Culture To Thaw Out Cold War—Beryl Grey

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29235, 20 June 1960, Page 2

Culture To Thaw Out Cold War—Beryl Grey

Beryl Grey, the only ballerina of the Western world who has danced as a guest artist with Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet, believes that culture is the only means of bringing together people of different ideologies and ideas.

“The language barrier is one of the biggest curses of the human racy. You cannot understand a person through an interpreter,” Miss Grey said when she arrived in Christchurch yesterday. Dancing, like music and painting, provided a common ground of understanding, unaffected by the

barrier of language, she said. Since leaving the Royal Ballet, where she was ranked second only to Dame Margot Fonteyn for many years, to become a free lance guest artist, Beryl Grey has danced in many countries.

“When visiting other places as guest artist you really come to know people and you represent your own country there as well, and that is important,** she said. “We all have to live in this world together and the sooner we all get along the better. The more people mix the better they understand one another.”

Dancing, or any kind of move* ment, indicates a person’s character, she believes. A ballet company reveals a country’s national characteristics. “Don’t Talk At AU” But when in a foreign-language country Miss Grey contends that it is wise not to talk at all

“Unspoken words often do more than spoken words and are much less dangerous,” she said. With her very warm personality, generous and sympathetic attitude to others it is easy to imagine Miss Grey establishing an easy rapport with anyone who had not even heard a word of English. It was her natural charm as well as her great artistry that established Britain’s tallest ballerina as a world celebrity in Russia. Mr Khrushchev saw her dance in London, then an official invitation came from the Soviet Ministry of Culture asking her to be a guest artist with the Bolshoi Ballet. “It was a tremendous honour to dance at the Bolshoi/’ she said. "Working with the Russian dancers was a wonderful experience. They are the most generous artists I have ever danced with—not only to me but among themselves. There is a lovely atmosphere at the Bolshoi. The dancers are completely dedicated.” At this stage someone passed round a plate of buttered scones< from an afternoon tea trolley at the hotel. “I would love another of those heavenly scones,” she said. Settling down to enjoy it she added: “This is just like being home on a Sunday afternoon." Vegetarian

Beryl Grey is a vegetarian. She eats no meat, fish or eggs. Why? “There are many reasons. Life is a many-sided thing,” she said, laughing. Diet is important in maintaining the phenomenal energy required for a tour like her present one—3o performances in 28 days and travelling on top of it. “I eat nuts, vegetables, wholemeal bread and plenty of butter (a wonderful source of energy) and this kind of thing.” (Scones.) Very adaptable by nature, Beryl Grey can sleep soundly after performances on tour as long as she has her ear plugs to exclude outside early morning noises. She shows no traces of fatigue. Changes of stage and climate,

she also takes in her long, graceful stride.

International touring as a guest artist, she believes, is a wonderful experience for a ballerina. “You inevitably mature as an artist. You see so many ballet companies, some good, others not so good. Each has a different style and choreography. One never stops learning and it is a great challenge.” Personal Style

But Beryl Grey never imitates another great dancer’s style. “Something copied never looks right,’’ she said. “Your style takes years to develop. As you grow and mature as an artist you want to bring something of your own to an interpretation.” A dancer must keep herself under constant supervision. “It is easy for her to develop irritating mannerisms, because she cannot see herself dance."

“On tour we help each other, but as soon as I return to London I go straight to my teacher for lessons: I have been going to her, Audrey de Vos. since I was 14." she said. Few dancers have achieved the fame of Beryl Grey and few have remained so unaffected by success. Even fewer are so eager to go on learning. In private life, Beryl Grey is the wife of a Swedish osteopath, Dr. Sven Svenson, of London. They have a five-year-old son.

“And when I return to London we are all going off for a six weeks’ holiday to Sweden to swim, play tennis and—oh, just have a wonderful time together,” said Beryl Grey.