Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-01
Pavlowa Talks Without Speaking and She
Doesn't Use Deaf Mutes' Language, Either
RUSSIAN DANCER TELLS
STORIES IN PANT0MIME
Brains, Education and Training
Needed for This Physical
Conversation Art

! Anna Pavlowa, whose first appear
ance in Los Angeles at the Auditorium
last night was a triumph such as few
women ever have achieved upon the
| local stage, is q slender wisp of a
creature, with eloquent eyes and
body the graceful suppleness of which
no modste has been able to conceal.
, She is a finely educated woman, speak
ing several languages fluently, though
| English is not among them; and she
is perhaps. the greatest pantomimic
actress of her day, as she is certainly
the greatest dancer.
| 1t is something to be able to tell a
story without words, to enact an in
telligible tragedy without the device Of
! language, but Madame Pavlowa does
that and more. She makes her spec
tators understand not merely her own
emotions appreciate her ideas and
realize her meanings, but she makes
them experience all three in them
selves. This Is not trick. 1t is not
a knack. 1t is art, an art attained
after long and painstaking years of
intelligent endeavor.
In her car yesterday afternoon,
speaking through her manager, Count
Centanini, who officiated as interpre-
ter, Madame Pavlowa told of her work.
of it's beginnings and of her hopes
for the future. She spoke in French,
and much of what she said was intel
ligible even before it was interpreted.
OF the Marienskl institute in st.
Petersburg, of which she is a gradu-
ate, Madame Pavlowa spoke in terms
of affection and admiration. More,
she deplored the fact that a recent at
tempt to found a similar educational
institute in America had failed,
through the opposition of the New
York Geary society.
NEED TO STUDY HISTORY
"Tt is a great pity" she said, "a
great pity. Your American children
must work in schools. must they not?
That is all the Metropolitan opera peo-
pie tried to do-to establish a school,
school which should train its pupils
in dancing and at the same time
should develop their intellects, so that
they might be able to give intellectual
expression to their dancing. Why, in
the Mariensky institute we had to
study ancient history. For what? So
that we could know the spirit of the
ancient races and appreciate the mean
ing of their dances. 1t wasn't enough
that we should know about Alexander
the Great We had to know also the
people whom Alexander the Great
ruled. Then we had to study art.
Some Of your American dancers, Isa-
dora Duncan for instance, have done
that; but she has missed part of her
lesson. She has studied the figure on
an old Grecian vase and she has ac-
cepted it as an illustration of a pose.
That is wrong. Those figures are
caught in motion. Each one is merely
a single snap shot as you call it-a
part of a moving picture. The idea
is very different. There are no poses
in Grecian dancing.
Many other things, also, we had to
study at the institute, things that
were good for us to know. The place
is managed like a convent. You go
into it and you stay there until your
education fits you to appear in the
Imperial opera in st. Petersburg, or
you fail and leave. But while you
are there you are under rigorous dis
cipline. Whenever I went outside for
my painting lesson I went in a closed
carriage and always chaperoned."
Count Centanini explained that Nine
Pavlowa had entered the school when
0 years old and had graduated at II.
Three years later she had won her
right to the title of prima ballerina
assoluta, a title or degree conferred
upon only three living women, Nine.
Preobajenska, who has retired and
Nine. Czechinska, who has only a
short time of active work left her.
MUST QUIT AT 80 YEARS
Under the rules of the Imperial
opera no dancer may dance after she
! is 80 years of age. This rule never is
violated and Nine. PaVlowa, says the
count, has still six years before her.
AS indicating the thoroughness of
! the Mariensky training, Count Cen
tanini remarked that Nine. Ermolowa,
now regarded as the greatest living
Russian actress studied six years in
the institute. "Then it was discov
| cred" he said, "that she never could
become a great dancer becauce she
could not acquire complete suppleness
! of body and so she was rejected; but
with that preliminary training as
| foundation she became in three years
the foremost woman of the Russian
speaking stage"
! Here Nine. Pavlowa interrupted.
| IT believe" she said, there is
great future for dancing in America.
! Your blending of races here should
produce great dancers, but Oh, they
must have training. There is your
Maud Allan, for example. She has
| brains, but she lacks training and
consequently she is immature as
dancer where she should be splendid.
| Either your dancers have brains and
| no training, or they have neither
brains nor training.
Dancing is not lost art, but 1t is
an art that requires long time Of study
and intelligence, much intelligence.
When you learn to combine these two
things America will give to the world
| great dancers as she has already
| given great men and women III other
| lines Of endeavor.
| american audiences are wonderfully
perceptive and appreciative. In Eng
| land they applaud mildly and the
next day write you a letter telling
YOU how much they enjoyed your per-
! formance Here they cheer and they
| do not write. That is as ii should be.