Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-25
The Birth of a New Sort
a Ballet From Revolu-
tionary Principles
nv MICHEL FoK1NE

-4.AT are the essential characteristics
w nat dIfferentiate Mr.. Diaghileff's
s,ttonarv" Russian ballet from the
fssSai fss,,asei ballet as IL has hitherto been
..,ss 2aa.sh both in Russia and elsewhere? The
ass,si difference is to be found, not in
sShnIaue, put in idea.
y ~ work of the revo1utionaries was to
a. sluice-gates and let in the fer
sPsssas dood Of vital emotion. The inef-
n..,.ai rbythms of the dance were sud-
s.s,s caught up into the masterful
.sssbnos of life itself What Is "revolu-
.l,ssfvt in the new ballet is the power to
sn~ss and trouble the imagination. The,
,srovators have extended the range of
X. ballet. a range as wide as that OF
X. drama, and made 1t express q high
'~o,Ional impulse In their view the bal
~ d composite form of art, at once
g..tic decorative and musical The illu-
slon therefore depends upon an intimate
Iilab6ration between the composer, the
photographic designer, the painter and
he musician.
The new ballet works on the principle that
,hare Is not one designer for the dance,
snother for the music and a third for the
ssttinrs, but one design, one rhythm, one
sornInating impulse for the whole. 1t
roud have the lines, the colors and the
noyements together interpret the spirit
ana the action mutually reinforcing one
another and producing a cumulative effect
of strength and beauty that at once seizes
and delights.
The older ballet developed the form of
so-called classical dancing" consciously
preferring to every other form the artif-
tia form Of dancing on the point of the
Toes with the feet turned out, in short
todlces with the figure tightly laced in
stays and with strictly established sys-
tenn of steps gestures and attitudes. Miss
Duncan rejected the ballet and established
an entirely opposite form of her own. She
Introduced natural dancing, in which the
body Of the dancer was liberated not only
from stays and satin slippers, but also
from the dance-steps of the ballet She
bunded her dancing on natural movements
and on the most natural of all dance
fcrms-namey, the dancing of the an
eient Greeks.
The art of the older ballet turned It's
back on life and on all the other arts
and shut itself up in a narrow circle of
traditions. According to the old method
OF producing ballet, the ballet master
composed his dances by combining GER
tain well-established movements and
poses For his nimetic scenes he used
9 conventional system of gesticulation,
and endeavored by gestures of the dane |
ers' hands, according to established rules,
70 convey the plot of the ballet to the |
spectator.
In the new ballet, on the other hand, the |
aramatic action Is expressed by dances |
and mimique in which the whole body |
plays part. In order to create a stylis-
hc picture the ballet master of the new
school has to study in the first place, the
national dances of the nation represented
dances differing immensely from ma
Ton to nation, AMI often expressing the
'plrt OF whole race; and, in the second
me art and literature of the period in
Ehlch the scene is laid. The new ballet,
Rhile recognizing the excellence both of
The older ballet and of the dancing of
sadora Duncan in every case where they
Ire suitable to the subject to be treated,
'afuses to accept any one form as final
md exclusive.
As there were five positions" at the
ass of the old Classical dancing" so
here are five rules of faith and practice
Or the new dancing of the Russian ballet
sot to form combinations of ready-made
nd established dance steps. but to create
2 each case new form corresponding to
ne subject. the most expressive form pos
IDLE for the representation of the period |
nd the character of the nation repre-
ented-that is the first rule OF the new
allet
The second rule is that dancing and
almetlc gesture have no meaning in a
allet unless they serve as an expression
the dramatic action. and they must
ot be used as a mere advertisement or
atertainment having no connection with
le scheme of the whole ballet
The third rule is that the new ballet
emits the use of conventional gesture
my where II is required by the style of
e piece. and in all other cases endeav-
Is to replace gestures of the hands by
Unique of the whole body. Man can be
M az should be expressive from head to
Fne fourth rule is the expressiveness of
lyups and OF ensemble dancing. In the
oer ballet the dancers were ranged in
Iyups only for the purpose of ornament.
" the ballet master was not concerned