Fashions and Pleasures of New York

JOHN McMULLIN

A FORM of art, new to us, has grown up in our midst and become a part of every theatrical and moving picture production so rapidly that it now seems as though New York would become the world centre of this art. I refer to the School of Dancing which today is represented in New York in its every phase. We have schools of Russian dancing, ballet masters of the French and Italian school, schools of Oriental dancing and a large following of the great American vaudeville stage which has glorified syncopated dancing until it has become a recognized art. Nowadays, most of the great stars of the spoken stage, musical comedy and revue, and the screen drama have been pupils of one or another of the famous ballet masters.

Practically every sort of dancing is to be seen in the theatre today. Marilynn Miller, the star of the famous Sally and Louise Grundy of Good Morning Dearie, are not only musical comedy stars but ballet dancers as well. They were pupils of Alexis Kosloff, whose picture is shown above, and this accomplishment, added to their gifts for singing and acting, makes them much more brilliant personalities than the musical comedy stars of former days, who were really amateurs compared to such finished artists as these. Margaret Petit and Margaret Severn are now among the best known dancers and they studied in New York under Albertieri, who is a ballet master of the Milanese School. Such screen stars as Mae Murray and Nazimova are proficient in the art of dancing. In a play last season, dancing as well as acting was required of the star, Margaret arearet Mower, Mower, in The Fair Circassian.

The Chicago Ballet School

THE growth of this art is not fostered in New York alone. Pavley and Oukrainsky have a now famous school of ballet in Chicago. They have trained talent from the Middle-West and, for many seasons past, have supplied the Chicago Opera Company with its wonderful ballet. In California Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Dennis have a large school of dancing and have contributed to the art such illustrious masters as Florence O'Denishawn and Virginia Bell.

America, as an art centre for the dance, is becoming more attractive every day to the well-known foreign artists, Mme. Nijinska is coming to this country to start a school in New York. She is almost as celebrated a personality in Europe as her famous brother, Nijinski, who was seen here when Diagheleff's Russian ballet first came to New York. She is a great dancer, in addition to which she has become one of the finest choreographists in the world. She has produced several Stravinsky ballets and has been referred to by Tristan Tzara, the well-known French writer, as the "Soul of the Russian Ballet." Her presence in this country will be a great opportunity for every dancer and will, undoubtedly, be taken advantage of by our best producers.

New Features of the Cabarets

THIS is truly the day of the dancer. cabaret is complete without one and to present a new dancer is the surest way to pique the public's curiosity. This is also true of a new cabaret and, while we aren't allowed to give secrets away, we can say that there are to be some wonderful new mushrooms, in the way of cabarets, springing up this winter, of rumored that there will be one in Park Avenue. The Plantation has already opened with something quite new way of a cabaret revue—a sort of Shakespearian revel with Florence Mill; as star. It isn t fair to spoil the surprises that are in store at the Tent, the Rendezvous and Reisenweber's, but they will certainly be thrillers." In addition, the intllectuals are going to have a new cabaret of their own down in Greenwich village and it is intended to become a rendezvous for the high-brows from all over town.

The men who have offices uptown, and who lunch in the Fifth Avenue district, have it all over the Wall Street men when it comes to the lunch hour, For by way of diversion, they have several really interesting places to drop into, The Algonquin Hotel is one of the first on the list. You may see your favorite actress, or your favorite critic there any day, and get a close-up of them in private life. No greater favor can be shown the out of town man than to take him there and point out the latest leading ladies for his personal inspection.