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Show THEORY OF THEATRICAL DANCING. 53 dancer; lightness, still more so; the one imparts a brilliancy to his performance, the other has in it something of an aerial appearance that charms the eye of the spectator. Observe the ballon; nothing can be more delightful than to see you bounding with graceful elasticity in your steps, scarcely touching the ground, and seeming at every moment on the point of flying into the air. Preserve a perfect equilibrium in the execution of your pirouettes, and be careful how you begin and end them. Tread with assurance and uprightness, holding your body and limbs as the following chapters will direct. Use your utmost endeavour to twirl delicately round on the point of your toes ; this is the most finished and agreeable style of execution ; for what can be more unpleasing to the sight than a heavy, clumsy, dancer, who twists about alternately on his heels and toes, and uncouthly jerking his body at each revolution of his pirouette. Attentively study the invention of steps; try to vary incessantly your enehainemens, figures, attitudes, and groups. " Variety is one of the great charms of nature; nor can you please the beholder for any length of time, but in changing often your compositions."-Dauberval. Enehainemens in dancing are very numerous. Every good dancer has his peculiar mode of combining his periods, steps, &c. Form, therefore, a style of your own, as originality is the chief means to procure yourself distinction. By copying others you may, perhaps, sometimes excel; but the absence of novelty will, unquestionably, deprive you of attraction. " II en est de la danse comme de la musique, et des danseurs comme des musiciens; notre art n'est pas plus riche en pas fondamentaux que la musique Vest en notes ; mais nous avons des octaves, des rondes, des blanches, des noires, des croches, des temps a compter, et une mesure a |