Evening star., 1948-08-08
Ballet Music
from the Pen

A CANDLE FOR ST. JUDE

N S<A4N1G NAs oA' oS1
BY Runner Golden. Viking
Press; $2.75.)
Runner Godden's slight, charming
novel about a tense little Londor
school ballet troupe on the eve Of
a gala anniversary performance
could be danced as we'll as read
The characters are all sharply, il
not deeply, defined; in their worlo
of illusion they fall into attitudes
that are naturally dramatic. Ano
they act out a pretty, whimsical
tale of merit confounding spite ane
improvisation routing circumstance
1t needs only the proper music.
The star of her little divertisse.
ment is Anna Holbein, the imperi.
Gus directress of the Ballet Holbein
a retired prima ballerina OF the
great Russian tradition who cajoles
threatens and shames her pupils
into some of the perfection which
she achieved herself during her
years of international triumphs
Her reveries of the glories OF her
youth would make superb solo for
some great classicist like Danilova
Candles for Causes.
Madame's foil is her huttering
devout, hand-wringing sister-in-
law, Ilse, who lights candles for
causes which madame likes to deal
with on the natural level. Ilse also
provides the title of the book-or
the ballet.
The conflict of the drama arises
from madame's reluctance to step
aside for the one pupil who chal-
lenges her position. In Hilda, the
gifted 17-year-old
madame recognizes some Of her own
youthful fire. But she has decided
to dislike Hilda, preferring the
docile. golden technically perfect
Caroline, who, as madame says, is
like meadow. Caroline, too, is
jealous of Hilda, whose daring
original ballet, "Leda and the
Swan madame-the artist con-
quering the woman-decrees at the
11th hour will be presented on the
jubilee program.
With madame's decision comes a
great rush onstage. The bleary-
eyed designer is piled with coffee
and Establishments. The sour mu-
sical director is set to scoring the
parts of the music. Students
frantically paint scenery. Madame
directs, demands, SCOTS, falnts.
There are tears, temperament, vio-
lent exits. AL is furious creScendo
only by tender pas de
deux between Hilda and the daz-
zling, opportunistic lion, who is
Caroline's partner and, she thinks,
her personal property.
Poignant Theme.
Threaded through these tantrums
and crises is the poignant theme OF
little woebegone Lollie, with the
double -edged smile and the empty
stomach who has absorbed ma
danes dedication to the dance. She
scuttles around the edges of the
main excitement borrowing" some
one else's tunic against her great
moment before the screen im-
presario who needs child for a
ballet Aim.
The story is over before the cur
tain rises. Yet so complete is Miss
Godden's presentation of another
world that it seems like play with
in a play. She writes with a cool
finish and precision that is marred
only by her insistence on suggesting
madame's accent by using "oll" and
''ollways," when idiom would have
served as well. 1t is all as light and
bright as an evening at the ballet.
Miss Golden, of course, enjoys a
reputation as the
writer of equally atmospheric but
more subtle novels such as BLACK
Narcissus" and Breakfast With the
She seems merely to be
herself with this one. Her
readers, especially ballet lovers, will
doubtless join her, M. MEG.