 8,madame0 had to do this1 he felt we should send some one to accompany her1 because she was unfamiliar with the country1 and with the train and air schedules4 ,i fully concurred1 in view of all he had said1 and the possibility of inclement weather at that time of the year4 ,together we approached 8,madame0 with the idea4 ,it did not meet with her approval4 ,it was quite unnecessary4 ,she was quite able to take care of herself4 ,she did not want any one 8making a fuss0 over her4 ,of course1 she would require funds for her expenses4 ,hughes prevailed upon her to accept #cjj as petty cash4 8,madame0 stuffed the money into her capacious reticule4 ,when 8,madame0 rejoined the company1 she brought back #acg of the #cjj4 8,this is the balance10 she said to ,hughes1 8,i didn't spend it40 ,this entire lecture tour1 in which she covered thousands of miles1 was but another example of her tirelessness and ,ninette de ,valois' single-track mind4 ,she was due to rejoin the company at the ,ambassador ,hotel1 in ,los ,angeles1 on the morning of the ,los ,angeles premire of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 at which time we had arranged a large breakfast press-conference1 over which 8,madame0 was to preside4 8,madame0 was due by airplane from ,vancouver early the previous evening4 ,hughes suggested that he should go to the airport to greet her1 or that some one should be sent2 but ,i vetoed the idea1 remembering that 8,madame0 did not want a 8fuss0 made over her4 ,although the plane was due round about nine o'clock in the evening1 midnight had produced no 8,madame40 ,a telephonic check with the ,terminal assured us the plane had arrived safely and on time4 ,hughes and ,i sat up until three-thirty in the morning waiting1 but in vain4 ,i was greatly disturbed and exercised when1 at nine the next morning1 she had not put in an appearance4 ,the press-conference was set for ten o'clock1 and 8,madame0 was its most important feature4 ,moreover1 ,i was concerned for her safety4 ,a few minutes before the start of the breakfast conference1 unperturbed1 unruffled1 neat and calm as always1 8,madame0 entered the ,ambassador foyer with her customary spirit and swift1 sure gait4 ,we gathered round her4 ,what had happened8 ,was she all right8 ,had anything gone wrong8 8,don't be silly4 ,what could go wrong80 ,but what had happened8 ,we pressed for an explanation4 8,the strangest thing1 my dears10 she said4 8,when ,i arrived last night1 ,i looked in my bag for the piece of paper on which ,i had noted the name of this hotel4 ,i couldn't find it2 nor could ,i1 for the life of me1 remember it40 8,what did you do80 8,do8 ,i went to sleep at the airport40 8,and--80 8,and this morning ,i said to myself1 #8,come1 pull yourself together4' ,i tried an old law of association of ideas4 ,i managed to remember the name of this hotel had something to do with diplomacy4 #8,diplomacy--,diplomacy1' ,i said to myself4444 #8,embassy8444 ,no1 that's not it4' ,i tried again4444 #8,ambassador8' 444 ,there1 you have it4 ,and here ,i am4444 ,let us go1 or we shall be late4 ,where is this press conference80 ,that is ,ninette de ,valois4 ,ninette de ,valois' work as a choreographer speaks for itself4 ,her approach to any work is always professional1 always intellectual1 never amateur1 never sentimental4 ,some of her works may be more successful than others1 whether they are academic or highly original1 but each bears the imprint of one of the most distinctive1 able1 and agile minds in the history of ballet4 ,so far as ,i have been able to observe1 ,ninette de ,valois is ,sadler's ,wells4 ,sadler's ,wells is the national ballet of ,britain4 ,in looking objectively at the organization1 with its two fine companies1 its splendid school1 ,i pray that ,ninette de ,valois may long be spared1 for1 with all its splendid organization1 ,sadler's ,wells and ,british national ballet are synonyms1 and unless the dear lady has someone up her sleeve1 ,i cannot1 for the life of me1 see a successor in the offing4 ,,frederick ,,ashton ,frederick ,ashton1 the chief choreographer of the company1 is the complete antithesis of his colleague4 ,where de ,valois is realistic1 8,freddy0 is sentimental4 ,where 8,madame0 may sometimes be rigid1 ,ashton is adaptable4 ,some of his work is 8slick0 and smooth4 ,he is a romantic1 but by that ,i do not necessarily mean a 8neo-romantic40 ,ashton was born in ,ecuador1 in #aiji1 which does not make him ,ecuadorian1 any more than the fact that he spent his childhood in ,peru1 makes him ,peruvian4 ,his ,british parents happened to be living there at the time4 ,it is said that his interest in dance was first aroused upon seeing ,anna ,pavlova dance in far-off ,peru4 ,moving to ,london with his parents1 8,freddy0 had the privilege of being exposed to performances of the ,diaghileff ,company1 and he had his first ballet lessons from ,leonide ,massine4 ,massine turned him over to ,marie ,rambert when he left ,london4 ,it was for ,rambert that he staged his first work1 ,the ,tragedy of ,fashion1 for the ,nigel ,playfair revue1 ,hammersmith ,nights1 in #aibf4 ,an interim in ,paris with ,ida ,rubenstein1 ,nijinska1 and ,massine1 was followed by a long time with ,marie ,rambert and her ,ballet ,club4 ,the ,paris interlude with ,nijinska and ,massine affected him profoundly4 ,he was a moving figure in the life of the ,camargo ,society1 and in #aice he joined the ,vic-,wells 7later to be known as the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet71 as resident choreographer4 ,during the years between1 ,ashton has become ,england's great creator4 ,he is also a character dancer of wide variety1 as witness his ,carabosse in ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 his shy and wistful ,ugly ,sister in ,cinderella4 ,his contribution to ballet in ,england is tremendous4 ,nigh on to a dozen ballets for the ,ballet ,rambert2 something between twenty-five and thirty for the ,sadler's ,wells organization2 ,devil's ,holiday for the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo1 a work which1 because of the outbreak of the war1 he was unable to complete1 and which was never seen in this country with its creator's full intentions2 two works in ,new ,york for the ,new ,york ,city ,ballet2 and the original production of the ,gertrude ,stein-,virgil ,thomson ,four ,saints in ,three ,acts1 in ,new ,york4 ,it is interesting to note the wide variety of his creative work by listing some of his many works1 which1 in addition to those mentioned above1 include1 among others1 the following3 ,for the ,ballet ,club of ,marie ,rambert3 ,les ,petits ,riens1 ,leda and the ,swan1 ,capriol ,suite1 ,the ,lady of ,shalott1 ,la ,peri1 ,foyer de ,danse1 ,les ,masques1 ,mephisto ,valse1 and several others4 ,for that founding society of contemporary ,british ballet1 which ,i have mentioned before1 the ,camargo ,society3 ,pomona1 ,faade1 ,the ,lord of ,burleigh1 ,rio ,grande 7originally known as ,a ,day ,in a ,southern ,port71 and other works4 ,i have already mentioned some of his outstanding works for the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet4 ,others include ,nocturne1 to ,delius's ,paris2 ,apparitions1 to a ,liszt-,lambert score2 ,les ,rendez-vous1 to a ,constant ,lambert score based on melodies by ,auber1 seen in ,america in the repertoire of the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet2 the delicious ,a ,wedding ,bouquet1 to an original score by ,lord ,berners and a ,gertrude ,stein text2 ,les ,patineurs1 to melodies by ,meyerbeer2 ,constant ,lambert's ,horoscope2 ,dante ,sonata1 to ,liszt works arranged by ,lambert2 ,the ,wise ,virgins1 to ,bach arranged by ,sir ,william ,walton2 ,the ,wanderer1 to ,schubert2 ,walton's ,the ,quest2 ,les ,sirnes1 by ,lord ,berners2 the ,csar ,franck ,symphonic ,variations2 the ,coronation ballet of #aiec--;,homage to the ,queen2 and1 in a sense1 most importantly1 the full length ,cinderella1 utilizing the ,prokofieff score2 and the full length production of ,delibes' ,sylvia4 ,actually1 ,i like to think of ,ashton as a dance-composer1 moving freely with dramatic or symbolic characters4 ,in all my experience of ballet and of choreographers1 ,i do not believe there is any one more conscientious1 more hard-working1 more painstaking at rehearsals4 ,while his eye misses nothing1 he never raises his voice1 never loses his temper4 ,corrections are made firmly1 but quietly1 almost in seeming confidence4 ,always he has a good word for something well done4 ,on occasion1 ,i have noticed something to be adjusted and have mentioned it to him4 8,yes1 yes1 ,i know10 he would say4 8,aren't you going to tell them80 8,you tell them10 ,ashton would smile4 8,i can't tell them4 ,go on1 you tell them40 ,this was in connection with a musical matter4 ,the conductor in question was taking a portion of the work at a too rapid tempo4 ,it involved 8,freddy0 telling the conductor the passage was being played too fast4 8,no10 repeated 8,freddy10 8it will work out4 ,he will see it and feel it for himself4 ,i don't want to upset him40 ,an extraordinarily conscientious worker1 he is equally self-deprecating4 ,some of this self-deprecation can be found in his work1 for there is almost always a high degree of subtlety about all of it4 ,among all the choreographers ,i know1 there is none his superior or his equal in designing sheer poetry of movement4 ,ashton is able1 in my opinion1 to bring to ballet some of that quality of enchantment that1 in the old days1 we found only with the ,russians4 ,this self-deprecating quality of 8,freddy's0 is at its strongest on opening nights of his works4 ,it is very real and sincere4 8,everything ,i do is always a flop here in ,england1 you know10 he will say4 8,they don't like me4444 ,i've done the best ,i can4444 ,there you are40 ,despite this self-deprecation1 ,ashton1 once his imagination is stirred1 his inspiration stimulated1 throws off a certain indolence that is one of his characteristics1 knows exactly what he wants1 how to get it1 and goes about it4 ,like all creative artists1 during the actual period of creation1 he can be alternately confident and despairing1 determined and resigned4 ,despite the reluctance to exercise his authority1 he can1 if occasion demands1 put his foot down firmly1 and does4 ,yet1 in doing so1 ,i am certain that never in his life has he hurt any one1 for 8,freddy0 ,ashton is essentially a kind person4 ,three ,british ballerinas owe ,ashton an immense debt3 ,margot ,fonteyn1 ,moira ,shearer1 and ,alicia ,markova4 ,it is due in large measure to ,ashton's tuition1 his help1 his sound advice1 and his plastic sense that these fine artists have matured4 ,every choreographer worthy of the name stamps his works with his own personality4 ,ashton's signature is always apparent in his work4 ,no matter how characteristic of him his works may be choreographically1 they are equally dissimilar and varied in mood4 ,one of my great pleasures is to watch him at rehearsal1 giving1 giving1 giving of himself to dancers4 ,before the curtain rises1 that final expectant moment before the screen between dancer and audience is withdrawn1 ,ashton is always on the stage1 moving from dancer to dancer3 8,cheer up04444 8,back straight1 duckie04444 8,present yourself04444 8,chin up1 always chin up1 darling40 444 ,personally1 8,freddy0 is an unending delight4 ,shy1 shy1 always shy1 shy like the shy sister he plays in ,cinderella1 he is always the good colleague1 evincing the same painstaking interest in the ballets of others as he does in his own1 something which ,i assure the reader is rare4 ,i have yet to see 8,freddy0 ruffled1 yet to see him outwardly upset4 ,in his personal appearance he is always neat1 carefully dressed4 ,even in the midst of hectic dress-rehearsals and their attendant excitements and alarums1 ,i have never seen him anything but cool1 neat1 and well-groomed4 ,there is never a fantastic 8rehearsal costume0 with 8,freddy40 ,the picture of 8,freddy0 that is uppermost in my mind is of him standing in the 8,crush ,bar0 at ,covent ,garden1 relaxed1 at ease1 listening more than talking1 laughing in his self-deprecatory way1 always alert1 always amusing4 ,ashton lives in ,london in a house in a little street quaintly called ,yeoman's ,row1 on the edge of ,knightsbridge and ,kensington4 ,here he often does his own cooking and here he works out his ideas4 ,it is a tiny house1 the work-center being a second-floor study1 crowded with gramophone records1 books1 photographs and statuettes1 all of which nearly obscure the red wall-paper4 ,the statuettes are three in number3 ,anna ,pavlova1 ,fanny ,ellsler1 and ,marie ,taglioni4 ,the photographs range from good ,queen ,alexandra1 through bull-fighters1 to dancers4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells hierarchy seems to travel in groups4 ,one such group that seemed inseparable included ,ashton1 8,bobby0 ,helpmann1 ,margot ,fonteyn1 and ,pamela ,may4 ,occasionally ,constant ,lambert would join in1 to eat1 to drink1 to have fun4 ,for 8,freddy0 is by no means averse to the good things of life4 8,freddy0 ,ashton is another of those figures of the dance who should never regard the calendar as a measure for determining his age4 ,i believe the youthful spirit of ,ashton is such that he will live to be a hundred-and-fifty2 that1 in #bjge1 he will be the last survivor of the founding of ,sadler's ,wells1 and will then be the recipient of a grand gala benefit at the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 where1 that night1 he will share the ,royal ,box with the then reigning monarch4 ,,constant ,,lambert ,it is difficult for me to write without emotion of the third of the trio1 ,constant ,lambert1 whose loss is deeply mourned by all who knew him1 and by many who did not4 ,a picturesque figure1 ,lambert was a great conductor1 a great musician1 a composer of superior talents1 a critic of perception1 a writer of brilliance and incisiveness1 a life-long student of the ballet4 ,lambert's contribution to the making of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet has1 ,i suspect1 been given less credit than it deserves4 ,i have said that1 in my three decades-and-more of ballet management1 ,i have never known a ballet company with such high musical standards4 ,these standards were imposed by ,constant ,lambert4 ,not only did he compose ballets for the company1 but when music of other composers was used1 it was ,lambert who provided the strikingly brilliant orchestral arrangements--witness1 as a few examples3 ,les ,patineurs1 ,dante ,sonata1 ,the ,faery ,queen1 ,comus1 ,apparitions1 ,les ,rendez-vous1 ,balabile1 in which he made alive for ballet purposes the assorted music of ,meyerbeer1 ,liszt1 ,purcell1 ,auber1 ,chabrier1 respectively4 ,born in ,london1 in #aije1 the son of a painter1 brother of a well-known sculptor1 he spent a substantial part of his childhood in ,russia1 where his grandfather supplied the ,trans-,siberian ,railway with its locomotives4 ,he was a living proof of the fact that it was possible for an ,englishman to be a musician without being suspected of not being a gentleman4 ,his was an incisive mind1 capable of quick reactions1 with a widely ranging emotional experience4 ,with the ,camargo ,society1 ,constant ,lambert established himself not only as a conductor1 but as the musical mind behind ,british ballet4 ,however1 it was not an ,englishman who discovered him as a composer4 ,that honor goes to a ,russian1 ,serge ,diaghileff1 who1 when ,lambert was bordering on twenty-one1 commissioned him to write a ballet for his company4 ,no other ,english composer shared that honor before ,diaghileff died1 although ,diaghileff did produce1 but did not commission1 ,lord ,berners' ,the ,triumph of ,neptune4 ,and so ,lambert stands isolated1 with his ,romeo and ,juliet1 which was first produced at ,monte ,carlo1 in #aibf1 with ,lifar and ,karsavina as the protagonists2 and his second ballet1 ,pomona1 which ,bronislava ,nijinska staged at the ,colon ,theatre1 ,buenos ,aires1 in #aibg4 ,constant ,lambert's ,english education was at ,christ's ,hospital4 ,early in his school days he underwent a leg operation that compelled him always to walk with a stick4 ,all his life he was never entirely free from pain4 ,at the ,royal ,college of ,music he was a pupil of ,ralph ,vaughan ,williams4 ,ballet came into his life at an early date1 and remained there until his untimely passing4 ,to it he gave the best years of his life in acting as a sort of hair-spring to ,ninette de ,valois' mainspring in the development of ,sadler's ,wells4 ,on his sound musical foundation ,sadler's ,wells rests4 ,it is not within my province to discuss ,lambert as a composer2 but his accomplishments and achievements in this field were considerable4 ,it is1 of course1 as a musician he will be remembered4 ,but ,i could not regard ,lambert as a musician pure and simple4 ,he had a wide variety of interests1 not the least of which was painting4 ,both painting and sculpture were in his family1 and1 from conversations with him ,i frequently got the notion that1 had his technical accomplishments been other than they were1 