CHINESE CARNIVAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20706, 2 May 1929, Page 6

CHINESE CARNIVAL.

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL OPENING. ST. JOHN AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION. , Majesty’s Theatre and two adjoining halls presented a brilliant spectacle last evening when the Chinese carnival organised by the St. John Ambulance Association was opened before a large attendance. In : calling upon the Deputy Mayor, (Cr J. S. Douglas) to declare the carnival open, the president of the association (Mr J. J. Clark) said that the excellent responce of the public that evening augured well for the success of the effort. He tendered the thanks of the association to Mr John Hamer and his staff for the invaluable assistance which had been given in the organising work, and he also thanked the heads and students of the School of Art for the great amount of time and trouble they had spent in preparing the decorations for the occapublic could rest assured that the money received by means of the carnival would be well spent, and when it saw the two up-to-date ambulances going on their missions of mercy they would realise that its generosity was not in vain. !n formally declaring the carnival open, Cr Douglas paid a special tribute to the work of the St, John Ambulance Association during the recent flood and the flood of 1.923. He expressed the city» deep gratitude for the loyal assistance given by the association during -hose visitations, as well as for its work among the poor and needy in normal times. The object far which the association was striving was a particularly worthy one, and he felt sure that Dunedin as a whole would give it loyal sunport. He then declared the carnival an d wished it every success. The stage entertainment of the carnival, entitled “ Before Buddha,” was commenced immediately after the opening ceremony was completed, and for half an hour the large audience was treated to a delightful pot pourri of character dances, all with' a distinctly Eastern flavour. The. frocking and general stage effects were most striking, and the general conduct of the production reflected great credit on the producer (Mr F. Reade Wauchop). . 806116 opened in a Buddhist * . arge . reproduction ,of .Buddha appearing m the centre of the stage. Pilgrims from East and West came to pay homage, each group performing its distinctive ritual dance. One performance in particular, an Egyptian dance by a number of ladies, was particularly effective, and thoroughly deserved the applause which greeted it. A parade of Chinese girls was another item which was warmly received, the children making a pretty picture, whilst their use of large sunshades greatly enhanced the novelty of the performance. An Eastern dance by Miss Gladys Crossan was a welcome item, and Miss Crossan proved that she is a dancer of more than average ability a fact which the audience was not slow to appreciate. A pretty dance duo by Miss Dale Austen and Mr F. Wauchop and an ensemble entitled Oriental Dreams” concluded the first part of the programme, after which there was an interval of an hour to enable patrons to visit the carnival proper. The second half of the entertainment was composed of ballet numbers by various groups of performers, solo efforts, and dance duos, the more outstanding items being the Doll Dance by a number of children, the Grecian Warrior Dance by Miss Crossan and, the Blur Danube Waltz by Miss Sybil Thompson and a Miss Ethel and Joyce Todd captivated the audience with a delightful dance duo entitled “ Humoreske," and were loudly applauded at the close of their number. A Hungarian dance by Miss Crossan and the ballet, and the Dance of the Blue Danube by Tui Salt and the entire company concluded the stage entertainment, which to judge from the warm reception it gained, and the fact that the perform ;rs are as yet perhaps a trifle strange to their surroundings, should increase in popularity as the carnival progresses..

In the bazaar section of the carnival excellent business was recorded during the evening. Fullers’ Hall, which housed the majority of the stalls, was beautifully decorated .with festooned streamers and greenery, while the stalls themselves were artistically decked out in Oriental designs, the work of the School of Art students. Victoria Hall was used as a cabaret, and large numbers availed themselves of the opportunity to tread a measure to th’e excellent music supplied by Will Smith's Kapai Band. On the ground floor were situated the side-shows, and many were the diversions that were offered in the way of games of skill and competitions, all of which were freely patronised. The following are the stall-holders ; Sweets stall, Mrs J, J. Clark (convener) and assistants; jumble stall, Mrs G. M. Baker (convener) am* assistants; lavender stall, Mrs M. J. Davis (convener) and assistants; gardening and flower stall, Gardening Circle of the Otago Women’s Club; ice cream and soft drinks stalls, Mesdames Seymour and Gatehouse and assistants; tea rooms and cake stall, Mrs Beaumont and Miss Heley and members of the St. John Ambulance Nursing Division and assistants; pie cart, Mr Allan Young and assistants; cabaret, Mr L. Fisher and assistants; side-shows, Mr L. B. Brown and assistants. The carnival will be continued this evening, commencing at 8 o’clock, and will pursue its activities until May 11.