Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1888-03-22
BALLET In PARIS.
LITTLE GIRLS TAKING DANCING LES
SONS FOR THE STAGE.
A Peep Into the Big Bare Room Where
the Glasses Meet Cor Practice--Profes-
sor and Pupils-Art sf smiling--Mo-
ments of Rest.

the Glasses Meet Cor Praetice--Profes-
sor and PupiIs-Art Of smiling--Mo-
ments of Rest.
By some accident or another we will
suppose, NJ. and Mime. Pipelet have decided
that their little Adele shall become a
dancer, and sc the little dear is brought to
Mime. Theodore, the professor Of the
opera, who examines her aud passes her
on to the doctor, who in turn examines
and pronounecs her TO DE at or unfit for
the profession. The verdict being favor
able little Adele henceforward belongs to
the opera; she is now aged z or = years,
and II she works hard she win become
passable danseuse ia about ten or
twelve years. The drst stage is
the little girls class, To- classe des
petites. Winter and summer, day after
day, every morning at 10 o'clock, Mime.
Theodore awaits her pupils who come
accompanied by their mothers, each one
carrying little bag that contains a regu-
lar Noah's ark full o: miscellaneous OBJ
jects necessary for the studies or the
happiness Of pupil of the petite classe,
such Ms stockings, dancing shoes, box Of
poudre de riz, comb, n button hook, some
bread a bottle Of wine and water, some
cold veal. hard boiled eggs, sardipes,
apples and what not.
In the twinkling OF an eye the little
ones undress, put on their working cos
tune, and come rushing mp stairs pell
mel into the class room, bounding round
the professor and kissing her.
A BIG EARE ROOM.
Let us look at the room. II IL large,
bare room, with bars fixed parallel To the
walls on three sides and a sloping floor,
TO accuston the pupil to the s,opinG stage
OF the theatre. Along the free wall are
benches, and two care seated chairs nc
commodate the professor and her assist.
ant, who plays fiddle or sometimes a
sort Of harmonium. The girls. Of whom
the oldest is perhaps l3, wear low necked
corsages leaving their arms bare, white
muslin skirts, broad sashes OF blue OF red
ribbon, pink tights and gray canvas shoes.
They are lean, scrsggy lot, not lovely to
look upon individually, but full Of good
humor and vivacity.
'Allons, mesdemoiss!ies, O Vos places"
cries the professor, and the girls run TO
| the bars, and the fiddle gives the word Of
command, Just rs the buglc calls direct
the soldier. There is no melody but
simply series OF andante, allegro, pizzi-
cato and trill movements, each followed
the sounds suggest the confusion Of the
| tuning Of an orchestra. But the dancers
understand that such and such notes in
| dIcate such and such posture at the bar,
| which must he held rs long rs the pro-
| lessor keeps up the trenOlU other notes
| followed by a trcmolo indicate another
| posture. And at every moment during
the lessen the professor intcrsperses her
! remarks with the words 'tSouricZ' Sou.
| rieZ, Mais coariez dorc"' Smile Won't
| you smiic1 For in the midst Of the most
! diff nit ard tOrturing dislocationS the
| ballet girl must smilr, and the art Of
! smiling has % be learned Just like step
! ~ a GeycIoppc.
After half an hour CT these general ex-
erci cs at the bar there comes u rest, end
! the lltlc girls begin once more TO chatter
nd fiuttcr. wE:lo the professor lays the
| Inst ny watering TIC floor Ia gcometrical
| intcrlaccmcuts, Then follows the adage,
| II Cecond part Of The lesson, which con-
! <;sts Ct an Cngcmblc Cad composed steps
! Tie dancers take place ia the middle of
! The room i'll row; Nine. Theodore holds
! NJ her skiIts and Indicates the step. and
| the little ones begin 10 bound, whrl,
| piroucttc, form groups by twos, and smile
| in unison, while the fiddle scrnpes queer
| tunes and the professor cries in strange
| terms: "Ballonne, fDDdu, Gssemblez,
| soutenez souricz MGis souriez donc"
| Always that smile'
| At Intervals tbcrc arc moments OF rest;
| but the Zcalous pupils do rot rest; they
! rul to the bar and work their knees and
| !b'us, multiplying the efforts 10 gain
| their suppleness and lightncsS that the
! public often Gee;a to regard Is natural and
| innate.
| The third part of the Lesson is the varia-
! tion. The pupils gather In p group arolpd
| the professor, who with her fingers die
I tatcs the steps that arc To be executed,
one finger Of each hand repre- sentng the
| two legs e the dancers. Attitude, pas
! dc bourree, Giissadc, entreehat, temps dc
cuisse," etc, says the professor in her
wonderful ausuage, as she c::pounds the
variation that sine dances with her fingers.
! So too in fencing ono 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 osciilaginy ard undu-
latinr, and rs it were feeling the steps
! 'Est-cc comprise do you uuderstand@
Yes, madain." "Vcry coed. IN posi-
ton, then And they AL promptly take
! t.cir places once more ia the middle oil
the room and, with the professor, dance
the variation while tie eddie plays more
rapid measure.
Suddenly the fiddle stops. There Is
| rest md then the girls so through an
! other course of dislocation at the bar, and
| then, with their sweetest smiles they
! salute first to the right and then 10 tho
left, as II thanking an ilolizing public for
a deserved ovation. Then "Au revoir,
| Nine. Theodore. A domain" In sec
ond the class room is empty; the little
! girls, painting and worn ont, don their
paltry robes OF poverty and return under
their mothers wings TO Montmartre or
Bellev!llc. Theodore Child in The Cos.
mopolitan.