Manuab or Crassica, THEATRICAT Danctna, (Meriope—Cxccnerr.)"" By ©. W, Beaumont and 8. Idzikowski, (Beaumont, 25s.)
Stand erect in the centre of the room and face 2, with the head inclined to 3, the feet in the fi/th position, right foot in front, and the arms in the fifth position en has.
The direction of the body is en-croist, 1. Demi-pliez on both feet.
2. (a) Slide the right foot 1 the fourth position.
And so forth. This is the beginning of a page headed Premiere et Scconde Arabesque, and the ex-excise does not conclude until five pages later—five—closely-woven pages of similar tough material.
It will be seen from this glance that Mr. Beaumont and M. Idzikowski's "Manual of Classical Dancing" is no book for the disinterested amateur of the Russian ballet, for the majority of a Lopokava first-night audience. It is strictly businesslike in its aims. It claims to be the first book written in English devoted entirely to a comprehensive account of the theory and practice of classical theatrical dancing, and it is addressed to the student of dancing. There is a short preface by Maestro Gav. Enrico Cechetti, blessing the enterprise, followed by a couple of pages of warning to the would-be dancer. by the authors—explaining that a prima-ballerina is not made in a fortnight, and then the lessons. There are five positions of the feet In these circumstances, the lay reviewer finds himself singularly at @ loss. Criticism of its contents is impossible to him, as such criticism can obviously come only from one who knows more of the practice and theory of dancing than M. Idikowski himself. He can only wonder anew—as all who have seen the Russian Ballet must wonder—that even the groundwork of an art so extraordinarily fresh and spontaneous can be, in any degree at alli, brought within the compass of a text-book. It is amazing to have fresh evidence that the poses of the Sylphides can each be docketed and classified, and that the training by which Cecchetti moulded the present
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.