The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-06-30
MAKING BALLET DANCERS.
Nr. Kiralfy Tells Where and How Great
Premieres are Produced.
Louisville Courier-Journs

louisville CourierJournal.l
a reporter OF the COURIER Ournal called on
Mr.. BOlOssy Kiralfy last evening, and asked
him where he found his dancers He said
THE great school of dancing is Italy, and
in Italy the headQ uarters are at Milan. Here
there are numerous private masters, and
these furnish the world with its great pre-
mieres. There are ballet schools at every
court theater in Europe, but these do not
make the premieres of the higher grade. La
Scala has It's own school, but not of the kind
of which / speak. The teachers instruct their
pupils in large rooms that have sloping floors
like a stage. The room is hung with large
mirrors, so that the pupils may see them
selves as they dance. They are taught in
classes, which are graded according to skill
and experience. Sometimes the more adj
vanced pupils are taught singly.
"In order to become great dancer, q girl
must begin to study when seven or eight
years old, and she has to devote eight or ten
years TO study. Then she is fit TO dance in
public. The work is severe and expensive.
1t is necessary 10 practice every day, and
four or five times week the girls must take
lessons of three hours duration. After the
dancers leave the school they frequently,
during their vacation, return to the masters
to learn some new pose or step, some new in
vent0n in movement or to acquire greater
ease.
"a premiere who is dancing must practice
every day in order to do herself Justice at
night. They go to the theater and practice
in the morning in dresses made for the pur-
pose. If a premiere has not been dancing
for some time, it will take her at least two
weeks to get herself in training for the pub
lic."
"Does not this severe work break many
women DOWN." asked the reporter
"Oh, yes many" said Mr.. Kiralfy. SIT
very frequently destroyes their figures. 1t
is extremely rare to find great dancer with
SO perfect a figure as Mile. La Brujere's.
Their limbs become attenuated or their
chests become sunken. II is hard to find
and who are at the same time accomplished.
The clever dancers are often Unlocking"
"Where was La Bru ERE educated?" asked
the reporter.
eat Milan. She is French woman, whose
mother was Spanish. but her dancing is of
the Italian school. She has danced at Brus-
sells, Berlin and other cities as star. She
is one of the best dancers ever brought TO
America, and she illustrates the advantage
of schooling. The uninitiate6 are often de-
ceiYed in dancers, by imagining that tour
de force is the highest accomplishment of
the art. 1t is rot so by any means. Quick
motions in dancing are easier than slow and
graceful ones. The woman who dances with
much muscular effort is not the great dancer
She is greater who, while executing diff
cult step with her feet, is able to pose the
upper part Of her body and her arms grace
fully and without effort
"Does America get the best dancersg
asked the reporter.
eyes, we get as good as any, except the
few engaged in the Berlin and Paris opera
houses, who practically hold life positions
and can not be got for any money. The for
eign msrkets-that is, England, st. Peters