OCR Text |
Show I )mo Poetical te a 1 Russian Dans 1 5!fp-' ft x iK..hiSr .?! t ' operas." as her lnturprtta- ' , C Jfrk y ejlHm iSBwC eHMeL jflp 4 7 MflMK tlon musk has been fittingly ...-. .- , . VI gtw fjjBHBKMtL il' HW l' termed. And that she will continue H 'TV1'! f & "Cv 'feyifi- "T'W'n 4$ v to do so f .- lome time is most prob- "" " '" " M J "Pavlowa of the poetic toes!" I "Pavlowa, the Incomparable!" H Also "Pavlowa, the tempesfu- 1 ous'" For. whimper, Pavlowa has - .,J! a tamper. ';J Honest? . B WelL of course, we are merely relying on what we are told, be- ;.o3 causo we must admit that when J8 ever wo have sr-en the handsome. HHJ graceful dansuc?e, she has lm- jiA pressed us as charming, not to say entrancing, but, again, of course, jl our acquaintance has never been :&1 Intimate. And In further cxplana- s'j tion, albeit It is arguing In favor Hj of our premise, the only authority ' we have In the negative is her prcs- :-'-m nt manager, and, well enough ve Bald, v j But lot us be charitable for the SfjHti nonce, and pass from the discussion of the beautiful Russian exponent I of the art of Terpsichore's tempera- ' ment to her art. And hero there I can be naught but praise. Pavlowa "J Is a dancer. In fact, to use tbe x vulgar, but expressive slang of the .J day, she Is "some" dancer. If you " ; don't believe It. Just listen to what a New York critic recently Indited. i And Just In parsing it might be "1 pertinent to remark that praise J from a New York critic makes it S permissible to Introduce a bromtu.; Tfj and say that It Is a "rara avis." ..fl But there is nothing bromldical HL In Pavlowa'a dancing To q iote 3 once-popular song, "Every Little , Movement Has a Meaning All Its if Own." She Is the dansueso pre- vj eminent But we were going to HI tell you what this famous New jjl York critic had to say about Pav- ' Iowa (all New York critics are fa- Tgl moiis, you know). "U'oll, this New York critic had this to say; "Anna Pavlowa returned yester-gi yester-gi day to the stage of the Metropolian Metropoli-an n Opera House, and the large 3 audience which greeted her in the at afternoon and evening realized j3 that since her departure the stige I 11, of that theater has never known m her equal. Other and famous , sjjl dancers have been there and It has r3 Meraed in the absence of the ex-M ex-M qulsltely Imaginative and poetic M naiad that flew over the stage yes- terday as 1f there might be In the - 9 recollection some exaggeration of aj her unique charm and skill. But H i that thought was quieted the mln-jM mln-jM ute the Russian premiere appeared M; en the stage and with M Novlkoff IB: danced the opening phrases of a , 9 Chopin nocturne. Truly Pavlowa Hp Is Incomparable. , ; jjnj "No other woman ever translated SB the soul of music Into movement m& and pose, made imagination and Hp poetry appeal to the eye through H grace of action and beauty of ges- J ture. as she does. Her techincal fa- ; H clllty never seems to serve any oth- H r purpose than her art. Mere vir- , H tuosity for its own sake Is not no 'VH tlced. The conquest of more tech-nlcal tech-nlcal difficulties seems to have been VyH Ignored, so little does its mcchan- '.JH leal perfection figure in her danc- . 'HJ ing. One looks beyond that detail of .-Hj her art to delight In Its emotional iij.H expression. For it is, after all, the ""Jfl revelation of a rare and poetic na- 7' fjB ture that this unique artist offers in I 'Hi addition to everything else in the fr-H, world that any other dancer of her jffi'H1 time has been able to give to the -lW public. It may be quite posslblo for ;;jcH a ballet girl to be a poet and not give It expression by any other kHI means than thoso habitually cm- 9 ployed In her art. ART IS ENHANCED. SH BY SLIGHT PAUSES. PH "One admired and wondered S2 more than ever yesterday at the HjHl subtle and secondary pause which HHH comes as the climax of every ex- H hlbltion of Mme. Pav Iowa's skill. It JJH 1 as if she was arrested for a scc- HjHV ond by the ringer of Apollo, who H9HB reached down at tho swiftest and most difficult or most graceful mln-ute mln-ute of her flight that the world V might gaze at Its ease for the space 1 ( of a Eccond at this divinity of the HJ dance and lose no trace of the mes- HH, ige of beauty which she brings. HH In her duet with M. Novlkoff in the HHH Fantatle Orlentale" and in her solo waltz In "Une Soiree de Danse." this trait of her dancing delighted de-lighted the spectator? There la a second of hesitation which expresses ex-presses as none of her other characteristics char-acteristics tho irresistible perfection of lt beauty. As he light centers on one facet of a gem when it is for a second stationary, so this elequent pauio of Mme. Pavlowa reveals the deepest beauties of her art to thu public. 