he would have preferred to have been a painter to a musician4 ,much of his music had a pictorial quality1 witness his ballets1 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,pomona1 ,horoscope1 and ,tiresias2 observe his ,piano ,concerto1 ,rio ,grande 78,by the ,rio ,grande1 they dance no ,sarabande071 ,music for the ,orchestra1 ,elegiac ,blues 7a tribute to the ,american ,florence ,mills71 the ,merchant ,navy ,suite1 ,summer's ,last ,will and ,testament1 ,hogarthian in color and treatment2 and the work ,i shall always remember him conducting as a musical interlude in the first season in ,new ,york1 the ,aubade ,heroique1 the reproduction in sound of a ,dutch landscape1 a remembrance of that dawn in ,holland when ,lambert1 a visiting conductor with ,sadler's ,wells1 witnessed the invasion of ,the ,hague by ,nazi paratroopers4 ,it was as a conductor of ,tchaikowsky that ,i feel he excelled4 ,he was a masterly ,tchaikowsky interpreter4 ,i should have loved to hear him play the symphonies4 ,i content myself1 however1 with his ,swan ,lake and ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 and the realization of how much these two ,sadler's ,wells productions owe to him4 ,never was the music for an instant dull1 for ,lambert always conducted it with a fine ear for contrasts of brisk with languid1 happiness with toska4 ,composer that he was1 he devoted a large part of his life to conducting4 ,his recordings are to be treasured4 ,conducting to him was not merely a source of livelihood1 but a very definite form of self-expression1 an important part of him4 ,in my experience1 ,i have found that composers are1 as a rule1 bad conductors1 and conductors bad composers4 ,two exceptions ,i can name4 ,both ,british4 ,lambert was well nigh unique in his superlative capacity in both directions1 as is ,benjamin ,britten today4 ,lambert1 ,i feel1 was not only one of the most gifted composers of his time1 but also one of its finest interpretative artists4 ,he had the unique quality of being able to enter wholeheartedly into the innermost essence of forms of art diametrically opposed to his own1 even positively unsympathetic to him personally1 and giving superlative performances of them4 ,lambert was no calm liver1 no philosophic hermit2 a good deal of a hedonist1 he met life considerably more than half way1 and went out to explore life's possibilities to the fullest4 ,moreover1 he richly succeeded in doing so4 ,he was a brilliant wit1 both in writing and in conversation4 ,his book1 ,music1 ,ho61 remains one of the most stimulating books of musical commentary and criticism of our time4 ,he was the collector and creator of an innumerable number of magnificent but unprintable limericks1 in the creation of which he was a distinct poet4 ,he had composed a series of fifty on one subject--double bishops1 i4e41 bishops having more than one diocese1 like ,bath and ,wells4 ,a friend of mine who has heard ,lambert recite them with that gusto of which only he was capable1 tells me that they are1 without doubt1 one of the most brilliant achievements in this popular form4 ,wit is one thing2 stout-hearted1 robust humor is another4 ,lambert had both4 ,there was also a shyness of an odd kind1 when a roaring laugh would give way to a fit of wanting to be by himself1 wrapped in melancholy4 ,his was a delicately poised combination of the introvert and the extravert1 the latter expressing itself in the love of male company over pots of ale and even headier beverages4 ,he had a keen appreciation of the good things of life4 ,this duality of personality was apparent in his physical make-up4 ,there was something about his appearance that1 in a sense1 fitted in with the conventional portrait of ,john ,bull4 ,a figure of a good deal of masculine strength1 he was big1 inclined to be burly2 his complexion was pink4 ,he exhibited in himself a disconcerting blend of the most opposite extremes imaginable4 ,on the one hand1 a certain morbidity2 on the other1 a bluff and hearty roast-beef-and-,yorkshire ,britishness4 ,i have said that he resembled1 physically1 the typical drawing of ,john ,bull4 ,as a matter of fact1 he bore an uncanny physical resemblance to ,winston ,churchill1 and had elements in common with ,g4 ,k4 ,chesterton4 ,and a ,hollywood casting director might have engaged him to play the role of the ,emperor ,nero1 on strict type casting4 ,he had an alert face on which humor often played good tunes1 but on which1 now and then1 there used to settle a kind of stern gloom1 not to be dispersed by any insensitive back-slapping4 ,he was as much at home in ,france as he was in ,england4 ,his late adolescence and early manhood were spent in the hectic1 feverish1 restless 'twenties1 with the ,diaghileff ,ballet and the ,french school of musical composition as the preponderant influences4 ,as he grew older1 his ,englishness1 if ,i may call it that1 grew as well4 ,the amazing thing to me was his ability to maintain such an even balance between the two4 ,lambert had a passion for enigmas4 ,he adored cats1 and had a strange attraction to aquariums1 zoos1 and their fascinatingly enigmatic inhabitants4 ,he was ,president of the ,kensington ,kittens' and ,neuter ,cats' ,club1 ,incorporated4 ,an important club1 a club with a ,president who knew quite a lot about cats4 ,there is a story to the effect that there was once a most handsome cat at ,london's ,albert ,hall who was a close friend of ,lambert's1 a cat called ,tiddleywinks1 a discriminating cat1 and a cat with a certain amount of musical taste4 ,lambert1 the ,president1 would never proceed with the job he had to do at the ,albert ,hall without a preliminary chat with ,tiddleywinks4 ,and all would be well4 ,constant ,lambert was working on1 among other things1 an autobiography1 concerning which he one day inquired about completely inaccessible places left in our shrinking world1 particularly since the last war and ,james ,norman ,hall have pretty well exposed the ,south ,pacific islands4 ,what he actually wanted to know was an inaccessible place to which to hie after its publication1 8because10 he said1 8,i'm telling the truth about everyone ,i know1 including myself1 and ,i shall have to flee the wrath of my #8friends1' and find a safe place where the laws of libel cannot reach me4 ,you know1 in my country at least1 #8the greater the truth1 the greater the libel4'0 ,there was an infinite variety in his 8drive40 ,he conducted ballet at ,covent ,garden2 radio concerts at the ,british ,broadcasting ,corporation2 symphony concerts1 with special emphasis on ,liszt and ,sibelius1 with the ,london ,philharmonic ,orchestra2 made magnificent1 definitive recordings2 recited the ,sitwell poems in ,faade at every opportunity2 composed fresh1 vital works2 made striking musical arrangements4 ,he was at once composer1 conductor1 critic1 journalist1 an authority on railroad systems1 trains1 and locomotives1 a student of the atom bomb1 and a talker4 ,there are those who insist he was not easy to get to know4 ,it could be4 ,he was1 as ,i have said1 shy4 ,he was a highly concentrated individual1 living a lot on his nerves4 ,despite this1 to those who knew him1 he was the friendliest of good companions1 a perpetual stimulus to those who delighted in knowing him4 ,one had to be prepared1 to be sure1 to discover1 in the middle of one of one's own sentences 7and1 frequently1 one of his own7 that he was--gone4 ,he would tilt his chin in the air1 stare suddenly into far distant spaces1 turn on his heel with the help of his stick1 as swiftly as a ballet-dancer in a pirouette1 and silently vanish4 ,he was a good listener--if one had anything to say4 ,he did not suffer fools gladly1 and to bores--that increasing affliction of our times--he presented an inflexible deafness akin to the switching-off of a hearing-aid1 and a truly magnificent cast-iron rigidity of inattention4 ,the bore fled4 ,so did ,lambert4 ,i have given some indication of the width of his interests4 ,it was amazing4 ,his gusto for life was unquenchable1 and with it was a wise1 shrewd appraisement of the human comedy--and tragedy4 ,he was able to get through an enormous amount of work without ever seeming to do anything4 ,best of all1 perhaps1 he was able to enjoy a joke against himself4 ,in this world of the arts and artists1 where morbid egotisms and too exposed nerves victimize and vitiate the artist1 it was a boon to him and an extraordinarily attractive characteristic4 ,above all1 he had an undying belief in ,british ,ballet4 ,the last performance ,i saw ,lambert conduct was the first performance of his last ballet1 ,tiresias1 which was the occasion of a ,gala in aid of the ,ballet ,benevolent ,fund in the presence of ,h4,m4 the ,queen and ,princess ,elizabeth1 on the #ith ,july1 #aiea4 ,tiresias was a work on which ,lambert had gone back to his collaboration with ,frederick ,ashton4 ,the story he had made himself2 it was a sort of composite of the myths about ,tiresias2 reduced to as much of a capsule as ,i can1 it deals with the duality of ,tiresias--as man and woman--and how he was struck blind by ,hera1 when ,tiresias proves her wrong when she argues with ,zeus that man's lot is happier than woman's4 ,it was1 this ballet1 a sort of family affair in a sense2 for ,lambert's wife1 ,isabel1 designed scenery and costumes1 setting the three-scened work on the ,island of ,crete4 ,after the first performance1 we met at a large party to which ,i had gone with ,david ,webster4 ,lambert and his wife1 along with ,ninette de ,valois and ,lady ,keynes 7,lydia ,lopokova71 joined us at supper4 ,the ballet had been a long one1 running quite a bit more than an hour1 and there was general agreement among us that the work would benefit from judicious cutting4 ,lambert thoughtfully considered all the suggestions that were proffered2 agreed that1 conceivably1 a cut or two might improve it1 but the question was where and how1 without damaging what he felt was the basic structure of the whole4 ,not long after this1 ,lambert and ,i met at the door of ,covent ,garden1 having arrived simultaneously4 ,we had a brief chat1 and he was his usual vastly courteous and amusing self4 ,a few days later1 at the ,savoy1 my telephone rang quite early in the morning4 8,madame's0 secretary1 ,jane ,edgeworth1 at the other end1 informed me ,constant ,lambert had just died4 ,i was stunned4 ,it appeared that ,lambert had been taken ill while at a party and had been rushed to ,london ,clinic1 one of ,london's most exclusive and finest nursing-homes1 on ,sunday evening1 the #aith ,august4 ,it was on ,tuesday morning1 the #bast ,august1 that ,i received the news of his death4 ,the funeral was quite private1 since the entire ,sadler's ,wells company was away from ,london performing at the ,edinburgh ,festival4 ,lambert was buried from the ,church of ,st4 ,bartholomew the ,great1 at ,smithfield1 in the ,city of ,london4 ,so private was the service that almost no one was there1 and there were no ,pallbearers4 ,i was present at the ,memorial ,service1 held at the famous ,church of ,st4 ,martin's-in-the-,fields1 at ,charing ,cross1 overlooking the ,national ,gallery4 ,there were gathered his sorrowing company1 now returned from ,edinburgh1 headed by ,ninette de ,valois1 ,frederick ,ashton1 and ,david ,webster4 ,the address was given by the ,reverend ,c4 ,b4 ,mortlock4 ,robert ,helpmann1 an old colleague1 read the ,lesson4 ,the chorus of the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 sang ,bach's ,jesu1 ,joy of ,man's ,desiring4 ,at the close1 ,john ,churchill1 one of ,britain's greatest organists and an old friend of ,lambert's1 played on the organ that elegiac work ,lambert had composed at the rape of ,holland1 and which he had conducted so magnificently at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house--his ,aubade ,heroique4 ,here at ,st4 ,martin's-in-the-,fields his colleagues paid him honor4 ,i was deeply moved4 ,at the little funeral1 ,i had been equally stirred4 ,here before me was all that remained of the great man who never took his greatness seriously2 the man who would go to any trouble on behalf of those who tried1 but who1 for those who were lazy1 or cynical1 or thought themselves superior1 and without justification1 he had no use whatever4 ,here was a man about whom there was nothing of the academic recluse1 but a man who loved life as he loved music1 ballet1 fully1 strongly1 with ever-growing zest and with ever-deepening understanding2 the man who had done so much for ballet1 its music1 its standards2 who had been of such vital importance in the fashioning of ,sadler's ,wells4 ,my thoughts went back to his creations1 his arrangements4 ,i was actually conscious of his imprint on all ballet4 ,memories of his wit1 his brilliance1 crowded into my mind4 ,i expected1 ,i think1 that with the sudden passing of a man of such fame1 there would be an outpouring of thousands for his funeral1 to pay their last1 grateful respects4 ,i was surprised4 ,this was not the case1 as ,i have explained4 ,a few close distinguished friends and colleagues gathered beside the coffin in the ,church of ,st4 ,bartholomew the ,great1 in the ,city3 ,sir ,william ,walton1 ,osbert and ,sacheverell ,sitwell1 ,sir ,arthur ,bliss1 ,edmund ,rubbra1 ,alan ,rawsthorne1 ,ninette de ,valois1 ,frederick ,ashton1 and ,robert ,helpmann who had hurried down from ,edinburgh4 ,the service was brief and hushed4 ,i was indeed very sad1 and my thoughts traveled out to the little chapel in ,golder's ,green1 not so far as an angel flies1 where lay all that was mortal of another genius of the dance and another friend1 in the urn marked3 8,east ,wall--,no4 #cgaa--;,anna ,pavlova40 ,as ,lambert's body was borne from ,st4 ,bartholomew the ,great's gothic pile1 ,i bowed my head low as a great man passed1 a very lovable man4 ,,david ,,webster ,i have dwelt at some length on my impressions of the artistic directorate of ,sadler's ,wells4 ,beyond and apart from the artistic direction of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 but very much responsible for its financial well-being1 is ,david ,lumsden ,webster1 the ,general ,administrator of the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden4 ,david ,webster is not a head-line hunter4 ,he is certainly not the press-agent's delight4 ,he does not court publicity4 ,he permits his work to speak for itself4 ,on more than one occasion ,i have been appropriately chilled by a reading of the impersonal factual coldness of the entries in that otherwise useful volume1 ,who's ,who4 ,the following quotation from it is no exception3 ,webster1 ,david ,lumsden1 ,b4,a4--,general ,administrator ,royal ,opera ,house #aidf--;,born #crd ,july1 #aijc--;,educated ,holt ,school1 ,liverpool ,university1 ,oxford ,university--,president ,liverpool ,guild of ,undergraduates1 #aibd-be--;,general ,manager ,bon ,march1 ,liverpool1 ,ltd41 #aicb-dj--;,general ,manager ,lewis's ,ltd41 ,liverpool1 #aidj-da--,ministry of ,supply ,ordnance ,factories1 engaged on special methods of developing production1 #aidb-dd--;,chairman ,liverpool ,philharmonic ,society1 ,june #aidj-,october #aide4 ,to be sure1 the facts are there4 ,not only is it possible to elaborate on these facts1 but to add some which may be implicit in the above summary1 but not apparent4 ,for example1 ,i can add that ,david ,webster is a cultured gentleman of taste1 courage1 and splendid business perspicacity4 ,his early background of business administration1 as may be gathered1 was acquired in the fields of textiles and wearing apparel1 and was continued1 during the war1 in the highly important field of expediting ordnance production4 ,things that are not implicit or even suggested in ,who's ,who are the depth and breadth of his culture1 his knowledge of literature and drama and poetry and music--his love for the last making him a genuine musical amateur in the best sense of the term4 ,it was the last that was of immense value to him as ,chairman of the ,liverpool ,philharmonic ,society in building it into one of ,britain's outstanding symphonic bodies4 ,it is understandable that there was a certain amount of pardonable pride in the accomplishment1 since ,webster is himself a ,liverpudlian4 ,at the end of the war1 in a shell-shocked1 bomb-blasted ,london1 ,webster was invited to take over the post of ,general ,administrator at ,covent ,garden when the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust was formed at the time of the ,boosey and ,hawkes leasehold4 ,since #aidf1 ,david ,webster has been responsible for the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden3 for the ,opera entirely1 and for the ,ballet1 in conjunction with ,ninette de ,valois4 ,during this time1 he has restored the historic house to its rightful place among the leading lyric theatres of the world2 where private enterprise and the private ,maecenas failed1 ,webster has succeeded4 ,by his policies1 the famous house has been saved from the ignominy of a public dance-hall in off-seasons1 for now there are no longer any 8off-seasons40 ,david ,webster is uniquely responsible for a number of things at ,covent ,garden4 ,let me try