The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-25

~ interpret the ~Duoyancy ana
supple grace of the Greek
dancer with the camer is an
art quite as subtle as is the poetry OF
bodily motion which the new dance
conveys 1t is difficult for instance to
catch on the sensitive plate such an
evanescent thing as the trick of eN-
preston or the passing mood. The
wonder is how even the semblance of
it, concrete beauty may be recorded
geographically.
Since the renaissance Of the classic
dance in America, led first by Il
Duncan and followed later by n train
Of other disciples OF rhythmic express
SION. the necessity of securing visible
records of their emotional symphonies
naturally arose. Among the few VINO
have attempted the task with the or
binary camera are Miss France Ben
jamin Johnston and Mrs. Matte Ed
wards Hewitt, who ave done among
other things the famous homes II
gardens OF the country. What they
aim to do in reproducing photograph
cally the foremost art of the ancient
Greeks is to picture the visible music
Of bodily motion with all the buoy
sncy, grace and harmony that are the
adjuncts of the classic dance.
That il is an art far removed from
that Of motion picture photography is
plain TO be seen. for the latter by
catching each movement of the pody
in continuity can easily express All
that Il. in the artists mind. But IN
the dance the ordinary operator must
in the fraction Of a second. pin the
motif or the mood or the special phase
Of the dance TO the Photographic lens
and tell the whole story in that scant
period Of time. The aim Is to secure a
composite picture which shall embod
all the things the dancer is trying to
express.
To reach that conclusion many
things enter into the result, for all
the conditions must be sympathetl-
cally perfect. There must he the light,
the background, the composition oil
the picture and the climax OF feeiihe
which the dancer Is ~endeavoring 10
interpret, and the photographers try
ing to analyze OFFICIALLY, and all in the
space 81 a snapshot. To do this satis-
~factorily one must be a wizard OF fore
sight, a psychological expert. In order
10 get not what is actually seen al
the moment but what Is going to hap
pen a traction of a second later.
Intuition and Judgment, and above
oil a sense Of the spirit of the dance
are required to picture these modern
ny1nphs and dryads in their rural
gambols on their native heaths. III
requires also a knowledge Of atmos-
pheric conditions. Miss Johnston and
Mrs. Hewitt. accustomed to photo
graphing in the open, and both lovers
Of nature, seem to grasp that part
OF the work intuitively.
The two have done some
charming studies of Isadora duncan
leader Of the new dance movement
in America, and Of Florence Fleming
Noyes, who has her summer schooI
at Peterboro, n. H., and her year
round studio at Woodstock, Mass; Oh
Miss Avs Bentley, who has carried
her work at the Ethical Culture
school 10 the A~dirOndackS; the Bar
Vness Won Potential. who was edu'
'H''h III fdflS, Jenna anu Tloi'''N'
before she came to dance in the bis
cities Of this country Miss Mary Rel
.oYS Of Winchester, Mass, Mrs
Dana Watts, the English IN who
revived the Greek ideal for the per
'ecton Of the body; Miss Margare'
Aiax, MISS Mildred Anderson anc
others who are making a study 81
20 Greek dance as an art as wei
" A profession.
The Baroness Won Rottenthal, wh'
assisted the jewellers Of Forest Hin
'afHens to celebrate the Fourth ant
al me same time christen a bird foun'
am, Is one Of the few dancers WHIT
"a" herself discovered a law in Sc
'u1ns good motion pictures. He
movements are naturally slow and 81
are easily recorded by the camera
n"a ms l. one OF the principles o
Mss lohnston's and Mrs. HEWITT
n.y. Tor they seek to secure a prope
INSULATION NJ the movements Of tn
D%sneers, not, however. at the expens'
=" Spirit and feeling. While nothinl