The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-21
THE ELECTRIC BALLET.
Arrangements Behind the Scenes for the
Production of Electric Girls.

Arrangements Behind the Scenes for the
Production of Electric Girls.
Pail Mall Gazette.
Cerberus at the gates of Hades is not a more
terrible monster than the stage doorkeeper of
the Empire Theater. He sOftened, however,
when l told him that l had permission from Mr..
Hitchins to see the working of the new electric
ballet. so | was allowed to wait until the cicerone
arrived. At last NJ. Levy, who directs the
electric ballet, arrived. Il have come to ask
you a few questions about the working of the
electric ballet" 1T will be on in ten minutes;
come along with me-"
NJ. Armand Levy, it may be said, is the pos
SCISSOR of the patent of these electric jewels in
England, having purchased the right from NJ.
Trouve, the ingenius French electrician,
to whom we are indebted for this
latest and oldest application of %electri-
city. 1.-THE equipment cost f400-that is,
the jewels, the rehectors. the batteries
n fact, the installation, if l may use the term,
and | dare say it costs "a or TO a night to pro-
duce the ballet. Every little incandescent lamp
cost five shillings; and the acid-ah! sacre," said
NJ. Levy, struggling his shoulders, but 1 must
tell you no more. 1t is enough that l have told
you" This is the first time that electricity has
been used for theatrical purposes on so large a
scale, though one or two nearly as elaborate
spectacles have been seen in Paris. mo one
can say where it will stop. One invention fol
lows another very quickly. Perhaps we may
have something here very shortly which will
surpass even this. No@ cannot tell you what
~ A5 w "N1S W JNs 10y H'
Trouve has just produced at the Folies Ber-
ceres a most lovely ballet, in which the dresses
of the girls are literally a corruscation of flow
ers, each petal sparkling with electricity. What
do you think of electric insects! Imagine
the air full of dazzling gossamer wings, butter
flies, dragoon-fiies-but we shall see. Here is
the room where we keep the batteries and charge
them. Yes, a little out of orderSt present, but
really nothing to grumbie at. Now we have a
staff of eight at work to keep the apparatus in
working order, fill the batteries, superintend re-
pairs, replace broken lamp glasses; ah! Yes, we
break a number every night from the pressure.
Now, see" said NJ. Levy, 1.-The light is OBJ
tanned from this battery; we call it a primary
battery. It is fastened behind the shield, which
each of the fifty young ladies carry, and this
supplies the lights in the spear and helmet,
which make up the equipment. The number of
luminous points varies from seven to ten. Icall
them luminous points, for each performer carries
only three electric lamps preparedness being in
creased, OF course, by means of the reiectors.
mo, no. A one-light battery is not at all diff
cult to manage, but ten-ah!"
may explain here that each apparatus car
ries three lamps proper-one on the shield, an
other in the tip of the spear, a third in the he'll
met. In each case the lamp is placed in a small
space enclosed by Embellishments and rubies
-four set in the form of a square and one on the
top. Surrounding the jewels composing the
p%entagon is a square wire spray, at each end of
which, corresponding to the four jewels, is a
mirror. just then some of the fifty young
ladies who take part in the ballet began to troop
down stairs from their dressing rooms, and
came up to the bench on which were laid out
ready for adjustment the fifty oblong batteries,
each in size about seven inches long, two inches
wide and some four inches deep; the total weight
when charged being three pounds.
There is but little time to spare. The wait
is but a quarter of an hour. The ladies have to
change, and ali! my dear, come along-there is no
time to lose" And one decidedly Amazonian
young lady marched up to the bench ito be ad-
justed." Quickly and deftly NJ. Levy takes one
of the batteries and places it in the receptacle be
hind the shield, which rests on the dancers left
arm, quickly connecting the different parts. Just
then l modestly asked one of the young ladies
'If it was not a little heavyl' Here, just
take it and try it. It's like a baby" "a very,
very little one surely" 1 ventured to remark,
mind them now, though they were a little
troublesome at first" ugh! it's hurting my
shoulders" "There, that's right, miss, it dosen't
hurt you now" "See here, mossoo; I'm
up wrong" Dear, it's burning! there, thatll do"
fragments of a lively conversation as the pro
cess of fitting on proceeded. Shield, helmet,
spear fitted, the switch tried, a dash of lights for
q second, and the owner marches off to the
wings.
For ten minutes NJ. Levy and his assistants
were as busy as bees, fitting on and tying up the
flexible cords which connect the three parts OF
the system together. For by an ingenious ar
rangement one switch, easily reached by the
hands of the wearer, itself not the least ingeni-
Gus part of the whole, controls the ten lights or
luminous points. The while there was such a
clatter of tongues as would have put
to shame the builders of Babel. But
it is good-humored fun, and the shafts
of wit which hurtle through the air so
thick and fast are harmless enough. Indeed,
these young ladies are in good spirits, consider
ing that they wear tights and cut capers for
twenty-five shillings a week. Now, ladies,
please" and in a minute fifty Amazons are daz-
zling the eyes of those sin front"
Each of the batteries, it may be said in con
clusion, is charged in the day and laid ready for
use about half past 10. Each would, according
to NJ. Levy's calculation, contain a supply for an
hour; as a matter of fact, they are only needed
for about a quarter of that time. OF course
there are lighter batteries and batteries of other
shapes than the oblong one which is nov in use.
At present the Amazons do nothing more than
march through a series of evolutions. But with
feet, they could pirouet as gracefully as ever.