to enumerate them4 ,he has succeeded in establishing and maintaining the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,carden1 as a truly national opera house1 restoring this great theatre and reclaiming it as a national center for ballet and opera1 on a year-round basis4 ,he has succeeded in shaking off many of the hidebound traditions and conventions of opera production4 ,while the great standard works of opera are an essential part of the operatic repertoire1 he initiated a broad policy of experimentation both in the production of standard works and in new1 untried operas4 ,he has succeeded1 through his invitation to the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 in making ballet an integral and important part of the ,opera ,house and has helped it to become a truly national ballet4 ,in addition to striking national operas by ,bliss and ,vaughan ,williams1 it was ,webster's courage that has provided a home for three unique operas1 ,peter ,grimes1 ,billy ,budd and ,gloriana1 great works by that brilliant young ,british composer1 ,benjamin ,britten4 ,while it is true the original commission for the former work came from the ,natalie ,koussevitsky ,foundation in ,america1 it was ,webster who had the vision and courage to mount both great modern operas grandly4 ,it was ,webster who had the courage to mount the latter1 based on ,herman ,melville's immortal story1 with ,britten as conductor2 and a magnificent one he turned out to be4 ,britten is indisputably at the very top among the figures of contemporary music4 ,he is a young man of exceptional gifts1 and it is ,webster and the permanent ,covent ,garden organization that have provided the composer with exceptional opportunities for the expression of them4 ,this is only possible through the existence of a national opera house with a permanent roof over its head4 ,as is the case with all innovators1 it has not been all clear sailing for ,webster2 there were sections of the press that railed against his policy4 ,but ,webster won1 because at the root of the policy was a very genuine desire to break away from stale conventions1 to combat some of the stock objections and prejudices that keep many people away from opera4 ,for ,webster's aim is to create a steady audience and to appeal to groups that have not hitherto attended opera and ballet1 or have attended only when the most brilliant stars were appearing4 ,in ,london1 as in every center1 every country1 there are critics and critics4 ,some are captious2 others are not4 ,one of the latter variety in ,london once tackled me1 pointing out his dislike for most of the things that were going on at ,covent ,garden1 his disagreement with others4 ,i listened for a time1 until he asked me if ,i agreed with him4 ,my answer was simple and short4 8,look here10 ,i said4 8,a few years ago this beautiful house had what8 ,shilling dances4 ,who peopled it8 ,drunken sailors1 among others4 ,bow ,street and the streets adjoining were places you either avoided like the plague2 or else you worried and hurried through them1 if you must4 8,today1 you have a great opera house restored to its proper uses4 ,now you have something to criticize4 ,before you didn't40 ,it has been thanks to ,david ,webster's sympathetic guidance that ballet has grown in popularity until its audiences are larger than are those for opera4 ,a man of firm purpose1 few words1 eclectic taste1 and great personal charm1 ,david ,webster is a master of diplomatic skill4 ,i can honestly say that some of the happiest days of my life have been spent working closely with him4 ,had it not been for his warm cooperation1 his unquenchable enthusiasm1 ,america might easily have been denied the pleasure and profit of ,sadler's ,wells1 and our lives would have been the poorer4 ,the last time ,i was in ,webster's office1 ,i remarked1 8,we must prepare the papers for the next tour40 ,webster looked up quickly4 8,no papers are necessary10 he said4 ,for the reader who has come this far1 it should not be necessary for me to underline the difference between negotiations with the ,british and the years of wrangling through the intrigues and dissimulations of the ,russo-,caucasian-,eastern ,european-,new ,england mazes of indecision4 ,my respect for and my confidence in ,david ,webster are unlimited4 ,he is a credit to his country2 and to him1 also1 must go much of the credit for the creation of a genuine national opera and for the solid position of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet4 ,,robert ,,helpmann ,it was towards the end of the ,san ,francisco engagement of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet that there occurred a performance1 gala so far as the audience was concerned1 but which was not without its sadness to the company1 to me1 and to all those who had watched the growth and development1 the rise to a position of pre-eminence on the part of ,british ballet4 ,the public was1 of course1 completely unaware of the event4 ,it is not the sort of thing one publicizes4 ,robert ,helpmann1 long the principal male dancer1 a co-builder1 and an important choreographer of the company1 resigned4 ,his last performance as a regular member of the organization took place in the ,war ,memorial ,opera ,house4 ,the vehicle for his last appearance was the grand pas-de-deux from the third act of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 with ,margot ,fonteyn4 ,it was eminently fitting that ,helpmann's final appearance as a regular member of the company was with ,margot4 ,their association1 as first artists with the company1 encompassed the major portion of its history1 some fifteen years4 ,during this period1 ,helpmann had served in two capacities simultaneously3 as principal dancer and as choreographer4 ,an ,australian by birth in #aiji1 his first ballet training came from the ,anna ,pavlova company when ,pavlova was on one of her ,australian tours4 ,for four years he danced 8down under10 and came to ,britain in #aicc1 studying with the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,school1 while dancing in the corps de ballet4 ,his first important role was in succession to ,anton ,dolin as ,satan1 in the de ,valois-,vaughan ,williams ,job4 ,from #aicd1 he was the first male dancer of the ,sadler's ,wells organization4 ,helpmann often took leaves of absence to appear in various plays and films1 for he is an actor of ability and distinction4 ,as a choreographer1 his ,hamlet and ,miracle in the ,gorbals are distinctive additions to any repertoire4 8,bobby0 ,helpmann has not given up ballet entirely4 ,when he can spare the time from his theatrical and film commitments1 he is bound to turn up as a guest artist1 and ,i hope to see him again partnering great ballerinas4 ,always a good colleague1 he has been blessed by the gods with a delicious sense of humor4 ,this serves him admirably in such roles as one of the ,ugly ,sisters in ,cinderella--,i never can distinguish which one by name1 and only know 8,bobby0 was the sister which 8,freddy0 ,ashton was not4 ,both ,hamlet and ,miracle in the ,gorbals revealed his serious acting qualities4 ,man of the theatre1 he is resourceful4 ,on the first night of ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 there were a few ticklish moments at the beginning of the ,transformation ,scene1 due to technical difficulties4 ,the orchestra under ,lambert went straight on4 ,but the stage wait was covered by ,helpmann's entrance1 his sure hand1 his manner1 his style1 his 8line10 his graciousness4 ,i have mentioned some of ,helpmann's warm personal qualities4 ,he is one of those associated with ,sadler's ,wells who has helped to number my ,sadler's ,wells' associations among my happiest experiences4 ,helpmann is one of those who1 like the others when ,i am with them1 compel me to forget my business interests and concerns and all their associated problems3 just another proof that1 with people of this sort1 there is something else in life besides business4 ,there has been1 perhaps1 undue emphasis placed upon ,helpmann1 the actor1 with a corresponding tendency to overlook his dancing abilities4 ,from the point of view of sheer technical virtuosity1 there are others who surpass him4 ,but technical virtuosity is not by any means all of a dancer's story4 ,i happen to know of dancers who1 in my opinion1 have excelled ,nijinsky and ,pavlova in these departments1 but they were much lesser artists4 ,it is the overall quality in a dancer that matters4 ,helpmann1 ,i feel1 is a dancer of really exceptional fluency1 superb lightness1 genuine musicality1 and admirable control4 ,he is one of the rare examples among male dancers to be seen about us today of what is known in ballet terminology as the danseur noble4 ,it is the danseur noble who is the hero1 the prince1 of classical ballet4 ,as a mime and an actor in ballet he may be compared with ,leonide ,massine1 but the quality ,i have mentioned ,helpmann as having is something that has been denied ,massine1 who is best in modern character ballets4 ,sir ,arthur ,bliss1 one of ,britain's most distinguished composers1 and the creator of the scores to1 among others1 ,checkmate and ,miracle in the ,gorbals1 has said3 8,robert ,helpmann breathes the dust of the theatre like hydrogen4 ,his quickness to seize on the dramatic possibilities of music is mercurial4 ,i was not at all surprised to hear him sing in ,les ,sirnes4 ,it would seem quite natural to see him walk on to the ,albert ,hall platform one day to play a violin concerto40 ,it is always a pleasure to me to observe him in his varied roles and to watch him prepare for them4 ,he leaves absolutely nothing to chance4 ,his approach is always the product of his fine intelligence4 ,he experiments with expression1 with gesture1 with make-up1 coupling his reading1 his study of paintings1 with his own keen sense of observation4 8,bobby0 ,helpmann and ,i have one great bond in common3 our mutual adoration of ,pavlova4 ,pavlova has1 ,i know1 strongly influenced him1 and this influence is apparent in the genuine aristocracy of his bearing and his movement1 in the purity of his style4 ,there is a pretty well authenticated story about the first meeting between ,helpmann and ,ninette de ,valois1 after the former had arrived in ,london from ,australia1 and was looking for work at ,sadler's ,wells4 ,it was an audition4 ,the choreographer at such times is personally concerned with the body of the aspirant1 the extremities1 the quality of movement1 the technical equipment of the applicant1 some revelation of his training and his style1 if any4 ,it is characteristic of ,ninette de ,valois' tendency to do the unexpected that1 in ,helpmann's case1 she found herself regarding the 8wrong end0 of her subject4 ,her comment on this occasion has become historic4 8,i can do something with that face10 she said4 ,she did4 ,it has been a source of regret to me that on the #aiec ,american visit of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 8,bobby0 ,helpmann is not a regular member of the company4 ,it is not the same without him4 ,i have said that perhaps undue emphasis has been put on ,helpmann1 the actor4 ,if this is true1 it is only because of 8,bobby's0 amazing versatility3 as dancer1 as choreographer1 as actor1 as stage-director4 ,he can turn at will from one medium to the other4 ,as actor1 it should not be forgotten that he has appeared with equal success in revues 7as a mimic72 in ,shakespeare 7both on stage and screen72 in plays ranging from ,webster and ,bernard ,shaw to the ,russian ,andreyev4 ,most recently1 he has acted with the ,american ,katherine ,hepburn1 and has scored perhaps his most outstanding directorial success to date in his superlatively fine mounting of ,t4 ,s4 ,eliot's ,murder in the ,cathedral1 at the ,old ,vic4 ,i am looking forward to bringing 8,bobby0 to ,america in the not too far distant future in a great production of a ,shakespeare work which ,i am confident will make theatrical history4 8,bobby0 ,helpmann1 as ,i have pointed out1 is more than a dancer3 he is a splendid actor1 a fine creator1 a distinguished choreographer1 an intelligent human being4 ,his is a friendship ,i value2 he is alive and eager1 keen and shrewd1 with a ready smile and a glint in his eye4 ,for 8,bobby0 has a happy way with him1 and whether you are having a meal with him or discussing a point1 you cannot help reacting to his boyish enthusiasm1 his zeal for his job1 his flair for doing it4 ,my memories of dinners and suppers with the 8inseparables10 to which ,i have often been invited1 are treasured4 ,the 8inseparables0 were that closely-linked little group3 ,fonteyn1 ,ashton1 ,helpmann1 with de ,valois along1 when she was in town and free4 ,the bond between the members of the group is very close4 ,it was in ,chicago4 ,it was mid-tour1 with rehearsals and conferences and meetings for future planning4 ,we were at breakfast4 8,madame0 suddenly turned to ,helpmann4 8,bobby10 she said1 with that crisp tone that immediately commands attention4 8,bobby1 ,i want you to be sure to be at the ,drake ,hotel to give a talk to the ladies at one o'clock sharp4 ,now1 be sure to come1 and be sure to be there on time40 8,how1 in heaven's name10 replied ,helpmann1 8can ,i possibly be in two places at one time8 ,you told me ,i shall have to be at the ,public ,library at one sharp40 ,de ,valois regarded him for a long moment4 8,you astound me1 ,bobby10 she finally said4 8,did ,i tell you that8 ,very well1 then1 let it be the ,public ,library4 ,i shall take the ,drake ,hotel4 ,but watch out1 make sure you are there on time40 ,ninette de ,valois not only did something with 8that face40 ,she also made good use of that intelligence4 ,i last saw 8,bobby0 ,helpmann dance at the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 on ,coronation ,night1 when he returned as a guest artist with the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 to appear with ,margot ,fonteyn in ,le ,lac des ,cygnes1 ,act ,two4 ,what a pleasure it was to see him dancing once more1 the true cavalier1 with his perfect style and the same submerging of technique in the ebb and flow of the dance4 ,i am looking forward to seeing him again1 and1 ,i hope1 again and again4 ,,arnold ,l4 ,,haskell ,among my cherished associations with this fine organization1 ,i cannot fail to acknowledge the contribution to ballet and the popularity of it1 made through the media of books1 articles1 lectures1 by the one-time ballet critic and now ,director and ,principal of the ,sadler's ,wells ,school1 ,arnold ,l4 ,haskell4 ,haskell1 the complete balletomane himself1 has done as much1 if not more1 to develop the cult of the balletomane in the western ,anglo-,saxon world as any one else ,i know4 ,devoted to the cause of the dance1 for years he gave unsparingly of his time and means to spread the gospel of ballet4 ,in the early days of the renaissance of ballet1 ,haskell came to the ,united ,states on the first visit of the de ,basil company and was of immense assistance in helping to create an interest in and a desire to find out about ballet on the part of the ,american people4 ,he helped to organize an audience4 ,later1 he toured ,australia with the de ,basil company1 preaching 8down under0 the gospel of the true art with the zeal of a passionate1 proselyting1 non-conformist missionary4 ,from his untiring pen has come a long procession of books and articles on ballet appreciation in general1 and on certain phases of ballet in particular--books of illumination to the lay public1 of sound advice to dancers4 ,arnold ,haskell's balletic activities can be divided into five departments3 organizer1 author1 lecturer1 critic1 and educator4 ,in the first category1 he1 with ,philip ,j4 ,s4 ,richardson1 long-time editor and publisher of the ,dancing ,times 7,london71 was instrumental in forming and founding the ,camargo ,society1 after the death of ,diaghileff4 ,as lecturer1 he delivered more than fifteen hundred lectures on ballet for the ,british ,ministry of ,information1 the ,arts ,council1 the ,council for the ,education of ,his ,majesty's ,forces4 ,as critic1 he has written innumerable critical articles for magazines and periodicals1 and1 from #aicd to #aich1 was the ballet critic of the ,daily ,telegraph 7,london74 ,as critic1 ,haskell has rendered a valuable service to ballet4 ,his approach is invariably intelligent4 ,he has a sound knowledge of the dancer as dancer and1 so far as dancers and dancing are concerned1 he has exhibited a fine intuition and a good deal of prophetic insight4 ,the fifth department of ,arnold ,haskell's activities1 educator1 is the one on which he is today most successfully and conspicuously engaged4 ,as the active head of the ,sadler's ,wells ,school1 established in its own building in ,colet ,gardens1 ,kensington1 ,arnold ,haskell is in his element1 continuing his sound advice directly2 he is acting as wise and discerning mentor to a rising generation of dancers1 who live together in the same atmosphere for at least eight years4 ,i have a feeling of warm friendship for ,arnold ,haskell1 an infinite respect for him as a person1 and for his knowledge4 ,the ,school of which he is the head1 like all other ,sadler's ,wells activities1 is carried on in association with the ,british ,arts ,council1 thus carrying forward the ,council's avowed axiom that the art of a people is one of its signs of good health4 ,so it has always been in the world's history from ,ancient ,greece to ,france at the time of the ,crusades1 to ,renaissance ,italy and ,elizabethan ,england4 ,each one of those earlier manifestations1 whatever its excellence1 was confined to a limited number of people1 to the privileged and the elect4 ,the new renaissance will inevitably be the emergence of the common man into the audience of art4 ,he has always been a part of that audience when he has had the opportunity4 ,now the opportunity must come in such a way that none is overlooked and the result will be fresh vigour and self-confidence in the people as a whole4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,school is1 of course1 under the direct supervision of ,dame ,ninette de ,valois1 ,d4,b4,e4 ,its ,board of ,governors1 which is active and not merely a list of names1 numbers distinguished figures from the world of art1 music and letters4 ,the ,school was founded by the ,governors of the ,sadler's ,wells ,foundation1 in association with the ,arts ,council1 in #aidg1 to train dancers who will be fitted to carry on the high tradition of ,sadler's ,wells and generally to maintain and enhance the prestige of ,british ,ballet4 ,over eighty-five per cent of the members of the ballet companies at both the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 and at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre are graduates of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,school4 ,the ,school combines a full secondary education and a highly specialized vocational training4 ,boys and girls are taken from the age of nine4 ,pupils are prepared for what is the equivalent on this side of the ,atlantic of a complete ,high ,school education2 in ,britain1 the ,general ,certificate of ,education1 and the curriculum includes the usual school subjects of ,english language and literature1 ,french1 ,latin 7for boys only71 history1 geography1 ,scripture1 mathematics1 science1 handicraft1 music1 and art work4 ,the dance training consists of classical ballet1 character dances1 mime4 ,importance is attached to character formation and to the self-discipline essential for success on the stage4 ,there is also an ,upper ,school1 which is open to boys and girls above school-leaving age4 ,after taking the ,general ,certificate of ,education1 the ,american equivalent of graduation from high school1 students from the ,lower ,school pass into the ,upper ,school if they have reached a standard which qualifies them for further training in the senior ballet classes4 ,the ,upper ,school is also open to students from other schools4 ,entry is by interview1 and applicants are judged on general intelligence1 physical aptitude1 and standard attained4 ,entrants are accepted on one term's trial4 ,here the curriculum includes1 in post-education3 classes in ,english and ,french language and literature1 history1 art1 music1 lecture courses1 and ,dalcroze ,eurhythmics4 ,in ballet--the classical ballet1 character dances1 mime1 tuition in the roles of the classical ballets and modern works in the repertoire of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,companies4 ,it is important to note that all ballet classes for boys are taken by male teachers4 ,the ,school is inspected by ,her ,majesty's ,inspectors of ,schools1 and is licensed as a first-class educational institution4 ,the pupils number about one hundred ten in the ,lower ,school1 with about thirty in the ,upper ,school4 ,so splendidly has the ,school developed that now a substantial physical addition is being made to the premises in ,colet ,gardens1 in the form of a new building1 to provide dormitories and living quarters so that it may become a full-time boarding school1 as well as a day-school2 and thus obviate the necessity for many students to live outside the school1 either at home or1 as so often the case if the students come from distant places1 in the proverbial ,london 8digs40 ,one of the most interesting and significant things about the ,school to me is the number of boys enrolled and their backgrounds4 ,such is the feeling about male dancing in our ,anglo-,saxon civilization that many of the boys have had to be offered scholarship inducements to enroll4 ,the bulk of the boys come out of working-class families in the ,north of ,england and the ,midlands4 ,they are tough and manly4 ,it is from boys such as these that the prejudice against male dancing will gradually die out1 and the effeminate dancer will become1 as he should1 a thing of the past4 ,,moira ,,shearer ,although1 to my regret1 due to personal1 family1 and artistic reasons1 ,moira ,shearer is not present with the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet on its #aiec-aied ,north ,american tour1 ,i know her devotion to the ,sadler's ,wells institution remains unchanged4 ,the simple fact is that ,moira ,shearer is preparing to enter a new and different aspect of the theatre1 a development with which ,i hope ,i shall have something to do in the near future4 ,among the personalities of the company during the first two ,sadler's ,wells tours1 ,american interest and curiosity were at their highest1 for obvious reasons1 in ,moira ,shearer4 ,the film1 ,red ,shoes1 had stimulated an interest in ballet on the part of yet another new public1 and its ballerina star had acquired the questionable halo of a movie star4 ,this was something that was anything but pleasing to the gentle1 intelligent ,moira ,shearer2 and was1 moreover1 something she deplored4 ,born in ,dunfermline1 ,fifeshire1 ,scotland1 in #aibf1 ,moira ,shearer came to ballet at an early age1 having had dance lessons in ,rhodesia as a child at the hands of a former ,diaghileff dancer4 ,it was on her return to ,england1 when she was about eleven1 that her serious studies began with ,madame ,nadine ,nicolaeva-,legat4 ,in #aidj she joined the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,school1 remaining briefly1 however1 because of the blitz4 ,but1 early in #aida1 she turned up with the ,international ,ballet1 another ,british ballet organization1 dancing leading roles at the age of fourteen1 another example of the 8baby0 ballerina4 ,in #aidb1 she left that company to rejoin ,sadler's ,wells ,school4 ,in #aidc1 ,shearer became a member of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 achieving an almost instant success and a marked popularity with audiences4 ,what impresses me most about ,moira ,shearer1 the dancer1 is a fluidity of movement that has about it a definite ,russian quality2 she has a fine polish in her style1 coupled with great spontaneity and a gentle1 easy grace4 ,distinctive not only for her ,titian-coloring and her famed auburn-haired beauty and her slender grace1 ,shearer is equally noteworthy for her poise and an almost incredible lightness2 for her assurance and classical dignity2 for her ability to dominate the stage4 ,the 8,russian0 quality about her dancing ,i have mentioned1 ,i suspect stems from her early indoctrination and her training at the hands of ,madame ,legat2 there is something ,russian about her entrances1 when she immediately commands the stage and becomes the focus of all eyes4 ,all of these qualities are particularly apparent in ,cinderella4 ,moira ,shearer's reputation had preceded her across the ,united ,states and ,canada1 as ,i have pointed out1 because of the exhibition of spontaneity1 beauty and charm that had been revealed to thousands in the motion picture1 ,red ,shoes4 ,there is no denying this film was highly successful4 ,i suppose it can be argued successfully that ,red ,shoes brought ballet to a new audience1 and thus1 in that sense1 was good for ballet4 ,whatever it may have been1 it was not a true1 or good1 or honest picture of ballet4 ,i happen to know how ,moira ,shearer feels about it1 and ,i share her feelings4 ,although she dislikes to talk or hear very much about ,red ,shoes1 and was not very happy with it or about it1 she was1 ,i fancy1 less disturbed by her role in ,the ,tales of ,hoffman1 with 8,freddy0 ,ashton1 8,bobby0 ,helpmann1 and ,leonide ,massine4 ,best of all her film excursions1 ,moira feels1 was her sequence in ,my ,three ,loves1 which ,ashton directed for her in ,hollywood4 ,once1 on introducing her to one of those characteristic1 monumental ,california salads1 her comment was3 8,my1 but it's delicious2 yet it looks like that ,technicolor mess ,i should like to forget40 ,shearer feels ,red ,shoes was rather a sad mess1 a complete travesty of the ballet life which it posed as portraying2 that it was false and phoney throughout1 and that1 perhaps1 the phoniest thing about it was its alleged glamor4 ,on the other hand1 she does not regard the time she spent making it wasted1 for1 as she says1 she was able to sit at the feet of ,leonide ,massine and watch and learn and observe the concentration with which he worked1 the intelligence he brought to every gesture1 and the vast ingenuity and originality he applied to everything he did4 ,i happen to know ,shearer has no illusions about the film publicity campaign that made her a movie star overnight4 ,she was amused by it1 but never taken in1 and was hurt only when the crowds mobbed for autographs and ,americans hailed her as 8the star0 of ,sadler's ,wells4 ,cultured and highly intelligent1 ,moira ,shearer is intensely musical1 both in life and in the dance4 ,this musicality is particularly apparent in her portrayal of the ,princess ,aurora in ,the ,sleeping ,beauty1 and in the dual role of ,odette-,odile in ,swan ,lake4 ,again it is markedly noticeable in a quite non-classical work1 for of all the dancers ,i have seen dance the ,tango in ,faade1 she is by far the most satiric and brilliant4 ,she is well-nigh indispensable to ,wedding ,bouquet4 ,aside from the qualities ,i have mentioned1 there is also a fine romanticism about her work4 ,intelligence in a dancer is something that is rare4 ,there are those who argue that it is not necessarily a virtue in a dancer4 ,they could not be more wrong4 ,it is1 ,i think1 ,moira ,shearer's superior intelligence that gives her1 among other things1 that power of pitiless self-criticism that is the hallmark of the first-class artist4 ,moira ,shearer has been as fortunate in her private life as in her professional activities4 ,she lives happily in a lovely ,london home with her attractive and talented writer-husband1 ,ludovic ,kennedy4 ,during the second ,sadler's ,wells ,american tour1 her husband drove across the continent from ,new ,york to ,los ,angeles to join ,moira for the ,california engagement1 discovering1 by means of a tiny ,austin1 that there were still a great many of the wide-open spaces left in the land ,columbus discovered4 ,in her charming ,london flat1 with her husband1 her books1 her pictures1 and her music1 she carries out one of her most serious ambitions3 to be a good mother2 for the center of the household is her young daughter1 born in midsummer1 #aieb4 ,the depth of ,moira ,shearer's sincerity ,i happen to know not only from others1 but from personal experience4 ,it is a genuine and real sincerity that applies to every aspect of her life1 and not only in art and the theatre4 ,a loyal colleague1 she has a highly developed sense of honor4 ,as ,ninette de ,valois once remarked to me3 8,anything that ,moira has ever said or promised is a bond with her1 and nothing of a confirming nature in writing is required40 ,a splendid artist1 ballerina1 and film star1 it is my profound hope that ,moira may meet with the same degree of success in her new venture into the legitimate theatre4 ,there seems little doubt of this1 since ,i am persuaded that she will make good in anything she undertakes4 ,,beryl ,,grey ,another full-fledged ballerina of the company1 is ,beryl ,grey1 who alternates all ballerina roles today with ,fonteyn1 ,violetta ,elvin1 ,nadia ,nerina and ,rowena ,jackson4 ,beryl ,grey's ,american success was assured on the opening night of the first season at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 with her gracious and commandingly sympathetic performance of the ,lilac ,fairy in ,the ,sleeping ,beauty4 ,in a sense1 ,grey's and ,shearer's careers have followed a similar pattern1 in that they were both 8baby ballerinas40 ,born ,beryl ,groom1 at ,muswell ,hill1 in ,london's ,highgate section1 in #aibg1 the daughter of a government technical expert and his wife1 ,beryl ,grey's dancing studies began very early in life in ,manchester1 and at the age of nine1 she won a scholarship at the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,school4 ,in #aida1 she joined the company1 and so rapid was her growth as an artist that she danced leading roles in some half-dozen of the one-act ballets in the repertoire1 in place of ,margot ,fonteyn who had been taken ill4 ,even more remarkable is the fact that she danced the full-length ,swan ,lake in ,london on her fifteenth birthday4 ,the term1 8baby ballerina10 has become a part of ballet's language1 due to its association with the careers of ,baronova and ,toumanova in the early 'thirties4 ,in ,grey's case1 however1 she was privileged to have a much wider experience in classical ballets than her migr ,russian predecessors4 ,she was only seventeen when she danced the greatest of all classical roles in the repertoire of the true ballerina1 ,giselle4 ,my feeling about ,beryl ,grey1 the dancer1 is that she possesses strikingly individual qualities1 both of style and technique4 ,she has been greatly helped along the path to stardom by ,frederick ,ashton who1 as ,i have pointed out1 likes nothing better than to discover and exploit a dancer's talents4 ,it was he who gave ,grey her first big dramatic parts4 ,beryl ,grey is married to a distinguished ,swedish osteopath1 ,dr4 ,sven ,svenson1 and they live in a charming ,mayfair flat in ,london4 ,here again one finds that characteristic of fine intelligence coupled with an intense musicality4 ,also rare among dancers1 ,grey is an omnivorous reader of history1 biography1 and the arts4 ,she feels1 ,i know1 that1 apart from 8,madame0 and ,ashton1 who have been so keenly instrumental in shaping her career1 a sense of deep gratitude to ,constant ,lambert for his kindness and help to her from her very early days2 for his readiness to discuss with her any aspect of music2 and she gratefully remembers how nothing was too inconsequential for his interest1 his advice and help2 how no conductor understood what the dancer required from music more than he did4 ,she is also mindful of the inspiration she had from ,leonide ,massine1 of his limitless energy1 his indefatigable enthusiasm1 his creative fire2 she learned that no detail was too small to be corrected and worked over and over4 ,as she says3 8,he was so swift and light1 able to draw with immediate ease a complete and clear picture40 ,also1 she points out1 8,he was quiet and of few words1 but had a fine sense of humor which was often reflected in his penetrating brown eyes4 ,his rare praise meant a great deal40 ,beryl ,grey is the star in the first three-dimensional ballet film ever to be made1 based on the famous ,black ,swan pas de deux from ,le ,lac des ,cygnes4 ,from the point of view of a dancer1 ,beryl ,grey had one misfortune over which she had to triumph3 she is above average height4 ,this she has been able to turn into a thing of beauty1 with a beautifully flowing length of 8line40 ,personally1 she is a gentle person1 with a genuine humility and a simple unaffected kindliness1 and a fresh1 completely unspoiled charm4 ,her success in all the great roles has been such as to make her one of the most popular figures with the public4 ,i find great pleasure in her precision and strength as a dancer1 in her poised1 statuesque grace1 in her clean technique2 and in her special sort of technical accomplishment1 wherein nothing ever seems to present her any problems4 ,during the ,american tours of ,sadler's ,wells1 she is almost invariably greeted with flowers at the station4 ,she seems to have friends in every city4 ,how she manages to do this1 ,i am not sure2 but ,i feel it must be a tribute to her genuine warmth and friendliness4 ,,violetta ,,elvin ,violetta ,elvin1 another of the talented ballerinas of the 8fabulous0 ,sadler's ,wells company1 is in the direct line of ,russian ballet1 for she is a product of the contemporary ballet of ,russia4 ,the daughter of a pioneer of ,russian aviation1 ,vassili ,prokhoroff1 and his wife1 ,irina ,grimousinkaya1 a ,polish artist and an early experimenter with action photography1 ,violetta ,prokhorova became a pupil at the ,bolshoi ,theatre1 ,moscow1 at the age of nine4 ,it is interesting to note that she was one of a class of fifty accepted out of five hundred applicants2 it is still more interesting1 and an example of the rigorous ,russian training1 that1 when she finished the course nine years later1 out of the original fifty there were only nine left3 