New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-23
Russian Dancers Also Actors
Star of Terpsichorean Corps
Which Has Delighted Paris
and London Fears
American Prudery.

The Russian ballet is fast getting TO be
a habit. Mile. Pavlowa and Mr.. Mordkin
planted the seeds In America two years
ago. and in the season just passed returned
with ten other Russians TO water them.
But the coming winter is to bring to New
York for the first time the Russian ballet
i'm all its glory-the real Imperial Ballet
OF the Royal Opera in ST. Petersburg-the
ballet that for the last three years has
been del!ghting London and Paris; the
ballet headed by Nine. lamar Karsavna
and Wassali NjinsH. This ballet was one
of the features Of the coronation festivities
in England, and before that had been CIV
ing a two weeks season at the Theatre du
Chatelet, in Paris a Tribune representa-
tive was lucky enough TO find Nine. Karsa-
VIVA In her apartment in tho Rue de
Riyou the day before she started Tor Lon
don.
Nine. Karsavina, like the Russians with
whom New York is already acquainted,
has little in her 10 suggest the dancer
as tho dancer is thought of among the
fresides Of New England or seen In tho
glare OF Broadway cafes In her dress
She does not strive to add another color
to the rainbow, nor is her neck hung
with ropes Of pearls. And II there
was one Quality I'm her bearing that struck
the interviewer It was the quality OF re-
pose. She sat quietly in an armchair her
hands folded before her In her lap. She
used few gestures, and II was only by the
sudden lighting OF her face that she dis
closed any unwonted animation Yet there
WAS nothing lifeless In her manner, 1t was
really surcharged with energy. or energy
that showed itself in her very rover or
self-repression. Her black hair was drawn
hack about her head In Russian fashion.
and. all in all, she seemed the very an
tithesis OF the average woman or the the
a.re To open the conversation the In
terviewer hazarded this impression, and
the dancer broke into merry laugh.
"After all. why shouldn't a dancer be
,uet a wonan?" she asked I'VE think so
in Russia, and are just as simple as any
one else. And l think we dance all the
better for 81. A dancer ought to be able to
exnress all human emotions, and she can
not do this unless she herself is human.
THAT IS tust the trouble People on tho
stage too often are regarded as a race OF
beings apart, and consequently they. too.
often come TO regard themselves as such.
And that Is pOlh Ava tHO tSbuiNcio ohu
the regarded"
Whereupon the interviewer said that he
had met a dancer who was also a philoso-
pher
"And why shouldn't dancer be phi
losopher?" was the quick reply. rs II
anv matter whether We express our opin-
ions and our emotions with our toes or
with our pens, so long as we express them2
And a dancer can express her emotions.
and not only her emotions but her opinions
as well, with her toes. or. rather. with her
toes I'm conjunction with the rest of her
body. That is what We Russians are
trained TO do. You know. we begin to
study when we are nine years old as stu
dents in the government conservatory. We
are in the conservatory until we are sew
enteen and during that time we study not
only dancing, but history, poetry, and even
philosophy
1.-The Russian school Of dancing is de-
velopment of tho old Italian school, but 1t
has broadened out greatly. Our idea has
been TO have the dancer an all-round ar
list: to be an actress. and. as far as posi-