Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-15
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE
OPERA.
French Ballet ssirls-Their Daily
Lives and H2bits-Thefr Visitors
Their Mothers.
ICorre spond ence New York Sun.l

French Ballet GirIs-Their Daily
Lives and Habits-Their Visitors
Their Mothers.
Correspondence New York SUM-
PARIS, Dec. 81 adore the mothers OF ballet
daucers," says Ludovic Halevy in one OF hts
books. with them there Is always something
TO be learned. Their conversation Is varied,
abundant, fun of surprises and imagery They
have relations with all kinds OF sOciety-vege-
Ia bic sellers, seamstresses or WaSherwOmen
curing the day; they chat familiarity In the
evening at the opera with the finest specimens
that We have 1n the way OF distinguished men,"
The production CT new ballet, LA Korri-
game" at the opera gives me pretext for In
PRODUCING some OF these mothers, or rather their
daughters, TO the reader, and for CO Quoting
lin Tor half al hour behind the scenes of the
opera.
First Of all, let me say that the new ballet,
la kerrtgane,. the poem OF which Is by Fran
co.'s COppee and the music by WidOr, was
great success musically, scenically. and chOre-
graphically. The charming Spanish senorita,
no, Tia Mauri, who nov holds the first place in
tie dancing worlO, obtained veIitable triumph
which reminded the old people Of the finest
SUCCESSES Of Fanny Eilsler, Cerlto, and CarIotta
GiisL The JOyer de Ia dd,lse was too small to
contain the mountains OF bouquets that were
offered to her.
The reader may be supposed to be familiar
with the architectural SplendOrS of the Paris
opera House. To some minds these splendors
viii perhaps become more vivid when iL Is SAID
That they cost ~, COS, 900 francS-say So 900 600
omit all general description, aud pass at once
nehlnu the scenes and up the elegant staircase
that leads TO the foyer dr. la dd,tse or green
room OF the ladies OF the ballet. Il Is q splen-
did room, decorated with categorical panels and
mirrors. All round the room run bars fixed
against the wall, and covered with rel velvet
Tie dancing subjects" use these bars 10 stretch
ana twist their legs, ana To exercise the muscles
OF their backs. Before the fireplace stand the
CHILDREN and small Try OF the ballet. On each
are The mothers, OF whom we have already
spoken. armed with baskets and knitting
needles. III the middle OF the room is little
group OF men, hats In hand, carefully dressed
Chatting, laughing. and apparently waiting for
something. They are the habitues, and they
are waiting for the arrival OF the premiers
SEES. Soon these ladies appear, one by one,
walking with that movement OF the hips that
Oily dancers have, the foot turned outward and
enveioped In loose CATERS, which make them
LOOK IKE cochin China hens These CATERS are
Gestined TO preserve their satin shoes and stock
lDgs 1rom DUST and dirt With little watering
POT that they carry with their finger tips like
shepherdesses In Watteaus pictures, they pro-
ceed TO water about three square feet OF door:
then, fl'ng1ng into the glass general and col
iectlve ogle at the group standing behind them
an ttSs 60 through variety Of steps, pirou-
Then comes a little repOSa. The group Of
men breaks up, ana those VINO are ultimate
enough approach and talk TO the dancers What
they say 10 them Is secret Meanwhile. the
can man cries with a voice like rattle Gen
tienen and LADIES, they are beginning" This
Is not true. 1t is like saying dinner at.slx for
nan past: The incident, however, is useful to
those ladies who wish to cut short a tlresona
conversation Their reply Is caper
After few minutes the call man returns
"Sentiemen and ladies, they have begun. !"
Inls t1me IT. Is almost true. Then the ladies'
take Off their CATERS. hand the watering pots to
tDe1r mothers, to their chamDermaids or TO the
persons who combine these Two Offices and
with much struttiDg and muscular mannerIsm
dnect their steps toward the stage
III would be mistake to imagine that behind
me scenes at tne opera Is & paradise OF Ma
henet, or that the .Joper d. Ia danse is bazaar
OF hGuriS, Syiphides, nymlhS. and Sllltanas ra-
0ant and ethereal butterflies fitting blther and
tnlther In an atmosphere OF musk and pat
choun NO; since the revolution OF 1890 the
mere p0t-0H.teu, and the gallant traditions of
the First Empire and the Restoration exist no
longer except 10 the novels OF Balzac. In the
,nea.Ilca! world 1t IS now the fashion to be
married. TO wear modest clothes, aud to Law
Dy money against rainy day; and perhaps half
the art!SteS Of the opera are honest hum. drum
people. who live like the rest OF the world.