three girls and six boys4 ,of the three girls1 ,prokhorova was the only one who attained ballet's coveted rank of etoile4 ,violetta finished her training at the time ,moscow was being evacuated against the ,nazi invasion1 and was sent on a three-thousand mile journey to be a ballerina at the ballet at ,tashkent1 ,russian ,turkestan4 ,here1 at the age of eighteen1 she danced the leading roles in two works1 ,the ,fountain of ,bakchissarai1 based on ,pushkin's famous poem1 and ,don ,quixote1 the ,minkus work of which contemporary ,american balletgoers know only the famous pas de deux1 but which ,i presented in ,america1 during the season #aibe-aibf1 staged by ,laurent ,novikoff1 with settings and costumes by the great ,russian painter1 ,korovin4 ,another point of interest about ,elvin is that she was never a member of the corps de ballet1 for she was transferred from ,tashkent to the ,bolshoi ,ballet1 which had been moved1 for safety reasons1 to ,kuibyshev1 some five hundred miles from ,moscow4 ,in the early autumn of #aidc1 when the ,nazi horde had been driven back in defeat1 the ,ballet returned to the ,bolshoi1 and ,prokhorova danced important roles there4 ,it was in ,moscow1 in #aide1 that ,violetta ,prokhorova married ,harold ,elvin1 an architect associated with the ,british ,embassy1 and came with him to ,london4 ,on her arrival in ,london she became a member of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 first as a soloist1 and later as ballerina4 ,my own impressions are of a vibrant personality and a great beauty4 ,her feet are extraordinarily beautiful1 and1 if ,i am any judge of the female figure1 ,i would say her body approximates the perfect classical proportions4 ,in her dancing1 her ,russian training is at all times evident1 for there is a charm of manner1 a broad lyricism1 coupled with a splendid poise that are not the common heritage of all western dancers4 ,it begins to sound like an overworked clich1 but again we have that rare quality in a dancer3 intelligence4 ,once again1 intelligence coupled with striking beauty4 ,elvin's interests include all the classics in literature1 the history of art1 philosophy1 museums1 and good ,russian food4 ,already ,elvin has had a film career1 two motion pictures to date3 ,twice ,upon a ,time1 by the makers of ,red ,shoes1 and the latest1 the story of the great ,british soprano1 ,nellie ,melba1 the title role of which is played by ,patrice ,munsel4 ,while engaged on the second ,american tour of the ,sadler's ,wells company1 ,violetta met an ,american1 whom she has recently married4 ,talented far beyond average measure1 ,elvin is a true ballerina in the tradition of the ,russian school and is ever alert to improve her art and to give audiences something better than her best4 ,,nadia ,,nerina ,i cannot fail to pay my respects to the young ,nadia ,nerina1 today another of the alternating ballerinas of the company1 with full ballerina standing1 whom ,i particularly remember as one of the most delightful and ebullient soloists of the company on its two ,american visits4 ,an example of the wide ,british ,commonwealth base of the personnel of the ,sadler's ,wells company1 ,nadia ,nerina is from ,south ,africa1 where she was born in #aibg4 ,it was in ,cape ,town that she commenced her ballet studies and had her early career2 for she was a winner of the ,south ,african ,dancing ,times ,gold ,medal and1 when she was fifteen1 was awarded the ,avril ,kentridge ,shield in the ,dance ,festival at ,durban4 ,moreover1 she toured the ,union of ,south ,africa and1 when nineteen1 went to ,london to study at the ,sadler's ,wells ,school4 ,very soon after her arrival1 she was dancing leading roles and was one of the ballerinas of the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet4 ,such was her success in ,rosebery ,avenue1 and such the wisdom of ,ninette de ,valois1 that1 within the year1 ,nerina was transferred to ,covent ,carden4 ,today1 as ,i have pointed out1 she has been promoted to full ballerina status4 ,it is a well-deserved promotion1 for ,nerina's development has been as sure as it has been steady4 ,i have seen her in ,le ,lac des ,cygnes since her ascendancy to full ballerina rank1 and have rejoiced in her fine technical performance1 as ,i have in the quality of her miming--something that is equally true in ,delibes' ,sylvia4 ,it is characteristic of ,ninette de ,valois that she gives all her ballerinas great freedom within the organization4 ,one is permitted to go to ,denmark1 ,norway1 ,sweden4 ,another to ,la ,scala1 ,milan4 ,yet another to films4 ,an example of this desire on 8,madame's0 part to encourage her leading personnel to extend their experience and to prevent any spirit of isolation1 is the tour ,nerina recently made through her native ,south ,africa1 in company with her ,sadler's ,wells partner1 ,alexis ,rassine1 himself a ,south ,african4 ,the outstanding quality in ,nerina's dancing for me is the sheer joy she brings to it1 a sort of love for dancing for its own sake4 ,in everything she does1 there is the imprint of her own strong personality1 her vitality1 and the genuine elegance she brings to the use of her sound technique4 ,,rowena ,,jackson ,during the first two ,american tours of the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet1 a young dancer who attracted an unusual amount of attention1 particularly in the ,ashton-,lambert ,les ,patineurs1 for her remarkable virtuosic performance and her multiple turns1 was ,rowena ,jackson4 ,today1 ,rowena ,jackson is the newest addition to the ,sadler's ,wells list of ballerinas4 ,rowena ,jackson is still another example of the width of the ,british ,commonwealth base of the ,sadler's ,wells organization1 having been born in ,invercargil1 ,new ,zealand1 on the #bdth ,march1 #aibf1 where her father was postmaster4 ,her first ballet training was at the ,lawson-,powell ,school1 in ,new ,zealand4 ,it was in #aidg that the young dancer joined the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet4 ,this rise of the ,british dancer more than fulfils the prophecy of ,the ,swan4 ,it was thirty years ago that ,pavlova said3 8,english women have fine faces1 graceful figures1 and a real sense of poetry of dancing4 ,they only lack training to provide the best dancers of the world40 ,she went on3 8,if only more real encouragement were given in ,england to ballet dancers the day would not be far distant when the ,english dancer would prove a formidable rival to the ,russians40 ,now that the ,british dancer has been given the encouragement1 the truth of ,anna ,pavlova's prophecy is the more striking4 ,as ,i have said1 ,rowena ,jackson attracted attention throughout ,north ,america in ,les ,patineurs1 gaining a reputation for a surpassing technical brilliance in turns4 ,these turns1 known as fouetes1 ,i have mentioned more than once4 ,legend has it that ,jackson can do in excess of one hundred-fifty of them1 non-stop4 ,it is quite incredible4 ,brilliance is one thing4 ,interpretation is another4 ,when ,i saw ,jackson in ,le ,lac des ,cygnes1 my admiration for her and for ,ninette de ,valois soared4 ,jackson's ,swan ,queen proved to me that at ,sadler's ,wells another ballerina had been born4 7,i nearly wrote 8created02 but ballerinas are born1 not made74 ,as the ,swan ,queen she was all pathos and softness and tenderness and protectiveness2 to the evil ,black ,swan1 ,odile1 she brought the hard brittleness the role demands4 ,rowena ,jackson's future among the illustrious of the world of ballet seems assured1 and ,i shall watch her with interest1 as ,i am sure will audiences4 ,,sadler',s ,,wells ,,theatre ,,ballet ,while ,i was in ,london after the close of the first ,american tour of the ,sadler's ,wells ,covent ,garden ,ballet1 ,i paid a visit to the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre1 the cradle of the organization4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre is in ,rosebery ,avenue1 in the ,borough of ,islington1 now a middle-class residential section of ,london1 but once a county borough4 ,for nearly three hundred years1 the site of the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre has been used for entertainment purposes4 ,several theatres have stood on the site1 and while the dance has always been prominent in its history1 everything from tight-rope and wire-walking exhibitions to performing dogs and dance troupes has been seen there4 ,it was in #afhc that a certain ,thomas ,sadler1 who was1 apparently1 a ,highway ,surveyor1 lived there in what was then ,clerkenwell1 and found a well1 actually a spring1 having medicinal properties1 in his garden4 ,it soon was regarded as a holy well1 with healing powers attributed to it4 ,hither came the halt1 the blind and the sick to be cured1 and ,mr4 ,sadler determined to commercialize his property4 ,on his lawn he built his ,musik ,house1 a long room with a stage1 orchestra and seats for those partakers of the waters who desired refreshments as well during their imbibing--and he also provided entertainment4 ,the well is still there today1 preserved under the present theatre1 but is no longer used1 and the theatre's water supply is from the municipal mains4 ,rebuilt1 largely by public subscription1 the present theatre was opened in #aica1 alternating opera and ,shakespeare with the ,old ,vic1 but eventually it became the exclusive home and base of the ,sadler's ,wells ,opera ,company and the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet ,company4 ,in #aidf1 when ,ninette de ,valois accepted the invitation of the ,covent ,garden ,opera ,trust to move the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet company to the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 another company 7actually the revival of another idea1 the ,sadler's ,wells ,opera ,ballet7 was established at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre1 and called the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet4 ,here1 in a fine1 comfortable1 modern theatre1 ,i saw a fresh young company1 with seasoned artists1 first-class productions1 and some first-rate dancing3 a company ,i felt ,america should know4 ,there was an extensive repertoire of modern works by ,frederick ,ashton1 ,ninette de ,valois1 and the rising young ,john ,cranko1 and others4 ,the ,ashton works include ,faade1 the ,ravel ,valses ,nobles et ,sentimentales2 ,les ,rendez-,vous1 to ,auber music arranged by ,constant ,lambert2 and the charming ,capriol ,suite1 to the music by ,philip ,heseltine 7,peter ,warlock71 inspired by ,arbeau's ,orchesographie4 ,there were three works by ,andre ,howard3 ,assembly ,ball1 to the ,bizet ,symphony in ,c2 ,mardi ,gras2 and ,la ,fte ,etrange4 ,celia ,franka had an interesting work1 ,khadra1 to a ,sibelius score1 with charming ,persian miniature setting and costumes by ,honor ,frost4 ,the young ,south ,african ,john ,cranko1 who had been a member of the ,covent ,garden company in the first ,new ,york season1 had a number of extremely interesting works1 including ,sea ,change2 and ,ninette de ,valois had revived her ,the ,haunted ,ballroom1 to a ,geoffrey ,toye score1 and the ,lambert-,boyce ,the ,prospect ,before ,us4 ,there were also sound classics1 including ,swan ,lake1 in the second act version4 ,the company1 under the direction of ,ninette de ,valois1 had a fine dancer1 ,peggy van ,praagh1 as ballet mistress4 ,it occurred to me that1 by adding new elements and reviving full length works1 it would be an excellent thing to bring the company to the ,united ,states and ,canada for a tour following upon that of the ,covent ,garden company4 ,i discussed the matter with ,ninette de ,valois and ,david ,webster1 both of whom were favorable to the idea2 and1 since it was impossible for the ,covent ,garden company to come over for a third tour at that time1 they urged me to give further consideration to the possibility4 ,on my next visit to ,london1 ,i went over matters in detail with ,george ,chamberlain1 ,clerk to the ,governors of ,sadler's ,wells1 and himself the opposite number at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre to ,david ,webster at ,covent ,garden4 ,i found ,chamberlain equally cooperative and helpful1 despite the fact he has a wide variety of interests and responsibilities1 including the ,sadler's ,wells ,opera ,company1 the ,old ,vic1 and the ,sadler's ,wells ,school4 ,we have become close friends4 ,following our initial conferences1 we went into a series of them1 in conjunction with ,ursula ,moreton1 at the time 8,madame's0 assistant at ,sadler's ,wells1 and ,peggy van ,praagh1 the company's ballet mistress4 ,as a result of these discussions1 it was agreed to increase the size of the dancing personnel of the company from thirty-two to thirty-six1 and to bring to ,north ,america a repertoire of fourteen ballets1 including one full-length work1 and to add to the roster one or two more principal dancers4 ,handshakes all round sealed the bargain1 and a contract was signed for a twenty-two week season for #aiea-eb4 ,it was on my return to ,london1 in ,march1 #aiea1 that ,i saw the premire of the first of their new productions1 ,pineapple ,poll1 a ballet freely adapted from the ,bab ,ballad1 8,the ,bumbeat ,woman's ,story10 by ,w4 ,s4 ,gilbert1 with music by ,arthur ,sullivan1 arranged by a young ,australian1 ,charles ,mackerras1 a conductor at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre4 ,the scenery and costumes were by ,osbert ,lancaster1 noted architectural historian and cartoonist1 and the choreography by ,john ,cranko1 who had worked in collaboration with ,lancaster and ,mackerras4 ,the work had its first performance at the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre on the #acth ,march1 #aiea4 ,the entire programme ,i saw that night was made up of ,cranko works1 and ,i found myself seated before a quartet of works1 highly varied in content and style1 all of which interested me1 some1 to be sure1 more than others4 ,the evening commenced with ,cranko's ,sea ,change4 ,a tragic work in a free style1 a character ballet whose story was moving1 but a ballet in which ,i never felt music and movement quite came together4 ,the score was the orchestral piece1 ,en ,saga1 by ,jan ,sibelius4 ,the new work1 ,pineapple ,poll1 was the second ballet of the evening4 ,i was enchanted with it4 ,i had always been a ,sullivan admirer1 and here were pieces from nigh on to a dozen of the ,sullivan operas1 woven together with great skill and brilliant orchestration into a marvelous integral whole by ,charles ,mackerras1 a complete score in itself1 as if it might have been directly composed for the ballet4 ,i watched the dancers closely1 and it was impossible for me to imagine a finer interpretation4 ,elaine ,fifield1 in the title role1 was something more than piquant2 she was a genuine ballerina1 with a fascinating sense of character1 her whole performance highly intelligent4 ,there was no 8mugging10 no 8cuteness02 on the contrary1 there were both humor and wit1 and ,i noted she was a beautifully 8clean0 dancer4 ,david ,blair was a compelling officer1 and his 8hornpipe0 almost on points literally brought the house down4 ,three other dancers impressed me3 ,sheillah ,o',reilly1 ,stella ,claire and ,david ,poole4 ,osbert ,lancaster's sets were masterful1 both as sets and as architecture4 ,this1 ,i decided1 was a ,cranko masterpiece1 and it impressed me in much the same way as some of ,massine's gay ballets4 ,pineapple ,poll was followed by a delicate fantasy by ,cranko1 ,beauty and the ,beast1 an extended pas de deux1 set to some of ,ravel's ,mother ,goose ,suite1 and beautifully danced by ,patricia ,miller and ,david ,poole1 who were1 ,i learned1 a pair of ,south ,africans from the ,sadler's ,wells ,school4 ,the closing piece on the programme was another new ballet by ,cranko1 ,pastorale1 which had been given its first performance earlier in the season1 just before ,christmas4 ,it was the complete antithesis of the ,sullivan ballet4 ,this was a ,mozart work1 his ,divertimento ,no4 #b1 and choreography was ,mozartian in feeling4 ,it was a work of genuine charm1 delicacy and real humor that revealed to me the excellence of a half-dozen of the principals of the company3 ,elaine ,fifield and ,patricia ,miller1 whom ,i have already mentioned1 and young ,svetlana ,beriosova1 the daughter of ,nicholas ,beriosoff1 a former member of the ,ballet ,russe de ,monte ,carlo4 ,svetlana was born in ,lithuania in #aicb1 and had been brought to ,america by her parents in #aidj1 when1 off and on1 she toured with them in the days of my management of the ,massine company1 and frequently appeared as the little child1 ,clara1 in ,the ,nutcracker4 ,now rapidly maturing1 she had been seen by ,ninette de ,valois in a small ,english ballet company1 and had been taken into the ,sadler's ,wells organization4 ,the three ballerinas had an equal number of impressive partners in ,pastorale3 ,pirmin ,trecu1 ,david ,poole and ,david ,blair4 ,i decided that ,pineapple ,poll1 ,pastorale and ,beauty and the ,beast must be included in the repertoire for ,america1 and that the first of these could be a tremendous ,american success1 a sort of ,british ,gat ,parisienne4 ,in further conversations and conferences1 ,i pressed the matter of a full-length1 full-evening ballet4 ,the work ,i wanted was ,delibes' ,sylvia4 ,this is the famous ballet first given in ,paris in #ahgf4 ,i recognised there would be problems to be solved over the story1 but the ,delibes score is enchanting1 delicate1 essentially ,french2 and is it not the score which ,tchaikowsky himself both admired and appreciated8 ,moreover1 a lot of the music is very well-known and loved4 ,we agreed upon ,sylvia in principle1 but 8,freddy0 ,ashton1 who was to stage it1 was too occupied with other work1 and it was at last agreed to substitute a new production of ,delibes' ,copplia1 in a full-length1 uncut version1 never seen in ,north ,america except in a truncated form4 ,it was1 however1 difficult indeed to achieve any progress1 since every one was occupied with work of one kind or another1 and continuously busy4 ,moreover1 ,dame ,ninette was away from ,london in ,turkey and ,jugoslavia1 lecturing1 teaching1 and checking on the national ballet schools she has organized in each of those countries1 at the request of their respective governments1 with the cooperation of the ,british ,council4 ,it was not until three o'clock one morning several weeks later that we all managed to get together at one time and place to have a conference on repertoire4 ,the following day ,i saw another performance at the ,wells1 and was a bit distressed4 ,it was clear to me that it was going to be necessary to increase the size of the company still further1 and also to be more selective in the choice and arrangement of the repertoire4 ,there followed a period of intense preparation on the part of the entire organization1 with all of its attendant helter-skelter1 and with day and night rehearsals4 ,meanwhile1 ,i discussed and arranged for the production of a two-act production or version of ,the ,nutcracker4 ,the opening scene of this ,tchaikowsky classic has always bothered me1 chiefly because ,i felt it was dull and felt that1 during its course1 nothing really happened4 ,there is1 if the reader remembers1 a rather banal ,christmas party at which little ,clara receives a nutcracker as a present1 goes to bed without it1 comes downstairs to retrieve it1 and is forthwith transported to fairyland4 ,i felt we would be better off to start with fairyland1 and to omit the trying prologue4 ,moreover1 ,i felt certain the inclusion of the work in this form would give added weight to the repertoire for the ,north ,american tour1 since ,the ,nutcracker and ,tchaikowsky are always well-liked and popular1 as the box-office returns have proven4 ,on this visit ,i spent three weeks in ,london1 flying back to ,new ,york only to return to ,london three weeks later1 to watch the company and to do what ,i could to speed up the preparations so that the company might be ready for the ,canadian opening of the tour1 the date of which was coming closer and closer with that inevitability such matters display4 ,the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet and its entire organization showed really tremendous energy and application1 and did everything possible to prepare themselves to follow the great ,american success of their sister company1 something that was1 admittedly1 a very difficult thing to do4 ,just before the company's departure for the ,north ,american continent1 it gave a four-week 8,american ,festival ,season0 at ,sadler's ,wells1 consisting of the entire repertoire to be seen on this side of the ,atlantic4 ,this season included another ,cranko work ,i have not before mentioned4 ,it is ,harlequin in ,april1 a ballet commissioned for the ,festival of ,britain by the ,arts ,council4 ,while ,i cannot say that it is the sort of piece that appeals to audiences by reason of its clarity1 there is no gainsaying that it is a major creation and a greatly to be commended experiment1 and1 withal1 a successful one4 ,the choreographic work of ,john ,cranko1 in collaboration with the composer1 ,richard ,arnell1 and the artist-designer1 ,john ,piper1 it was that much desired thing in ballet3 a genuine collaboration between those individuals responsible for each aspect of it4 ,although there was no attempt to use it as a plot idea1 for it is in no sense a 8literary0 work1 the idea for ,harlequin in ,april presumably stemmed from the following lines from ,t4 ,s4 ,eliot's ,the ,waste ,land3 ,april is the cruellest month1 breeding ,lilacs out of the dead land1 mixing ,memory and desire1 stirring ,dull roots with spring rain4444 ,i could not attempt to explain the work which1 to me1 consists solely of atmosphere4 ,i liked ,richard ,arnell's score2 but the ballet1 as a ballet1 is one ,i found myself unable to watch very many times4 ,perhaps the simplest answer is that it is not my favorite type of ballet4 ,nevertheless1 the fact remains it is a work of genuine distinction and was warmly praised by discriminating critics4 ,the first nights of the two classical works came a week apart4 ,copplia was the first1 on the night of the #dth ,september4 ,it was1 indeed1 a fine addition to the repertoire4 ,there were1 in the ,sadler's ,wells tradition1 several casts2 the first performance had ,elaine ,fifield1 as ,swanilda2 ,david ,blair1 as ,frantz2 and ,david ,poole1 as ,coppelius4 ,i was not too happy with the three settings designed by ,loudon ,sainthill1 the ,australian designer who had a great success at the ,shakespeare ,festival ,theatre1 always feeling they were not sufficiently strong either in color or design4 ,however1 as the first full-length1 uncut version of the ,delibes classic1 it was notable1 as it also was notable for the liveliness of its entire production and the zest and joy the entire company brought to it4 ,elaine ,fifield was miraculously right as ,swanilda1 in her own special piquant style2 ,david ,blair was a most attractive ,frantz2 and ,david ,poole was the first dignified ,coppelius ,i had ever seen1 with a highly original approach to the character4 ,alternate casts for ,copplia included ,svetlana ,beriosova as a quite different and very effective ,swanilda1 and ,maryon ,lane1 another ,south ,african dancer of fine talent1 with a personality quite different from the other two1 as were ,donald ,britton's ,frantz and ,stanley ,holden's ,coppelius4 ,the #aath of ,september revealed the new ,nutcracker ,i have mentioned4 ,actually1 without the ,prologue1 it became a series of ,tchaikowsky divertissements1 staged with skill and taste under1 as it happened1 great pressure1 by ,frederick ,ashton4 ,it was a two-scene work1 utilizing the ,snow ,flake and the ,kingdom of ,sweets scenes4 ,outstanding1 to my way of thinking1 were ,beriosova as the ,snow ,queen2 ,fifield and ,blair in the grand pas de deux2 ,maryon ,lane in the ,waltz of the ,flowers4 ,the most original divertissement was the ,danse ,arabe4 ,following the first performance of ,the ,nutcracker1 ,i gave a large party in honor of both companies3 the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden ,company and that from the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre1 at ,victory ,hall4 ,in this godspeed to the sister company1 ,margot ,fonteyn was1 as usual1 very much on the job1 always the good colleague1 wishing ,fifield and ,beriosova the same success in the ,states and ,canada as she and her colleagues of the ,covent ,garden company had enjoyed4 ,from ,covent ,garden also came ,david ,webster1 ,louis ,yudkin1 and ,herbert ,hughes1 8,freddy0 ,ashton1 and ,robert ,irving1 the genial and able musical director of the ,ballet at ,covent ,garden1 all to speed the sister company on its way1 to give them tips on what to see1 what to do1 and also on what not to do4 ,the reader will1 ,i am sure1 realize what a difficult thing it was for the sister company to follow in the footsteps and the triumphant successes of the company from ,covent ,garden4 ,a standard of excellence and grandeur had been set by them eclipsing any previously established standards that had existed for ballet on the ,north ,american continent4 ,it is a moot question just what the public and the press of ,america expected from the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet4 ,for more than a year1 in all publicity and promotion1 with all the means at our command1 we emphasized the differences between the two companies3 in personnel1 in principal artists1 in repertoire4 ,we also carefully pointed out the likenesses between them3 the same base of operations1 the same school1 the same direction1 the same moving spirit1 the same ideals1 the same purpose4 ,the success of the company throughout the entire breadth of the ,united ,states and ,canada magnificently proved the wisdom of their coming4 ,the list of cities played is formidable3 ,quebec1 ,ottawa1 ,montreal1 ,toronto1 ,buffalo1 ,rochester1 ,cleveland1 ,detroit1 ,east ,lansing1 ,grand ,rapids1 ,milwaukee1 ,minneapolis1 ,omaha1 ,des ,moines1 ,denver1 ,salt ,lake ,city1 ,seattle1 ,portland1 ,vancouver1 ,b4,c41 ,san ,francisco1 ,san ,jos1 ,sacramento1 ,fresno1 ,bakersfield1 ,los ,angeles1 ,san ,antonio1 ,waco1 ,houston1 ,dallas1 ,shreveport1 ,little ,rock1 ,springfield1 ,mo41 ,kansas ,city1 ,chicago1 ,st4 ,louis1 ,nashville1 ,knoxville1 ,atlanta1 ,birmingham1 ,montgomery1 ,new ,orleans1 ,daytona ,beach1 ,orlando1 ,miami1 and ,miami ,beach1 ,columbia1 ,greensboro1 ,durham1 ,raleigh1 ,norfolk1 ,richmond1 ,washington--where for the first time ballet played in a proper theatre--,philadelphia1 ,pittsburgh1 ,columbus1 ,toledo1 ,cincinnati1 ,indianapolis1 ,syracuse1 ,troy1 ,white ,plains1 ,providence1 ,hartford1 ,boston1 and ,new ,york ,city4 ,perhaps the most characteristic tribute to the company came from ,alfred ,frankenstein1 the distinguished critic of the ,san ,francisco ,chronicle1 who wrote3 8,this may not be the largest ballet company in the world1 but it is certainly the most endearing40 ,there is no question that the mounting demand for the quick return of the company on the part of local managers and sponsoring organizations and groups throughout the country is another proof of the warmth of their welcome when they next come4 ,the musical side of the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet revealed the same high standards of the organization1 under the direction of that splendid young ,british conductor1 ,john ,lanchbery4 ,lanchbery1 a thorough and distinguished musician1 not only was a fine conductor1 but an extremely sensitive ballet conductor1 which is not necessarily the same thing4 ,so admired was he by the orchestra that1 in ,san ,francisco1 the players presented him with a lovely gift in a token of appreciation4 ,during the entire association with the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet there was always the warm cooperation of ,george ,chamberlain1 and the fine executive ability and personal charm of their tour manager1 ,douglas ,morris4 ,it is my sincere hope that1 following the season #aiec-ed1 they will be able to make an even more extended tour of this continent4 ,by that time1 some of the company's younger members will have become more mature1 and the repertoire will have been strengthened and increased by the accretion of two years4 ,there is the seemingly eternal charge against ballet dancers4 ,they are either 8too young0 or else 8too old40 ,the question ,i am forced to ask in this connection is3 ,what is the appropriate age for the personnel of a ballet company1 for a dancer8 ,my answer is one the reader may anticipate from previous references to the subject in this book3 ,artistry knows and recognizes no age on the stage4 ,spiritually the same is true in life itself4 ,it is1 of course1 possible that1 by that time1 there may be some who will refrain from referring to the members of the company as 8juniors10 and will realize that they are aware of the facts of life4 ,three years will have elapsed since their first visit4 ,during all this time they will have been dancing regularly five or six times a week2 will have behind them not only ,london successes1 but their ,edinburgh ,festival and ,african triumphs as well4 ,at the close of the ,american ,festival ,season in ,rosebery ,avenue1 the company entrained for ,liverpool1 there to embark in the ,empress of ,france4 ,it was a gay crossing1 but less gay than had been anticipated4 ,originally1 the ,empress was to have carried ,h4,r4,h4 ,princess ,elizabeth1 and her husband1 the ,duke of ,edinburgh1 on their ,royal ,visit to the ,dominion of ,canada4 ,the ship's owners1 the ,canadian ,pacific ,steamship ,company1 had constructed a specially equipped theatre on the top deck1 where the company was to have given two performances for the ,royal couple4 ,h4,r4,h41 ,princess ,margaret is the ,honorary ,president of the ,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,ballet1 and there is considerable royal interest in ballet4 ,unfortunately1 the serious illness of the ,king1 and his operation1 necessitated a last moment change of plans on the part of ,princess ,elizabeth and her husband1 who made their crossing by plane4 ,at the last moment before sailing1 the theatre was dismantled and removed4 ,two members of my staff made a long journey down the ,st4 ,lawrence1 to clamber aboard the ,empress at daybreak and to travel up the river with the company to ,quebec1 the opening point of the tour4 ,i had gone on to ,quebec to greet them1 as had our ,american staff and orchestra from ,new ,york4 ,this was the same orchestra1 the 8,american ,sadler's ,wells ,orchestra10 that had constituted the splendid musical side of the ,covent ,garden company's two ,american seasons4 ,there was no cutting of corners1 no sparing of expense to maintain the same high standards of production4 ,for those with an interest in figures1 it might be noted that the orchestra alone cost in excess of #aj1jjj weekly4 ,heading the company1 and remaining with it until it was well on its way1 were ,dame ,ninette de ,valois and ,george ,chamberlain1 with ,peggy van ,praagh as 8,madame's0 assistant1 and ballet-mistress for the entire tour4 ,there were three days of concentrated rehearsal and preparation before the first performance in ,quebec4 ,some difficulties had to be overcome1 for ,quebec ,city is not the ideal place for ballet production4 ,lacking a real theatre or opera house1 a cinema had to be utilized1 a house with a stage far from adequate for a theatre spectacle1 an orchestra pit far too small for an orchestra the size of ours1 and cramped quarters all around4 ,nevertheless1 a genuine success was scored4 ,following the ,quebec engagement1 the company moved to ,ottawa by special train--this time the 8,sadler's ,wells ,theatre ,special40 ,the night journey to ,ottawa provided many of the company with their first experience of sleeping-car travel of the ,american-type ,pullman4 ,passing through one of the cars on the way to my drawing-room before the train pulled out1 ,i overheard one of the corps de ballet girls behind her green curtains1 obviously snuggling down for the night1 sigh and say3 8,oh1 isn't it just lovely6444 ,just like in the films60 ,ottawa was in its gayest attire1 preparing for the ,royal visit4 ,the atmosphere was festive4 ,the ,governor ,general and the ,viscountess ,alexander of ,tunis entertained the entire company at a reception at ,government ,house1 flew afterwards to ,montreal officially to welcome the ,royal couple1 and flew back to attend the opening performance1 as the official representative of ,h4,m4 the ,king4 ,hundreds were turned away from the ,ottawa performances1 and a particularly gay supper was given the company after the final performance by the ,high ,commissioner to ,canada for ,great ,britain1 ,sir ,hugh and ,lady ,clutterbuck4 ,montreal1 with its mixed ,french and ,english population1 gave the company a wholehearted acceptance and warm enthusiasm1 by no means second to that accorded the sister company4 ,so the tour went1 breaking box-office records for ballet in many cities1 including ,buffalo1 ,milwaukee1 ,minneapolis1 ,seattle1 ,portland1 ,vancouver 7where1 for the eight performances1 there was not a seat to be had four weeks before the company's arrival71 ,los ,angeles1 the entire state of ,florida1 and ,washington1 where1 as ,i have said1 ,i had been successful in securing a genuine theatre1 ,loew's ,capitol1 and where1 for the first time ballet was seen by the inhabitants of our national capital with all the theatrical appurtenances that ballet requires3 scenery1 lights1 atmosphere1 instead of the mausoleum-like ,constitution ,hall1 with its bare platform backed only by a tapestry of the ,founding ,fathers4 ,so the tour went for twenty-two weeks in a long1 transcontinental procession of cumulative success1 with the finale in ,new ,york ,city4 ,here1 because of the unavailability of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 since the current opera season had not been completed1 it was necessary to go to a film house1 the ,warner ,theatre1 the former ,strand1 where ,fokine and ,anatole ,bourman had1 in the early days of movie house 8presentations10 staged weekly