The San Francisco call., 1910-04-10
POSTURES FAIL TO
' PERSONIFY MELODY
Soul and Emotion of Classical
Music Can Not Be Displayed
by Gyrating Body
Maud Allan Declares Few Have
Attempted TO Find Flaws
in Her Work
By WALTER ANTHONY

voted. ] feel 10 the engagement Of
Maud Allan and a consideration OF her
classical" dancing 1 fear that we
have assumed very grave air in the
discussion Of the merely transient and
thar we have been shooting great guns
AZ fimsy. trivial target
The art" Of Miss Allan has been the
inspiration Of columns OF rhapsody. If
there are any adjectives that have been
overlooked by the jealous devotees of
his new art Of Greek dancing (sicD
-hey are out OF my vocabulary. Some
feW cimorous ones have failed 10 see
.-le wonder and the WOndrOusness' OF
al this pOsturing in draperies and bare
feet and have perceived nothing but the
hypnotic spell woven around big au-
dlences By a slender, fraiI woman.
backed by mysterious green curtains
and fronJed by an excellent orchestra
playing splendid music
The writer has been among the few
who saC in the seat Of the scornfuI
and has been variously and vigorously
cordeured for artistic If not for moral
-liQuity-
Inasmuch as the subject seems 10
need further calculation. 1 want 10 say
something OF the musical content Of
Maud Alaus art. on that side l
have been. il seems, singularly obtuse.
I have been quite blind 10 the spirit Of
music as il wresthed and writhed and
WrIEELeG on the stage, and the personi-
1car-or Of music has not been visible
% me IN the antics OF the dancer.
The forms in which the expression Of
music have been nodded since its gin
have. been largely dance forms The
dance has inspired the composer and
--e composer has inspired the dancer.
The sonata as well as the symphonic
form Is clearly Lracesble 10 the dance.
BC- music has passed on and away.
The placing Of different dances in
rhythmic cOuCrasr-the aristOCraricaIly
slow and proper beside the peasants
lively UeaS- S-res-Was one OF the deveI-
opme1ls OF music in the middle ages.
While retaining IN outward sembIance
t1e suggestion Of the dance. modern
u-Si. has IIIed the form with some
thing deeper. finer. greater. From
being an accompa paniment for the feet II
has become a subjective expression Of
t1e soul Beerhoveu's titanic express
stous are not made for pOsturing- Any
effort 10 drag CHopins UndanceIIke
measures from the realm Of emstion 70
become the medium Of the bodily ex-
position Of z dancer Is sheer audacity.
rne disposition 10 weight the spiritual
revelations OF the masters with the
corporeal presence OF terpsichorean
egotisr Is amazing eTrOutery. Even
ikowsAy's capillary music, full
4 red blood and passion. is beyond the
Zach of the posturist and poser. BY
al OF Wnlcn mean 70 assert that Miss
Allan's arr is retroactive Il is devolu-
tion-
The evolution Of the tone art has
carried music far too deeply into the
realms ot the soul and emotion for il
% be snarched back 10 become the mere
lalCma-den Of the dance The fact
may be clearly proved by a single ex-
libitiou Of Mss Allan when she does
- anything heavier" than the Spring
song When Beethoven. mightiest Of
masters, Is pulled out TO play a tune
for gyrating body, or Chopin is
thrust into the orchestra 70 become fd-
dIer for q kirmess. or Tschaikowsl1y is
made the leader Of q small orchestra
for the exploitation Of a disciple OF
Delsarte. then does Euterpe weep and
Callope, The sweet voiced, cry aloud.
Sentiments like the foregoing were in
part the result OF one Of the most ex-
citing interviews I ever was party TO-
for 7 did venture TO call on Miss Allan
IN her flower filed apartments at the
s. Francis last Tuesday. The appoint
ueuC had been made before I had seen
her. and SO, next day, with a copy Of
nay story tucked in my pocket. I made
nay way at the appointed hour 70 the
hotel The Allan party was on the
point OF leaving for Oakland. Miss
Rosa. who is Miss Allan's companion.
informed ne with some acidity that
Miss Allan was dressing. but would see
me for q short time as soon as she was
ready. 50 I sat and inhaled the flower
scented air and bore with much forti-
tude the unfriendly gaze OF Miss Allans
companion
The interview was not exactly an ar
gumeut- I feared IL was going to be
that she takes her art most seriously
and that she is not accustomed TO ad-
verse criticism. Some few had attempt
ed 70 ind flaws in her work, but they
We're in the smallest possible minority.
she said. and mainly in Chicago, and so
didn't count Ny inability 10 enjoy her
art was Earfously assumed 10 be due 10
disappointment that the physical dis
play had not been greater or that the
perniciOus and the sensual had not been
more in evidence
told her that my complaint was
principally on the basis that, as her
art professed 70 be z personifcation Of
music, and as the inner meaning Of
music could no more be personihed than
IL could be spoken, 1 regarded classical
dancing as something in the nature Of
a fraud
Perhaps II was on personal grounds,
rhe lady insisted
say" 1 rejoined, for you and 1 went
10 sunday school together"
Then she remembered the event and
felt even more distressed.
i had hopd," said she, TO have
found IN you a man OF broader judg-
ment-"
Not knowing" said L how broad
YOU expected nay judgment 10 be, can
no- reply 70 that. Though il may not
So broad. IL is, in this case. I an Ger
tain. right
Miss Rosa then assured me that il
vas time for them 10 catch the boat,
md Miss Allan said, Anyway, I am
lad 70 have met you face TO face"
U-ith which dubious compliment the in
terView ended
rrnnresarfo Mario Lambardi and his
orvanfzation win return to San Fran
ofsco next Sunday evening after more
rhan z months tour OF the northwest
The company remains intact, although
Nine. Adaberto was expected 70 leave
81 the expiration Of her contract. In
nresarfo Lambardi, however, made spe-
cfaI Inducements for e return TO San
Francisco and California, which she ac-
cepted. -,