The sun., 1917-08-26
R0SHANARA'S FIELD.
She 10 Out Of Vaudeville Tempo
rarily.


Roshanara. the English East Indian
dancer. with the most poetic arms in
the world and fingers that go on and
on, ending somewhere in space" is maxi
ing her temperance in the classical
ballet with Adolf Bolm at the Booth
Theatre. Roshanara has not been seen
in ballet for six years until this present
engagement. She preferred to special
ize in the Hindu and Burmese dances,
Yet 1t was with Bolm and Nijnsky that
she won her first great success, when
in 1s1O-1sl1 she appeared with them
in "Scheherazade." "Thamar" and va
rious other ballets at Covent Garden,
London.
1T Is because I made my first ap-
pearance in the classical Choreo
dramas with Adolf Bolm." said Rosh-
anara to THE SUN reporter in her
Oriental looking dressing room with
nine Buddhas in row sitting On her
mako up table and strange Hindu
weapons, strings OF beads and old fans
scattered everywhere that | allowed
him to persuade me to return to
Prince Igor Mr.. Bolm is not only
wonderful dancer, you see, he is
maitre de ballet, an author u producer.
a designer and a thorough musician.
|, and II is q very great JOY to be asso'i-
ated with him again. When | say that
| allowed Mr.. Bolm to persuade mo
to join the Ballet Intime, It sounds as
IL I disikod ballet work Now as a
matter OF fact that is not the case at
all
Fhs al 7 la1-
izing. so 10 speak, IN Burmese and
Hindu dances only. such as I give in
the part OF Mr.. Bom's programmes
devoted to advertisements, is because
made my success in America in vaude-
vile In these particular dances, and the
American mind somehow is like an
old fashioned desk with many little
drawers where different things are
classi led and stored away Abroad ]
did many kinds Of danc'CG. even Greek
dancing. which will probably come as
great surprise TO your readers, and in
tho Ballet Russo I danced the role
of Zobeide with only two days re-
hearsal.
In Pavlowa's company put on
some OF the East Indian nautch num-
bers which l had learned from tho ma
tive dancers in India and they were
quite new here, and created so much
interest that when l went into vaude-
vile I found that my agents had
booked me as the greatest and only
living exponent OF authentic Indian
dances such as were danced many
hundreds of years ago.
Now 1t is quite true that my dances
are traditional and absolutely authen-
tic. but why pigeonhole me like that
just because l made a reputation in
the States in one particular branch OF
dancing? To be a true choreographic
artist one should be able to do every
style Of dancing. not necessarily equal
ly well. but at least one should have
the groundwork in every form Of the
art. But the only fault have to md
with the managers and public In
America Is that with dancers as with
actors who play n waiter once and
must go on, consequently. serving table
In all the plays to come. they regard
you as a type 1t was only the fear
that the public might rebel against
barefootcd Indian dancer putting on
shoes and doing a ballet that made me
hesitate when Mr.. Bolm approached
me. But the press and public have
since proved so kind that all my Cour-
age is restored and I have fully de-
cided to put on some original ballets
Of my own next year when give my
special matinees."