The record-union., 1893-12-05
5oBal asnistata a1ntnOer.

taken that the leg was always held per
fectly straight and that each limb shoulc
/ become perfectly Independent of the res
of the body. There is this difference be
tween ballet dancing and high kicking
! the former consists Of absolute lnde
| pendent movements, the latter is the re-
suit Of continuation of movements thai
call into action all the muscles of The
| body. The high kicker shoots her foot
up suddenly in the air, maintaining al
equilibrium by bending the back anC
head. None of the movements OF ballet
dancer is sudden. In the school we are
taught to be deliberate. Deiberation
means grace, but it is attended only by
constant practice, for the strain is intense
The exercises in the school makes the
muscles of the leg and lower trunk very
strong and hard, but the muscles of the
| upper part of the body are subjected tC
an entirely different course of training.
It is not strength, but absolute ease, that
is desired. Hands, arms and shoulders
are subjected to what the Delsarte people
call the LIBERALIZATION process.
1t is this that gives TO the ballet dancers,
whose lower limbs are being subjected tC
the most intense strain, the appearance
of airy lightness that makes them seem
to be floating about the stage as though
blown by breath of wind.
There is constant upward motion in
the efforts of the ballet dancer. which
may be better appreciated by comparing
her efforts with those of the jig dancer,
who employs a constant downward mo-
ton.
1t requires long practice before one is
able to take up the art OF tOeing. 1t is, OF
course, the most difficult task of all. And
let me say word right now to the young
women with small. delicately arched feet.
who imagine they could pirOuette like a
premiere assoluJa just because they hap
pen to be light on their feet and tireless
dancers in the ballroom. The woman who
possesses a high instep cannot become a
good ballet dancer, because she can never
toe properly. When [ began to toe my
feet were almost flat, the instep being
very low. This flatness meant strong
muscular development, that was abso-
lutely necessary for the fearful strain OF
my solo dancing. Constant practice IN
toeing rounds out the flatness into con-
siderable arch, but it is an arch of much
more than ordinary strength; one that
has been forced by the persistent tension
OF the muscles, and that will sustain one
in exercise that would utterly break
down the natural and much-priZed arch
of the society girls delicate foot.
After | had spent five years in the Ger
man school / studied for a year under q
master of the French school of posing.
Then came year under an Italian mas
ter, who taught me toeing and turning.
Then [ had mastered the rudiments of the
art. Since then l have practiced every
day of my life except Sunday, which is
indeed a day of rest for me.
The minute | leave my bed in the
morning, and before l have had anything
to eat, | don loose garment, like mod
ern bathing suit, with tights and blouse,
and an old pair OF ballet shoes. Then.
for nearly an hour, L GO through the
old exercises Of my school days in order
to loosen the knees, hips and shoulders
and lend strength, grace and frmness TO
the limbs.
Frequently, after breakfast. l go over
to the stage of Roster Il BiaPs and prac-
tice my solo dances in the ballet of "Ver-
sailles," particularly the adagio move
ment, which is the most trying of all. |
keep pretty quiet for the rest of the day,
for my work at night is most arduous,
and l have to keep in the best of condi-
ton.
Even after one has become premiere
she is still in the hands Of teacher |
find it necessary to go to ballet-maSter
every now and then in order TO be cor
rected of some bad habit.
For instance, if 1 should go to the per-
formance of versailles" some night in
tired condition, in pirouetting about
the stage ! would find the strength OF my
legs insufficient to keep me whirling
about. Instinctively L would assist the
tired muscles by throwing my arms
about to give momentum to the body.
The motion at nrst would be scarcely
perceptible, but bad habits grow rapidly,
and the next night the arm motion
would be more noticeable. After while
it would materially spoil my work,
which would lack ease and grace.
The ballet-master corrects all this. Like
the musician, whose quick ear detects the
slightest hatness, his trained eye sees the
defect before it is too late and hours OF
practice finally remedies it.
so you see it is not altogether fairy
eXistence-nor all late suppers and cham
pagne-but work, work. work, that falls
to the lot even Of the premiere. Nor
could the grandmothers of the ballet, of
whom the paragraphers delight to joke
ever stand such a routine.-CIara Qualitz
in New York World.