The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-05-01
GIRL GRADUATES
IN FAIRY DANCE
Western High School Holds
Annual Festival.
STAGE IS a SYLVAN DELL
GeOrgetown's Younger Set Gives
Rhythmic interpretations Of CIEs-
sic Themes "a Ia IsadOra Duncan,
and Girls of Advanced Music Class
Form Chorus OF Nymphs.

The annual spring festival at the West
ern High School opened last evening IN
sylvan maze Of fairies. naiads. nympFs.
debvtaates, and sweet SRI graduates. The
god Pan. and his near relative. Peter.
wero in their glory.
! Georgetown's younger set, interspersed
with many elders in the role Of PROUD
parents and dotlng kinsmen. assembled
n the school auditorium. full panopIied
with enthusiasm and with inteRst high
I pitched. The event had been Anticipated
for many weeks. It's sponsors promised
that It would be a real novelty, without
the slightest Relationship 10 the average
commencement entertainment And 50 It
proved.
The rhythm Of the dance was the theme
Of the evening. Borrowing a leaf from
! Isadora Duncan. dances classic, dances
/ romantic. dances whose swaying witchery
were q visual Interpretation Of the sweet
/ est melodies. were given upon the eHoow-
( cred and trellised stage. and exerted a
potent charm. The audience was en-
raptured.
Glide Among the Lilacs.
Faun-like. a bevy OF maids IN flowing
white robes circled. glided. pranced, and
waltzed amid the shrubbery. one moment
chilly shielded by the lilacs and the apple
/ blossoms. the next Ieaping out ra6iantly
into the full glare Of the footiights. The
wood dryads held high revelry. As the
flute Of Pan beckoned. they stole out
frpm their lairs as fairies IN a Corot land
scape The forest was fun Of the lisp Of
leaves and ripple Of rain. and SOFT music
hoated among the branches
Thirty girls from the advanced music
class. under the direction Of Miss Alys
Z Bentley. formed the dance chorus
Four numbers were given as interprets-
tions q musical selections, each with lis
peculiar rhythm. Neyin's In Ny Neigh
bq-'s Garden opened the programme, fol
lowed by Mendeissohns Spring Song
and Purcelrs "Nymphs and Shepherds"
The undulating movements Of the body
involved IN each were expressi0nal Of
musical moods and the rhythmic curve.
portrayed in emotional profile and sill
houette
The concluding number Of the chorus
was a stately and majestic dance IN in
depreciation Of the Rejoice. Rejoice"
chorus from HandeTs OratoriO. Messiah"
The freedom and abandon Of the earlier
numbers were absent. The young women
were garIanded. and carried wsndS OF
sreenery. moving as a surpi!ceG choir.
Insistent applause compelled a repetition
Mrs Barber InterpPets.
TIE second part Of the programme was
devoted &c an Interpretation Of rhythm
by Mrs. Lucia Gale Barber, Of Boston.
she briefly explained the rhythm Of no
ton found IN ali nature Il Is seer IN
the rise and ebb OF the tides. the suayIng
q wheat and corn fields In the wind ne
rustiing Of leaves the bending Of trees.
The human body involves the most won
derful and complicated system CT rhyth-
mic correlations. showing natures har-
mony az its highest
To show sequence Os motion through
out The body" berceuse- by Beaumont.
was interpreted By Mrs Barber In the
same series came Councils Spring Song
two pieces in andante and largo by
Chopin. Greig's Morning Mood. which
Is a musical translation Of the Persian
FIRE worshirers's ode 10 the sun. and
Brounons Passing OF the Exiles- The
latter brought forward the classic and
iEterpretative dance al its highest
Members of the Chorus.
The. members Of the chorus were the
Misses Elizabeth Arms. Vera CIenzs,
Florida CIevenger. Dorothy Cobb. Freida
Cobb, Ruth Cobb, Jean Crawford, Eliza
beth Day. Grace Fors.--r. He'll, tI4u-
drick. Ada Hinzen. Eleanor Hough.
Nae Howard. Dorothy Leduc. Doro-
Thy Merriam, Harriet Norsel. Isabel
Murphy. Josephine Nelson. Ruth Rice.
Ethel Richards. Marie Richardson.
Josephine Stambaugh. katherine Sill
man. Mamie Sheehy. Hilda Erickson.
Annie wilkins. and Marjorie Wilson.
Miss Sallie T. Mason was al the piano.
and the scenery and posters were de-,
signed under the direction OF Miss
Gilsume and Miss Chester Luncheon
was served in the classroons when the
formal programme was concluded. and
the art exhibit. comprising fTee-haud
d awing and color work was admired. /
Congratulations were sh0wered upon Miss
Bentley and her class of thirty for the
originality and freshness CT their work.