DANCIM IN AUSTRALASIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 14

DANCIM IN AUSTRALASIA.

Public Interest in Ballet Mooement. If everyone shared Miss Frances Scully's enthusiasm for dancing and its true technique, New Zealand should produce great things in the way of ballet. Miss Frances Scully, who is the Australian representative of the Royal Academy of i>ancing, London, arrived in Auckland by the Monterey this morning and, in telling of her plans for work in this country, she was remarkably optimistic for the future of the ballet in Xew Zealand. "It has been my privilege to have been indirectly associated with the examination movement in New Zealand,'' she said. "It has given me great pleasure to meet New Zealand teachers in Sydney, and I have been greatly impressed by the earnest and sincere way in which they have devoted themselves to the study." Miss Scully continued to speak of the splendid work that wm being done by the qualified teachers in this country. "They are doing a great work," she said, "in imparting to your younger generation highly specialised instruction in correct technique." Miss Scully stressed particularly the immense need for correct technique in instruction. "The result of study and pecreditcd teaching cannot but be noticed first of all by the parents, and then by the general public," she said. "In England the work of the Royal Academy has been so thorough that the parents are gradually beginning to insist that their children should learn only from those schools that are able to "impart the correct technique. I venture to think that in the near future the public of Australia and New Zealand will also insist on the same high standard." Australia's Enthusiasm. In interviewing Miss Scully it was easy to gather that the people of Australia were already taking a greater interest in the art of ballet dancing. She spoke briefly of the new ballet society founded by Mr. Felix Dimery and of the increasing enthusiasm of "the meml«ers. "In the future," she remarked, "I believe that the society will be able to produce some excellent ballet dancing, and I should love to see a similar movement started in New Zeals ink The interest in ballet dancing is growing in this country," she continued. "I am the fourth Royal Academy examiner to visit the country and the increase in examination entries this time is astounding." The fact that the Royal Academy is interested in the progress being made in the Dominions was shown by the message from Madame Adelaine Genee, the president of the Royal Academy, brought to New Zcalanders by Miss Scully. "Knowing that I was visiting this country as an examiner, Madame Genee asked me to convey to you her heartiest greetings," said Miss Scully. "Madame Genee has a warm corner in her heart , for her many friends in New Zealand, and she was very interested to learn that I was visiting the country."