BALLET
The Original Ballet Russe. (Royal Festival Hall.)
ON the back cover of the Original Ballet Russe programme is re- produced one of Delacroix's masterpieces, Femmes d'Algers, and last week the company presented its new work of the same title and dedicated to this famous painting in the Louvre. What exactly is meant by the dedication of a ballet to a painting ? Surely it means that the picture has so inspired the" librettist "that he has invented a story whose mood, characters, period and aesthetic aims would closely harmonise with those of the painting, and which would be carried out in balletic terms.
Knowing Mr. Kirsta's background, one cannot for one moment suggest that, from the pictorial point of view, he has failed to under- stand Delacroix. He knows, as any student of the arts must, that this grand romantic painter's main characteristics are his nobility and grandeur ; he must know too that, as a man, Delacroix had an outstanding intellect and seriousness of purpose. How does it then come about that Mr. Kirsta's hommage should take the form of a playful romp bordering upon musical comedy, with nothing but the opening and closing" curtains "giving any suggestion of Delacroix? If the creators of this ballet had wished to present an oriental farce, and were determined to base their work upon that of some famous painter, surely Matisse would have been a more suitable subject to choose. Even then the purists might have demurred, but a light- hearted Odalisque a la Matisse would not have been nearly so artisti- cally offensive as is this skit on a masterpiece by one of the most high-minded painters in the whole history of art.
Dokoudovsky, whose first effort at choreography this is, has composed a series of divertissements which are more successful for the men than for the women, but which are, in any case, far too long and repetitive. The Three Sailors were well danced by the choreo- grapher, Poul Gnatt and Vassilkovsky. The Femmes themselves had little to do but sit and look bored.
It is always a pleasure to renew acquaintance with Coq d'Or, and an added one to see its beautiful original costumes again. The interesting Paula Hinton danced the title Nile in the right spirit but with obvious technical weaknesses ; Joan Tucker was first-rate as the Queen as she also was as the Maiden in Prince Igor. The company danced both these ballets with much liveliness and enjoyment.
LILLIAN BROWSE.
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