Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-04-06

\ off former dancer with iHVloWR anu
nov ballet master OF the Washington |
Op,ra Company. says that the most
promising progress in the art OF bal
let IL being made in this country.
France. Italy and Russia have had
their turns at being the centre of the
dancing stage. Mr.. Tchcrnikoff points
out. 1t was in France that the bal
let was fixed into its conventional form
almost four centuries ago when Louis
NV was patron OF the dance. For
some years this king and the more
supple members of his court took part
in elaborate ballets presented at
Versailles, and finally this dancing
monarch established a Royal Academy
OF the Dance to promote his favorite
art.
Dancers still describe their steps by
the terms fixed upon about this time.
Given list of such terms as elise,
assemble, ronde de jambe. arabesqus,
reverence, ballet dancers in different
countries would build practically the
same dance.
Dramas done In pantomime ana
French standard of what should be
good and bad form In ballet, gained
popularity throughout Europe. and IL
was not until n few decades ago that
the art was very much changed.
This time Russia was the innovator.
Russian dancers took tho conventional
technique OF the French ballet for
basis and Began 10 do radical and
beautiful things. They went out OF
the Russian schools and astonished
their audiences with great variety in
what was supposed to be a restricted
form Of the dance.
The Russian influence has been SO
strong that we have almost forgotten
that billowy tarletan skirt was once
the stock costume of a ballerina. Al
most any kind of dance-lndian.
Greek. oriental. Gypsy, pastorale-is
material for the modern ballet dancer.
The traditions of the ballet are not
lost. however. There is a difference,
Tor example. between the Greek dance
which an inspirational dancr might
create and the Greek dance of bal
lerina. She builds her interpretation
hf lpu1lubilOn VI IOSl~
tons of feet and hands which have
been found beautiful. The rhythmic, or
nature dancer finds such foundation
hampering TO the freedom OF the
dance. Her work is less restrained,
hut ballet devotees hold that it is apt
To be less artistic, since the dancer 5
emotions and ecstasy may not always
lead her TO take the most pleasing
poses.
The Ballet Russianl,ed.
Russia brosdened the horizon of the
ballet. But now it almost seems as If
Russia, as = country, is beginning &c
peter out in its dance offerings, due
partly at least to unsettled Russia n
affairs. The well known Russian
dancers are scattered. We are told
that Mordkin is conducting a ballet
in Moscow under the protection OF the
government there, but very little is
heard of his work. Nijinsky remains
an uncertain quantity. One report
has IL that he is dead, while another
saws that he has recovered from his
attack Of insanity and is now conduct
ing a ballet school in Switzerland.
Other members OF the Russian bal.
let are in this country dancing. pro.
Acing. and teaching. Still others are
wNking abroad in cubs like produc
tio(s which are attracting attention
AS novelty. Straight lines are {
feature Of these ballets. Stiffness o
Sosiiume is achieved by such device
as padding the shoulders with wood
Heads of wood built up in cubist lik
squares are sometimes worn. Tn
effect is heightened by geometry
riots OF color for costumes and set
tines. Music is of the futuristic typ
at it's best reminiscent Of Debussy
trife of key; at it's worst a capabl
imitation of the baby maltreating tn
old family piano. In this futuristi
atmosphere the dancers create bizarr
compositions. 1t il the latest phas
OF the Russian ballet. Mr.. Tcherniko
believes that it is a step to the sid
rather than an advance
America now has a chance to /
the center Of the stage, so far a
ballet is concerned" Mr.. Tcherniko
explains. That so many of tn
Russians are In this country workin
in different cities proves that Il
American people are interested in ii
art.
Whether America can add some
thing to the ballet, rs Russia did, r.
mains TO be seen. II is not easy
evolvs anything racislly charactel
istic out Of modern America becau
Of the melting pot atmosphere. The
are possibilities in the Indian dan
ing. however, and negro forms a
an almost untouched fold. The cal
walk and shutting steps and manne
isns Of the negro dances adapted +
ballet with suitable music and sc
tings would be very interesting.
There are American institution
too. that offer dance material. Fe
people would think OF a newspap
cartoon as the germ Of a ballet. y
Adoiph Bolm is doing a ballet Wi
specially written music. based on
newspaper comic sheet charact
called kraxy Kat"
But whether America adds any
its personality to the ballet or NJ
most OF the important ballet work
the near future will be done here. N
Tehernikoff believes. Ballet is featu
ed in operas. spectacular stage pr
auctions, vaudeville programs, and r
citals.
Ballet is popular. and yet. strange
enough. people know very little of
history or technique. Mr.. Tchernik
tells OF a series of recitals given
himself and several other dance
which We're accompanied by lectui