The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-11

ployments." The choral dance was part
of the Greek stage. From earliest an
tiquity down even to the middle ages
dancing was employed As part of re-
ligious ceremonies. David dances before
the ark Of the Lord. In Greece and Rome
the dance was part of ceremonies presided
over By priests. The modern masked ball
is traced back to the Roman Saturnalia.
Scaliger astonished the emperor Charles
the Fifth by his ability ~ . dancer. the
great doctor leading the priests in . 70
ligious dance.
Dancing was part Of religious cere-
monies on feast days in the early Christian
church. The bishops of the church ct the
council of Trent gave bali in which they
took part. The modern ballet was first
given at Tortona, Italy, before Galeazzo.
Duke OF Milan. Allegorical. moral and
religious baliets were introduced in France
BY the famous Catharine dc Medici. A
political ballet illustrating 1.-THE prosper
ity in arms Of France" was danced before
the great Cardinal Richelieu. and ballet
entitled Religion Uniting Great Britain
to tho Rest of the World" was danced be.
fore King James the First on the mar
riags OF his daughter, Princess Eliza
beth, to the elector, Frederick, Prince
Palatine, and . ballet was danced in Lis
bon In honor of the canonization Of Carlo
Borromeo. These facts are interesting -
showing that mp to about LIS the ballet
had not lost its ancient significance a. part
Of religious or ct least moral spsctacleA
1t 10 . fact worth noting that the great
Cardinal Nazarin, who governed France
In the infancy of Louis Fourtssnth, was
the FIRST to introduce the opera from Italy
to France.
Since the middle Of the eighteenth CEN
tury the modern ballet has ceased to b
anything more than a lyrical interlude. Il
was lifted into great popularity by the
famous TagIioni, who was the first great
dancer to abandon the old-time realistic,
voluptuous ballet. She was . woman
without personal attractions Of face or fig.
ure. but the exceeding grace and beauty Of
her dancing was such that Thackeray
wrote Of this modern queen Of the ballet:
"Young men will never sec anything a.
graceful - Taglioni in La 6ylphide.'"
Her famous performances were the Tyro-
lienne, which she danced In the opera Of
civilian Tell," and the "Fascination
STEP" which she danced in Robert 10
Diable." Taglioni grew rich and married
Count do voisius, but lost her money and
gave dancing lessons in her old age. Ell.
sler ranks next to taglioni a. the greatest
dancer Of the modern stage and with the
retirement Of these famous artists in lsl5
grand ballet closed.
Onr modern dancers have belonged to
the class Of Bonfanti, Morlacchi and Lupo.
but the excitement created In New York
By the dancing of Carmencita has not
been equaled since the days of Ellsler, In
1900 Carmencits 10 Spanish woman,
native Of Andalusia, . province famous
for the good looks of its peasantry. The
men are handsome. agile and strong, Q
facs Of brave bull fighters; the women are
- . rule possessed of grace and beauty.
or this stock, which doubtless has Moor.
ish strain in its blood, comes Carmencita.
Dancing Is treated with contempt some
times By theologians. but not by philoso-
pliers and modern advocates OF physical
education.
The great philosopher. John Locke.
advocated dancing ~ giving grace, manly
thoughts and becoming confidence. The
great German reformers of modern educa-
ton. like Froebel, Father jain and
Schroeder. include it in their exercises:
Samuel Smiles. in his physical Educa-
tion." strongly commends it; and Herbert
Spencer gives its history and evolution
serious consideration. considering that
man was ~ irrepressibly from his original
constitution . dancing creature as
no was singer and musi-
clan. Dancing can, Of course, be
prostituted to indecent expression,
just ~ can other legitimate arts, like DO
etry, painting and sculpture, but its pos
sible debasement 10 not an argument for
its extinction, which is impossible, but
for its elevation. What dancing 10 to
pure and modest mind is set forth by
Shakespeare when no makes FIorizel say
to that incarnation Of maidenly goodness
and sweetness. Perdita:
When you do dance, wish You
wave o the see, that you might ever do