'There was no opportunity to exhibit ex-hibit among her tours de forces the baffling backward step which used to come always at tho end of thu first act of "Cop pel la," but her mastery mas-tery of tho backward turn with the irresistible glance over the shoulder was as wonderful as ever. Tho music of tho first r.umbcr "Una Soiree de Danse," was from thu compositions of Chopin, so the audience au-dience saw her in the custoary full skirts of white tulle, longer than those worn by most dancers. It was her exquisite dancing which alono appealed to the audienco hero. But in 1 Fantaale Orlentale" there was a deeper dramatic significance in all she did, as she was the Oriental enchantress and there was some sort of action in the episode.' And this mention of Novikoff Just brings us right ack to the subject that wo have been trying to avoid, to-wit: the discussion of temperament. tempera-ment. And, now, before we go into It, we want to ask you again to remember re-member that her present manager says that the reports of its terap-estuosity terap-estuosity Is greatly exaggerated and in fairness to tho great llttlo woman we will tell Just how he says so later on. But, . of course, a quick temper has never been entirely dissociated from beauty and art. In fact, tho reverse more frequently has been the case. History would make It appear that the most beautiful and graceful woman in tho world havo the worst tempers. Cleopatra was no meek and humble damsel, nor Helen of Troy, nor Mme. Pompadour, Pompa-dour, nor was Venus if our lore Is correct without a will of her own. Then is It a matter of wonder won-der if the most graceful creaturo on earth at the present moment puts It all over other women when it comes to showing a little bit of temper? Well, then hero is what has been said anent Pavlowa's temper by one who claims to know whereof ho speaks: "For two solid years, every nlsht, she had a fight with Mlkall Mord-kln, Mord-kln, her partner. Sometimes a quarrel resulted from so small on occurrence as Mordkin's breathing a little too heavily in the dAnaeuse'e shcll-llkc ear. Sometimes It ensued from a wrong step or from a whispered whis-pered suggestion. MORDKIN SUMS PAY LOW A AND WIN'S. "But whatever th-j cause, for two years audiences enjoyed the unusual un-usual spectacle of nlshtly open die-cord die-cord between these two stars. Finally Mordkln got disgusted and sued Pavlowa and won, even though tho lovely Russian appeared in court in her moat fetching gowns and beautiful furs. "Then she danced with N"IJlnsk and got on fine at first, but that ended In a lawsuit, too. "She and Novikoff had planned a new oriental dance together The audience was wild with enthusiasm, Pavlowa was in her best spirits, and peace beemed to brood over the stage. "Suddenly, without warning or reason, to the audience at least, Pavlowa turned on Novlkoff like a tigress. She lifted her hand and gave him a stinging blow on the shoulder. Novikoff, who is tho soul of good humor, looked at her and then immediately left th stage. Pavlowa walked off from the other side. "The stage was empty and tho people In the stalls smiled In amusement and whispered tales of previous quarrels that the dancer had had with Mordkln. "The orchestra played to an empty stage, and after quite a wait, Pavlowa came on again and danced two solos. Novlkoff refused to come back. "The next day he voiced himself freely and frankly of his opinions. " 'Pavlowa is without doubt the most graceful artist on the stage,' he conceded, 'but she also has the worst temper of any human being. She is almost a tiend sometimes, and her anger seems Insane. You never know when you are working with her if she won't suddenly claw your eyea out. I feel as sure with her as IT I were on the edgo of a volcano, or as if I were backed up against a tree with a tigress about to spring on mo. When things go well there is no partner on earth with whom one can dance so easily, ao spiritually, but tho continual fear of her anger nearly kills the Joy of the dance.' "Now. why is It? Why, when there are beauty, grace, charm and art, must there always bo temper? Why can't genius bo cool and calm and peaceful instead of (lying Into tantrums every time a pin Is dropped ? '"Look at the brilliant people you y j ' ''L' former dancing partner, ' iP Mordkin. know. Haven't they all violent, headstrong tempers? "It seems a pity one of the most graceful women an earth couldn't please tho heart as much np she pleases tho eye and be perfection Instead of near-perfection." So it would appear that Pavlowa, loveliness itself, Just can't got along ith anybody for very long; that, gifted with beaut-, charm and art. she is chleftalness of the "Order of Blckerers." On the stage she 13 considered the most graceful of artists: "Pavlowa of the Poetic Tots!" A zephyr is not as light as sho. She Is like a summer cloud. Who would think she has Huch an awful temper Yet, we are told such is the case and that now she has to dance solos But let us hear the other side of the story. You remember we promised It to you. We will quote from another writer, who takes tho opposite point of view and beside? quoting her present manager to show she Is of an angelic disposition, disposi-tion, given