Evening star., 1952-07-02

VI I1AOACAANAy CAAOASAAS ~ PSAAOA AAAi
unhinged by the quality Of acting
Or, much more piquantly tn
might be Mia Slavenska's Ballet
Variante which transformed the
Olney last night into a classical
art center.
This was not precisely a one
way Transformation for, to tell
the truth, the Olney wrought a
change or two in the ballet. Both
are required to demonstrate a de-
gree Of adaptability. Since the
ballet is the much more straight
laced. the surprise Is that 1t ac-
complished the adjustment as well
as it did.
This 1t did 50 Interestingly that
Mile, Slvavenska. O resourceful
and imaginative ballerina, may
well hnd herself with one Of the
summers livelier touring attrac-
tionS on her hands. Olney Is the
3rst step on rather o long rural
theater tour which will end in
Maine under a later and more
3aded summer moon.
Summer theater ballet, as one
might expect. is basic. This is
to say that it is leaned down,
divested Of all but the indispens-
able trappings. Settings and
lighting are reduced to the port
able maximum, ensembles are
avoided In difference to dimin-
1Shed stage dimensions, and musi-
cal accompaniment SINNERS down
to two pianos.
Suddenly there is no forest to
obscure ones view Of the trees.
There is an intimacy between
audience and performers that
leaves both feeling that it may
take o few minutes for their shy
ness to wear of and q new friend
nness to make itself felt.
Since both groups at Olney's
opening performance last night
turned out to be agreeable, appre-
ciative humans, this happened
rather quickly. BY the time "The
Nutcracker Suite" arrived, the Sec
0nd item on the program, Mile.
Slavenska, Alexandra Danilova,
Frederick Franklin and the COM
pany had their old holds on the
customers affections.
incidentally, the customers out
numbered those of any previous
opening night at O1ney this sea-
son, indicating that the ballet's
grip is every bit as firm as winter
boxofice takes promised.
X y x 4
It is a talented. compact and
well-dressed company that Mile.
Slavenska has assembled for her
summertime tour.
For a first performance in a
new Milieu, it also undertook a
reasonably varied program al
though nothing like the scope of
the one contemplated for later in
the season when circumstances
will be less strange. Dances
ranged from the traditional classic
to the abstract through such con-
temporary f1avors as a spiritual
and a western considerably more
modern than the Hopalongs on
television.
Mile. Slavenska is choreographe1
of the first dance on the Olney
program. symphonic Variations,
a transformation of the music OF
Casar Franck into movement. As
performed last night by the basic
company. it had something of q
tentative quality as if the per-
formers were discovering the stage
while the audience was in process
of discovering what summer ballet
is like.
The first explosion Of enthusi.
asm was the Introductory appear.
ance of Nine. Danilova in the op.
ening of the "Nutcracker Suite.
Here was a familiar figure beckon'
ing everyone onto the familiar
ground of Tschaikowski's music
and Petipa's choreography. Thu
strangeness was over and deligh
moved in. AS a mood and show
case piece, it might be the bes
possible opening for the program
but this is something Mile. Slav
enska knows more about than an.
mere aiSle-Sitter.
Nine. Danilova is the dominan
figure, with Frederick Franklin, il
the ''Nutcracker." She dances it
Sugar Plum Fairy bit and the pa
de deux with Franklin and no on
could have been more warml
welcome. Unusual, and not appeal
ing to this spectator is the in