Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-28
SCENE or GREAT BEAUTy.
The Lovely Opening Tnbienu Fol-
lowed by the National Dances.

/ for an instant the auulcncc heiH ~
! breath. and then came such applause as
the devotees Of society seldom bestow
upon any scene" however deserving OF
/ their approval il may be. And well might
/ they shake the walls of the building with
| their plaudits for such a tableau as they
/ gazed upon, il is safe TO say. surpasseu
/ in its sublime beauty and grandeur ther
widest expectation Of what the opening
scene would actually be. Their imagina-
lions had. no doubt baen very productive
in conjurine up this tableau, but the
reality was a revelation.
To the front. and some feet from the
fOotlights. stood Miss Bessie Martin,
Queen of the Kirmess. and well did she
deserve the title. Regal in her look ana
bearing. she was; a beautiful face ana
perfect form. standing i'm bold relief in
front Of as pretty a background ass ever
set of "A picture. Behind her stood the
Nie-w0rshippers, a column Of twelve
beautiful women. Above their heads nut
tered the feathory plulnos of the long
handled fans they carried. Behind these
Oriental beauties stood the japanese
court dancers, headed by the Emperor
and Empress OF Japan. impersonated Dy
Mr.. Joseph D. Myers and Miss lrna
Rosenbau1n Then came the German
tabeau girls, charming group ana
nenlnQ tteIu were jour NNiilNiH "a t--r
Fatherland. The next column was tnat
Of the North Country German dancers;
behind them were the gypsy tambouiine
girls headed by their queen, Miss Hunter
FERGUSON Then the Spanish wedding
dancers; then the May festival dancers.
Next came the Swedcs. and then. 10,
the poor Indian" column of as pretty
a set Of girls as are I'm the krm ss
brought up the rear They were the In-
dian girls. headed bv their princess. Miss
Nina Randolph. Seven stalwart Indian
braves stood ON each side of the stag.
Kings Of the Forest proud and
naughty.
TO the strains Of an inspiring march,
the columns formed -four abreast and
marched 20 the left of the stage, the
queen leading They then marched across
the stage 10 the right. down 10 the end
the Indian braves bringing mp The rear.
where they form two abreast and c0un-
termarch, then come 70 the front Ci
tha stage, where they pass in review OF
the audience 1.-TWO by two" Then they
countermarch again, and the dancers
finally get into exactly the same posi-
ton as they were 'discOvercd' when me
curtain arose. The Niie-worsnippers then
knelt. and the curtain descended, while
the bui ding shook with the demonstrd-
tiOns Of the audience.
THE NILE-WORsHI PPERS.
When the curtain again rose a beautiful
sight was presented TO the view Of the
audience There. seated ON her throne,
sat the Queen Of the hiTmess, "a beauti-
ful Cleopatra. surrounded by The stately
w0rshippers of the Nile. Tile scene is
intended - represent the celebration Of
the Naf-arn-Neul, or overflow of the
Nile. The worshippers were clad In low-
ing white robes of sOft ana dainty ma
teriai and omamented with gold sequins
and chains. To slow and dreamy music
they approached the fcOtllehts, bending
their graceful bodies low. first TO the right
and then 70 the left, as they nearly touch
the ground with their long-handled rams.
Weird, yet beautiful in its oriental grace
IS the dance. and during its execution the
audience looks on with bated breath, and
feelings of emotion.
The little Sphinx worshippers, tots not
over or years Of age, who nave been
seated around the throne hardly noticed,
then steal softly out, and so through
similar dance, though less intricate. The
audience. which has been 90 still during
the preceding dance, can contain ltseI
no longer, when the little girls, IN almost
perfect time, dip their bodies 10 tou-h
their fans 10 the ground, and there Is
burst Of applause.
Then there is a series Of enchanting
Egyptian tableaux, during which the stage
is flooded with the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
colors of the calcium Light. one OF the
prettiest Of these tableauX is when the Nile
worshippers form cross and kneeL Ihen
follows a tableau, in which there Is
picturesque group Of both Nile-worship-
pers and little SphinX-wOrshppers, when,
at a signal, the latter PROSTATE them
nd 1lu Ia
advance 10 the front two
by two. and then turning and facing eacn
other. touch their fans above their heads
thus forming a kind Of aisle, through
which the Queen passes and comes 10
the front Of the stage, followed by the
little Sphinx worshppers. When the cur
tain descended on the tabloau there was
storm OF applause.
THE PARTICIPANTS.
The following were the participants In
the "Waf-am-Neur
Nile Worshippers Misses Mary Hayes
Halle Cooke. Carrie Coleman, Nellie Par
ker. Betty Hayes, Eva Bowe, Mabel TODD
Julia Lee, Margaret Stokes, Sallie Stokes
Ethel Smith, and Alice Hotchkiss.
Sphinx Worshippers-Misses SOPHIE
White. Carrie Rennolds, Lizzie Hotch-
kiss. Hattie Shields. Mamie Montague
Parke Taylor. Mary Taylor. Mabel OFeF
rail-. Alice knight. and Mary Morton.
JAPANESE DANCES.
When the curtain rose again there sat
the Emperor and Empress OF Japan upon
a ACKNOWLEDGEMENT throne. In front
OF them sat little army OF almond
eyed natives Of the FlOwcry Kingdom,
and cute little heathens' they were.
Alta agn from Director Macdonneh be-
hind the wings hey waddled to the
front. bobbing their heads up and down
in the most ridiculous manner, ana com
ing nearly to the f0otights, Frustrated
themselves. This caught the audience
by storm, and fairly brought down
the house" Then they went through the
"Titipu Quadrille," executing some very
pretty figures, though for the life OF
Them the spectators could not keep
from laughing at their funny antics. as
i'm true japanese fashion they saluted
their partners.
The dance ended the little Japs tod
died back 10 the throne, when they
suddenly drop TO tie floor, forming
themselves in picturesque attitudes about
the Emperor and Empress or Japan.
Then came the "bss Japs' in the sat
suma Shinto Court-Dance." They wad-
died IN much after the manner OF the
little rice-eaters The dance was Sc
ries Of coquettish movements, the la
dies hiding their faces behind their
fans, and peeping out at their partners.
The ladies form a circle and the men
dance around and salute, each making
a peculiar little jump, and just the least
biz OF bow. A pretty effect Is given
when the ladies advance TO the foot
lights and the men come up behind
them and place their hands on their
partners waists. when they both leap
In the air together.
,rl.. touoo .rlo NTH - fabian I'm