DA? 
repeating the objcdl, prefent two different pidtures on 
one and the fame canvas. Such figures muft always 
give way to nature in what we term ballets d'aElion. An 
inltance, though, perhaps, not very forcible, may ferve 
to elucidate and fupport the obfervation: “We will 
fuppofe (fays M. Noverre) that at the fudden and un¬ 
expected appearance of fome young fauns, a troop of 
nymphs take rhemfelves to flight with equal affright and 
precipitation. The former are in purfuit of the latter 
with that eagernefs which the very hope of pleafure can 
jnfpire. Now they flop to obferve what impreflion they 
have made on the nymphs ; thefe at the fame time, and 
for a funilar reafon, check their career; with fear they 
furvey their purfuers, endeavour to gtiefs at their inten¬ 
tions, and provide for a retreat to fome fpot, where they 
may reft fecure from the dangers that threaten them. 
Both troops now join, the nymphs refift, defend them- 
felves, and at laft effedt their efcape with no lefs fwift- 
nefs than dexterity. This I call a bufy adtive fcene, in 
which the dance, as it were, fttould fpeak with energy. 
Here ftudied and fymmetrical figures cannot be intro¬ 
duced, without a manifeft violation of the truth, with¬ 
out deftroying tlie rules of probability, and without 
weakening the adtion and lelfening the effedt. This 
fcene flioiild be confpicuous; for its beautiful diforder, 
and the art of the compofer, muft here be the handmaid 
of nature. 
“ A ballet-mafter, devoid of tafte and difcernment, will 
make of this a mechanical piece of dancing, and thus de¬ 
prive it of the effedt it was calculated to produce for 
want of entering into the fpirit of it. His nymphs and 
fauns will, be arranged upon a parallel line ; he will 
place the former in attitudes aukwardly uniform, and in¬ 
fill: on the latter holding up their arms to an even alti- 
titude ; rather than deviate from the beaten path, and 
the antique rules of opera dancing, he will cautioufly 
avoid to have, on the right and left, his nymphs placed 
in unequal numbers, but will reduce a fcene of adtion, 
which ought to he fupported with fpirit, to an exercife 
equally affedted and uninterefting. Perhaps fome iil- 
difpofed critics, fo far ftrangers to the art as not to judge 
of it from its various efteits, will maintain, that the above 
fcene ftiould prelent only two different objects, the one 
pourtrayed in the love-lick fauns, the other exprefled 
by the affright of the nymphs. But how many (hades 
may ferve to embeliilh thole pictures ? how varied may 
be the ftrokes of the pencil? how oppolire the lights? 
and what a number of tints ought to be employed in or¬ 
der to draw from this twofold lituation a multiplicity of 
images, each more lively and fpirited than the other ? 
“ As all men (bare the fame paflions, and thefe differ 
in proportion to their fenfations and feelings, they may 
therefore be worked upon more or lefs powerfully in pro¬ 
portion as they manifeft themfelves outwardly with more 
or lefs force and impetuolity. This principle once ac¬ 
knowledged, and nature indeed enforces it daily, it would 
certainly be more to the purpofe to diverlify the atti¬ 
tudes and vary the expreffion; for then the pantomime 
action of each perfonage would be diverted of a difguft- 
ing Uniformity. The truth of imitation and the (kill of 
the painter would confpicuoufly appear in giving a dif¬ 
ferent afpect to the features, fome of them exprefling a 
kind of ferocity, others betraying lefs eagernefs, thefe 
carting a more tender look ; and to the reft, the languilh- 
ing air of voluptuoufnefs. The (ketch of this firit pic¬ 
ture naturally leads to the compolition of the lecond : 
here fome nymphs appear divided between fear and de¬ 
fire ; there fome others exprefs by the contrail of their 
attitudes the various emotions of their foul. Some are 
more fcornful than their companions, w hi 111: others be¬ 
tray a curiolity equal to their fears. This enfeir.ble gives 
life to the whole picture, and is the more plealing that 
it is perfectly confident with nature. From this expo- 
fition, no one will hefitate to 3gree, that lyinmetry, the 
Vol. V. No. 297. 