ballet performances1 sowing the seeds for present-day ballet appreciation4 ,the ,warner ,theatre was far from ideal for ballet presentation1 being much too long for its width1 giving from the rear the effect of looking at the stage through reversed opera glasses or binoculars4 ,also1 from an acoustical point of view1 the house left something to be desired as it affected the sound of the exceptionally large orchestra4 ,but it was the only nearly suitable house available1 and ,ninette de ,valois1 who had returned to the ,states for the ,boston engagement1 and had remained through the early ,new ,york performances1 found no fault with the house4 ,among the many problems in connection with the presentation of ballet1 none is more ticklish than that of determining on an opening night programme in any metropolitan center1 particularly ,new ,york4 ,many elements have to be weighed one against the other4 ,should the choice be one of a selection of one-act ballets1 there is the necessity for balancing classical and modern and the order in which they should be given1 after they have actually been decided on4 ,in the case of the ,sadler's ,wells companies1 featuring1 as they do1 full-length works occupying an entire evening in performance1 there is the eternal question3 which one8 ,the importance of the first impression created cannot be overrated4 ,more often than not1 in arriving at a decision of this kind1 we listen to the advice of everyone in the organization4 ,all suggestions are carefully considered1 and hours are spent in discussion and the exchange of ideas1 and the reasons supporting those ideas4 ,what was good in ,london may quite well be fatal in ,new ,york4 ,what ,new ,york would find an ideal opening programme might be utterly wrong for ,chicago4 ,san ,francisco's highly successful and popular opening night programme well might turn out to be ,los ,angeles' poison4 ,whatever the decision may be1 it is always arrived at after long and careful thought2 and1 when reached1 it is the best product of many minds4 ,it usually turns out to be wrong4 ,if1 as is often the case1 the second night's programme turns out to be another story1 there is the almost inevitable query on the part of the critics3 8,why didn't you do this last night80 ,many of them seem to be certain that there must have been personal reasons involved in the decision1 some sort of private and individually colored favoritism being exercised4444 ,i smile and agree4 ,the only possible answer is3 8,you're right4444 ,i'm wrong40 ,epilogue3 ,unborn ,tomorrow ,in the minds of many ,i am almost always associated with ballet more frequently than ,i am with any other activity in the world of entertainment4 ,this simply is not true4 ,while it is true that more than thirty years of my life have been intensely occupied with the presentation of dance on the ,north ,american continent1 these thirty-odd years of preoccupation with the dance have neither narrowed my horizon nor limited my interests4 ,i have simultaneously carried on my avowed determination1 arrived at and clarified soon after ,i landed as an immigrant lad from ,pogar3 to bring music to the masses4 ,as an impresario ,i am devoted to my concert artists4 ,the greatest spiritual satisfaction ,i have had has always sprung from great music1 and it has been and is my joy to present great violinists1 pianists1 vocalists2 to extend the careers of conductors2 to give artists of the theatre a wider public4 ,all these have been and are leaders in their various fields4 ,my eyes and ears are ever open to discover fresh new talents in this garden for nurturing and development4 ,at no time in the history of so-called civilization and civilized man have they been more necessary4 ,throughout my career my interests have embraced the lyric and 8legitimate0 theatres3 witness the ,russian ,opera ,company1 the ,german ,opera ,company1 ,american operetta seasons1 revues such as the ,spanish ,cablagata1 and ,katherine ,dunham's ,caribbean compilations1 as but two of many2 the ,habima ,theatre1 in #aibf1 the ,moscow ,art ,players1 under ,michael ,tchekhoff1 in #aice1 as representative of the latter4 ,these activities have been extended1 with increasing interest towards a widening of cultural exchanges with the rest of the world3 witness the most recent highly successful season of the ,madeleine ,renault-,jean ,louis ,barrault repertory company from ,paris4 ,for two seasons1 the distinguished ,british actor1 director1 and playwright1 ,emlyn ,williams1 under my management1 has brought to life1 from coast to coast1 the incomparable prose of ,charles ,dickens in theatrical presentations that have fascinated both ear and eye1 performances that stemmed from a rare combination of talent1 dexterity1 love1 and intelligence4 ,i am able to say1 very frankly1 that ,i am one impresario who has managed artists in all fields4 ,all these things1 and more1 have been done4 ,for what they are worth1 they have been written in the pages of the history of the arts in our time4 ,they have become a part of the record4 ,so it will be seen that only one part of my life has been concerned with ballet4 ,to list all the fine concert artists and companies ,i have managed and manage would take up too much space4 ,it is quite within the bounds of possibility that ,i shall do a third book1 devoted to life among the concert artists ,i have managed4 ,it could1 ,i am sure1 make interesting reading4 ,if art is to grow and prosper1 if the eternal verities are to be preserved in these our times and into that unborn tomorrow which springs eternally from dead yesterdays1 there must be no cessation of effort1 no diminution of our energies4 ,thirty-odd years of dead yesterdays have served only to whet my appetite1 to stimulate my eagerness for what lies round the corner and my desire to increase my contribution to those things that matter in the cultural and spiritual life of that unborn tomorrow wherein lies our future4 ,i shall try to outline some of the plans and hopes ,i have in mind4 ,before ,i do so1 however1 ,i should like to make what must be1 however heartfelt1 inadequate acknowledgement to those who have so generously helped along the way4 ,if ,i were to list all of them1 this chapter would become a catalogue of names4 ,to all of those who are not mentioned1 my gratitude is none the less sincere and genuine4 ,above all1 no slight is intended4 ,space permits only the singling out of a few4 ,the year in which these lines are written has been singularly rich1 rewarding1 and happy3 climaxed as it was by the production and release of the motion-picture film1 ,tonight ,we ,sing1 based on some experiences and aspects of my life4 ,if the film does nothing else1 ,i hope it succeeds in underlining the difference1 in explaining the vast gulf that separates the mere booker or agent from what1 for want of a better term1 must be called an impresario1 since it is a word that has been fully embraced into the ,english language4 ,impresario stems from the ,italian impresa3 an undertaking2 indirectly it gave birth to that now archaic ,english word 8emprise10 literally a chivalrous enterprise4 ,i can only regard the discovery1 promotion1 presentation of talent1 the financing of it1 the risk-taking1 as the 8emprise0 of an 8impresario40 ,the presentation of this film has been accompanied by tributes and honors for which ,i am deeply and humbly grateful and which ,i cherish and respect beyond my ability to express4 ,none of these heights could have been scaled1 none of these successes attained1 without the help1 encouragement1 and personal sacrifice of my beloved wife1 ,emma4 ,her wise counsel in music1 literature1 theatre1 and the dance all stem from her deep knowledge as a lady of culture1 an artist and a musician1 and from her studies at the ,leningrad ,conservatory1 her rich experience in the world's cultural activities4 ,her sacrifices are those great ones of the patient1 understanding wife1 who1 through the years1 has had to endure1 and has endured without complaint1 the loneliness of days and nights on end alone1 when my activities have taken me on frequent long trips about the world at a moment's notice1 to the complete disruption of any normal family life4 ,to my wife also goes my grateful thanks for restraining me from undertakings doomed in advance to failure1 as well as for encouraging me in my determination to venture into pastures new and untried4 ,at the head of that staff of loyal associates which carries on the multifarious details of the organization on which depends the fulfillment of much of what has been recited in these pages1 is one to whom my deepest thanks are due4 ,she is that faithful and indispensable companion of failures and successes1 ,mae ,frohman4 ,she is known intimately to all in this world of music and dance4 ,without her aid ,i could not have been what ,i am today4 ,it is impossible for me to give the reader any real idea of the sacrifices she has made for the success of the enterprises this book records3 the sleepless nights and days2 the readiness1 at an instant's notice1 to depart for any part of the world to 8trouble-shoot10 to make arrangements1 to settle disputes1 to keep the wheels in motion when matters have come to a dead center4 ,the devoted staff ,i have mentioned1 and on whom ,i rely much more than they realize1 receives1 as is its due1 my deep gratitude and appreciation4 ,i cannot fail to thank my daughter ,ruth for her understanding1 her sympathy1 her spiritual support4 ,with all the changes in her personal life and with her own problems1 there has never been a word of complaint4 ,never has she added her hardships to mine4 ,it has been her invariable custom to present her happiest side to me3 to comfort1 to understand4 ,in her and my two lovely grandchildren1 ,i find a comfort not awarded every traveller through this tortuous vale1 and ,i want to extend my sincere gratitude to her4 ,it would not be possible for any one to have attained these successes without the very great help of others4 ,in rendering my gratitude to my staff1 ,i must point out that this applies not only to those who are a part of my organization as these lines are written1 but to those who have been associated with me in the past1 in the long1 upward struggle4 ,we are still friends1 and my gratitude to them and my admiration for them is unbounded4 ,during the many years covered in this account1 my old friend and colleague1 ,marks ,levine1 and ,i have shared one roof businesswise1 and one world spiritually and artistically4 ,without his warm friendship1 his subtle understanding1 his wholehearted cooperation1 and his rare sense of humor1 together with the help of his colleagues1 and that of ,o4 ,o4 ,bottorf and his colleagues1 many of the successes of a lifetime might not have been accomplished4 ,at this point in my life1 ,i look with amazement at the record of an immigrant lad from ,pogar1 arriving here practically penniless1 and ask myself3 where in the world could this have happened save here8 ,my profoundest thanks go to this adopted country which has done so much for me4 ,daily ,i breathe the prayer3 8,god bless this country60 ,in all that has been done and accomplished1 and with special reference to all of these wide-flung ballet tours1 none of it could have been done singlehanded4 ,in nearly every country and in nearly every important city there is a person who is materially responsible for the success of the local engagement4 ,local engagements cumulatively make or break a tour4 ,this person is the local manager3 that local resident who is often the cultural mentor of the community of which he is an important member4 ,it is he who makes it possible for the members of his community to hear the leading concert artists and musical organizations and to see and enjoy ballet at its best4 ,in these days of increasing encroachment on the part of mechanical1 push-button entertainment1 it is the local manager to whom the public must look for the preservation of the 8live0 culture3 the singer1 the instrumentalist1 the actor1 the dancer1 the painter1 the orchestra4 ,in the early days of my managerial activities1 when ,i did not have an office of my own1 merely desk space in the corner of a room in the ,chandler ,building1 in ,west ,forty-,second ,street1 ,i shall never forget the 8daddy0 of all the local managers1 the late ,l4 ,h4 ,behymer1 of ,los ,angeles1 who traveled three thousand miles just to see what sort of creature it was1 this youngster who was bringing music to the masses at the old ,new ,york ,hippodrome4 ,a life-long bond was formed between us1 and 8,bee0 and his hard-working wife1 throughout their long and honorable careers as purveyors of the finest in musical and dance art to the ,southwest1 remained my loyal and devoted friends4 ,this applies equally to all those workers in the vineyard1 from ,east to ,west1 from ,north to ,south1 in ,europe and ,south ,america4 ,it is the friendly1 personal cooperation of the local managers that helps make it possible to present so successfully artists and companies across the continent and the world we know4 ,it is my very great pleasure each year1 at the close of their annual meetings in ,new ,york1 to meet them1 rub shoulders1 clasp hands1 and discuss mutual problems4 ,the music and ballet lovers of the ,united ,states and ,canada owe these people a debt2 and when readers across the breadth of this great continent watch these folk--men and women1 often helped out by their wives1 their husbands1 their children1 striving to provide the finest available in the music and dance arts for their respective communities--do not imagine that they are necessarily accumulating wealth by their activities4 ,more often than not1 they work late and long for an idea and an ideal for very little material gain4 ,remember1 if you will1 that it is the industrious and enlightened local manager1 the college dean1 the theatre manager1 the public-spirited women's clubs and philanthropic organizations that make your music and dance possible4 ,in the arts as in life1 amidst the blaze of noon there are watchers for the dawn1 awaiting the unborn tomorrow4 ,i am of them4 ,this book may1 conceivably1 have something of historical value in portraying events and persons1 things and colleagues who have been1 at one and the same time1 motivating factors in the development and growth and appreciation of the dance in our sector of the western world4 ,though it has dealt1 for the most part1 with an era that is receding1 ,i have tried not to look back either with nostalgia or regret4 ,at the same time1 ,i have tried not to view the era through rosy spectacles4 ,as for tomorrow1 ,i am optimistic4 ,without an ingrained and deeply rooted optimism much of what this book records could not have come to pass4 ,despite the lucubrations of certain ,cassandras1 ,i find myself unable to share their pessimism for the fate of culture in our troubled times4 ,we shall have our ups and downs1 as we have had throughout the history of man4 ,i hold stubbornly to the tenet that man cannot live by bread alone1 and that those things of the spirit1 those joys that delight the heart and mind and soul of man1 are indestructible4 ,on the other hand1 it is by no means an easy trick to preserve them4 ,while ,i agree with ,ecclesiastes that 8the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning2 but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth10 ,i nevertheless insist that it is the supreme task of those who would profess or attain unto wisdom to exert their last ounce of strength to foster1 preserve1 and encourage the widest possible dissemination of the cultural heritage we possess4 ,as these closing pages are written1 the ,sadler's ,wells ,ballet from the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 is poised on the threshold of its third ,north ,american visit1 with a larger company and a more varied repertoire than ever before4 ,the latter1 in addition to works ,i have noted in these pages1 includes the new ,coronation ballet1 ,homage to the ,queen1 staged by ,frederick ,ashton1 to a specially commissioned score by the young ,english composer1 ,malcolm ,arnold1 with setting and costumes by ,oliver ,messel2 ,the ,shadow1 with choreography by ,john ,cranko1 scenery and costumes by ,john ,piper1 and the music is ,erno von ,dohnanyi's ,suite in ,f ,sharp ,minor1 which had its first performance at the ,royal ,opera ,house1 ,covent ,garden1 on #crd ,march1 #aiec4 ,included1 of course1 is the new full-length production of ,le ,lac des ,cygnes1 with an entirely new production by ,leslie ,hurry2 ,the ,sleeping ,beauty2 ,sylvia2 ,giselle1 in an entirely new setting by ,james ,bailey2 ,les ,patineurs2 a revival of ,ashton's ,don ,juan2 and ,ravel's ,daphnis and ,chloe1 staged by ,ashton1 making use of the full choral score for the first time in ballet in ,america4 ,yet another impending dance venture and yet an additional aspect of dance pioneering will be the first trans-continental tour of the ,agnes de ,mille ,dance ,theatre4 ,this is a project that has been in my mind for more than a decade3 the creation of an ,american dance theatre1 