The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-06-13
BALLET In PARIS.
LITTLE GIRLS TAKING DANCING LES
SONS FOR THE STAGE.

A Peep Into the big Hare Room Where
the Glasses Meet for PrActice-Profes-
sor and Puplls-Art OF smiiing-Mo-
ments of Rest
BY some accident or another, we will
suppose, M. and Nine. Pipelet have decided
that their little Adele shall become q
dancer, and so the little dear Is brought to
Nine. Theodore, the professor of the
opera, who examines her and passes her
on TO the doctor, who in turn examines
and pronounces her TO be fit or unfit for
the profession. The verdict being favor
able, little Adele henceforward belongs TO
the opera; she is now aged or 8 years,
and il she works hard she will become a
passable danseuse in about ten or
twelve years. The first stage is
the little girls class, la classe des
petites. Winter and summer, day after
day, every morning at 10 O'Clock, Nine
Theodore awaits her pupils, who come
accompanied by their mothers, each one
carrying little bag that contains regu-
lar Noah's ark full OF miscellaneous OBJ
jects necessary for the studies or the
happiness of pupil of the petite classe,
such as stockings, dancing shoes, a box of
poudre de riZ, comb, a button hook, some
bread, bottle of wine and water, some
cold veal hard boiled eggs, sardines,
apples and what not.
In the twinkling of an eye the little
ones undress, put on their working cos
tune, and come rushing up stairs pell
nell into the class room, bounding round
the professor and kissing her.
A RIG BARE ROOM.
Let us look at the room. 1t is large,
bare room, with bars fixed parallel to the
walls on three sides and sloping floor,
10 accustom the pupil TO the sloping stage
OF the theatre. Along the free wall are
benches, and two cane seated chairs ac-
commodate the professor and her assist
ant who plays a fiddle or sometimes y
sort of harmonium. The girls, of whom
the Oldest is perhaps IL, wear low necked
corsages leaving their arms bare, white
muslin skirts, broad sashes of blue or red
ribbon, pink tights and gray canvas shoes.
They are lean, scraggy lot, not lovely TO
look upon individually, but full Of good
humor and vivacity.
"Allons, mesdemoiselles, q vos placesw
cries the professor, and the girls run to
the bars, and the fiddle gives the word Of
command, just as the bugle calls direct
the soldier. There Is no melody, but
simply a series OF andante, allegro, pizzi-
cato and trill movements, each followed
by tremolo, so that TO the untutored ear
the sounds suggest the confusion of the
tuning of an orchestra. But the dancers
understand that such and such notes in
dictate such and such posture at the bar,
which must be held as long as the pro-
fessor keeps up the tremolo; other notes
followed by tremolo indicate another
posture. And at every moment during
the lesson the professor intersperses her
remarks with the words: "Souriezl Sou.
riez Mais souriez donc"' (Smlel Won't
you smile0 For in the midst of the most
difficult and torturing dislocations the
ballet girl must smile, and the art Of
smiling has TO be learned just like step
OF a developpe.
After half an hour OF these general ex-
ercises at the bar there comes a rest, and
the little girls begin once more TO chatter
and futter, while the professor lays the
dust by watering the floor In geometrical
interlacements. Then follows the adage,
or second part of the lesson, which con-
sists Of an ensemble and composed steps
The dancers take place in the middle Of
the room in rows; Nine. Theodore holds
up her skirts and indicates the step, and
the little ones begin to bound, whirl,
pirouette, form groups by twos, and smile
in unison, while the fiddle scrapes queer
tunes and the professor cries in strange
terms: "Ballonne, fondu, assembled,
soutenez, souriez. Mais souriez done"
Always that smilel
At intervals there are moments OF rest;
but the jealous pupils do not rest; they
run to the bar and work their knees and
loins, multiplying the efforts 10 gain
their suppleness and lightness that the
public often seem 10 regard as natural and
innate.
The third part Of the lesson is the varia-
tion. The pupils gather in a group around
the professor, who with her fingers die
tates the steps that are TO be executed,
one finger of each hand representing the
two legs of the dancers. Attitude, pas
de bourree, Glssade, entrechat, temps de
cuisse," ETC., says the professor in her
wonderful language, rs she expounds the
variation that she dances with her fingers.
So, too in fencing one indicates the play
of the foils with the index of each hand.
Meanwhile the pupils carefully watch the
professors fingers, and initiate with their
own, their bodies oscillating and undu
lating, and as it were feeling the steps
"Est-ce comprisY' (Do you understand
eyes, madam" every good. In posi-
ton, then" And they all promptly take
their places once more in the middle OF
the room, and, with the professor, dance
the variation while the fiddle plays more
rapid measure.
Suddenly the fiddle stops. There is q
rest and then the girls go through an
other course Of dislocation at the bar and
then, with their sweetest smiles they
salute first to the right and then to the
left, as If thanking an idolizing public fol
deserved ovation. Then eau revoir
Nine Theodore. A demain." In a sec
ond the class room is empty; the little
girls, painting and worn out, don theil
paltry robes of poverty and return under
their mothers wings TO Montmartre Of
Belleville Theodore Child in The Cos
mopolitan.