DANCE RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 46, 17 November 1917, Page 9

DANCE RECITAL

"A TRIP WITH THE BROWNIES." The Concort Chamber was crowded Inst ovening whon tho pupils of Miss Dorothy Saunders gave a danco recital, which took the sketchy form of a danceplay entitled "A Trip with tho Brownies," which gavo at least somo of the children a chance to display their talent in little parts that called for some dramatic instinct. The notion was quite a good one, ,-and the first sceno gavo considerable promise, being quito in the order of those fairy tales that are so delightfully' engrossing to the child mind, but unfortunately the narrative was not developed to any extent in the later phases of tho fnntasy, which resulted in a fading of tho dramatic interest. The story concerns a ragged London boy and his cripple sister, who live in a squalid attic. Tickets for a day in the country have been given the lad, and the prospect is so splendid that tho youngsters go to Led to .dream unutterable things, and so are wafted off to Fairyland by a troop of quaint little' pixies or brownies. The land of dreams consists first of a fearful and \voiidorM cloudland, where little witches keep tho stars clean with their'' merry brooms, and tliero takes place tho danco of the .fairy pipers, the stars, and the moonbeams. Fairyland consists of a water-lily pond, backed by banks of (lowers, with a wonderful giant tulip, blushing at the door of Father Gnome's old tree-Mouse. These gay trappings left littlo room on tho stage for the twinkling' feet of tho small dancers, but they managed to skip and curtsey, amble, bond, and tip-toe round in a very delightful and' cntortaining manner. Tho cleverest child on the stage was Miss Sinclair Breen, a vory bright, assertive, olear-spokoh, brave little girl, who played Joe with a lively sense of humour and without tho slightest sign of hesitancy bom of nervousness. Miss Thelma M'Konzio was also excellent as tho crippled girl, spenking her plaintive lines with rare. intelligence Miss Alice Saunders was the Fairy Queen, Miss Iris Highet figured as the dainty. Sunbeam Fairy, and Miss Eila Liardet was Dawn. Tho tiny witches ballet was a quaintly conceived idea, well carried out. A grotesque dance was cleverly executed by Miss Yvonne Gibson as the frog, and the Glowworm Ballet, in which tho dancers wore alectric lights, was prettily tripped. Miss Betty and Hetty Saunders, two tiny mites in red and white striped frocks, jollied round gaily to a ragtime tune, and Miss Audrey Hilton figured prettily as a Kewpio (with 6ong attached). Tho Tulip Fairy was Miss Eila Liardet, who has more than a budding notion of the poetry of [motion, but 'Miss Clara Nicholls in hor Dutch dance showed the greatest disrespect to tho orchestra by ganging her ain gait," and thereby lost tho charm thnt is pendent on rhythm. Miss Sinclair Breen,' as a golliwog lover of a beautiful maid (Miss Liardet), and Miss ■ Saunders as his Teddy Bear rival provided one of the best scenas of the evening. In an Egyptian dance / Miss Ngario Dewabury showed a fine appreciation of attitude, pose, and arm-work a la Egyptienno. Thelma and Jean M'Kenzie wore charming in "A Rose Dream," and Miss Ruby Wilding was exceedingly graceful in "A Posy of Flowers." Miss Roma Bitossi danced a merry Tarantelle, and also sang "Jinglo Johnny," with a chorus of fairies as a backing. An outstanding feature of tho 'Trip' was the exquisite arid consistently tasteful frocking of the little ones, and tho very good music provided by the South Wellington Orchestra. It was just a pity that' the" importance of rhythm could not be more generally inculcated into the minds of the children, for it is the very heart and* soul of the dance. The tip-too dancing was somewhat pathetic in places. Such dancing is ( rathor beyond children; let us have tho free graceful movements of tho old Greek The entertainment will be repeated this evening.