Barynya at the Russian Nobility Ball Friday May 9th 2008 NYC

[M. Smirnov]

70th ANNIVERSARY of the Russian Nobility Association in America
http://www.russiannobility.org
May 9th, 2008. Pierre Hotel, New York
for reservations call (845) 356-0296

Cocktails 7:30 PM
Dinner 8:30 PM
Dancing 9 PM

Ensemble Barynya will provide music for cocktails and performance of
our eight dancers during dinner (around 9:30-9:45pm)

Barynya will start the program with "Danila Cooper" ("Danilo Kupor",
"Daniel Cooper", ru: "Данила Купер") dance.

Ensemble Barynya website:
www.barynya.com

About "Daniel Cooper dance" from "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy:

"Look at Papa!" shouted Natasha to the whole company, and quite
forgetting that she was dancing with a grown-up partner she bent her
curly head to her knees and made the whole room ring with her
laughter.

And indeed everybody in the room looked with a smile of pleasure at
the jovial old gentleman, who standing beside his tall and stout
partner, Marya Dmitrievna, curved his arms, beat time, straightened
his shoulders, turned out his toes, tapped gently with his foot, and,
by a smile that broadened his round face more and more, prepared the
onlookers for what was to follow. As soon as the provocatively gay
strains of Daniel Cooper (somewhat resembling those of a merry peasant
dance) began to sound, all the doorways of the ballroom were suddenly
filled by the domestic serfs- the men on one side and the women on the
other- who with beaming faces had come to see their master making
merry.

"Just look at the master! A regular eagle he is!" loudly remarked the
nurse, as she stood in one of the doorways.

The count danced well and knew it. But his partner could not and did
not want to dance well. Her enormous figure stood erect, her powerful
arms hanging down (she had handed her reticule to the countess), and
only her stern but handsome face really joined in the dance. What was
expressed by the whole of the count's plump figure, in Marya
Dmitrievna found expression only in her more and more beaming face and
quivering nose. But if the count, getting more and more into the swing
of it, charmed the spectators by the unexpectedness of his adroit
maneuvers and the agility with which he capered about on his light
feet, Marya Dmitrievna produced no less impression by slight
exertions- the least effort to move her shoulders or bend her arms
when turning, or stamp her foot- which everyone appreciated in view of
her size and habitual severity.

The dance grew livelier and livelier. The other couples could not
attract a moment's attention to their own evolutions and did not even
try to do so. All were watching the count and Marya Dmitrievna.
Natasha kept pulling everyone by sleeve or dress, urging them to "look
at Papa!" though as it was they never took their eyes off the couple.
In the intervals of the dance the count, breathing deeply, waved and
shouted to the musicians to play faster. Faster, faster, and faster;
lightly, more lightly, and yet more lightly whirled the count, flying
round Marya Dmitrievna, now on his toes, now on his heels; until,
turning his partner round to her seat, he executed the final pas,
raising his soft foot backwards, bowing his perspiring head, smiling
and making a wide sweep with his arm, amid a thunder of applause and
laughter led by Natasha. Both partners stood still, breathing heavily
and wiping their faces with their cambric handkerchiefs.

"That's how we used to dance in our time, ma chere," said the count.

"That was a Daniel Cooper!" exclaimed Marya Dmitrievna, tucking up her
sleeves and puffing heavily.

read more at WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy, Book One, CHAPTER XX
http://www.friends-partners.org/oldfriends/literature/war_and_peace/war-peace_b01c20.html