New-York tribune., 1910-02-27
Anglo-Amer1can Memories
Copyright. 1910. by George w smalley.)

week at La Scala. The Italians thlnh
that a dancer cannot do justice TO her-
self if more is demanded OF her IN
London, at the Alhambra OF Empire, IL
is always six nights, and as for the eA-
ira pay, We'll" said Mile. Bordln'
there are extra expenses. too, and am
not much richer here than at home
As she had told me a fact or TWO
about herself, l asked her if she was
married She said no: then, after
pause, meant to be dramatic:
But have a large family
Then another pause; also dramatic;
then SLOWLY:
My family consists of my father. nay
mother my brother and my sister. They
all live with ME in my house in Vi
cenza.''
But isn't that rather a burden for
your young shoulders"
She thought a moment, as if it were
a new view to her.
"Oh, no, I'm fond of them all. And
I am quite content
Surely an affectionate. attaching nat
ure.
l heard otherwise that, though not
married It rests with her to say when.
One of her countrymen, a man OF wealth
and rank, has long wished to marry her.
but wishes her to leave the stage II ne
does for which she is not yet ready.
Plenty Of time for that" remarked
Mile Bordin in her sententious way
She speaks no English; but French with
;of, aP+ifnda which even
the Academy might tolerate. 1 asked
How many hours a day do you prac-
tise now that you are at the top?"
Never less than two or three
Even when you are dancing at
night?"
Yes
'Is none of it painful?"
Painful? No, why should it be-"
"Are you never tired?'
mo. 1 am as fresh at the end of a
ballet as when l began. But / should
soon tire if I did not love it,
An American lady and her daughter
had desire to see Mile Bordin IN
'L'Amour," and went with me to the
| Alhambra. AS it happened, the only box
available for that night was one OF the
stage boxes on the pit tier. and therefore
very close to the stage. A ballet is al
ways the better for being seen at little
distance and Mile. Bordin's costume IN
! the second act consisted at one moment
+ of a r7ailot and a gauze VEIL and was
! not sure what the effect might be from
/ this box. But the mother only said.
What a pretty figure Mile. Bordin has,
] -I-s,- ITr u r
went down, and then declared she had
! never spent an evening so delightful.
! The art, the simplicity, the grace, had
carried all before them. The girl had
! the quick perception of her sex and her
/ age. She felt that she had seen rare
/ and beautiful thing. It must have been
! the first time in her life-she was then
/ seventeen or eighteen-that this art had
presented itself to her in the person OF
! an accomplished executant. She had an
innate love of beauty and OF art; whether
! in nature or on the stage or on canvas
mattered little. Her own beauty-I sup
| pose quite consciously-sought a re-
| sponse, found it, recognized it, and
thrilled with pleasure in this new ex-
| perience.
| If say that 1 knew Taglioni, do not
mean that 1 knew her as a dancer OF
ever saw her dance, or can make any
! comparison between her and Mile. Bor-
/ din. Taglioni came late in life to Lon
don as the Comtesse de Voisins and
| supported herself by giving lessons ir
department. She was past seventy, and
stout, and short. She taught English
! girls how TO enter and leave a room
| how. to sit and how to rise how tc
stand still and how to carry themselves
| as they walked She had many friends
and 1 used sometimes to meet her al
dinner, and always hoped she would tall
| about her dancing days and her tri-
umphs But she never did. She was
no longer Taglioni: she was Nine. dt
Voisins; very correct, very pleasant
/ cutie conventional, and thousand
miles away from the footlights.
c. W. S.