Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-14
THE WASHINGTON KIRMEs.

In describing the hifues ut .ho -'"'4on''i
Theatre, in Washington, last night, the
Post, of that city, says
"The lowered gaslight fell softly upon the
,,orious qualities of silks and satins display
ed diamonds flashed in it, fans rustled
through it, and the audience beguied Itself
with a gentle undercurrent of conversation
until the curtain rose. Then was presented
a scene before which the doughtiest adjec-
tives beat hasty retreat. a riot OF color,
blaze of light, novel, beautiful spectacle
Row overlapping row upon the stage sat
two hundred and eighty Of Washingtons
Young men and maidens. Their habii-
ments were very various, indeed of brave
colors and cunningly fashioned after the
manner of different nations. And their
heads were decked, and their arms, and
even their ankles and tanked on one side
by the flower booth and lemonade grotto,
and on the other by the Oriental booth and
the rvpsy encampment, these young men
and maidens were q marvellous slgnt TO see.
As the orchestra gave forth the measures
of march this conglomerate Of sweetness
and light resolved itself into pairs, and
gracefully distributed itself about the space
erstwhile occupied by the orchestra chairs.
The march was admirably executed, and
gave the audience the opportunity for
critical examination of the costumes, which
elected much admiration. Then came the
dainty music of the minuet, and with it the
stately stepping dancers of the fascinating
old measure. Here surely was much gentle
grace displayed, much coquetry too, and
a very elaborate sense Of responsibility TO
the shades Of our great grandmothers !or the
proper participation in their most ccremo-
NOUS pleasure. The gowns were quite dyi-
lie. and the knee.buckles shone most lus.
trously as every swain bent low before his
mariner, his hand somewhere in the vicinity
of his heart while she, dantly holding her
fan with one hand and her skirt with the
other, courtesied deliciously in return.
Then with Joyous abandon came the Iyro.
leans. With their horns, flower. crowned
hats. short flowing skirts, jaunty, squared
necked laced bodices, the TyroleaGs were 81
delight to the beholder. Apparently this
dance was neither marred nor enhanced by
masculine presence, but it was currently re-
ported that the maidens with the taller hats
did heroic duty as gentlemen Of the Tyroi.
This was q most intricate dance, but the
skillful hornblowers uuwound its mazcs and
wound them up again without trip CT fall
ter.
In quick succession followed the Swcdes,
in picturesque pairs, each pair representing
province. Eelvet-capped and agile were
the Swedes, and most telling and taking were
the pictures and the poses they contrived to
get themselves into. The japanese came af.
ter-perhaps the most characterful dance Of
all. The music was the familiar Mikaio,'
and seemed to inspire the dancers with full
sense of what was expected of them from g
Gilbert and Sullivan standpoint. They
toddled ia the most realistic manner ina
einable; the flirting OF the fans WAS exact
to tlirt the whiring Of the parasols was
spectacular in the extreme. 1.-THE motion
was not precisely Delsartian il sas unique
and presumably "Japaneay."
The Indian dance called forth the Wild.
est applause. 1t is the choicest product OF
Prof. Marw;g's fertile brain, and its wildly
exhilarated motions anl thrilling situations
reflected the utmost credit upon their orig
inator, "a we'll as upon the energetic young
persons who conducted themselves in suon
genuine Apache style. There was the civ.
| ilized version of the war cry, There was cir
cling about captive group, there was
brandishing of tomahawks and waving oil
feathers, and in the midst there was real
Zuni priestess to give the thing local color
| ing.
Then came the exquisite flower dance,
which was excelled by none in point Of
beauty Blushing roses, flaming peoples
modest violets, star-eyed misunderstanding
And flying in and cut, hunming and buz;
zing and ilatterug the flowers that leaned
and listened, score of honey bees.
The gypsy dance was given more appro-
priately rs to individual suitability than
any other, perhaps. The dark eyes and
olive compilations and raven hair OF many
of the young ladies in this gave the bcauti-
| full and thoroughly graceful movements q
charm of raturalness that was lacking IN
some other instances. The handling CT the
| tambournes in this dance was most eiiec-
| tive and the posing perfect
Then, when the last strains Of the gypsy
dance had die'; away, the floor WAS given
over to dancing, and the waltz and the Ian
GERS and the quadrille were kept UP right
merrily until early this morning.