J C E. 585 
offspring of art itfelf, ftiould never find place in the bal¬ 
lets d’aft ion.” 
A ballet perfedt in all its parts, the author proceeds 
to obferve, is a pidture drawn from life, of the manners, 
dreffes, ceremonies, and cuftoms, of all nations. It muft 
therefore be a complete pantomime, and through the 
eyes fpeak, as it were, to the very foul of the fpedtator. 
If it wants expreflion, if it be deficient in point of litua- 
tion and fcenery, it degenerates into a fpedtacle equally 
flat and monotone. According to Plutarch, a ballet is, 
if the expreflion may be allowed, a mute convcrfation, 
or a fpeaking and animated picture, whole language con- 
fifts of motions, figures, and geftures. Thefe figures arc 
unlimited in their number, becaule there areathoufand 
things that the ballet may exprefs. Phrynicus, one of 
the oldeft tragedy writers, fays, that he could find in a 
perfect ballet as many figures as the lea rolls waves in 
a high winter tide. A well-compofed ballet, therefore, 
may do without the alliltance of w’ords : M. Noverre 
even remarks, that thefe only ferve to weaken the adtion, 
and partly deltroy its eftedts. He has no opinion ot a 
pantomime which, in order to be underftood, muft bor¬ 
row the help of a verbal explanation. Any ballet what¬ 
ever (fays he), deftitute of intrigue, adtion, and inte'relt, 
difplaying nothing more than the mechanical beauties of 
the art, and though decorated with a pompous title un¬ 
intelligible throughout, is not unlike thofe portraits and 
pidtures to which the painters of old fublcribed the 
names of the perfonages and adtion they meant to repre- 
fent; becaufe they were imperfect in point of imitation, 
the lituations weakly exprefled, the outlines incorrect, 
and the colours unfeemly. When dancers lhall feel, and, 
Proteus-like, transform themfelves into various fhapes to 
exprefs to the life the conflidt of paflions ; when their 
features, their very looks, (hall fpeak their inward feel¬ 
ings ; when, extending their arms beyond the narrow 
circle prefcribed by the rigid rules of pedantry, and with 
equal grace and judgment giving them a fuller lcope, 
they lhall, by properlituations, defcribe the gradual and 
fucceflive progrefs of the paflions; when, in fine, they 
call good fen fie and genius to the alliltance of their art; 
then they may expedt to diftinguifli themfelves : expla¬ 
natory lpeeches will become ulelels ; a mute but power¬ 
ful eloquence will be fubftituted to much better effect; 
each motion will be a fentence; every attitude will pour- 
tray a lituation ; each gelture convey a thought; and 
each glance a new fentiment : every part will pleafe, be- 
cuufe the whole will be a true and faithful imitation of 
nature. ” 
Thus it appears, that ballets are in fome degree fub- 
ject to the rules of poetical compolition. They, never- 
thelefs, differ from tragedies and comedies, in that the 
former are not fubjedt to the three unities of time, place, 
and adtion : yet they require an unity of plot, in order 
that the various fcenes may meet and end on the fame 
point. The ballet, therefore, may be termed the brother 
of the drama, though not reftrained to its Itridter rules, 
which only ferve to cramp the imagination, check its 
flight, and confine genius; and, if adhered to, muft let 
alide all thought of. compolition of ballets, by depriving 
them of their chief ornament, pleading variety. M. No¬ 
verre confiders tragedy as the fubjedt molt luitable for 
the art of dancing. The former abounds in noble inci¬ 
dents, filiations, &c. and thefe produce the belt ftage 
efFedts. Befides, tire paflions are more forcibly exprefled 
by great characters than by cojumon men : the imitation 
is of courfe lefs difficult, the adtion' in the pantomime 
more fignificant, natural, and Intelligible. Thus a bal- 
'let partakes of the true nature "of the drama. It muft 
be divided into adts and fcenes, each of which, as well 
as the adt itfelf, muft have its beginning, its middle, and 
its end ; that is, in other words, expofition, plot, and 
denouement. In fine, a’ballet pantomime ftiould be dra¬ 
matic in ail its parts; and the figure-dancers, who fuc- 
