THE BALLET.
THE new ballet, Le Rossignol, is a pretty and very animated picture of village gayety d l'opera ; with a beautiful scenic background painted by GRIEVE, a throng of rustic maids and swains well grouped by DE- SHAYES, and -dancing to lively music arranged by NADAUD. It has just story enough to give occasion for some graceful and expressive pan- tomime by the principal actors in the scene. An old fellow asks the hand of a village lass of her father; but she has given her heart to a younger lover, who possesses the accomplishment of mocking the nightingale with his flute—hence the title. The two lovers are per- sonated in a very vivacious manner by the new dancers. Mademoiselle St. ROMAIN is a charming little danseuse ; and trips it as featly as HEBEBLE, whom she reminds us of. Her movements are free, sprightly, and graceful ; her execution extremely brilliant ; and she appears to dance as if from a natural impulse of gayety and light- heartedness. Her arms have a correspondingly graceful action, giving an airy brightness and a waving motion to her whole figure. This is a point of perfection that is rarely attained, and riot always attempted by French artistes, who too commonly dance with their lees only. Monsieur COus'roN is a young performer of rare powers. He is a compact, well- knit figure,—not, like PERROT, too muscular to be symmetrical ; and he has great agility, buoyancy, and elasticity. He nearly equals Pr aacrr in his bounds and gyrations, while his style has more variety and elegance. COUSTON and St. ROMAIN were a well-matched pair. Nor ought we to pass without a word of recognition the eloquent and characteristic pantomime of Comm as the superannuated suitor. Altogether, we left the ballet with agreeable impressions.
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