Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-12
MAUD ALLAN CAPTURES
ALL WITH HER DANCES
Symphony Orchestra, Directed by
Harley Hamilton, Plays Per-
feet Accompaniment
BY SHIRLEY OLYMPUS


NNAUD ALLAN and her art, her
Ih classical dancing, captivated an
AL audience more remarkable for
its size than it's artistic brilliance and
perception at the Auditorium theater
last night Those who went for to see
something sensational were disappoint-
ed. for Maud Allan's dances are sinu-
Gus, not sensual, the embodiments of
grace, not vulgarity. Miss Allan wears
diaphanous draperies and dances with
bare feet. She is living representa-
tion of Terpsichore.
Music never was made palmer than
last night. The dance was one of the
earliest forms of expression into which
music was nodded. From an accom-
paniment for the feet music has be-
come the expression of the soul. Miss
Allan has embodied both in her art.
When Miss Allan dances her body,
her arms, her fingers to the very last
Joint undulate. The poetry of motion
is expressed vividly through her trans
lucent covering. She moves, but she
seems not to be treading on the earth.
She fairly floats from one posture 10
another. With a crescendo of the
music her body rises and her arms
go gently upward. Thus with the
gamut of tones her movements keep
perfect time and accord, affording the
er than a printed score.
Miss Allan's sinuous movements re-
mind one of the kelp in the sea. When
the ocean is calm the kelp floats
gracefully outward. When the water
is turbulent the seaweed expresses the
mood exactly. 1t is so with Miss Allan
in interpreting the music.
Possibly the most grippingly spectac~
ular portion of the program was Grieg S
peer Gynt" suite. Asses Death was
depicted by Miss Allan in a manner
which brought forth thunderous ap-
plause. THE Dance of the Gnomes,"
with all its peryersity, its fable, its un-
reality, was to exquisitely executed that
the audience demanded its encore.
Mendelssohn's Spring Song" being
more or less familiar, was easily fol-
lowed as Miss Allan danced to its
measures. One could see in fancy the
opening of buds, the plucking of flow
ers, the pursuit of birds by the nymph
in the woods, and all because of Maud
Allan and her art In Rubinsteln
"Valse Caprice" Miss Allan seemed like
a series of figures taken from the vases
of ancient design. She floated from one
posture to another so rapidly yet so
deftly it was a revelation of delight to
all.
More than a word of praise should
be given the enlarged symphony or
chestra under the direction Of Harley
Hamilton. Never has the orchestra ac-
companied better, and never has Mr
Hamilton directed with more skill and
Judgment, more accuracy and under
standing. The orchestral portion of the
evening was worth going a long way to
hear. even though Miss Allan were not
there to dance.
Tonight and tomorrow afternoon Miss
Allan will give slightly varied pro-
grams Her "Vision Of Salome' is not
on the program. 1t has not been def
nitely determined whether she will offer
"Salome."
One pair of expressive eyes, which
remind one of Anna Held; ten exceed
ingly nimble fingers, several songs
which are daring to say the least and
a dramatic incident" are the new
features of the Orpheum bill which
opened yesterday afternoon. The eyes
belong to Elsie Faye. who uses them
every time she sings The fingers are
attached to Violet King, who plays
violin and a piano at the same time.
The songs are from the pen and lips
of one William-better known as Bill
lvY-Gould. The dramatic incident is
an abridgment Of 1.-THE Devil" which
never should have been allowed on the
stage, and 1.-THE Servant in the House,
which is a real play and should be
seen in its original form. The "dra-
matte incident" gets by mainly on the
reputation Of the two plays mentioned.
Elsie Fayes eyes and feet are her
fortune. She has rather gracetul
way of kicking away above her head'
Her voice suits her songs. Her two
assistants, Joe Miller and Sam Weston,
are clever enough dancers to be in an
act alone. Miss Faye, however, is the
mainstay of the trio.
Violet King did not create a SEN
sation when she first appeared upon
the stage yesterday afternoon. In fact
she did not make much of an i'm
preston until she was well into her
act Her cleverness is cumulative,
however and when she finished her
act one realized her true worth. II
was for that reason she was called
back several times, finally responding
to the applause with two violin solos
of more than ordinary merit. Her act
is the embodiment of clean cleVernessr
something unusual in modern vaude-
Vile.
At times BILLY" Gould's songs must
be taken with a pinch of salt, II the
hearer happens TO be prudish. How
ever, none Of his musical numbers or
stories are so very broad as TO pe
vulgar They are more amusing. He
made good with everybody yesterday
Holdover acts are Charlene and
Charlene, the Ahearn Cycling come
dams, Ida Fuller, spectacular dancer
and Lottie Williams and her company
presenting ION Stony Ground"
If every good play should contain "a
criticism Of life" as has been de-
clared by authorities, classic and CON
temporary, then Henry Bernstein
play, "The Thief" which Charles
Frohman will send, with Herbert Kel-
cey and Effe shannon, to the Masor
opera house next week, is, In this
essential, one Of the best dramas the
stage has disclosed in many years. II