The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-23
Poetry of Motion
Interpreted By
Russian Dancers

It was in the early eighties that
Lote Fuller introduced to the Ameri
can stage the artistic and spectacular
lin the individual dance, her presenta'
ton Of the butterfly" and the fire
novelty awakening the amusement
loving public to the possibilities Of
limbuIar and pedal gyrations as an at
traction that now commands the
wrapt attention Of the eye and pleases
the sense OF the beautiful Miss Full
ler's act was the first departure from
the then prevailing ordinary ballet
dancing en- masse. She set the pace.
has had many imitators and but few
equals. One OF the latter was an
Argentine. who for a period created
a furore, had her portrait painted by
the American artist Alexander and at
ter tour of the country retired and
has not been heard from since. al
though not forgotten. Then came
Ruth st. Denis, who, with her COM
pany, appeared here two seasons ago
and delighted Keokuk audiences.
Worthy followers OF all who have
gone before are Andreas Pavley and
Serge Oukrainsky, Russians, assisted
by Mile. Franchelli. undoubtedly
French, who, with their fellow expon-
ents Of the terpsichorean art. appeared
at the Grand Saturday night. It is
reflection on the artistic appreciation
of Keokuk that a larger audience was
not present to assist at the presenta-
ton: but what was lacking In numbers
was fully atoned for In manifest en-
thusiasm. expressed not only in be-
half OF the dancers but having as an
incentive the orchestral music fur
Eished by twenty-six of the best train
ed artists that have ever played here.
Each member was under perfect con-
troll of Leader Elander and the indi-
vidual and collective response to the
wave of the baton indicated training
that had involved long series of
careful rehearsals. At no time was
there false note and the melody
might have been Is from Euterpe's
piping. Then, too, Miss Margaret Jar
man threw her beautiful contralto
voice across the footlights, rendering
selections that won for her degree
of appreciation that is seldom accord
ed by Keokuk audience.
But the dance was the premier at
traction. In riot of colorful costuU-i
ing that did not detract from the prin-
cipals' offerings but rather added to
the beauty OF the whole, the evolu-
lions of the performers proceeded.
The dancing of Pavley and Oukrainsky
is no mere mechanical dexterity. Their
poses indicate the passions with dig
nifty OF liveliness that could not be as
sumed by any to whom dancing is not
more than a profession. A dance to
Chopin's "Bacchanale." idyllic and
tender in nature despite the name,
was probably the most enchanting
on the program. In this Mile
FranchelH featured her ability and
showed that she Is young woman
who is an artistic in high degree.
She Is invested with great beauty of
features and grace OF form and is inn
bued with that spirit Of the dance
which carries enjoyment to great
length and yet stops short of the dis
cordant and vulgar.
As whole. because of the supreme
excellence of the performers, terpsi-
chorean. vocal and instrumental. the
Pavley- Oukrainsky spectacle was a
worthy offering whit which to open
the 1867 theatrical season in Keo-
kuk.