Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-01

Thamara de SWlrSky at the Brandeis.
Thamara de Swirsky, Russian countess,
dancer, pianiste, beautiful young woman
and exponent Of an art that IL old as hu-
man emotion and yet little understood. en-
tertained an audience at the Brandeis last
night with apparently her utmost eudeavor,
and retired with the plaudits of the spec
tators ringing in her ears.
Thamara de swirsky is young; therefore
she is possessed of limbs that are beau
tiful, long slender, supple limbs, that move
gracefully and rythmically at her wish.
Her body is the body of youth also. and
perfect in its contour; her skin Is white
as milk. and gIstens in the movements
OF the dance under the lights, as water
under the sun Her head is crowned with
a wealth of golden hair that seems a fit
ting climax to a form so nearly perfect
in all ways, and is part OF a picture that
win be carried long I'm mind.
But her face is as cold and devoid of ex-
preston as that OF a craven image. only
once or twice during the dances did she
relax the set features that gave no sign
Of interest In the proceedings. Once or
twice a smile lit up the face, only for an
instant, as II a flash from the fire that
cleaned below, and then It died away,
much as though the dancer was determined
that no expression might be misinterpreted.
The dancing is, therefore. coldly edifyingi
one is given the spectacle Of bare limbs.
fitting arms and legs, white as marble,
full of the warm buoyancy Of youth, but
devoid OF passion. 1t is virginia. I'm it's very
aspect, this dance OF de Swirsky. Its APP
peal is TO the higher intellectual nature
Nothing OF the sensuous enters into 1t, even
In the widest swirl of the bacchanalian
- ~. T1a.-
haps this is the secret OF her art.
The group of Russian dances which be-
gin the program are sufficiently familiar
10 have lost their novelty; insofar as they
are expressive of Russian emotion they
are Of interest mainly because the matter
of-fact American knows nothing OF the
dreamy mysticism that underlies the Rus
sian national life and sympathizes but
slightly with its perpetual gloom. In the
succeeding group, Mile. de Swirsky last
night touched the brightest spot In her
program For an instant, just at the end
OF the group a smile OF impish glee lit up
her face and her whole body seemed to
glow with the splendor OF the dance. Then
il died away, not TO light again Till just
before the curtain closed on her good night
bow. In the Greg suite she was most inn
pressive The Death Of Ase' was finely
Illustrated: the music OF Grieg has an
indefinable quality that needs no other
vehicle to express its meaning; therefore
the dancer could scarcely be said TO have
Interpreted this, but she did emphasize IT.
she lent to the thought that springs up
in response to the tender, appealing strain,
the life that visualzed A., and those who
see her will always have a better under
standing OF that movement OF the Peer
Gynt" suite at least Perhaps the transit
ton from the sorrowful passing OF Peer S
mother to the vision OF the dancing girl
who lured him on TO his undolng in Egypt
was too great contrast A. any rate
I the dance Of Auitra lost something by
comparison Ibsen stretches a lifetime OF
/ endeavor between the two events; de swir-
/ sky sets one after the ojhcg ana suffers
| as a result,
! In the concluding group another phase
! OF the countess accomplishment is noted
( She plays the piano, and plays it we'll II
may seem a trifle odd 10 see woman
whose costume resemble that Of Gunga
Dhin sitting down TO a piano, but she has
a sureness and dizziness Of touch thai
warrants the assumption, ana her play
ing is not the least OF the charms she pos
OF smok e-colored drapeIIas. a series Of fit
ting pictures. and suggestion Of poten
tal deviItry trat does not develop. An,
then the program ends with 'Bacchanal.
A woodland uymph. with garlands o
| flowers and leaves animated BY the 10!
OF youth. mad with the happiness Of NE
disportins IN gnrcatrsined slee, til Al las
that smile Of eIfn ROBUSTNESS lights u