The record-union., 1897-06-06

greatly improved in method and gen.
eraI effectiveness. and will probably
make the coming concert the best it has
ever given. They put forward some
fine soloists this time. The club mu-
sic, which has long been in rehearsal
under Sig Tomasso has been selected
from the most approved compositions.
THE Nun of NidarOs" is one gem that
will be looked forward to with quick
ened anticipation. 1t will have both
piano and organ accompaniment. Dud
ley Bucks arrangement of Home,
Sweet Home" promises to be another
gem one of the many treats the club
has in store for those who attend the
concert will be the singing of Celia Adj
Ter Keesing. This lady, who was born
in and is popular in San Francisco, and
is there kOnwn as "our sweetest So
prano," received her musical education
in Europe, being a graduate of Munich
Conservatory. She is about to return
to the operatic stage. She will sing Sc
lections from 'Lohengrin" and Mig
non"
Miss Helen Howe, who is we'll known
here as the possessor of a charming
voice that has been we'll cultivated, viii
also appear on that evening, and will,
no doubt, contribute most delightful
number to the programme.
Those of the club members who will
render solos are Messrs. Owens, Crock
er and Carroll. The programme which
has been carefully selected and ar
ranged, is as follows:
Soldiers chorus, opera Faust" Gou-
nod, Mcneil Club; solo, Miss Celia Adj
Ter Keesing; vocal duet, ]. G.. Genshlea
and c. NJ. Phnney; solo, Jerome Car
ssrFN1--
(Buck), Mcneil Club; Ave Maria,''
Miss Helen Howe: solo, J. A. Owens
chorus, THE Nun of Nidaros' (Buck),
Mcneil Club The incidental solo will
be sung by Walter Longbottom. Solo,
Miss Keesing: solo, Horace Croker;
chorus, Home, Sweet Home" (Buck),
Mcneil Club.
The WILDER Comic Opera Company at
the Clunie Opera house has not had
thus far the large patronage its merits
should command. 1t is an eXcellently
balanced company. has a strong, serv
iceable chorus, two inimitable cOmedi-
ans and is managed with exceptional
skill Its Bohemian Girl last week
was work of more than ordinary mer-
it, and won for it the warm commenda-
ton of the most exacting local critics.
1t Will be sung for the last time to-
night. This week, commencing to-
morrow night, it will sing The Pirates
of PenZance," and it is rumOred that it
is to be reinforced by two of our best
local singers. 1t is to be hoped that |
the patronage this week will be so good |
as to warrant the troupe's retention |
for it is certainly one of the best comic |
opera organizations we have had here |
in l.1V~ Of
New York HERALD: Is the ballet girl
who can dance gracefully being driven
from the stage by the acrobatc young
woman who can do the high kick?"
is the taste for refined dancing dying
out? Are the violent contortions re-
sorted to by the sensational dancer of
to-day ruinOus to her health?
These are the questions that were
asked of Mile. Marie Bonfanti, a pre-
miere who was once the most famous
dancer of the day on the American
stage and who has retired, like other
famous ballet stars, to found a school
OF dancing for the younger generation.
Perhaps I cannot better answer your
questions" she said than by telling
you something Of my own life as ballet
girl; then you will see what we have to
learn. what we pass through in our
training and our stage career, and how
the ballet girl of to-day differs from the
ballet girl of my day when 1 first ap-
peared as star in the first performance
of The Black Crook at Niblo's Garden
i hardly like to tell you how many
years ago.
My engagement was a great tri-
umph" said the dancer land the
strange part of it was my first appear
ance as a star. To all appearances 1
was a mature woman of perhaps 20, |
and was announced as a premiere dan
seuse of European standing. was only
II years old then.
when a girl begins preparing for the
ballet she is expected to give an hour a
day TO hard study and practice under
the ballet master. going through all
manner of posings, bending this way |
and that. giving suppleness and strength |
to every part of the body. developing all |
the muscles of the frame, and learning |
not only how to dance with grace of the |
neither limbs, but to preserve harmoni- |
Gus grace of pose and gesture in every |
part of the figure-to exemplify the |
poetry of motion from head to foot.
You cannot imagine how difficult |
this is to acquire, now nara II Is TO /
preserve a proper pose of the whole |
body in the multitude of figures in a
dance To be nimble of foot to have
sufficient strength of instep to dance on
the toes rapidly and gracefully (toe
dancing is not only q test of muscles of
the toes. but mainly of the instep), is
not by any means the great desideratum
for ballet accomplishment. 1t is nee /
essarv to have perfection in the whole
pose. in the gestures. the carriage of the |
body the poise of the head, the facial
expression-one in short, must dance |
to the very finger tips, or the effect on
the spectator is a failure, not .tri-
umph.
LAS I was saying, an hour day at
first is given to this study at the school, |
and the child is supposed to do lot OF
practicing at home as well, which she
does eagerly if she has in her the real
love of dancing. Lessons are more ire
quent and longer after q while, and final
~ the young aspirant, after three years
practice, perhaps, is doing something in
small way on the stage. What fol-
lows in the way of promotion depends
on natural aptitude and opportunity
Some girls never get beyond the rank
Of the 'seconda, others by natural ac-
complishments and fortunate chance,
such chance as l had through The
Black Crook come quickly to the front
The stories one hears about. the enor-
.ac+