The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-11-02

placing his smoking jacket in readiness
for him.
The answer to this last is that Mr.. Rus
sell is not the sort of husband who ex-
poets such attentions from a wife. His
valet looks after his clothes and things
But" Mrs. Russell is honest enough to
add, he might like 1t If did such things,
but never have thought of doing them
Since the beginning of time dancing has
been means of expression Originating in
religious fervor, it has progressed through
the ages in varying forms, developing from
the simplicity Of the Greek plastic art to
the sensuous rhythms of the Oriental. Sa-
lone danced John the Baptist's head into
silver salver, but even her seductive dance
was religious In its basic motif.
Mrs. Russell has passed through all
these interesting stages of her art, and
her discussions of them are frank and illu.
minating. She feels that each new phase
Is growth. And also she has some wise
opinions as to the public and what II most
wants in dancer. But of this later
"The Greeks undoubtedly subordinated
the body to the SOUL" explains Mrs. Russell.
Their dances were intellectual and their
interpretations left their spectators intel
lectually stimulated and in a state of soul
exaltation, but the modern audience of
highly educated, cultured people does not
thrill to the gentle simplicities of the Gre
clans. II demands more.
In college and when my babies were
81
dancing" says Mrs. Russell. my interpre-
tations were calm, and told their story in
an elegance and dignity of motion When
| danced felt no ecstacy of feeling, but
calm pleasure in the picture I presented.
In fact, i imagine that | felt rather like a
cold Greek marble come to life. / was al
ways conscious OF restraint and resented
the slow grace necessary to tell my story
1T was during my Grecian period that l.
hent over my children's cribs and tucked
them In at night. But as they grew so did
|, and in my struggles to express my grow
ing individuality | gradually changed nv
Wnole method OF dancing, and in so doing
called down much criticism on my poor
head from my family and friends.
But 1t was all because they did not
understand, she explained "If any one
should nave been OUTRAGED 1t was my hus-
band, put he upheld me in every way
You see. simply had to drop what call
my sour dances in order to develop my
body. Three years ago realized that to
pest express myself l must 60 in for the
Oriental or body Dances and there are peo-
pie In Cleveland who believe that such
dances are wicked and vicious am sure
that many OF these people expected me to
leave my home and husband, or that my
husband would forbid my taking up this
new work
But Mr.. Russell is thoroughly modern,
Mt least on the surface, and after we had
many long talks in which explained how
felt, why, he accepted the situation. My
impulse to dance controls my very life,
and 1t simply could not be thwarted."
From watching Mrs. Russell as she prac-
tees her intricate Oriental or body inter
pretafions it is easy to understand the
depth Of her convictions as to her need for
expressing what she calls her God-given
Individuality. She is fire and flame and
dizzying seductiveness that makes her
husbands first objections perfectly clear.
But Mrs Russell is emphatic in her state
ment that she is never conscious of her
physical self at all. 1t is art, to her the
very highest form of art, and affects her
no more than II she were painting a pic
ture' carving statue or writing book.