With the Stars of the Marquis de Cuevas Ballet

Had it been granted you to enter the theater of the UNESCO Palace on the evenings of the week from mid-April, to watch the "ballet" of the Marquis de Cuevas, you would have believed with me that the presence of this world-famous company in Lebanon is a great artistic event, deserving from us a gesture of appreciation and thanks.

It is very easy to come down upon the Commissariat of Tourism and Summering, fastening upon it all manner of accusations, because it has turned its face, in the coming tourist season, toward the West, importing the colors of its art — opera and ballet and philharmonic orchestra and theatrical and revue troupes — which, as some imagine, might be replaced simply by encouraging the local color, by whatever brings out our authentic personality.

And we are with you, O you who aim at strengthening the local color and displaying its being in the purest artistic frame possible. Nor do I reckon the Commissariat of Tourism and Summering any less jealous than we are on this matter.

But a single night spent watching the Marquis de Cuevas ballet company is enough to turn your pen from criticism to praise; for you touch and feel, in the depths of your soul, this refined artistic atmosphere that pulsed in the heart of Lebanon for the first time in its history — and behold, Lebanon was in harmony with this atmosphere, appreciating it at its true worth, contrary to what some had imagined! And since it is not within the power of every cultured Lebanese to visit the capitals of the West and behold the landmarks of their ancient art, it became inevitable that the bringing of these very landmarks to Lebanon should be an opportunity not to be missed, one that calls for appreciation and thanks.

It is acknowledged that the Marquis de Cuevas ballet company is among the distinguished companies of the world, having gathered its artistic elements from here and there with surpassing skill — and a brief glance at the personality of the Marquis himself is needed before turning to the most prominent stars of the ballet in his company. He was born in Santiago — Chile — and from childhood a keen native intelligence showed itself in him, so that he mastered four languages: French, English, Spanish, and Italian. As a young man he made the acquaintance of the granddaughter of the rich Rockefeller and married her, and from this he gained his material support, alongside his moral support of competence, intelligence, and an eye fixed on a future in the sun.

His activity in the field of ballet goes back to 1940, the day he opened in New York a school of dance that brought together the children of refugees from the countries of the world; but before long it occurred to him to form a ballet company bearing his own name — and he cast his eyes about with skill, gathering its members from the corners of the world, until he attained what he had aspired to, and his name was on every tongue, and his artistic personality won a wide popularity to be envied. As for the secret of his success, as it appears to me, it is his deification of art and his consecration to its cause of all his mental, bodily, and vital powers.

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A passing tour through the names of the ballet company draws your attention to the fact that among them is a number, not to be underrated, of stars shining in the world of art — among them Skibine, Tallchief, Moreau, Golovine, Karina, Raith, and Skouratoff, and others. We shall content ourselves here with speaking of three of them.

It is a most happy chance, the meeting of George Skibine and Marjorie Tallchief on the two planes of art and life together! In life they are a happy married couple, with twin children. And in art they are a "pair" whose harmony shows itself in every movement, in every step of a foot, so that in the flood of your astonishment and wonder you cry out: Glory be to God!! And you do not know, as your eyes follow her on the stage, whether she is really treading the earth, or gliding through the air, leaning on the arm of her prince, her eye in his eye and her heart upon his heart! They are, beyond doubt, the very splendor of art!!

The first dancer of the company is George Skibine. One glance at him sends a spiritual refreshment through your soul; he is the prince of the dance, with his towering figure, his sea-colored eyes, and the expressive features of his face — what nobility there is in this young man of thirty-five!!

He is of Russian origin, but grew up in Paris from his childhood in the atmosphere of the ballet, and it has never been heard of him that he turned his activity for a single day to anything other than this art. He joined the Marquis's company in 1947 and succeeded in composing a number of rhythmic dances, such as: The Tragedy of Verona, The Prisoner of the Caucasus, and Annabel Lee.

As for the first dancer among the women of the company, Marjorie Tallchief, she is American in origin, and in her veins runs Indian blood. The Marquis discovered her in 1947 in New York and took her with him to Paris, and there before long she married George Skibine; and they shone together, and were joined by the abundance of harmony between their two personalities, bodily and spiritually, so that their marriage was a point of departure toward a magnificent artistic flowering.

And Marjorie, when she lives her part in "Swan Lake" or in "The Sleeping Princess" and others, is the very glow of a joyous dream! She is not of this world — perhaps she is of the angels, or of the houris of Paradise!! The step of her two small feet reminds you of the trembling of the leaves of the trees beside a brook of water!

As for the third star, who deserves a special pause, she is Jacqueline Moreau — she too of long reach in lightness and grace, and possessed of a personality all her own. She began work in the Cuevas company in 1952; her first training in ballet was at the Paris Opera, and from it she came out into the world, mounting step by step the ascents of fame until she became a first dancer known in the world's circles, chief among them Italy, Paris, and London.

We take our leave of you here, dear reader, until we meet next month, in a talk about the revue troupe that will visit Beirut between the 5th and 12th of this present May.