with this country's most outstanding dance director at its head4 ,for years ,i have been an admirer of ,agnes de ,mille and the work she has done for ballet in ,america1 and for the native dance and dancer4 ,in this1 as in all my activities1 ,i have not solicited funds nor sought investors4 ,it is the first major organization to be established completely under my aegis1 for which ,i have taken sole responsibility1 financially and productionwise4 ,it has long been my dream to form a veritable ,american dance company1 one which could exhibit the qualities which make our native dancers unique3 joy in sheer movement1 wit1 exuberance1 a sharp sense of drama4 ,it was in #aidh that ,agnes and ,i began the long series of discussions directed toward the creation of a completely new and 8different0 company1 one that would place equal accents on 8,dance0 and 8,theatre40 ,for the new company ,agnes has devised a repertoire ranging from the story of an ,eighteenth-,century philanderer through ,degas-inspired comments on the ,romantic ,era1 to scenes from ,paint ,your ,wagon1 and ,brigadoon4 ,utilizing spoken dialogue and song1 the whole venture moves towards something new under the sun--both in ,dance and in ,theatre4 ,the settings and costumes have been designed and created by ,peggy ,clark and ,motley2 with the orchestrations and musical arrangements by ,trudi ,rittman4 ,with the new organization1 ,agnes will have freedom to experiment in what may well turn out to be a new form of dance entertainment1 setting a group of theatre dances both balletic and otherwise1 with her own personalized type of dance movement1 and a group of ballad singers1 all in a distinctly native idiom4 ,in ,new ,york ,city1 on the #aeth ,january1 #aied1 ,i plan to inaugurate a trans-continental tour of the ,roland ,petit ,ballet ,company1 from ,paris1 with new creations1 and the quite extraordinary ,colette ,marchand1 as his chief ballerina4 ,in ,february1 #aied1 ,i shall extend my international dance activities to ,japan1 when ,i shall bring that nation's leading dance organization1 the ,japanese ,dancers and ,musicians1 for their first ,american tour4 ,with this fine group of artists1 ,i shall be able to present ,america for the first time with a native art product of the late ,seventeenth century that is the theatre of the commoner1 stemming from ,kabuki1 meaning 8song-dance-skill40 ,the autumn of #aied will see a still further extension of my activities1 with the introduction of the first full ,spanish ballet to be seen on the ,north ,american continent4 ,we have long been accustomed to the ,spanish dancer and the dance concerts of distinguished ,iberian artists2 but never before have ,americans been exposed to ,spanish ballet in its full panoply1 with a large and numerous company1 complete with scenery1 costumes1 and a large orchestra4 ,it has long been my dream to present such an organization4 ,at last it has been realized1 when ,i shall send from coast to coast the ,antonio ,ballet ,espagnol1 which ,i saw and greatly admired on my visit to ,granada in the summer of #aiec4 ,on the purely musical side1 there is a truly remarkable chamber ensemble from ,italy1 which will also highlight the season of #aied4 ,it is ,i ,musici1 an ensemble of twelve players1 ranging through the string family1 including the ancient viola di gamba1 and sustained by the cymbalon2 and specializing in early ,italian music1 for the greater part4 ,this organization has the high and warm recommendation of ,arturo ,toscanini1 who vastly admires them and their work4 ,i have reserved1 in the manner of the host holding back the most delectable items of a feast until the last1 two announcements as climactic4 ,i have concluded arrangements with ,england's ,old ,vic to present on the ,north ,american continent their superlative new production of ,shakespeare's ,a ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 staged by ,michael ,benthall1 with really magnificent settings and costumes by ,james ,bailey4 ,the cast will include ,robert ,helpmann1 as ,oberon1 and ,moira ,shearer1 as ,titania1 with outstanding and distinguished ,british actors in the other roles2 and1 utilizing the full ,mendelssohn score1 the production will have a ballet of forty1 choreographed by ,robert ,helpmann4 ,the production will be seen at the ,metropolitan ,opera ,house1 ,new ,york1 in mid-,september1 #aied1 for a season1 to be followed by a short tour of the leading cities of the ,united ,states and ,canada4 ,this will1 ,i feel1 be one of the most significant artistic productions to be revealed across the continent since the days of ,max ,reinhardt's ,the ,miracle4 ,it gives me great personal satisfaction to be able to offer this first of the new productions of ,london's famous ,old ,vic4 ,the other choice tid-bit to which ,i feel ,american dance lovers will look forward with keen anticipation is the coast-to-coast tour of ,london's ,festival ,ballet with ,toumanova as guest star4 ,the ,festival ,ballet was founded by ,anton ,dolin for the ,british ,festival1 under the immediate patronage of ,h4,h4 ,princess ,marie ,louise4 ,dr4 ,julian ,braunsweg is its managing director4 ,it has grown steadily in stature and is today one of ,europe's best known ballet companies4 ,under the artistic direction of ,anton ,dolin it has appeared with marked success for several seasons at the ,royal ,festival ,hall1 ,london2 has toured ,britain1 all western ,europe2 and1 in the spring of #aiec1 gave a highly successful two weeks' season in ,montreal and ,toronto1 where it received as high critical approval as ever accorded any ballet company in ,canada4 ,there is a company of eighty1 and a repertoire of evenly balanced classics and modern creations1 including1 among others1 the following3 a full-length ,nutcracker1 ,giselle1 ,petrouchka1 ,swan ,lake1 7,act ,i71 ,le ,beau ,danube1 ,schhrazade1 ,symphonic ,impressions1 ,pas de ,quatre1 ,bolero1 ,black ,swan1 ,vision of ,marguerite1 ,symphony for ,fun1 ,pantomime ,harlequinade1 ,don ,quixote1 ,les ,sylphides1 ,le ,spectre de la ,rose1 ,prince ,igor1 ,concerto ,grosso4 ,this international exchange of ballet companies is one of the bulwarks of mutual understanding and sympathy4 ,it is a source of deep gratification to me that ,i have been instrumental in bringing the companies of the ,sadler's ,wells organization1 the ,ballet of the ,paris ,opera1 and others to ,north ,america1 as it is that ,i have been able to be of service in arranging for the two visits of the ,new ,york ,city ,ballet to ,london4 ,it is through the medium of such exchanges1 presenting no language barriers1 but offering beauty as a common bond1 that we are able to bridge those hideous chasms so often caused by misunderstood and1 too often1 unwise and thoughtlessly chosen words4 ,in unborn tomorrows ,i hope to extend these exchanges to include not only ,europe1 but our sister republics to the ,south1 and the ,far ,east1 with whom now1 more than ever1 cultural rapport is necessary4 ,we are now reaching a time in ,america when artistic achievement has become something more than casual entertainment1 although1 in my opinion1 artistic endeavor must never lose sight of the fact that entertainment there must be if that public so necessary to the well-being of any art is not to be alienated4 ,the role of art and the artist is1 through entertainment1 to stimulate and1 through the creative spirit1 to help the audience renew its faith and courage in beauty1 in universal ideals1 in love1 in a richer and fuller imaginative life4 ,then1 and only then1 can the audience rise above the mundane1 the mediocre1 the monotonous4 ,during the thirty-odd years ,i have labored on the ,american musical and balletic scene1 ,i have seen a growth of interest and appreciation that has been little short of phenomenal4 ,yet ,i note1 with deep regret1 that today the insecurities of living for art and the artist have by no means lessened4 ,truth hinges solely on the harvest1 and how may that harvest be garnered with no security and no roof8 ,more than once in the pages of this book ,i have underlined and lamented the passing of the great1 generous ,maecenas1 the disappearance1 through causes that require no reiteration1 of such figures as ,otto ,h4 ,kahn1 whose open-hearted and open-pursed generosity contributed so inestimably to the lyric and balletic art of dead yesterday4 ,i have detailed at some length the government support provided for the arts by our financially less fortunate cousins of ,great ,britain1 ,south ,america1 and ,europe4 ,the list of ,european countries favoring the arts could be extended into a lengthy catalogue of nations ranging from ,scandinavia to the ,mediterranean1 on both sides of that unhappy screen1 the 8,iron ,curtain40 ,here in the ,united ,states1 the situation becomes steadily grimmer4 ,almost every artistic enterprise worth its salt and scene painter1 its bread and choreographer1 its meat and conductor1 is in the perpetual necessity of sitting on the pavement against the wall1 hat in hand1 chanting the pitiful wail3 8,alms1 for the love of ,art40 ,vast quantities of words are uttered1 copious tears of regret are shed about and over this condition at art forums1 expensive cocktail parties1 and on the high stools of soda fountains4 ,a great deal is said1 but very little is done4 ,the answer1 in my opinion1 will not be found until the little voices of the soda fountain1 the forums1 the cocktail parties1 unite into one superbly unanimous chorus and demand a government subsidy for the arts4 ,i am not so foolish as to insist that government subsidy is the complete and final cure for all the ills to which the delicate body is heir2 but it can provide1 in a great national theatre1 a roof for the creative and performing artists of ballet1 opera1 theatre1 and music4 ,more than anything else1 the ,american ballet artist needs a roof1 under which to live1 to create1 and hold his being in security4 ,such a step would be the only positive one in the right direction4 ,it is only through governmentally subsidized theatres1 or one type of subsidy or another1 that ballet1 opera1 music1 the legitimate theatre may become a living and vital force in the everyday life of the ,american people1 may belong to the masses1 instead of being merely a place of entertainment for a relatively small section of our population4 ,we have before us the example of the success of government subsidy in the ,british ,arts ,council and in the subsidized theatres of other ,european countries4 ,how can we profit by these examples8 ,a national opera house is the first step4 ,such a house should not1 in my opinion1 be in ,new ,york4 ,it should1 because of the size of the country1 be much more centrally situated than in our ,eastern metropolis4 ,since the area of ,great ,britain is so much smaller than the ,united ,states1 our planning of government subsidy would1 of necessity1 be on a much larger scale4 ,in many of the countries where ballet and music have the benefit of government subsidy1 government ownership of industry is an accepted practice4 ,yet the government theatre subsidy is managed without stifling private enterprise4 ,i am quite aware that securing a national subsidy for the arts in this country will be a long1 difficult and painful process4 ,it will require1 before all else1 a campaign of education4 ,we must have an increasing world-consciousness1 a better understanding of our fellow humans4 ,we must develop a nation of well-educated and1 above all1 thinking people1 who will do everything in their power to make a full-rounded life available to every man and woman in the nation4 ,only during the days of the ,,wpa1 in the '#cj's1 has the ,united ,states government ever evinced any particular interest in the arts4 ,i cannot hope that the present materialistic attitude of our lawmakers will cause them to look with much favor on things of the spirit4 ,the attitude of our government towards the arts is noteworthy only for its complete lack of interest in them or care for them4 ,in the arts1 and notably in the ballet1 it has the most formidable means and potential material for cultural propaganda4 ,the stubbornness with which it insists upon ignoring the only aspect of ,american cultural life that would really impress and influence ,europe is something that is1 to me1 incredible4 ,it is a rather sad picture4 ,how long will it take us in our educational process to understand that in the unborn tomorrow we1 as a nation1 will be remembered only through our art rather than through our materialism and our gadgets8 ,meanwhile1 excellent and highly valuable assistance is being given by such ,foundations as the ,ford ,foundation and the ,rockefeller ,foundation4 ,the latter's contribution to the ,new ,york ,city ,center has been of inestimable help to that organization4 ,certain municipalities1 through such groups as the ,san ,francisco ,art ,commission1 financed on the basis of four mills on the dollar from the city tax revenues1 the ,art ,commission of the ,county of ,los ,angeles1 the ,city of ,philadelphia1 among others1 are making generous and valuable contributions to the musical and artistic life of their communities4 ,there are still to be mentioned those loyal and generous friends of the arts who have contributed so splendidly to the appeals of orchestras throughout the country1 of the ,metropolitan ,opera ,company1 and the ,new ,york ,city ,center4 ,but this1 ,i fear1 is not enough4 ,the genuinely unfortunate aspect of the overall situation is that we are so pitifully unable to supply an outlet for our own extraordinary talent4 ,for example1 at an audition ,i attended in ,milan1 out of the twenty-eight singers heard1 sixteen of them were ,americans4 ,this is but further evidence that our ,american talent is still forced to go to ,europe to expand1 to develop1 and to exhibit their talents2 in short1 to get a hearing4 ,in ,italy today1 with a population of approximately #dh1jjj1jjj1 there are now some seventy-two full-fledged opera companies4 ,in pre-war ,germany with an approximate population of #gj1jjj1jjj1 there were one hundred forty-two opera houses1 all either municipally or nationally subsidized4 ,any plan for government subsidy of the arts must be a carefully thought out and extensive one4 ,it should start with a roof1 beginning slowly and expanding gradually1 until1 from beneath that roof-tree1 companies and organizations would deploy throughout the entire country and1 eventually1 the world4 ,eventually1 in addition to ballet1 music1 opera1 and theatre1 it should embrace all the creative arts4 ,education in the arts must be included in the subsidization1 so that the teacher1 the instructor1 the professor may be regarded as equal in importance to doctors1 lawyers1 engineers1 and politicians1 instead of being regarded as failures1 as they so often regrettably are4 ,until the unborn tomorrow dawns when we can find leaders whose understanding of these things is not drowned out by the thunder of material prosperity and the noise of jostling humanity1 leaders with the vision and the foresight to see the benefit to the country and the world from this kind of thing1 and who1 in addition to understanding and knowing these things1 possess the necessary courage and the indispensable stamina to see things through1 we shall have to continue to fight the fight1 to grasp any friendly hand1 and1 ,i fear1 continue to watch the sorry spectacle of the arts squatting in the market-place1 basket in lap1 begging for alms for beauty4 ,so long as ,i am spared1 ,i shall never cease to present the best in all the arts1 so that the great public may have them to enjoy and cherish2 so that the artists may be helped to attain some degree of that security they so richly deserve1 against that day when an enlightened nation can provide them a home and the security that goes with it4 ,with all those who are of it1 and all those whose lives are made a little less onerous1 a little more tolerable1 to whom it brings glimpses of a brighter unborn tomorrow1 ,i repeat my united hurrah3 ,three ,cheers for ,good ,ballet6 ,,index ,abbey ,theatre 7,dublin71 #bag ,academy of ,music 7,brooklyn71 #ha ,adam1 ,adolphe1 #bdf ,adelphi ,theatre 7,new ,york71 #aeh ,aglae or ,the ,pupil of ,love1 #aeg ,aldrich1 ,richard1 #bc ,alegrias1 #dh1 #ee1 #ef ,aleko1 #aef1 #agb ,alexander of ,tunis1 ,viscount and ,viscountess1 #cjg ,alhambra ,theatre 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,metropolitan engagement at the ,metropolitan pg #agg a temporay whim a temporary whim pg #aha the ,diaghleff ,ballet the ,diaghileff ,ballet pg #bjd the times comes for his appearance the time comes for his appearance pg #bjf the spirt of the painter the spirit of the painter pg #bah ,a ,beverley ,hills group ,a ,beverly ,hills group pg #bdi the threatre programme the theatre programme pg #bea make him ,ecuardorian make him ,ecuadorian pg #bfi edge of ,knightbridge and ,kensington edge of ,knightsbridge and ,kensington pg #bgb ,elegaic ,blues ,elegiac ,blues pg #bgd early indocrination early indoctrination pg #bij considearble royal interest considerable royal interest pg #cjf