Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-20
DaAAyeuy

to dance, and later has Incorporated the
meaning of ballet, bali and ballad. 1t
goes back in its history to a time con-
temporaneous with the heyday and youth
of those who danced in the ballet of
''Nero' this season.
1t is presumed, of course, that ballet
is a pantomimic rendition of story, ac-
cording to historical writers, and that is
why it seems so odd to me that this style
of anecdote should be about the same in
''Nero" that it is in aladdin" or some
of the French operas.
1t is hard sometimes for one unaccus-
toned to those things to readily distin-
guish between ballet daction and a
advertisement. l will try to IL axe that
clear, so that no one need ever bother
about it any more. A ballet duction is
one in which one is able to readily fol-
low the anecdote by paying attention to
the dancing, whereas advertisement is
simply sort of festival where every
body is apparently feeling first rate, and
all sorts of clipper little figures are
danced, from plain jig to leapfrog and
Prisoners Base.
The ballet ddction was introduced
into civilized life about the sixteenth
century, and was used for the celebra-
ton of great events, such as eminent
victories and the marriage OF princes
lights had not then been intro duced, as
the climate was mild and very little in
convenience from cold felt on the part
of the dancers. We are told by the his
torians that the cooler the air the high
Of Ii oh ha l.. -
to obtain much recognition occurred in
the sixteenth century, at the, time of the
marriage of the Due de Joyeuse with
Mile. de Nandemont, the sister of the
queen. This was an Italian ballet called
Ballet Comique de la Royne, because the
queen took part in it. One Indy of the
court sang song, two others sang a
duet, and others sang in the chopas.
Whether the king turned back sof y;
sault or not the history does not Ia
10 state.
The ballet would draw better now =
more prominent people could take 1T
IN the exercises. wonder that it has
not been done. If members o. the cabi-
net could take part in the ballet, and
ladies of the foreign legation attend to
who now show little interest in it.
Much cruel criticism and the sharp
arrows of malice and unchalitableness
have been leveled at a class Of middle
aged and even elderly men who are I'M
fortunately bald, because they are more
or less prompt and early, sitting near
the orchestra at all times on the presen-
tation of new ballet This is mani
testify unjust to class of men who have
been heretofore too timid to cry out
against this wicked attack
The ballet is essentially pantomimic
history, and to the close and bald headed
student it is as chaste and eloquent as
the music of Wagner is to those who
fully understand it. The elderly ballet
habitue sits and drinks in this eloquent
pantomime, this dumb story as reeled
off by blithe and nimble legs before his
alert opera glass, just as the admirer of
Wagner, whose auditory nerve has be-
come so benumbed that he can stand it
and understand it, sits with pleased
and ante-expression on his face through
a whole evening. wholly forgetting that
4 thirsty people are ever and anon walk
q ing across him with bated breath, seek
ing to escape.
To the student the ballet IS an open
book with colored illustrations. He
knows the soft PUNK of the E string
Z snd the gurgle of the piccolo, and ever
he sees the changing pantomime as the
Il Wagner man reads in the rich deep notes
81 the tale that the author is trying to tell.
/ cannot interpret Wagner yet, though
hope to some day, but can read the
whole pathetic story of Nero in the bal
4 let Now l gather from the daction
that Nero is arising from his couch to
h greet the jocund moon. Now he steps to