Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-09-09
FAMOUS BALLET DANGERS.
Stories of La Tnxiioni, Fanny EIssIer
and Lola AionteE.

Stories of La Tnxitoni. Fanny EIssIer
and Lola NionteE.
1t has been asserted that the grand
ballet died when the famous Taglionl
retired In 1Si5. At amy rate. the ballet
today Is chiefly n spectacle of dress
and colored limelight. Except for n
very few performers, dancing as a
high art has vanished.
There Is no one now to set beside
In Tnglioni. who was the queen. of tho
stuge. BalZac introduced her into his
novels. Even Thackcray condescended
to notice her aud declared enthusiasts
tically In The Newcomes" that tho
young men of the duy will never SEQ
anything SO graceful us Taglionl in
La Sylphide.'" AT that time she was
Tie rage Stasecoaches aud great,
coats were named after her.
La Tas!ioni owed her charm to n
wonderful lightness and grace. Her
style wns-rather ideal than realistic
and rolup;uous, as was then the vogue.
The hideous ballet skirt of today she
never wore, but Il skirt that reached
nearly to her ankles. 1t was one of
the principles of her father, who taught
her MI SHE learned of the art, that tho
dancer should be modest In dress, In
movement and in expression.
Another famous master, who called
himself lie Dicu de III Danse," always
told his pupils TO use all the couuetry
they could.
Eestris, who founded the famous
Nestris family, was an eighteenth cen
fury celebrity and quite remarkably
conceited even for dancer "rhero
are but three great men alive" he used
to say, myself, the prlssIan Fred
crici ana Noltaire" ut IS interesting
To compare Soutlicy's remark that Il
male dancer deserves to he ham
strung) That profession Of which he
was SO proud is indeed an arduous one.
Nestris used to practice for about six
hours day. y dancer must be ex-
lrcmely strong and supple.
y curious story is told about Fanny
Elsslrr, II German dancer with coal
black hair, which illustrates the ex-
IRENE muscular strength dancer re.
quires. She WAS crossing to America
when she entered her cabin one day
and discovered thief abstrac,ing the
jewel case which she kept hidden I'M
der her pillow. Before lie could attuck
her she planted her foot full in his
chest md killed him on the spot.
II Is curious that no Engiislwoman
has ever achieved supreme success as
dancer. IT Is possible. as foreigners
assert, that they lack the dramatic gift.
IT is certain that lifelong devotion
and arduous apprenticeship are esser-
tial to any expression through the me-
dunn of dancing. The rats" the be.
ginners 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.
g 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 to
break an umbrella over his head. Man
ayers will endure much for arts sake,
but this was too much.
Carlotta Grlsi is another famous
name of the old opera. 1t was she
who first introduced the polka into
England-a Bohemian dance that came
to stay. 1t was for her, too. TINT
Heine, Gautier and Adolphe Adam
collaborated in writing "Gisclle."
There were score more famous
names that were familiar words in
those days. OF the twelve leading
dancers engaged at the Kings theater
In 1924 for two months season FIVE
were sufficient attraction to receive
more than $1,000 each.-London Mail.