Evening star., 1942-06-19
War Is Robbing Ballet
OF Silk Hose, ,Spang|es,
Gambare||i Discovers
But Fomous Donseuse,
So'oist Here Tonight,
Curries on Her Art


A half hour of the National
Symphony Orchestra concert at
the Potomac Water Gate tDiH be
broadcast by Station WMAL from
8 to $50 o'clock tonight.
War has affected the ballet as 1t
has all other aspects Of American
life. according to Maria Gambarelli.
prima ballerina of the Metropolitan
Opera Company, scheduled to dance
tonight as soloist with the National
Symphony Orchestra at the water
gate at $3.50 O'Clock.
The traditional long silken hose
of the ballerina have had to give
way to a f1shnet material because
of the silk shortage. The f1shnet,
however, may have to yield to still
another substitute because it con-
tains rubber. Further, the spangles,
long cherished by ballet dancers,
are getting more rare daily because
they contain gelatin, used for war
purposes.
The war has given Miss Gam
bareui what she considers fine
experience in dancing for men at
Army camps. They are" she said,
even more appreciative of the
classic ballet than the average
civilian audience. At Fort Mon
mouth, New Jersey, for example,
1000 soldiers asked for encore after
encore of the classical dances. When
I did The Dying Swan which I
am doing tonight, the men were so
quiet you could hear a pin drop"
They may be tired of the jazzier
shows, Miss Gambarelli thinks.
They may also be tired of girl
shows" because they showed no
disappointment when she arrived
alone at an Army camp in Alabama.
The advance advertising had led
the soldiers to believe that there
would be complete corps de ballet.
Workouts Arduous.
The finished performance of a
dancer may transport the audience
to etheral realms of beauty, but the
daily routine of dancer, Miss Gam
barelli says. is an arduous workout.
After all. dancing requires the
most perfect physical condition" I"
she said with her expressive ges-
lures. "One has to be a slave to
daily two-hour practice, at least.
Then in my case I get at least nine
hours and preferably 10 hours
sleep night. I eat not just what I
want but the food that will give me
the most energy and keep me fex-
ible."
Miss Gambarelli does not smoke.
for. as she explained:
When do a dance like Snow
make / must have enough breath to
last me for four minutes at full
speed. whirling and whirling
around"
The compensation for her rigid
nealth and practice regime, said
Miss Gambarelli, is that you feel
you have brought some happiness to
Others" ---o'' "
Tonight as soloist with the No
tlonal Symphony under GUY Fraser
Harrison's baton, Miss Gambarelli
VIII dance to what she considers
the best classical" jazz compost
tlon, George Gershwin's 'Rhapsodv
in Blue" She also will do her semi.
satirical. THE Gay Nineties." the
full title CT which she saws is INV
Day in $780," because it portrays
the main preoccupation of the
woman Of that time-that of win
ming a wedding ring from a willing
or unwilling male" On the more
serious side she will do THE Diving
Swan" made famous by Paylowa
who gave Gambarelli a pair Of bal
let slippers shortly before her
death inscribed ITO my logical sue
cessor"
Has Not Worn Slippers.
Asked whether she had ever worn
the slippers of the late artists, Miss
Gambarelli said, "Oh, no, I should
be afraid of wearing them out"
Miss Gambarelli was apprenticed
by her Italian-born parents to the
ballet school of the Metropolitan
Opera Co. at the age of 7. At 10
she became member of the COM
pany's ballet. At IL she was given
a trial by Pavlowa. At 13 she was
chosen ty Roxy" as his premiere
danseuse at the Capitol and Roxy
Theaters. At the latter she organ
lied the "Roxyettes." Following q
tour with her own ballet in Paris
and London, and engagements at
Radio City, New York, and ir
Hollywood in three movies, Miss
Gambarelli became premiere dan
seuse of the Metropolitan.