Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-24
BALLET In PARIS.
LITTLE GIRLS TAKING DANCING LES
SONS FOR THE STAGE.

SUNS fOk INK SIH0Cs
A Peep Into the Big Bare Room Where
the Classes Meet for Practice-Profes-
sor and Pupiis-Art OF SmilinS-Mo-
ments of Rest
By some accident or another, we will
suppose, NJ. and Nine. Pipelet have decided
that their little Adele shall become a
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 years,
and if 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, 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 twinklng 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.
BIG BARE ROOM.
Let us look at the room. It is large,
bare room, with bars fixed parallel TO the
walls on three sides and sloping floor,
to accustom the pupil to the sloping stage
of the theatre. Along the free wall are
benches, and two cane seated chairs &C
commodate the professor and her assist
ant, who plays fiddle or sometimes q
sort of harmonium. The girls, of whom
the Oldest is perhaps Is, 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
lock upon individually, but full Of good
humor and vivacity.
Gallons, mesdemoiselles, vos places"
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 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"' (Smilel Won't
you smileA 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
or a developpe.
After half an hour Of these general ex-
ercises at the bar there comes rest, and
the little girls begin once more to chatter
and tiutter, 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. Mails souriez doncr'
Always that smile!
At intervals there ere moments of rest;
but the jealous pupils do not rest; they
run to the bar and work their knees and
loins, multiplying the efforts to gain
their suppleness and Gghtness that the
public often seem to regard as natural and
innate.
The third part Of the lesson is the varia-
ton. 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, glissade, entrechat, temps de
cuisse," etc., says the professor in her
wonderful language, as 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 comprise" do you understandD
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
rest and then the girls go through an
other course Of Gislocation 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 for
deserved ovation. Then ''Au revoir,
Nine. Theodore. A demain." In a sec
ond the class room is empty; the little
girls, painting and worn out, don their
paltry robes of poverty and return under
their mothers wings to Montmartre or
Beleville Theodore Child j., The Cos
mopolitan.
The Hunter and the Grizzly.
Ia