Evening star., 1955-06-14

Oub VI 1tC Q1oA44GA AAASAANo Nv Se
up to last nights fair but cooish
weather in excellent health and
spirits.
"It's like having measles,
chicken pox and other childhood
diseases = best to have them
young" Miss Ambrose took a
cheerful view Of it all at lunch
con yesterday. For the rest of
the engagement, I understand,
the weather is to be as agreeable
as it has been heretofore dis
agreeable"
The Canadian dancers, Miss
Ambrose says, are every bit as
Admiring of the high-hearted-
ness Of Washington audiences as
the latter of the former.
They're angels. these people. 2"
says Miss Ambrose Of local ballet
lovers, an expression that would
make a great quote in a travel
folder about the charms Of
Washington.
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Despite the fragility Of ballet
dancers garb, only two colds
have turned up among the visi-
tors and these. ironically, among
staff members and not the per-
formers. Miss Ambrose herself
has one of the two colds. sug-
getsing perhaps that artistic
directors Of ballet companies
have less time to keep in a germ
resistant physical condition.
Whatever wear and tear the
weather has inflicted, until it
turned blander and more be-
guiling last night. has been
where 1t might logically be ex-
pected to fall.
This would be the company's
costumes. These are much more
fragile than the people who
wear them, Miss Ambrose says,
and they not only have grown
limp. but actually have become
mud-spattered. II was up until
$50 this (Monday) morning.
not with the dancers, but their
costumes" she explained. But
I think we shall be quite pre-
sentable."
~ 4
The Canadian visitors who, by
the way, are representative of
all Canada although headquar-
tered in Toronto, have found
their Washington date more ex-
citing because of the weather.
They are young enough-average
age 21--to find adverse condi-
tions dramatic and adventurous.
Sunday night (the really
rainy one)." Miss Ambrose says,
"the perils Of getting another
wetting or falling in the re-
mains Of the latest one, put a
wonderfully excited expression
on the faces Of the company. !
think they were really enjoying
themselves every minute wonder
ing what would. or could, happen
next. It gave the performance
q special quality, the one touch
Of nature making the whole
world kin sort Of thing"
OF the several falls, the mos
dramatic, on stage at least, was
that Of James Ronaldson in the
"Offenbach in the Underworld
ballet. At his entrance, just be.
fore the can-can number, Dancer
Ropaldson spied colleague David
Adams leaping as If the stage
were suddenly perfect again. Al
his own first equivalent, but over.
confident. leap. Ronaldson went
sprawling.
what he didn't know" Miss
Ambrose says, "is that David
had found what was perhaps
the one dry spot on the stage
and was sort Of celebrating the
discovery"
Did the company mind, We
asked Miss Ambrose, that il
was forced to share the reviews
with the weather: it, of course
getting the favorable ones?
How could it have been other
WISE" she countered, with the
weather so inevitably q part oi
the performance"
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Miss Ambrose who Is one o1
the worlds great, and certainly
the liveliest and keenest looking
authorities on the dance is also
pleased that the company's en-.
gagement has been extended 9
day. Or a night. This will take il
through next Sunday at the am.
phitheater, and make up fol
the one "rain-out," on last Sat.
urday night.
This, naturally enough, Is not