The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-10-25
Nv EMMA REID RYALL

M At CCH interest is being displayed
IWIi by the music lovers Of the city
SVS in the coming of the Isadora
Duncan dancers on Thursday eve
ming at the jefferson theatre under the
auspices of the Music Study club
The idea of a new-or rather a new
old-art of dancing had its inception
in California Here. it was that isa-
dora Duncan gave her first public per-
Torrance. 1t Immediately created
storm Of discussion. Followers there
were but only among those who saw
in this new creation of beauty, deep
and far-reaching significance denied
to the superficial decriers.
But this young American was not
to be so easily turned from her course.
She would try New York, and she came
on. filled with an enthusiasm mat
carried her on wings. In her devotion
to her ideal. she suffered all the mis-
cry ridicuie and deprivations so IA
miliar to the apostles of the new in
any art 1t was abroad that she re-
ceive.. the real impetus of appreclatiou
which caused her name to be blazone3
throughout the artistic centers of Eu-
rope as the herald of great truth
Later she conceived the idea OF
founding school for giving TO this
rev art a permanent hold on the fu-
ture Guided by an unfailing instinct
which she found hard to define. she
searched out. found in various cities OF
the continent. six little children who
fulfilled her ideals as to working ma
terial for a beautiful and sane gro WITH
of body and mind. Her first school
was established at Gruenwald, small
hamlet on the outskirts of Berlin. Here
the six children. ranging from four TO
seven years. were trained in the purely
natural dance-trained to express SIM
ply the emotions of JOY and sorrow
conveyed TO them by the music
Their little bodies were trained 10
follow physical regime which would
give to them health and vigor of NINA
as we'll while at the same time, they
were trained to absorb the beauties OF
art. in sculpture. painting and music
only the highest and best was the
slogan. 1t was an ideal existence, un-
der which the little tots thrived Later
Miss Duncan bought the beautiful sew
enteenth century chateau at Bellevue,
near Paris. where she founded her
"Dionysian," as she called it. This is
a gray stone building. built on high
cliff. overlooking the Seine. 1t Is
perfect type of the medieval manor and
even boasts of an oubliette, sinister re-
hinder of the days when sensibilities
We're not so acute as to prison re-
form.
Miss Duncan's Dionysian soon be-
came the rendezvous of the elite in
art and letters. Rodin the sculptor,
Sarah Bernhard. Eleanor Duse, JAG
CUES Thibaud, and many other famous
people were wont to come out to visit
this unique school and take tea in the
spacious, high ceilinged drawing room.
or out on the terrace overlooking the
river.
Up to the outbreak of the war, Miss
Duncan and the six young Duncan
dancers lived there. When. however,
the need for hospitals became SO vital
for the hundreds of wounded beng
sent into Paris. Miss Duncan turned
her home over to the Red Cross. Here,
as many as 200 have been cared for,
and Miss Duncan's noble generosity is
RENE mbered in hundreds of homes
AT present, the girls are touring
the United States. They will travel
as far as the coast next season and
play in all the most important cen
tiers of the west. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to attempt to describe their work.
OF ita kind it stands alone. and to wit
ness this revival of natural art, is to
he inspired by the enhancing beauty
Of this new -old idea.