BY ORDER OF THE TSAR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1864, 25 September 1913, Page 3

BY ORDER OF THE TSAR.

JOYLESS "COMMAND" PERFORM, ANCES. There can be very little gaiety about a "command" performance in Russia. M. Volinin,' the Russian dancer with Genee, described to the Sydney "Theatre" what happens on such an occasion. .."The first thing that the artists know," ho said, "is that the theatre is surrounded by ton thousand soldiers. In this way the building is isolated. The movements of the Tsar aro most clandestine. Every artist of the Imperial theatre has a card on which is his portrait. Ho has to produce this to the soldiers, and he is passed from one to another; and before he finally reaches his dressing room ho goes through the hands of about fifteen secret police. The Card he has is duplicated at all police stations. ' "All'the'theatre attendants wear a military uniform on the night the Tsar attends, and everywhere behind the curtain supreme quiet reigns. "Tho general public are not admitted to-the theatre'on these occasions. Only tho high officials and tho aristocracy may attend. All of these,have special cards of invitation which must be' presented. The auditorium looks very brilliant with the resplendent uniforms of generals and distinguished men in all tho important services of the Tsar. ' "The stage directors are very strict at a command performance. A stage wait is an unpardonable offence. A great dancer in Moscow once was lato two minutes on her entrance. She was expelled. from Russia. "I remember appearing befoto tho Tsar on one occasion in tho samcS theatre in which this had occurred. , I had a very quick change, and I was told bv tho stage manager tli'at if I was not ready to the moment the same fato that had awaited my confrere would bo meted out to me. Naturally I was very nervous, but I got there in time. "After a,performance the Tsar generally addresses tho artists, and tells them that tho future of tho ballet will givo it greater importance as an art than ever. The Tsar always after a porformancs raises tho salary of everyone^ "When the revolution camo in 1905 thero was a great deal of talk on tho part of tho Moscow leaders of the revolt against tho expense of maintaining tho ballot. It cost the Department of State two million roubles : a year. Tho Tsar replied that rather than have the ballet abolished ho would personally be responsible for the whole, financial obligation. Since then the Imperial Russian ballot has been kept -up entirely from tho royal purse." Halina Sclimolz told "Tho Theatre" of one of her appearances beforo tho Tsar. She was a member of the Imperial Russian ballot at Warsaw. "Wo all loarnect 0110 day," sho said, "that we were to go to tho town of Skiemicwico and appear tho same night beforo tho Tsar. I remember I did my Cupid dance, and tho Tsar commanded me to hi 3 box and kissed mo on tho forehead, saying ho had enjoyed my dance very much. "There was a banquet after tho performance, and about two hundred artists sat down at tho tables. Tho royal party was in tho adjoining banquet hall. "I can recall ono of tho artists saying hCi did not like the smell- of the fish, and nobody ato it. Strangely enough only 0116 member of tho royal party ate any. Sho was a Grand Duchess. Tho fish was poisoned, and she died two hours lator. "That was two years before the revolution. For ten years after tho Imperial Theatro, Warsaw, suffered, all pensions ceased 1 , and tho artists received no advance in salary over all that period. It was only last year tho privileges wore restored." Mllo. Schmolz has a little gold trinkojj surmounted by the Imperial crown, to mark the incident of which sho speaks. It is inscribed "Skiemicwico, 1903," and was given to her by tho Tsar when sho was presented l to him after her dance. *