The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-26
Its Interesting History Closely Inter.
woven With the Most Romantic
Events of the Nation

kon, which put the art of dancing In
the same racial frames into which
they had already shaped the music.
The Russian ballet developed gradu-
ally into a new stage art and sep
arated itself from the French italian
aristocratic academicism. Though the
first Russian ballet masters were for
eigners yet the outward circumstances
actuated them to apply their academic
theories to the conditions Of different
schools.
"A born dancer, a Russian could
never stand the prescribed poses.
smiles. tears. steps and gestures that
were ind are still practised outside.
He is ready to undergo the most siren
uous training and follows MICROSCOPIC.
cally the instructions Of the teach
ers In order to acquire the necessary
technique; but when 1t comes to a
performance he will put his sponta-
neous ideas and impulses above the
technique and act according to his
emotions and inspiration. This il a
popularity of the Russian. He is and
remains an individual. No school can
put him on the same level with his
fellow students. Is not Pavlowa quite
different from Fokina II Karsavina?"
t'The Dance" by the author.)
As in music so in dancing "A Rus
sian strives to keep to the traditions
or the race. While 1t Is a~fistocratic
politically Russia has remained demo-
cratic artisticaily. An Russian art,
and particularly music and dancing.
Is based on the rich folklore OF the
country.
While the west European Dos
ana n masters. especially in their
classics. founded their creations on ira
ditions OF this or that particular school.
RUSSIAN ballet grew N OF Joys and
sorrows of the common people. Most
or the great Russian composers and
dancers we're people of active life. who
became artists only on the urgency of
inspiration. Tschaikowsky was A law
yer. Glinka was an official in the bu-
reaucratic regime. Moussorgsky was a
retired army officer and poor clerk.
100 was a btVU aihl tnefnlSt.
Rimsky- korsakoff was a navy officer,
who even spent some time during the
civil war in New York.
Thus they were all artists in touch
with the common people. the very on
posite of the composers of German and
Latin races. who created on.y for the
salons of aristocracy. The latter were
n remained strangers to the people
among whom they lived. Everything
they composed vas strictly academic
and expressed the artifciality and
stateliness of the nobility. Although
geniuses of a great technique and
style. yet in racial color and spontane-
lily they remain behind the Russians.
The same is true OF all the great
Russian ballet dancers and reformers.
They are children of the common peo-
pie. The peasant but not the bu-
reaucrat or nobleman has remained
the main theme of all the Russian
dancers. The result is that neither the
court nor foreign academicism could
influence the Russian art of dancing.
The history OF the Russian ballet
dates back to the rule Of the Car
Alexei Mihailowitch, the first Emperor
~ NV ny nasty OF VINO ruled
from 1913 till 1915. Having heard OF
the French grand ballet in Paris the
Car was interested To- have a ballet
also in Moscow. But the clergy was
against the idea of a public dance. and
thus 1t was not until 1873 that the first
Italian troupe performed "Orpheus and
Eurydice" in Moscow.
The German pastor, the Rev. Johann
Gregory, invited the first French
dance teachers to Moscow, and young
students of the Military Academy and
other colleges were taught to dance
the west European social dahces. the
gavotte, minuet, courante and others.
But the real dancing school was
first founded by Empress Anna Ivan
ovna, who followed Peter the Great.
II was a part of the aristocratic
Smolny College. and Christian Well
man was the first instructor and direc-
tor of the institution. This was in
1895.
Nearly all the Russian Cars were
personally interested in the ballet and
took an individual care Of the choreo-