Evening star., 1938-03-06
Ballet Russo
Tops Dance
Programs
Famed Dancers
Appear With
Orchestra.
By Robert B. Phillips, J.

- musical events of the week,
Of course, will be the appear
ance OF Col. w. de Basil's
Ballet Russo with the National SYM
phony Orchestra at Constitution Hall
on Tuesday afternoon. The company
will present half a dozen numbers,
several of them with choreography
by Michel Fokine, Bronislava Min
ska. David Lichine and other leaders
in the modern ballet. Trina Baro-
nova, Paul Petroff, Alexandra Da-
nilova. Tatiana Riabouchinska and
other foremost members of the bal
lets in its past four seasons will ap-
pear here with the company.
The full program is listed in TO-
days music page
This will be, of course, the high
point OF the year for admirers of
the classical ballet, as opposed to
the leaner. more angular forms of
the modern dance.
BECAUSE headlines made it inn
possible for us to offer a timely
account of the dance recital given
by Eleanor Struppa and her college
dance group last Saturday night, We
print here few facts about this
young dancer and teacher The in
formation was assembled by Helen
Fetter Cook, who publicized the per-
formance given by Miss Struppa and
tn young ladies from Randolph-Ma
con Woman's College, and the opin-
ions were collected from various per-
sons who witnessed the show.
Mrs. Cook writes:
Eleanor Struppa. while of italian
ancestry, is thoroughly American
girl-born and reared in Columbus,
Ga, and a graduate from both Ran
dolph- -Macon's Womans College and
Columbia University in New York City.
She began dancing when quite small
and had her first thorough founda-
ton in Chalif's classical method.
Then she studied under Emily
Hewitt and Martha Graham in this
country and under Mary Wigman in
Dresden. Germany. and Harald Kreutz-
berg in Austria. It was in 1929 that
Miss Struppa returned to her alma
mater to introduce modern dance
technique in the physical education
department of Randolph Macon Wom-
ans College. The group of girls she
brought with her to Washington is
composed mostly Of seniors who have
been working with her several seasons
and are qualified for concert tour
work She also holds extensive classes
In the Summer.
Miss Struppa has studied native
Indian dances and also the national
dances of Mexico. She grew up with
the Negro life of the far south as part
Of her background and also has stud
led the Gullah Negroes of the east
coast. Therefore, it was no wonder
chat the outstanding number of her
program presented before a capacity
audience at Wardman Park Theater
last week was Negro Revival AL
though those skilled in the special
knowledge required for audiences to
comprehend the so-called modern
dance could, and did. enjoy the tech
nical equipment required for Social
Cycle and satiric dances, the audi
ence in general responded apprecia-
lively to Negro Revival with its vivid
picturing of the despair and exalta-
ton typical of the colored race when
absorbed in religious observances.
"The unusual addition of Lucille
Barrow Turner, contralto, profession
ally well known especially for her
own work In adapting authentic folk
songs of the south, and her group of
six young singers, in giving prayer and
spirituals as vocal background for
the dancers. assisted greatly in de-
veloping the atmosphere of the dance
drama.
The entire program was particu-
larly interesting from the point of
view of showing how the modern dance
technique, using. truly American
themes for its dances. is being carried
into college groups and, through
them. to audiences which might not
attend the programs of the outstand-
ing professional dancers at concert
halls.
Miss Struppa's program was a
benefit for student loan fund for
Washington girls attending Randolph
Macon Woman's College"