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Show 90 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. which it promises are unknown to the public of the present day. A serious dancer should be perfectly shaped in his legs, have a well formed instep, and be extremely flexible and easy about his hips ; without which essential qualities he cannot succeed in the line that he has taken. In all other kinds of dancing it is not so requisite to possess those peculiar qualities in the same perfection, as in this. That preciseness and correctness, which we always expect to see in the heroic artist, are not exacted from a demi-caractere or comic dancer. The heroic dancer must pre-eminently distinguish himself by the dignity of the upper part of his body, by the most harmonious combination of movement in his arms, and by the finest polish which the best rules of art can impart to his performance. This kind of dancing comprises the most beautiful developments, all the grands temps, and the noblest steps. The performer must attract the beholder's attention by the elegance of his design, the correctness of his poses, and the gracefulness of his attitudes and arabesques. The finest pirouettes in the second position, in attitude or on the instep, entrechats, and all other terns d'eleva-tion, are required in the serious branch. W e thus perceive that the performance of the heroic dancer in our days is much more complicated than that of our predecessors, and that such an artist must now possess a great number of accomplishments. The demi-caractere dancer ought to be of the middle stature, and of a slender and elegant shape. Those who are gifted with the proportions of Canova's Mercury u, or of his Hebe, are well suited to this charming kind of dancing. This demi-caractere is a mixture of every style. Those who devote themselves to it may make use of all the terns |
