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Show 1 FORM PLAYERS K I G0MIIU6 TO THIS m COUNTRY R " I Tne lateat report to JohnBrown, gB ' ' business comptroller of the Metro- m 1 ' 4 polltan Opera Company, brings the tfjU news that the principals and other 19 -' members of the Serge de Dlaghllew ell f Imperial Ballet Russi are assembling fill ' on the shores of Le Geneva, at Lau- jjll ' sanne, and that rehearsals are taking IfjjB ) Place there preparatory to the troupe's ffUIIlfw' IeavlnC for America next fall for an niHal" enSaeement at the Metropolitan Op- II liS 1I1K era House and a tour of the United II iH a States- llliHv ' Switzerland, besides preserving its ll iH ' iliical neutrality during the present i ! jSli international situation, is also doing iiiilli I its utmost to preserve the artistic neutrality for the European continent. It has become a veritable haven of refuge for artists, musicians and others oth-ers who are endeavoring to continue their work despite the raging of battles bat-tles about them. Nljlnski, Karsavina, Fokine and Fo-klna Fo-klna are coming from different places. The land which Justifiably might be termed the carrier of European culture cul-ture at present has opened Its arms for them, and here on the edge of the SwIbb lake they go through the ballets, bal-lets, which have already caused a consistent con-sistent sensation for five years in "Europe. Stravinsky, too, the ultra modern Russian composer, who wrote the music for the ballet "Petrouchka," which will be Included in Jho American Ameri-can repertoire, Is near at 'hand at Morges, so that' he may be at the beck and call of the director, Dlaghl-I lew, under whom the troupe is re-i hearsing, should new compositions for' any of the ballets be desired. The personnel of the ballet is a peculiarly pe-culiarly happy condition as regards military duty In Russia, for owing to the official connections of DIaghllow those members of the ballet liable to I military duty have received dlspensa- I tlon from the authorities. This is i perhaps because Russia regards the ' ballet as an Important factor In spreading Its artistic Influence, and the freeing from military duty of Its members is no doubt in keeping with this view. Travel, in these times a difficult matter, will be made easier because Of thp Vffa oYnorlonKo THirlllnTi hn. had in taking his whole troupe throughout Europe, and even to South America. And in this respect, too, the personal reputation and influence of Diaghllew will do much to obviate what otherwise might prove obstacles in going from country to country. It is the Intention of the company to remain at Lausanne until It Is time to leave for America in the fall. Then they will go to Liverpool, where the stage settings and decorations by Leon Bakst will be waiting to be embarked. em-barked. The whole troupe of two hundred members, including Nijinski, Karsavina, Karsa-vina, Fokine and Foklna, fifty-five principles and a symphony orchestra of seventy, will bo at the 'Metropolitan Opera House for four weeks, displacing displac-ing opera, and will alBO visit fifteen of the other leading cities of the United Unit-ed States. |