Nowadays the ,foyer de Ia danse Is simply a
salon where etiquette Is very strictly observed,
conversation Is carried on In a low undertODe.
The stranger newly admitted to the privilege OF
INST enters 1t. 1t is infinitely duller and colder
than the salon OF Nine. Adam. He feels Surprised
and confused. He hardly knows whether
Wars IL OF not ara Nobody steps for
memorable occasion N. Jules Ferry the pres
eht Premier, ever dared to enter the f0U57' un.
less IN evening dress. In the wings you keep
on your hat; In the foyer you take 1t Off. on it
Is most proper place. A mother might take
her daughter there; even her son for tnat mat
Ter. The ladies OF the ballet, condemned BY
tIe rules Or the house to the strictest reserve
have horror OF every thing approaching i'm,
pertlDence They are excellent guardians OF
ptopreTy. II ia his confusion the visitor should
happen 10 have kept en- his hat On entering the
fo4eT, be viii hear strange twilterlng as of
BIRDS This Is a sign that Ine-e Young ladies'
nave invented Being interpreted it means:
lie mas then, his rat full Of canarles: that 1s
why he keeps IL on his head The hint Is at
once delicate and cutting.
Those who enjoy the privilege OF the entry to
TIE !Cyey OF the opera are the subscribers, the
other persons whom 1t pleases the director to
crafty. After the cd opera house In the Rue
LepeIetier was burned down, the celebrities OF
the financial world and OF the Israeiite colony
forced their way into the foy2r, and by 1878
Wien the present opera house was opened. the
lsfaelltes had July tr1umphed. Among the most
prominent irequeniers OF the FOYER de Ia daitse
may be mentioned PATHS ex-husband, the
Marquis de CauX; Baron Haussmann; the Mar
quis de NoaiiieS; the COmte dc Saint. WALTER
when he Is 10 Paris; the Prince OF Wales,
gan ambassador; the flcomUe Onesime Ag,l-
400; Antonin Proust; the COmte de MOntebeIIo:
Agenor barooux. who, While he was minister
iaslsned decorations on the employees of the
OPERA Maurice Ephrussl; the bankers Ca
monde; the Hcttingers; the Grin!ngers; the
Le7y-C!emieux; the Baron &c Reinacn, lbret-
tlSi VI IAS BALLET ''Sy Iva, nnancier, mau of
letters, economist and aQLa,rer OF Nine Turr:
Leo Dellbes. the musician, End many others.
All itch folk; for unless you are rich you can
not De an Eabitue OF the opera. AS Hector
EerEOz USED 70 say, Music is essentially arts
fCc1atic. a gill OF noble lineage, that pTiaces
alone can eDdoW nowadays"
AID now let me say Few words about the
ladies' OF the ballet. They are divided into pre-
HtteTs SsDet$ co7'Nliiiees, Jgt?'anteS. aud conf
: lGTses. l MAINTAIN the French terms for the
simple reason that there are no Anglo Saxon
equivalents. The corps de ballet. like an army
CUPS, Is composed OF platooLs, divided first of
all according to the sexes. and then into quad.
rules, first ard second. The pay In the second
quacrlle Is 700 TO $50 francs year; In the first
500 20 l. 600 francs q C'OrYplec gets / 200 / 3,Dl
or l 400 francs The next stage Is Sujet, with an
engagement OF three years and salary BEGIN
ling at eco francs and increasing up to 1000
francs In the last year. These are the stages
through Which the members OF the ballet
OF the opera pass. And what hard time they
have, Not weeks TepOSe! Take for In
stance, The COrgIhfeS and the member of the
two 0uauIilles They arrive at the opera say
at quarter TO In the morning each armed
With leather bag, containing pair of Stocx-
HgS, some dancing shoes, a corset, chent-
settle. comb, hand mirror. button hook a
Box OF face powder, piece OF bread, two sar-
dies, some potatoes, and bottle containing
mole water than wine. Passing rapidly before
TIE porter, eacn Ole climbs up TO tue fifth story
ana eLters IOom, where her Comrades OF the
Quadrille are dressing. In five minates she
has put on her Class cO,tuynt-iON uecked
chemisette, With short Sleeves muslin skirt.
rose colored Stockings shabby satin shoes, a