The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-26

About Spectacular Dnncine-Wby should We
Not HIVE a Ballet


About Spectacular Dnncine-wby should We
Not Have BaiIetf
The taste for such exhibitions rs are in
dicat by the general name. spectacle seems
to he revived among us In full force after ne
Rod Of torpor. What causes Booth's Theatre
to he completely filed by curious special ors
nightly Ia not Byron's plav but Calvert's show.
The crowds that gather at Niblo's Garden assem-
bic to the display upon the stage the
story told by the actors cannot interest them
To. morrow evening. at tho Fifth Avenue The
atte. dancing women and other things addressed
solely to the eye Will add their charms to the
attractions Of Mr.. Days new play and at many
Of the minor theatres a so-called ballet furnishes
more or less OF the evenings amusement
II tue advertisements danced by these women
were really good Of their kind, If they meant
anything, Il they were really artistic, they would
have certain merits for which a reason for their
Icing would be emonstrdted. But. for the
most p,rt. they are badly danced. The per-
formers, In great measure. fail to exhibit grace
Or harmony. individua ly or coiiectiveIy were
the members Of chorus In any respect bls
music.l enterta nmeDt To move 80 much out OF
time aud out OF harmony with each uther as do
some " these dancing choruses, thew would be
Missed oil the stare. Inc general public has
sOu,e Knowledge Of music, hardly any OF n
cling. Managers assert that the dances which
tney EXHIBIT are o.l.ets, and tnlt they are we'll
dduceu. and tue assertion Il accented as true.
Gcneraily, lso, spectators do not LOOK for grace
f4l motions. beautiful forms maze by tasteful
Groupings, OF symmetrical movements OF many
sdpule hVuTes. what they more particularly
d lilht III u AN exhibition ~ strenR n, tao per-
formhnce OF some gymnastic lea simply be-
cause managers h We given tnem NJ UpDor unity
u kn W tnat the ballet mas much uigner our
Dose than sucn Exhibitions II one OF the prn-
ci1al dancers az Booths Theatre, for Instance.
~ the course OF her gyl atioDs were TO turn
dOuDlc b.ck sonersault. 1t Is safe to assert that
the exploit would be fcw4fded bya storm OF
applause, .ne like u which no ,xquisiteness OF
grace could eicii.
Al tnis II greatly to be regretted. The ballet.
In It's bignest exceiiencs, Is Que OF the most
char wing productions nf art, and, through the
atmosphere OF art which surrounds II, ~ pre-
sented purely TO the spectator. but sucn "A
b llet IL some. hing more than the advertisement
which efrpneOusly passes D. that me. IL rep
resenta something. IL tells story by action.
IL uives the most beautiful expression to tue
highest enort OF pAntomime. In this many Of
the extravaRances. incnngruitles, ana 40 ur-
dues which are unavCidaUIe. or would seeln 10
DC so, IN otuer forms Of reDresentation, dissp-
y ar. Every one mas felt aud regretted the
necessity wnIcn the opera imposes on the tenor,
for example, after he has beeu rutnlessiy slam
by himself. OF the implacanle baritone. TO rise,
and, IN tones excelling. PERHAPS, IN force and
beauty any thst he nAs yet Produced, take a
TOM and IN i melodiOus aoieu OF the earth, the
Lumbs Of hls anc stols, and his sweetheart. In
similar circumstances the pantomime demands
no such aosurdtues." A great man. all earl, a
statesman, poLticiaD, novelist. se, OF tue
uailet as II should TO rhe ballet at X ;isen-
ourg was not merely vehicle for tue display Of
4
aid Il 10y music. To influence the minds the
spectators. not less than the regI al drama. or
tnis exhibition, dancing was "A casual ornament,
it i OF lite. Ii TOOK place. therefore, on utting
occasions. and grew out. IN natural manner.
from sOue event In tho history represented.
There are few perform noes I.OTe Affecting than
tue serious DlntOinine OF a master. In some OF
the most Interesting situations II Is. In fact, even
moral natural than tue oral drama-lOglc lily, II
II more perfect Tor the soiiuuuy ~ actually
thought before us. and tue magic Of the repre-
sent4uon not destroyed by the sound of the
human voice, at a moment when we all know
man n -ver speaks"
Such psntOa,inic representations were FREE
quent among the ancient Greeks, and tue mod
ern word ballet comes from Greek term used
enough u presume that tnis manner OF telling
"A dramatic story upon tbs stage was known IN
NtnevIn. 1hen with how mucn pruprtety and
with how mucn less Apparent auacnronisn than
Is now sugRe- ted. could sucn "a b Let have been
introduced into "Ssruanapalus - inste d Of the
advertisement now danced at Buotbs. Inc
vOluptuuus monarch of the Il 1T was expert
IN pleasures. IL Is therefore easy To conceive
that he might have enjoyed the representation
Oy pallet of some love story or some drama
tending to illustrate his greatness or that Of his
ancestors. Bat II IL not easy 10 conceive that
lie could be other than bored by more or les :
Luxurious aetlit,, cOntOrttOns. gyrattOns, GYM
nsstics. and unnatural pos ures, >ucD rs sup
Dueed To amuse Nun nightly at Booths Inc 4tTe.
Mr.. C.lvert, wno arranged this pla, for eNhIDl-
tion az "A spectacle. should I've seen % IL that
true ballet was mere Introduced. Ii would have
added greatly to the dramatic interest Of the
representation, and srttsticiIly rounded the
whole work. In failing 10 do 50 he and the
a beautiful kind OF art where the SURE uud ing
circumstances reasonably called for ~, and
which has not Yet obtained by its IN ertte. as has
been shown, crsditable rank Ia this country.