Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-25
Dancers Dive
Under Waves
In New Ballet
Sea Scenery in "Sadko, '
on Triple Bill, Is
Enchanting

No NijinsiSy graced the triple bill Of
Serge de DiRghlleff's Ballet Russo ut the
Metropolitan last night, yet no ones feel
fngs seemed 20 be hurt, and the program
was as continuously entertaining, as intel
ilgentiy variegated, as brimming with color
and tho life OF the eloquent limb as could
well have been.
Those violently twentieth-oentury persons
who think Bernard Shaw n better play
wright than Pinero, and smile with rap
ture at the gnawlng noises Of Schoenberg
m preference to sohumann. always want
tho "lnscienerung" mentioned first. SO let
u be said that the settings last evening
were In one case familiar and magnificent,
IN another familiar and machino-made,
and In the third novel curious and Elusive
with that Illusion which Is tempered with
sane reality.
Tho latter reference is to "Sadko," tho
water ballet OF Bolm's, with music by
RlmslSy- y-Korsakow--muslo as brilliantly In
terpretative In It's way as the same COM
posor's "Scheherazade," which also was
given. Les Sylphides,' not quite 80 pre-
clsely danced as sometimes completed the
offerings.
"sadlko" took tho troupe into the second
perilous element of their career. Last
season they gave THE Fire Bird" now
supplanted by the underwater fantasy Of
the new ballet The flashes of impish fun
IN the tale--in which human harper sets
the feet OF the sea tsar and his subjects
going. and carries of the tsarevna--were
ssuggestod by such touches as n gigantic
fish. bathed in red light: n crawly-looking
green starfish and an animated sea flower,
whose back looked something like aSnotsam
cabbage For tho romantic part OF the
pantomme there were, too, romantic stage
effects. Behind n very delicate gauZo cur
tain, irregularly splotched. one saw great
rectangular reach of ocean floor, with
Jagged vista Of purpliBh light for back
ground. On this floor. III from the sides
and thus giving the effect OF a sequestered
Kingdom, cavorted symbolical sea herbs.
sea horses and currents Tho combination
of wine-red, rust-brown and green, green,
green. I'm the costumes was enchanting. Not
strange when one recalls that Anisfeld who
did an admirable set or two for Pnvlowa,
was the scene designer Gontchrova had
to his credit the robes.
Then there was the dancing, principally
weird, with n dash of grim humor, and
more than q dash of crazy exultation such
as Bolm exults in. He was energetic to
the point of frenzy, but kept his rhythmic
sense. No wonder "Sadko' was slightly
mad. with Doris, as the tsarevna, coldly
beautiful as the waves that she Inhabited.
Beautiful also. though not cold at all, was
Revalles In "Scheherazade," and beautiful.
with both Ice and flame in her veins. was
the indescribably virginia. pure Lopokova
In Les Sylphdes." Gavrilow danced with
her. and Bolm. unfatlgued. in the Arabian
Nfghts-like orgy His is horrible and
wonderful performance of the infatuated
negro slave.
Today's matinee will consist OF It'll
"'rhamar," lie Spectre de la
Rose" and "Carnaval" Tonight there VIII
be no performance, SO the ballet members
will be guests of Morris Gest at the Adelphi
Theater where Experience" is playing,
and later at n Russian supper. which, T. is
estimated will cost about 90 600 kopeks Or
so the press agent of the most wonderful
play, etc." said b. d.