The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-22 00:00:00

BALLET.

Paris academies exalted dancing into a fine art, and pre-
cured recognition for ballet from the capitals of Europe
and to these may now be added the ones of the Western
Hemisphere also.
Some of the premieres artistes chosen to interpret ballet
to the New World were performers of considerable talent,
refinement, and ladylike demeanour.
There appears to be two classes of ballet —the classical
and the sensual.
Education has extended to sculptors, painters, and lat-
terly dauseuses, a certain license to use the beauty and
powerful influences of the human form for the expression,
by pantomimic action, of emotions that stir the aspiratiohe
and passions of the soul.
Is it quite fair to attribute the attraction merely to pre"
ankles? When ballet was still quite novel here, an lea"
partial spectator, who observed the house, as well as the
performance, could not but see that this was not quite cor-
rect. The audience could then—although some of their
critical censors could not—discriminate the difference be-
tween ladylike self-possession and the brazen-faced asstlr,
anco of the demi-monde.

A true danseuse appeals to the same sense of the been"
tiful as painters and sculptors; and although ballet hi°
uot yet quite clearly worked out its definition, has nc3
risen to the rank of the flue arts, is not estimated with itS
stereotyped branches, yet ballet pure, poetry, painting, 0334
sculpture are of the same family, and alike appeal to these
aesthetic tastes which education, travel, and general stud/
of the fine arts have refined.
The initiation of the applause and demonstration of the
audience very evidently showed that they recognised the
ease and ladylike self-possession of that Italian girl before
them, her quiet dignity and elegance. They canght the
meaning of that pantomime, which was so exquisite, deli-
cate, and expressive. It could not be mere facial or phi"
sical beauty or toilet tricks that pleased the on-lookers""
for the beauty of her face had faded—her physical beauty
was eclipsed by her figurantes. She was rather worn-loolca-
ing ; yet .one saw that all eyes were attracted to en
centred upon that light, gracile figure, as it bent like
water-lily dipped by the wind in acknowledgment of 06
warm approval that her womanly art, soft feminine grace,
and gentleness had elicited.
Mademoiselle S— had a distinct characteristic taleilt"
Mlle was younger, more fiery, champed the bit like rnce,
horse before the start, was ambitious, possessed more e;
the light comedy of ballet; flowed, with life, vigour, en'
impromptu ; and had that sparkling vivacity nativa tn..e
Parisienne and Champagne wines; but Signora was ranj-
spirituelle. The French woman was agile, lithe, athletic;
daring, defiant ! but the Italian interpreted her music Wit,/
a lightness, a delicate minuteness, very pleasing to bellnit:
regular, regular as the terza rims of Italy's great Pneg
Fier statue postures that faded in an instant after expre't:
sion, the eye of sensibility quickly caught at the moo's%
These and other impressions, a warm poetical iraagiaet'°„.
received at the time, while under the heart-glow of 007:
cal spell, which it is difficult to retain, recall, define, 001
press, when that influence is removed and the 011106°0
have cooled.
East Indian and Turkish dancing girls appeal directly
to the grosser passions ; but the daughters of Italy rareq
lend their youth and beauty to such degradation. Yet g,
must be confessed that one branch of the ballet, in P. a
has of late degenerated. The shameless abandon ell,
sensual arts of the second-class ballet are certainly not verojf
conducive to good morals. Eve, fresh from the ban
her Creator, was the Incarnation of Perfect InnoceneetLi,
doubt, and the Perfection of Physical Beauty ; but of
tier intrigue with Satan, her most unfortunate and eoe
lamentable discovery of Shame, womankind, and humen"";
through her sex's unconquerable curiosity, obtained
a 9
,
most pernicious knowledge of evil and good, that 'op
rendered clothing of some kind a necessary institen 0
ever since. Marble may sometimes, but flesh never ee
do without any drapery.— Wilkes' Spirit of the Times.

The Albion says :—" The new club-house of /Pc;
Union League Club, corner of Madison Avant'," !fa
T wenty-sixth-street, was thrown open for the inspec;:g
of members of the press on the 2d inst. The beil`'6-0
was erected for club purposes by Mr. Leonard irec°,l-
- the Union League Club have completed and ate- i
for their use at an expense of $50,000. The appointeleilir
are all of the most elegant description, and the Devi er 0
house will compare favourably with any similar edifice
either side the Atlantic, not oven excepting the IL'"))
Carlton, London."

Births. (AV°
HEATRCOTE —On the 20th inst., at Stamford, Mrs. Gibe
V. Heathcote, of a son.
re tV
STANLEY—On the 21st inst., at 20, Lowndes-glll9 '
Lady Constance Stanley, of a daughter. Wife
SMYTH—On the 19th inst., at Dorrington, Wilts, tha
-
of Colonel Henry Smith, C. 8., of a son.

Marriages.
FEAST —BRIDGER—On the 16th inst., at St. P3',100-
South Hampstead, Walter W. Feast to Ross, 7„ea.
daughter of the late Mr. Wm. Bridger, of Edrnonw
STO C KLEY —BAXTER —On the 18th inst., at St. J3c°o3ep:
Church, Gravesend, Mr. James T. Stockley, of 1,5r.,°,
" of
ton, S.W., to Ellen, only daughter of R. Baxter, Ds
Gravesend.

Deaths. j4''l.
Boozu—On the 20th inst., in London, Lieut.-Gen,l 71.
Booth, Colonel of the 15th Regimout of Foot, age' jobo
EAGLETON —On the 16th inst., at Balton, Rutland:
Eagle:on, Esq., aged 80. no 101313
MARSHALL—On the 18th inst., at Gidlow, NV,g-- '
Stewart Marshall, Esq., aged 36. ,vtio•
NPOrouN—On the 19th inst., at Marseilles, Colonel D.091'
M‘Gouu, Controller of Military Finance, Madras
deney, aged 61. isi filit'P'
NORMAN—On the 19th inst., at Tottenham, Miss --°
'
aged 69. irtior
REEVE—On the 17th inst., at Richmond, Surrey, Sir
Newby Reeve, aged 75.
_.—/%4

London : Printed and Published by WI'LLIA.II No pt
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tian SUN 01d°64,000
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the w-
Bliddlosex.7•Weduesdity, April 22, 1868.