The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-30
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

stars and size of the corps de ballet with it's great success in Petrograd, Paris and New York, has gotten the dancing world on tiptoe.
 I'm not going to try and write the his tory of dancing, for it is as old as man himself. Our early records, sacred and profane, make mention of dancing. and in most of the ancient nations it was constituent part of their religious rites and ceremonies. They danced before their altars and around the statues of their gods.
 We all know that the Jewish record in the Old Testament makes abundant men ton of dancing Moses and Merriam danced to their song of triumph, when the Israelites passed through the Red sea as on dry land; David danced be- fore the ark. It's in the New Testament, however, that we get sidelight on the customs of the day. It was when the daughter of Herodias danced and pleased Herod, and the head of John the Baptist was brought into the presence of the banqueters.
 
 It's not my purpose to write an in- dictment of dancing, but as reporter to give you glimpses of how the ballet grew up. Properly, ballet is theatri- cal exhibition of the art of dancing in it's highest perfection, and must, there fore, in general, comply with the rules of the drama as to its composition and form.
 Those who have delved into it's history warn us that the pantomimic sacrificiaI dances of antiquity, although they may be regarded as the source of Attic trag- edy. are not to be considered as directly the origin of the ballet. As we know it, the ballet had It's origin in the service of the courts. It existed at the court Of Turin in the beginning of the sixteenth century. At this stage it was chaotic medley. It was mingled with song and Reclamation These spectacles were at once. mythological, allegoricaI fantastic, warike and pastoral.
 
 It was from such a genesis that the modern ballet took shape and leaped from Italy into France, from the court of Catherine de Medici to that of Louis XIII, who himself danced in a ballet as did Louis XIV. Even at this time the art of dancing possessed little dramatic expression and still required to be intro- duced and explained by singing e recita- ton.
 l have been surprised to hear so many comment on the part man plays in the Ballet Russe. Those who read "Nr. Grex of Monte Carlo, will recall that 1t was the male dancer who made the hit Nijinsky, who appears in Birming- ham not merely as director, but as lead ing dancer. has an international reputa tion. He is renowned for his poetical and emotional interpretation as well as his perfect finish.
 l merely call to your attention that it was near the beginning of the seven- teenth century before women made their first appearance in the ballet as we know Lit. There is no mention of any female ballet dancer of note before 17so Kings had taken part in but no queens 0f we except the princesses of Turin, who are said to have done so in the sixteenth century)
 During my student days in the Latin quarter of Paris, I had for a friend young cosmopolte whose father was the leading male dancer at the famous Eden. theatre, whose pallets outranked even those of the grand opera. He used to frequently insist that go with him behind the scenes to help him dress his father, who was a great Russian artist. I used to be amused at his description |of the various languages spoken by his parents around the table. Said he: "One was liable to begin in Russian, the other to break in with German, while he him. self would end in French. Now, just for a little story taken out of bit of sociological investigations I made while at Vienna. Wanting to get a glimpse of the home life of the poor got a room with an aged couple. We all had to sleep in the same room. For the first few nights was called to the bed side of the old gentleman, who wanted to say good-by. as he was going to die. soon got on to the fact that dying was his speciality It was merely a ruse to get sympathy.
 One night coming in late. he asked me where had spent the evening. I re- piled at the opera. He was all attention. Thoughts of dying had been postponed. Said he: "Who was the premier dan seuse?" I told him. She's no good" said he. You ought to have seen Mile. Cerise, who danced whom was young man." I took up for the one I had just seen. Out of the bed came the old man, and before my startled eyes he began pirouetting until overcome with fatigue. I had to pick him up in my arms and lay him on his couch.
 All this but to lead up to the announce ment that we Americans have little idea the hold the ballet has on the average European audience It was at Milan that the most lifelike and magnificent tableaux were exhibited in pantomime. and subjects were attempted far beyond the limits of the ballet.
 But for an amusing incident: When I wa . in Milan 1ika alI viait0ra want tO