The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-16

PATCH mntlncc md night.
The Marvellous Russians.
! There are dancers ana dancers and
; finally, there nre the Russian Dancers
Until Inst night. comparatively few
OF Eichmonds theotre-Boers had been
SO fortunate as 10 witness the almost
| incredible art of these marvellous peo-
| pie, but now all OF US who wore NJ
the big audience at the Academy Of
! Music last night WHOM thoir beauty
and grace astounded us, realize TO
what a height of art the accomplish
ment of dunctng may be elevated, and
! understand why Now York laughed
when Gertrude Hoffman dared to APP
| pear with them.
Couple cake walk with o song of
George Cohnns; compare the ordinary
toe dancer with u waltz OF Hoschnas,
| but search for Il musical setting appro-
! PIRATE for the dancing OF these men
and women and one unconsciously
| thinks Of grand opera
And SO last night, The Imperial
| Russian Bullet" for the first part OF
their program. danced. not sang. but
danced The Tales of Hoffman" under
tho title "Coppelia." not to OGcnbach's
! score. but to an exquisite setting by
Z i[-o Dciiucs MOI "Oru WaB spoken.
not II note sung. but 30 perfect was
the Dantomime. 80 full OF meaning waB
every movement of the danccrs' hands
and legs and 1.-THE. supple bodies. that
the story told itself, even without the
assistance OF the printed explanation.
20 tho accompaniment OF an orchestra
Of some twenty pieces. composed al
F. most entirely Of strings and wood
! wind Instruments. with only one or two
orasses, which was In itself q thing
Of pure delight. partly because of the
inct that By It's lightnesB and Joyous
hrllliance. 1t seemed to create Just the
musical atmosphere for the boating
! swaying beauty OF the dancers grace.
the quaint little story was unfoldcd
In hastily recalling the performance, IT
is this wonderful grace of tho mem
beers OF the cast as II werc that Is
foremost in ones mind. yet there were
the muddy turning. lcaping. spinning
figures OF tho chorus, dancing an In
tricate mazurka. beginning apparent
~ anywhere and ending In a wild
whirl with n stamp OF booted and
spurred foet ut an entirely unexpected
beat In the measure. while the tympani
rumbled; thorc were ak men who sat
az !nouonleSs as the dolls they repro
scented for an !ntcrminable time and
then went through the motions OF me
chanica! 'oys with the utmost clever
ness. ans there was the awakening OF
the beautiful doll so skilfully Initiated
and all of IT artistic to the last dc.
gree.
But In the second part. al OF the
dances were striking, and there was
nothing but dancing In this part
Mile. Halena Schmolz. who had plnyec
tho leading part in the "CoppcI!a.'
again reused tho audience TO enthu.
siasm.
Pretty. attractive, radiating magnet.
ism and perfectly costumcd che danced
, with the lightnees OF a Guttcrins but,
te!hy and with q pcrsonincation o.
. grace that Is indescribable, and sh,
made even OF toe dancing a thing o.
i. infinite beauty. or III Alexandcl
/, Nolin!ne II is impossible TO speul
| moderately. The man 10 not only un
usually good looking. but he has tn,
hgure OF light weight wrestler
Apollo Is only tho dream OF Hculptors-
with tho most perfect legs that l hev,
ever seen, after years OF Observable,
in gymnasiuns and theatres. and he
3 too. danced az ono imagines the:
l danced on Parnaseus when Apollo
Mercury. and Terpsichore really lived
, with grace (there is no other word
J almost lnconceivable in man Tn
Polka Violetto," (Strauss) danced b!
these Two was duet OF wonderful
"eli-nlSn lInpOeElpIc perfection. In
deed II was 30 perfect that the hous
simply would not accept their man!
bows. but made them dance II again
the only encore granted. though TIL
0 audience begged for many.
Miles. Plaskowietzkaiu and Kuh,
/ also danced alone and cxquisitcly. bu
] a little girl OF about twelve, pro
0 GRAINED as ia Petite jamie" dance,
n a number called O Swan Variation.
with music by Saint Saens. that wa
a simply tragic in its art. She came or
all in white swausdown, pierced b
an arrow. and nuttercd about Wit
firing wings, as one could believe he
little arms to be. until she sank to tn
:, moor, dead--a marvellous bit OF panto
!, mimc. and particularly appealing In
:. child.
The whole performance was artist
to a high degree, and thoroughly do
lightful. One regrets only thre
n things-that Vol'ne did not dane
: more, that the performance was 70
i only one night. and there were onl