Evening star., 1926-10-30
NJ u SIC
THE MORDKIN DANCERS.

The real Russian ballet, with all
its fascinating traditions, ts not often
seen in America in undiluted form IN
these days of many schools OF
rhythmic dancing. Pavlowa brings
it, but, then, Pavlowa's productions
are always Pavlowa first and the
ballet Russo second. Yesterday III
two performances at the washington
Auditorium, NIikhail Mordkln, VINO
first won American laurels 70 years
ago in the initial joint appearance
with Pavlowa at the Metropoitali
Opera House. laid those traditions III
beautiful expression at the 1eet OF
enthusiastic audiences. Oscar Wide
has said, Dances are the rarest but
the most beautiful flowers IN the
marvellous garden Of art" Mordk1n.
dancer, whose name stands high In
the group with Nijinski, BONN ana
F'okine, has taken that motto for his
company. -,
Carnival" his own ballet. with
music by List, Glazounoff, Scriabin,
Morssorgsky, Glinka. Tcherepnlns
and others, sounds this keynote OF
constantly unfolding beauty ana
blossoming into one lovely grouping
after another. With some OF the lead
ing dancers flaming to the stage from
the aisles of the theater the audience
itself was carried with swift. init.
mate hospitality into the color ana
frivolity that make this a delightful
number. AS Pierrot, Mordkin bur
dened himself unusually heavily with
the sorrows of unrequited love. vera
Nemtchinova was q more typlcai
Pierrette Hilda Butsova was an un-
usually graceful and alluring Colum.
bine and Pierre Vladimiroff, one or
the most graceful and talented OF
young man dancers, was convincing
Harlequin. AS the ridiculous. pom
pous old Marquis, Nicolai Zvereff was
excellent The infor1nality of the car
nival spirit was reflected in the dance
groups, solos and pas de deuX. Inc
true Russian spirit that blOomed III
the exotic flowers on the curtains
came through in costumes and rhyth-
mic accents even in dance numbers
supposed to have been originally sug-
gested by folk dances of other ma
tionalities.
In the afternoon advertisement was
featured a gay group of Russian
gypsies, a dainty butterfly. an inter
esting ballet version of Egyptian dane
ing, delicious humorous "Wanyka-
Tanyka" doll dance. by Mile. Marvin
and NJ Arshansky. the beautiful fire
DiTO nII1lDoT Ol IouISONd ttlltI
off, pas de bouquets, in which the
final ensemble work of the group Of
girls was especially effective. the Nor
wegian dance of Nemtchinova and
Mordkin--a whimsical version of what
is sometimes called Dutch dance, using
the wooden shoes as a vital adjunct
in the dance-and Melodie HebralQue.
an original example Of present-day in
depreciation In ballet OF the hosts who
clashed cymbols and danced rejoicing
with Miriam, the sweet singer of
Biblical days.
There We're also some numbers that
were repeated at night. Mile. Butsova
who did an unusually dramatic and
individual solo to beautiful minor
keyed music an Interpretation of the
dying sea gull found her number call
ed Souvenir of Moscow" in the after
noon and Spring" at night. yet so
beautiful and suited to the pathos of
the music was her dancing that no
one questioned for a moment or cared
about the incongruity of either title.
Vladimiroff also won personal laurels
with his dance classique. Mordkin's
we'll known Arrow Dance was much
applauded.
The "Trepak," another number on
both programs. is a splendid colorful
III VI huSSIdiL pCdottllL iIlSlIiCt Will
the subtlety of the Russ alone in both
the humor and realism of it's sugges-
tions. One young American girl,
whose dancing had unusual individ-
uality and who suggested a bit the
Ann Pennington of other days in her
buoyancy, sauciness and plump at
tractiveness was Miss Marvin, an
energetic and evidently gifted girl.
She had a solo and pas de deux in the
latter being particularly charming,
but even in the ensemble numbers the
writer found that more than one in
the audience was singing this girl out
for concentrated watching. 1t wouldn't
be surprising to find that in a season
or SO this young lady may have a
dance speciality in one OF the several
leading 'glorification" revues. Mile.
Courtney was another ensemble"
member who did especially interest
ing work.
In the night performance the East.
ern gorgeousne1s of theme and the
splendid work of Nemtchinova and
Butsova in leading roles of "Aziade,"
another of Mordkin's own choreo-
dramas, won, special enthusiasm. The
set with its Russianized orientalism
was particularly attractive. The
Chopin "choreographic etude," as
Mordkin calls 1t. with Butsova at her
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