Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-08

WASHINGTON, D. c., April S.-Is
wv American ballet to be the next de-
velopment in the art of the dance i?
Paul Tchernikoff, former dancer with Paw
ton Opera company, says that the most
promising progress in the art of ballet is
being made in this country.
France, Italy and Russia have had their
turns at being the center of the dancing
stage, Mr.. Tchernikoff points out. It was in
France that the ballet was fixed into it's CON
ventional form almost four centuries ago
when Louis XIV was patron of the dance.
For some years this king and the more sup
pie members Of his court took part in elab-
crate 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 a
list of such terms as elise, assemble, ronde
de jamie, arabesque, reverence, ballet dane
ers in different countries would build prac-
tically the same dance.
Dramas done in pantomiTne and dance,
performed according to the French standard
of what should be good and bad form in
ballet, gained popularity throughout Europe,
and it was not until a few decades ago that
the art was very much changed.
This time Russia was the innovator. Rus
sian dancers took the conventional technique
of the French ballet for basis and began
to do radical and beautiful things. They
went out of the Russian schools and aston
ished 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. Almost any kind of dance
Indian, Greek, Oriental, Gypsy, pastorale-
is material for the modern ballet dancer.
The traditions of the ballet are not lost
however. There is difference, for example,
between the Greek dance which an inspira-
tional dancer might create and the Greek
dance of ballerina. She builds her inter-
pretation on foundation of technique-po-
sitons of feet and hands which have been
found beautiful. The rhythmic, or nature,
dancer finds such a foundation hampering
to the freedom of the dance. Her work is less
restrained but ballet devotees hold that it
is apt to be less artistic, since the dancers
emotions and ecstasy may not always lead
her to take the most pleasing poses
The Ballet Russianized
Russia broadened the horizon of the bal
let. But now it almost seems as il Russia, as
country, is beginning to peter out in it's
dance offerings, due partly at least to I'M
settled Russian affairs. The well-known Rus
sian 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 it that he is dead, while another
says that he has recovered from his attack
of insanity and is how conducting a ballet
school in Switzerland
Other members of the Russian ballet are
in this country dancing, producing and teach
Ing. Still others are working abroad in Gu
bist-like productions which are attracting at
tention as a novelty. Straight lines are a
feature of these ballets. Stiffness of costume
is achieved by such devices as padding the
shoulders with wood. Heads of wood built
up in cubist-like squares are sometimes
worn. The effect is heightened by geometric
riots of color for costumes and settings.
Music is of the futuristic type-at it's best
reminiscent of Debussy, trifle off key; at
it's worst capable imitation of the baby
maltreating the old family piano. In this flu
turistic atmosphere the dancers create BIZ
Zarre compositions. 1t is the latest phase of
the Russian ballet. Mr.. Tchernikoff believes
that it is step to the side rather than an
advance.
America now has chance to be the CEN
ter of the stage, so far as ballet is concern
ed, Mr.. Tchernikoff explains. THAT so many
Of the Russians are in this country working
in different cities proves that the American
people are interested in the art.
whether America can add something to
the ballet, as Russia did, remains to be seen.
It is not easy to evolve anything racially
characteristic out of modern America because
of the melting pot atmosphere. There are
possibilities in the Indian dancing, however,
and negro forms are an almost untouched
field. The cake-walk and shuffling steps and
mannerisms of the negro dances adapted for