Evening star., 1937-12-05

personnel, the limitless idealism with
which they attack their work, the
probability that here at last is the
nucleus of the first truly American
school of the dance.
Caravans" initial appearance was
one of the most ambitious, praise
worthy undertakings yet brought off
by the Community Center Depart
ment. which acted as sponsor for the
show last Wednesday. The per-
formance was not, technically, gem
of perfection, but it had spirit, orig
inality and a form which, while
insistently described as classic or
Russian by some of our colleagues.
is assumed by the dancers and
choreographers themselves to possess
strong American flavor.
Ballet dancing in this country will
not break outright with the ancient
traditions merely because of a group
like Caravan" In the first place,
being connected with the American
School of the Ballet in New York,
these dancers are under the Balanchine
influence, which, of course, is pre-
dominantly classical and Russian But
they have been permitted and en-
couraged to develop their own narra-
tives, to bring in new composers and
costume designers who are not hide
bound by conventional forms. to LIBERAL
toA haix ~, ,y, NJ, INV
Such shrewd librettists as Lincoln
KRISTEN and technical directors
like Lew Christensen and Eugene
Loring will yet bring to our native
tradition of the dance strength,
humor and originality, the qualities
needed to make the ballet significant
among American arts.
Consider the instance of Filling
Station" ballet now in work among
the Caravan" company. Can you
spot more American theme? Select
better setting for introducing Mac"
the garage man; Roy and Ray" the
truck drivers, flock of debutantes.
college boys, tourists with carloads of
screeching children and belligerent
wives, golfers on the way home from
the country club? And how about
Harlequin for President" satire on
elections, or the yet unwritten piece
the company plans to do with the
Mississippi steamboatin' days as a
background?
This stuff is alive, citizens, and
meant to stir your pulses far more
than some fancy ballet legend about
Yungblutzen, god of the non-union
mountain climbers, who has a deal
to sell a bale of eidelweiss to Schmitt-
haffen, who plays first gnome in the
Swiss yodeling club, but, because of
rising wind and fallen arches,
Yungblutzen cannot make delivery of
the eidelweiss on the date promised,
is saved from destruction only because
he has secretly courted and won the
heart of Minnie, the pride of Poppa
Schmitthaffens life. This sort of q
yarn may be great for the scholars
and for those who like to sleep through
their amusement, but give us Mac, Roy
and Ray for America.
OUR own local and Hollywood de-
partment borrowed principally
from the Associated Press, If you must
know: The Shan-Kar Hindu ball
let comes here on Thursday after
noon for . matinee at the National
at 4:30 "The Living Curtain"
almost 100 feet long, is one Of the
trick features Of the Hollywood Ho-
tel revue at Loew's Capitol this week
!. Since it has been announced that
the Abbey Players will remain in New
York until late January, there seems
little chance of their reaching Wash
ington before late February :. Bos-
ton gets the great Irish play-acting
company before we do !. Irving
Berlin recently went to Phoenix, Ariz.,
for an intended visit Of seven weeks,
during which time he was to finish