The Washington times., 1923-12-11
PAN TOM ES
TN DEBUT AT
GARRICK

Les Ballets Suedois," that
widely heralded group Of Swedish
dancers which has become almost
an institution at the Theatre des
Champs Elysees in Paris, and
which received considerable ac-.
claim during its short New York
season this fall, made it's first
local appearance at the Shubert
Garrick last night to a select but
moderately proportional audience.
Perhaps, it is only fair to state
that aside from its novelty Of
setting and presentation, to the
seasoned follower Of classic dane
ing it offers comparatively little
that is new and only q small por-
ton Of it's program is devoted to
what could be termed dancing
that could be considered typical
OF that of Sweden.
But it is equally fair to add
that every member Of the organi-
zation is dancer Of skill and.
ability, giving ample evidence OF
intensive training over a period OF
years a lifetime perhaps, as was
true Of the members OF the I'm
perial Russian ballet. Names OF
course mean little in the case of
an organization SO new to this
side OF the world and the cast is
composed Of more than q score of
dancers Of both sexes, yet 1t
seems that Jean Borlir, who in.
addition to being responsible for
arrangements and choreography
of the entire presentation, fairly
dominates by reason Of his con-
sumate skill and grace as s.a
dancer. Considerable credit is
also merited by Mile. Ebon Stran-
{ din. Klara Kjellblad, Greta Lund-
berg and N. Kaj Smith and Poul
] Eltrop.
The presentation consisted OF
three long numbers and q series
of eight advertisements but the
outstanding novelty was found in
Within the Quota, which.
strangely enough is of American
origin. Its background is starti-
ing, consisting OF q huge drop
representing the front page of 8
typically metropolitan newspaper
with flaming headlines Before.
this comes Jean Berlin as g. new
ly-landed Immigrant, gaudily cos
TUNED In his Sunday-best and
burdened with q telescope bag
and other sundries, not forgetting
a taWdry accordion. What fol-
lows is realization Of his pre-.
conceived notions Of the new land.
First, the bejeweIled millions
nairess. . then the .'colored gentle
man. In minstrel array, Jazz
baby" from the cabaret and the
whooping, shooting cowboy, real
stWo-gun man" or the films. But
each adventure is interrupted by
the intrusion OF reformer in
the successive guises OF social
uplift worker, a prohibition agent
or a sheriff, until the finale when
Americas Sweetheart, long
known to him through the me-
dunn Of the photopIay. with
golden locks and sticky smile,
appears and takes him to her
arms while the camera grinds on.
Thus he is aasimilatedi
"Marchand D'Oiseaux," or "The
Bird Metchant," was the outstand-
ing typica1ly Swedish number,
permitting the introduction of
various folk dances in the un.
winding of an interesting legend,
while LES Vierges FoIles'' or
The Foolish Virgins" revealed
the Biblical parable In a Scanda-
navian guise.
The advertisements proved the
most entertaining of the whole.
A large orchestra, cramped In
the necessarily limited space al
loted in this theater, performed
splendidly under the direction of
M. Vladimir Golschmann.
IT. is to be regretted that
Homme ct Son Desir," OF which
80 much has been heard, was not
included In the current repertoire,
but this may have been due to
the physical limitations of the
Garrick,s stage. AFRO.