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Show THEORY OF THEATRICAL DANCING. 107 NOTES TO PART THE SECOND. 1. This S E C O N D P A R T was commenced at Paris, and completed and published at Milan, in the month of April, 1820. It is styled an Elementary, Theoretic, and Practical Treatise on the Art of Dancing, containing all those discoveries and demonstrations of general and individual principles which ought to guide a dancer. Two translations were made of this work into Italian, the first by Mr. Grini, the second by the Chevalier Valmarana. The French edition of this work is dedicated to Mr. F. A. Blasis, late Member of the Conservatoire de Naples, and Governor of the Section Phil-harmonique du Museum d'Instruction Publique, at Bordeaux. The FIRST PART, Origin and Progress of Dancing, has also been translated into Italian by Mr. Velli, and, together with the above mentioned Treatise, placed in the Gallery of celebrated artists.-(Galleria Degli Art. celebri.) 2. The Apollo Belvidere, the Laocoon, the Medicean Venus, the Mercury, usually called the Antinous, and a few other masterpieces of Grecian sculpture, are the most sublime models of perfection, in human forms, and the most perfect iu natural expression. " Spessovinta da lor cede natura."-METASTASIO. 3. Vide Appendix after the end of Chap. IX. 4. At the conclusion of a long and learned discourse, which I once had with M. Gardel, on dancing, that celebrated artist told me. that to judge of the merit of a dancer, one should take him as he places himself in attitude, or at the momeut of his elevation in the execution of some difficult movement. If in his position and performance, he is found to display the true principles of art; if his body, arms and legs offer an harmonious assemblage, if, in short his whole figure be deemed worthy of attracting a paintei 's attention, that dancer is perfect and deserves the palm. Mr. Gardel shows, by this observation, how extensive his knowledge is in dancing, as also how difficult it is to obtain perfection in that art. Every artist cannot say with equal truth anch' io son piltore. 5. Vide Chap. V. 6. Traltato delta Pittura. This is perhaps the best work in existence on this sublime art. Leonardo da Vinci, its author, was one of those extraordinary beings on whom nature sometimes pleases to lavish her highest gifts. He |