us some Interesting observations ob-servations of her own anent the great danseuse's art and temperament tempera-ment from personal contact. Incidentally In-cidentally we might mention thnt this latter Is a woman while the firs: writer Is a man. We will not attempt to discuss the question from this standpoint, however, but rather leave It to you to argue out with your wife, or husband, or sweetheart. Suffice that we record her statement. CALL HF.R HEROINE. OF HER MANAGER, "If no man la a hero to his valet,' what petted dancer of two hcmlpsheres Is a heroine to her manager'" she asks. And she answers: "Mile. Anna Pa Iowa," Then continues: " "She Is child, weman and ar-tlete, ar-tlete, In turn and all at onco, and the most charming of women to manage,' ho told me. "She sat near us, a slender woman wom-an In black velvet, sallow of skin and not at all pretty, but with eyes so vivid and so penetrating that they are to her face what her toes are to her dancing, the transmuting transmut-ing vehicle of an Inward fire "Only her eyes scorn to belong to the Pavlowa of the stage, always glancing about with tho Quickness of a bird and always holding you subject to her thought, Sho was quito without paint or powder and never uses It except as a part of her stapo costuming. "Unlike most artists, Pavlowa never takes a vacation. " 'I cannot afford to,' she smiled. 'I must work for hours of evory day. If I would keep at my best.' It is difficult to associate work and her exquisite butterfly dunce, which eecms tho lightest of fan- tagleSi but even the flutter of her marvelously flexible lingers is a thing of constant endeavor. She looks so frail and is such a tiny woman, scarcely weighing 10 0 pounds, that It seems Incredible to find her taking almost no rest and little fresh air. "When I asked her if she never tired of cTanclng, if she never felt the need of repose, sho answered, I rest, hut to continue working, work Is life, and without It I should not care to live. I dance before a mirror or with my ballet master, hours of every day, Mile., you may believe me when I bay that I lovo it. " 'I havo no time for play. I y ' l no time for anything but dancing danc-ing not even to marry, for then my husband and my children would have all the right to my care. "Perhaps you are a U ffra gist," I suggested She laughed aloud, turning turn-ing to her manager, who laughed with her. "No, I have no time even to think of what I am, except that I was born .and bred a dancer. And even though I live In London, the hotbed of the feminist rebolllon. It Is no nearer to me. dancing before the mirrored walls of my salon, than It is to you livlac here in America. Perhaps less HSb t HJHgnPffHJBK near, for when bu go to London you have the lime and the Interest to give ro suffrage demonstrations " While we talked, the Inevitable "camerade" of the traveling actress, the tiny being who seems almost humanly to represent father, mother and children to the entire prcu'efcslon, came creoping out from under a soat in the dressing room "This time he was a Pekinese and his name was Pochonka Ho leaped Into his mistress lap and she petted him absently as she talked. "You do not know, perhaps, that I have danced since I was 10 and that now I am 29 years old. In Russia the court dancers are pensioned pen-sioned at Z2, but I hope to dance many years yet. I could not bear the thought of stopping." Sho was silent fop a moment, then, looking up from her "peu de reve." she said: "I am glad that this country likes the decorations of I.oon Bakst in the Orlentale He has done a great deal to bring Russian ballet to it? present perfection, both -in backgrounds and in the very marvelous distribution of costume coloring We like him to be appreciated, appre-ciated, to be understood." So Lher you are as regards this great woman's temper, But It Is of little matter to us who do not havw to dance or associate Intlmatelv with her whether her temper Is angelic an-gelic or demoniacal, If Bhe will only continue to entrance us with her 'ocular operas." as her interpretation interpreta-tion of music has been fittingly termed. And that she will continue to do so for some time is most probable prob-able for she atlll la a young woman and It will be tome years before Father Time shall steal away her beauty or her skill. While her attire Is exceedingly scanty on the stage as befits her - lassleal interpretations, off the stage Pavlowa insists upon rich and heavy fabrics that slink about her feet and beyond that the leaves modes to Luclle. In Paris, who is her dressmaker "I insist only that thev shall be loose and simple," she said. Her dressing room is the scene of much that was amusing and not a little that was serious business. Her danchp master, various members mem-bers of her ballet company, her conductor, her maid and her manager man-ager al! revolved around her, demonstrating dem-onstrating tho fact that there is a larco business side to dancing as well a3 the esthetic appeal to the ej e. |