"G.O.M." OF THE BRITISH BALLET

Radio Record, 29 July 1938, Page 14

"G.O.M." OF THE BRITISH BALLET

Perspiration is the Secret of Success in Dancing, says

Espinosa — Interviewed

by

ROGER

HOLDEN

| _AST week the cables announced the coming tour of New Zealand by the ' Covent Garden Russian Ballet. And last | week a flying visit was paid to New ZeaBritish School of Ballet, with a view to looking over our dancing talent. So it some of the revived enthusiasm for the ballet that is now sweeping the cities of the Old World. land by Espinosa, founder of the modern » seems likely that we are about to catch © Le

Y sweet children, you al‘4 most make me ~ think that you New Zealanders must be a very unfriendly lot amohg yourselves. You seem to hate each other so much that you do not even start to dance all on the same foot! Now, forget for the moment that .7ou are rivals, and let me see rou dance together."

The "sweet children" were a group of Wellington dancing teachers and advanced pupils; the scene was the studio of Miss Estelle Beere, -in Wellington. And the speaker was Espinosa. famous (lancer and "maitre de ballet" of London. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he made that remark about New Zealanders’ "hate." Ile obviously did not mean it to be taken too seriously. . . > But most of the other

things he said were in earnest, and were so received by these girls who, for an hour, were privileged to work under one of the leading figures of modern ballet. A slight, agile man --: very agile in view of his 66 years-with a crown of white hair, and wearing a flowing bow tie, Espinosa completely fitted his description of "the Grand OldMan of British Ballet." A most approachable man, his whole attitude was one of’ wanting to teach the "sweet! children" as much as he could in the short time available. He made them "work hard. His technical instructions ~ for each movement were given in a flow of French unintelligible to anyone who had not studied the ballet (though some of the terms seemed to me to be related to those used in fencing). But his general

remarks were homely, Inglish, and. to the point. For instance : "Next to the face, the hands are the most expressive part of the body. Use your hands and make them mean something . Even a non-dancer could appreciate that. He did not hestitate to encourage: he also did not hesi-

tate to condemn. Pupils who showed faults had to go over and over each movement till he was satisfied; 1 think his enthusiasm for the ballet was communicated to them. When the lesson was over they crowded round, plying him with questions, asking for autographs.... And then he announced that he would stay an extra day in Wellington to put. any dancers ._ who wanted, through an examination for the British

Ballet Organisation, or which he is chairman and examiner, BETWEEN the lesgon and lunch I was able to snatch a few minutes’ conversation with Espinosa. That is the name by which he is always known, that or "Onele HEspy,’ though-as I subsequently discovered ‘from. "Who’s Who in the Theatre" — his Christian name is Edouard, and be is a Londoner. His parents, bowever, were of Spanish extraction. "This is the first time ye been to New Zealand. but from now on either I, or another examiner, will be coming every year from the British Ballet Organisation," Espinosa told me. "T have just been in Australia for the second time, "Don’t go asking me questions about what TI think of New Zealand girls 1s dancers. Those you saw {Continued on page 56.)

Revival of Ballet ESPINOSA INTERVIEWED (Continued from page 14)

here this morning are the first I’ve geen. But I am prepared to'say that already some seem: ‘to ac fine, poagl--pilities ... "T don’t know how maily of them have yet realised the truth ‘of my ‘little saying that ‘Perspiration is the seeret of suecess in dancing.’ But they’ll probably realise it bet- — ter after I’ve finished with them in the next day or so. ° "It -is useless To play about with pallet dancing as if it were just a pleasurable pastime. It’s hard work all the time..." ° SPINOSA was accompanied to Australia by his wife, ‘professionally known as Madame Louise Kay. An Australian by birth, who -has .become prominent-in the eritertainment field in England, Madame Kay ‘founded the British Ballet Organisation, of which her husband is chairman. He _ wanted it made known that. Madame Kay was establishing a scholarship for this part of the world, providing the winner with. three months’ intensive training in England under Hspinosa’s personal direction; free board and lodging; pocket money; and:an opportunity for a minimum of four weeks’ appearance in solo work in the British ballet company which opens at the ‘Theatre Royal, Edinburgh, on October 24 of this year. "Please make it clear,’ said’ Hspinosa, "that there ig no such thing as the British Ballet Organisation method. The B.B.O. is a society for the welfare and progress of dancers and teachers, and the system of tuition it uses is the univeral one. Anyone who differs from that universal system has no right to do so. People should learn to dance the same way. all over the world . .-." OULD is be correct to say," I asked, "that there is a great revival of interest in the ballet to-day? One gathers from the English magazines that there must be." . "Yes. Particularly.in Britain there is a revival. The finest dancers in the world io-day are to be found in England. And there is one, Betty More Smith, still only 15 years old, who is better ag an executant than’ ‘anyone l’ve seen for 50 years." FSPINosA claims to be the origina. tor of all dancing examinations and the written syllabus and. technique of examination. He laid down the syllabus of the Operatic Association’ (now the Royal Academy of Dancing), which was formed as a result of his endea- yours ‘from 1896 to 1920. He is the writer of many original technical books on operatic dancing, anid these. books contain the. fundamentals upon which British teachers have based most of their knowledge and ‘huilt up their schools. Three-quarters of the Eng-lish-speaking dance world is said to use his method of teaching and theory. The old French maestro,-Marius Petipa (who was for.years a: ballet master of the Imperial Russian '. Sehool), was Espinosa’s godfather, so that the best traditions. of: the

pallet have been handed down in him, . i ~~. Espinosa. has. held the position of ballet’ master: and principal daneer ‘in about 300 productions, including two shows with the longest runs on record --"Chu Chin Clow. and’ "Ihe Maid of the Mountains... He-has been. dance -ing.for. over 50 years, anid a teacher simee. 1890. we a Among the famous people whom ‘he has: taught to dance are Cicely Courtueidge, -Ninette de Vulois, Margaret Severh, Marie Haton, Vera Savina, Iris Kirkwhite, Phyllis Bedells, Valerie Hobson; Merle Oberdan, Diana Napier and ‘Stefi Duna. For a last question I‘asked spinosa about. the Covent Garden Russian Ballét, iylrich, according to a cable message from-Tiondon last’ week, hasbeen engaged by Australinn and New Zealand Theatres, Litd., to tour Australia and New: Zealand toward the end of this "year. He said that Baranova and Riabouchinska, two of the stars mentioned as coming, were genuine Russians, (yuite young, and very fine executants so-fong as they were’ given ballets ‘in which the majority of the work wns not-posing or pantomime, . "It shonld be.a fine example to New Zealand, this company, and well worth -secing, * said Espinosa. Cl ---eGOmW