Opera Dancers.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4332, 18 November 1882, Page 4

Opera Dancers.

* > ■ " Tfie'oafeersof dansettses at tbe Opera, I : though brilliant, are ephemeral.. Patting .. MVftJ! tho •' sojets," iof which there are ■ Mtftf thirty, the danders may, be divided inter three clashes—{lst, " Coryphee's; " 2n«fe" Premier 6inßdHlle^" / -3rdr.VTrqi-» ti&pe quadrille; ' suclPclaas containing »bditascoieof;persbns.. In addition to the^boTe there are a dozen male " sujeta," mgy/many girt \ ptipiJs, orer twenty " wplkers," thirty or forty children taken intd the elaises after examination,, who aj» made use of to fill up the quadrilles,' and lastly, thirty or; forty ." out": pupils who ge,nerajlj begin to learn the elements ©f the Terpsichoreaq art at the Opera in Ten! th year»and •*the ig* v oT'ftiuftefh The primary labours are generally terminated, the neophyte being - then sufficiently advanced to go up for examination, which i always takes place towards^ the'end ofja year, so that the battalion of pupils may be ready at the eotamencement of the following year. This epoch armed the pupils venture on thtfTfMdrittes, but have to pass through anbjfcߣr,examipations for the new grade. To each., grade appertains its special „ talary, though the "jsujets " are not sub j(?Qt^o- the rule, hating special engage* JMDts." * Nearly all tlie dancers, female and mate; 'are 1 children of the House. One sees that the art requires years of preparatory labors, and even when finally lausch^l into i^. ,a»pirauts' _a*e to practwiPibu^le of hours, daily at home in orders to prevent any stiffening of tbe joints, iln addition to this come tbe rehearsal?, the work done before tbe jMblie, ;the leaaons begin at 9 a.m.; so the . daily Hfe of a danseuse is by no means an easy-going oiie. '