Event Comment: [For
the King (
Cross). With
New Music, Scenes, Machines, Habits, and o
ther Decorations. Compos'd by
Mr Noverre. All our Dancers appear. A good deal of hissing & Clapping & some Cries of No french Dancers; a great clapping too-
the Dance is fine-(
Mr Delaistre is a good Dancer) (
Cross). [See for details of preparation, importation of dancers, especially of M Delaistre,
The Chevalier Noverre,
Father of Modern Ballet,
Deryck Lynham (
London, 1950), pp. 26-40. See also advertisement in
Public Advertiser: 'Mr Noverre, whose entertainments of Dancing have been celebrated in almost all
the courts of
Europe, exhibits this evening his
Chinese Festival at
the Theatre Royal in
Drury Lane, in pursuance of a contract made above a year ago with
the managers of
the said
theatre:
The Insinuation that at this time, an extraordinary number of
French dancers are engaged, is groundless,
there being at Drury Lane at present as few of that nation, as any o
ther
theatre now has, or perhaps ever had. Mr Noverre and his bro
thers are
Swiss, of a protestant family in
the Canton of Berne, his wife and her sisters
Germans;
there are above sixty performers concerned in
the entertainment; more than forty of which are
English, assisted only be a few French (five men and four women) to complete
the Ballet as usual. As
the intention of
the Managers on this occasion is to give Variety to Entertainments of
the town, it is not doubted it will meet with public approbation.'] Receipts: #210 (
Cross)