The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-10-26

other day, and expressed a desire to
witness the ballet evolutions which
were to prove so successful. So |
stumbled into the ballet school, and
was ehagrined 20 find the mistresses
of the art locked in a room by them
selves.
But the tots were there. the second
and third classes We're in full swing,
a only those who had mastered the
art were hidden from the view of the
sightseer.
SO I looked on, intent to expose the
cruelty of these ballet teachers, who
to the lay world We're supposed to tor
ture the limbs of the little ones to
make them as agile as a cat and as
graceful as a swan. The smile is
perfectly correct, as far as the grace
and agility are concerned, but when IL
comes to cruelty-pes de tout.
They are sweet and exceedingly cley-
er, this class of 6-year-old girls and
boys for they seem to be the pick of
a hundred or more who have tried TO
enter this bevy Of twenty.
Further on are the advanced classes
of girls, ranging in ages from 10 to IA.
and going through a series of exer-
cises. monotonous to the sightseer, but
evidently of the greatest Importance
TO themselves.
III THE SCHOOL.
The hall itself is worth a word or
two by way of explanation. 1t is large
enough for three classes of twenty, and
a single teacher devotes an hour and
a half daily to all of them. Along the
walls long thin poles are ranged, adj
Unstable to the average height of a
class. and here il is that the much
talked of leg exercises take place. The
classes practice by turns. A ten min
ute exercise is followed by five or ten
minute rest. the classes of little ones
always getting the benefit of the long
rest and the short exercise. Then there
are benches for the mothers. who seem
to take a special delight in the progress
of their offspring.
The very latest things taught the bal
let novitiate are what Taglioni called
the five ballet senses. the five primary
positions of the feet. They are difficult
to master, even for the cleverest OF
these little ones, and very often the
older ones, who begin their daily work
with this exercise. find that they have
forgotten a little here and there
This exercise is followed by body and
arm and by knee and leg exercise, the
latter the most irving at the outset.
But the ''ron5es de jambes bas" and
the '.netits battements" are the pref
test OF these exercises to the orlooker.
IN ldGl. IUeTSl IL HUGH " oNiilfTs III eN-
erv movement. for ii is only the con-
slant repetition that pals on one. The
.'rondes DE iambes a bas' is a circling
of the toes of one foot around the other
foot and but for the dust that ii raises,
always requiring a plentiful sprink-
ling, would be interesting even if seen
a dozen times. 1t is the "Detits Bate
ments" that bring the glow to the
cheeks of these learners. for It is quick
-, in, :. &c
ing of one foot back of the other. But.
then, the movement is not repeated
too often. and the rest after it is long,
and. as a rule. well earned.
But there are the entire chats and
t,e pirouetting to be learned before the
pupil reaches the goal of dancing on
the toes. To the little ones that is far
off, and they sit in wonderment at the
marvellous work of their elders.
WHERE TINE COUNTS.
TO the lay mind the simplest and