The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-08-31
FAMOUS BALLET DANCERS.
Stories of La TagIfoni. Fanny EIssIeP
mud Lola Nonfez.

nnd Lola Monfez.
II has been asserted that the grand
ballet died when the famous Taglion
retired in 1919. At any rate, the ballet
today is chiefly n spectacle of dress
and cOlored limelight. Except for a
very few performers, dancing as q
! high art has vanished
There is no one now 10 set beside
! La TagliOni, who was the queen Of the
/ stage. BalZac Introduced her into bis
novels. Even Thackeray condescended
TO notice her and declared enthusIas-
tiCally i'm "The NewcOmes" that the
"young men Of the day will never see
anything 50 graceful az Taglioni in
La Sylphide.' AZ that time she was
the rage. Stagccoaches and great
coats were named after her.
La TagliOni owed her charm to a
wonderful lightness and grace. Her
style was rather ideal than realistic
ana yOluptuOus, as was then the vogue
The hidcOus ballet skirt of today she
never wore. but skirt that reached
nearly 10 her ankles. II was one Of
the principles OF her father, who taught
her all she learned Of the art, that the
dancer should be modest in dress, in
movement ana In expression.
Another famous master, who called
himself lie Dicu dc la Dansc," always
told his pupils to use all the coquetry
they could.
Ncslris, who founded the famous
Ncsiris family, was an eighteenth cen
tury celebrity and quite remarkably
cOuccitcd even for dancer. "There
are but three great men alive" lie used
10 say, myself, the Prussian Fred
crick and Voltaire." Qt is interesting
10 compare Southcy's remark that
male dancer deserves to be ham
StrungJ That profession OF which he
was 50 proud Is indeed an arduous one
Vcstrs used to practice for about six
hours a day. \ dancer must be ex-
tremcly strong and supple.
A curious story is told about Fanny
Elsslcr, II German dapeer with coal
trcme muscular strength IA dancer re-
qurcs. She was crossing TO America
when she entered her cabin one day
and discovered n thief nbStracting the
jewel case which she kept hidden un-
der her pillow. Before he could attack
her She planted her foot full in his
chest and killed him on the spot
IT is curious that no EnGlshwoman
has ever achieved supreme success as
Il dancer 1t is possible, as foreigners
assert, that they lack the dramatic gift.
II is certain that IA lifelong devotion
ana arduous apprenticeship are essen
tial To any expression through the me-
dium Of dancing. The rats" the be
ginncrs at the Paris Opera, are arti-
Cled for five years, and then, unless
they have danced from their cradle,
they cannot hope to attain the first
rank.
Another quality essential TO the great
dancer is infinite patience. The only
English dancer who ever gave promise
of attaining the front rank failed in
this respect. Lola MonteZ was the
somewhat foreign name she had taken.
She lost her temper one day with the
manager at rehearsal and expressed
her feelings SO dramatically as 10
break IN umbrella over his head. Man
ayers will endure much for arts sake,
but this was too much.
CarlOtta GrSi is another famous
name of the old opera. 1t was she
who first introduced the polka into
E'n,l,nI "A that aa r1n
TO stay. 1t was for her, too, that
Hcinc. Gautier and AdOlphe Adam
COllabOratcd in writing "Gisclle."
There were n score more famous
names that We're familiar words in
those days. OF the twelve reading
dancers engaged at the Kings theater
in 1924 for two months season five
were sufficient attraction 10 receive
more than 1000 each London Mail.