The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-04
BALLET DANCERS.
There is a Great Demand For Them
in the English Metropolis.
An Interesting Chat With Mr.. Phassy,
Whose Troupe is Now al KelihS.

You can hardly have any compre-
hension of the number of dancers re-
quired annually To supply the demand
created by the great spectacular and
operate productions of the London
theaters," said Mr. a. T.. Phasey, man
ager Of the Phasey troupe OF English
dancers, this morning in has olcss.44e
room at Keith's. You know Mrs.
Phasey ana myself conduct the leading
stage-aancing school of Great Britain,
ana the eignt young ladies IN this
troupe are among our brightest anu
most accomplished recent graduates.
Mrs. Pnasey was Tor SIX years bal
let mistess for Col. j. IA. Mapieson be-
fore We lett this country for visit 10
England in 1889. and when we got over
there she accepted an offer from Sir
Augustus Harris to take a similar
position with his famous grand opera
company. We then openea our school,
anu IN eight years we have actually
supplied i. 100 trained dancers and sing
ers for the leaLing theaters OF Great
Britain and the continent and quite a
number for American productions.
Sounds pretty big, doesn't it? 1t is
but the SIMPLE fact. however.
Ballet dancing IN England, however.
lS Htlu pli a llSutI pldiG Nldll iSlts
and the demand for dancers who are
real artists is apparently growing all
the time. Ballet dancing there is an
art indeed, and IL is not sufficient TO be
able TO take a few simple steps and
trip around the stage in pretty cos
tunes. The young girl who would Sc
cure a position In any OF the leading
theaters there that use dancers has To
devote great deal Of very hard and
.a-ts nj n a
cient proficiency and. once qualified
for such a position she is as
much an artistic as any other per-
former in the production In which she
appears, even though her actual posi-
tion be only a minor one. Here. ii is
qcite different. and l doubt if the
American public appreciates ballet
dancing as IL is appreciated in England
or on the continent.
"Oh, yes, we teach singing as well as
dancing. and our pupils are well fitted
for chorus work. while many Of them
have risen to eminent positions as solo
lists. The eight young ladies now with
us are all trained singers and, more
than that, they are clever instrumental
lists, for that is also feature OF our
instruction. They play on the antoni-
ophone, an instrument which you may
remember as having been special
feature in Gilmore's famous band when
Gilmore was in his prime after he went
from Boston 10 New York. / came over
to this country in 1879, and at once took
a position as soloist I'm his band. Of
which | was member for ten years.
In 1884 | visited England, aud while
there brought out a complete set Of an
toniophones; and 'Phascp's antonio-
phone quartet became feature OF Gill
more's band on my return.
THE antoniophone is "A rather pecu-
liar brass instrument. and may be
placed between the French horn and
the ballad horn or mellOphOne, having
a soft, mellow tone especially affective
I'm harmony; and | think you will find
its employment by these young ladies'
a most pleasing feature OF their act
taken i'm conjunction with their march
es. singing and dancing
"Oh. no. 1 haven't giv.a up my in
strumental work for | am now a solo
list i'm the Crystal Palace orchestra In
London. and 9th Mrs. Phasey and
myself play with the young ladies in
one of their acts. We are both very
fond OF this country and were delight
ed when Mr.. f<eth's European agent
made us fatterlng offer to bring the
young ladies over for MS circuit OF
beautiful theaters which are quite the
equal OF anytn ng 10 be found ABROAD
in every respect and in many respects
superior We hope 10 remain mere un-
I'll next July. when we return 20 M
engagements on the continent. finish
ing the season with ten week : en-
gagement at the Royal Surrey theater
i'm London In February. 1000. and |
hope we shall be able 10 come back
H.. ..st 4, not a