DANCE RECITAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18901, 28 October 1929, Page 13

DANCE RECITAL.

The Peters Gray Hall was hardly large enough to accommodate all those who wished to see the entertainment provided on Saturday afternoon by Miss Mulvany Gray and Miss rreda [ Emery and their young pupils, in aid , Of the funds of St Saviours Orphan- - age. The pale green curtains surrounding the stage made an admirable background for the many P costumes and draperies worn in the fifteen items given. Miss 3\ngus opened the programme with a piano solo, and she also played , the accompaniments. Three little plays , were excellently acted. In ihe . King’s Cobblers” Denise bhea played the name part, Mary Bunz the fairy, ; Joan Wilkinson the chief pixie. Other pixies were Juliet Burdon, Josephine Carney, Susan Dean, Anne , Cowper, Barbara Graham, Lesley Gresson and James Granger. The play was a scene from Dickens’ “David Copperfield,” “Betty Trotwood at Home.” Jill Barker played the part of Betty*, Gretchen Gray that of Mr Dick, Nancy Brown, Janet, Marie Hungerford, Mr Hurdstone, and Mollie Dart, Miss Hurdstone, and Joan Wilkinson was David. The last play “The Magic Rose” was particularly pretty”, and in it Miss Mulvany Gray took the part of Mistress Merrow, Miss Emery that of Mistress Champney, Judith Barker, Rosannia, and her sister _ Jill, the handsome Prince. A spinning wheel lent by Mr Ashby was prominent in the furnishing of Mistress Merrow’s cottage. The dancing of the Greek maidens, Joan and Margot Brown, Hilary Loughton, Neroli M’Clatchie, Elizabeth Morris and Phyllis Smith clad in white, bordered with the Greek Rey design in black was graceful and effective. “The Fairy Ring” (Luzzati) danced by tiny children —Josephine Carney J. Burdon, J. and A. Cowper, Susan Dean, Gillian Dickenson, Barbara Graham, L. Gresson, J. Granger, S. M’Ewen and Helen Widdowson sometimes inside and sometimes outside a floral ring, to the piping of a piper (Allison Clark) was particularly pleasing. “Nymphs on the Seashore” was also very pretty”, and the “Dance of Joy” by Joan and Anne Cowper in crimson and blue with a crimson scarf was well done. “The Redskins” as portrayed by C. Harris, J. and M. Brown, H. Loughton, E. Morris, N. M’Clatchie and P. Smith were most realistic. Admiration was expressed for “Matarikie’s Star” (Edith Howse) given by request by Jill and Judith Barker. A pretty solo dance was given by Josephine Carney, who represented "Little Madame Pompadour, *’ in a blue taffetas crinoline frock, a round hat with rosebuds and black velvet strings on her powdered hair. Miss Mulvany Gray’s “Danse Classique” (Rubenstein) in graceful draperies of pale green and old rose, and Miss Emery’s “Torch Dance” to Schumann’s music were outstanding features of the recital. Her black and flame coloured costume and two flaming torches were most effective. A recitation, “Mr Batterby” was given by* Denise Shea, and Joan Cowper’s and Joan Wilkinson’s rendering of Elizabeth O’Grady,” in their quaint Kate Greenaway frocks and bonnets of white organdie muslin, was well received. Throughout the performance attention to detail and a thorough enjoyment of the parts they were playing was in evidence among the children and their teachers.