The Detroit times., 1916-02-12

TO shcck the moral sense OF the so
rhisticafed theater-goer In the
"Schehcrazade" ballet with which
the Serge de Diaghileff Ballet Russo
opened It's engagement of three per-
formances Friday evening In the
I yceun theater. SO inocuous was
the performance TO most OF those
present that disappointment was ex-
pressed on all sides as the spec
lators departed over the fact that IL
VAS not as naughty and suggestive
as il had been described In advance.
In fact. nobody seemed TO be In the
least upset and everybody seemed to
feei aggrievei that they had not
been jolted
Tie l.yceum f;age has so frequent.
| ly offered supreme chol Geographic
artistry from the twinkling toes and
grace Of Mile. Anna Pavlowa and
her company that the Diaghileff
company, inevitably, had to stand
comparison with the Russian dane
ers with whom Detroit audiences
are now well-acquainted and whom
everyone has grown TO admire so
lnuch. Also. the amount of fam
hUyant publicity which has been ac-
complished for the DiaghilefY troupe
lad aroused expectations which. un-
doubtedjy, no human effort could
POSSIBLY realize These facts react
90 to a considerable extent on the
reception AMI the appreciation Of
that which the Diaghileff company
had 10 offer, Friday evening.
The. Diaghileif troupe boasts no
individual artists of the calibre OF
Mile. Pavlowa ana her premiere
dancers. men or wcmep. Mile. Lydia
l.opoukova, who was with Mile Paw.
Iowa when she first cainc to Amer
lea and who has been living In New
York the last few years acting upon
the dramatic stage, joined the
DiaGhileff company about 10 days
ago, and Is easily the first artist of
the company.
Mile Fiore Ravelles is a singer
and mime OF The Partisan stage and
a very beautiful woman, and she
proved herself thorough artist as
zobeide, the sultana, In "Schehere-
zade." This episode from the Arab
ian Nights for which the colorful
Rimsky-korsakcv music Is used, was
presented in Detroit four years ago
by Gertrude Hoffman The Hoffman
presentation Was by nc means a
make-eelieve presentation either,
and in some ways ii was superior.
In COMPARING the Diaghileff offer
ing. Friday evening, with the reports
OF the New York presentation of the
ballet there could be no question
| that certain influences had been at
work and that art had been sacri
feed 10 so-calIed public opinion. II
is unfortunate that "sops 10 public
opinion should include the zen
veloping' of ,he supposed Nubiar
slaves in dauby brown paint ant
prosaic union suits that, under thu
lights had a greenish tinge, instead
of bronzins the bare flesh as should
be done. The Bakst setting is strik
ing in lis great blobs of color, and
the costumes are gorgeous in hue
and texture. The ensemble in this
ballet was its best point, and IL was
really a startling and amazing pic
ture OF scnsuous revelry which was
presented in he intricate move
ments of the acolescents, odalisques
and slaves, as they danced in wild
abandon until the return of the sui
| ian and his suite brought death pun.
ishment TO all
A grotesque and curious ballet
VAS "Soleil de Mutt" (Son of the
Night or Creationl. with dancing
stops ana movements oddly fascinat-
ing and costumes that were quantity
bizarre. Very clever solo work was
done in this ballet by Leonide Mas
sine and NJ. Zwerew.
Tie pas de deux of Mlle. Lopou-
kOva and NJ. ADOLF Polm. called on
the program by courtesy la
Princease Enchantee," was delight
fully gay and sparkling. and Mile.
l.opouSoya received the greatest ap-
plause of the evening for her dainty
dancing and for the pluck she dis
played following nasty fall. There
was no scenic setting provided for
this dance, the back drop of "SoleiI
de Mutt" being useo. hut with the
cly-winking sun faces of the "fly
drops" drawn Up out of sight.
| A pantomimc ballet calico "Carna-
val" with SchImann's music orches-
trated by Riinsky KorSakov Gla.