musicals involving the dance. Music education is a part of the education in the ballet schools, as well as French, together with rigorous training in other aesthetic subjects. The day at the ballet schools is from 9:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening, with homework for the evening schedule.

Many of the students, including the children, are a part of many of the performances at the Bolshoi Theater in the Republic of Russia as well as in the theaters in the other Republics. An interesting piece of news in this connection was given to us. The Bolshoi Ballet School receives 240,000 rubles a year for the appearance of the children in ballet performances. This money is used by the school for certain expenses such as those in connection with luncheons for the students.

THE experiences at the Bolshoi School of Ballet in Moscow, which is 200 years old, were most interesting in that the director, S. Golovkina, has been one of the distinguished ballerinas of the Bolshoi Theater. Golovkina not only greeted the delegates in her office where the organization of the school was explained, but was our hostess at luncheon, following which she taught some classes in our presence. When we asked her if she missed performing as a ballerina she said she did not know because "during the last month" she was still dancing! At the Vaganova School of Ballet in Leningrad, where Ulanova studied, there was a different type of experience. There a special program was arranged, beginning with the little folks of seven and ending with experienced students, some of whom had qualified for study at the Vaganova School from their home Republics far away in Central Asia.

The Vaganova School of Ballet is 223 years old; enrollment in the school totals 370, and the faculty numbers 120. The usual rigid curriculum prevails at the Vaganova School-a nine-year course and a six-year course. The fact that eighty are accepted after highly competitive examinations and thirty finish indicates the high qualifications which are necessary to complete the

course.

Children's Theater Schools

ANOTHER interesting educational development in the arts is the Children's Theater School where all plays are written especially for this Theater-with the exception of plays of other countries, which are not revised. Plays are planned for different age groups, young, medium age, and older children. All parts are played by adults. Dramas are performed by children only in the Pioneer Club Theaters covered later in this report. Plays are chosen with the following points as criteria: (1) psychology of children, (2) psychology of adults, parents and directors of schools who also attend the Children's Theater.

Three years are spent in the theater school or studio, and study begins at age twenty. Among the courses 'offered are history of Russian and Western theater, Fencing, Dancing, Mastery of Acting. There are about thirty-two Children's Theaters in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Shows in the Children's Theaters are organized for the afternoon, for 6:00 o'clock and 7:30 presentation, according to the ages of the children. Following the performances there is discussion in the schools concerning the presentations.

There are about 300 on the staff in the Children's Theater School in Moscow. This personnel includes the entire production staff. Also in this number are seventy actors-thirty-five men and thirty-five women

An interesting feature of the organization of this movement is the pedagogical section attached to the Theater. There are three teachers. Special showings are given for the directors of the schools; twelve hundred directors of schools came to one performance. Special showings are also given for parents. The purpose of the latter special showings is for the information of the parents, also to give the management an opportunity to secure the opinion of the parents about the productions. It was mentioned that sometimes there are different points of view between teachers, parents and management. Five new plays are added to the repertory each

year. At the present time there are about twenty-five plays in the repertory.

The Circus School

BEFORE going to the Soviet Union we had heard about the Circus School (or School of the Circus Art), but to us at that time it seemed no more a serious educational undertaking than it has since our return to many people to whom the Circus School educational project has been mentioned. However, the experience, first at the performance of the circus, followed by a day at the school itself, has thrown an entirely new light on this project as an educational activity. At the present time a new building is being completed in Moscow as the headquarters for the Circus School. Incidentally, the Circus has returned recently from a tour to Latin America, and, as we passed through Paris on our return from Moscow, we noticed that the Circus was booked for an engagement in Paris, and, according to our friends in Paris, a much anticipated event.

In the Circus School, as in many of the other schools described in this report, the students, receive, an overall education. The Circus School is a self-contained establishment, offering general education as well as the specialized education to the students. The construction of the new Circus School is in the form of a circus ring. The Circus School has two faculties: (1) acrobatic training; (2) clowns, including the famous music clowns. There are two courses: (1) four-year course, in which students between the ages of fourteen years and twentyone years may enroll; (2) seven-year courses, in which are enrolled students between the ages of eleven and eighteen years. Competitive examinations are required in order to qualify for entrance, and there are always many more candidates than can be accepted.

It is interesting to note that, for the course dealing with the training of clowns, only those who have finished the four-year technical music school are accepted. This means that a total of eleven years of music training precedes entrance to the Circus School clown department.

The course is scheduled for three years and may be entered upon between the ages of eighteen and twentysix years. The three-year course consists of two years of theoretical subjects and one year of practical training. The practical training is undertaken outside of Moscowthat is, in other cities, and, upon return to the headquarters school, students undergo examinations for the purpose of getting their diplomas. Examinations include history of theater and history of circus, plus examination in the student's own field of specialization.

Former circus performers are teachers. Acrobats and gymnasts retire after twenty years of active work regardless of age. The Circus School is thirty-two years old, has two hundred and fifty students, a general faculty of forty-five and a specialized faculty of thirty.

Institute of Art Education

ANOTHER important educational establishment in the Soviet Union is the Institute of Art Education begun in 1947 under the general auspices of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. This is mainly a research institute whose principal task has been dedicated to aesthetics pertaining to children of school age and preschool age. In the Institute are several divisions: (1) music, (2) fine arts, (3) literature, (4) dancing, (5) theater and the cinema, (6) aesthetics in general education. The research program of the Institute is considered an important factor in the training of the teachers.

Also identified with the work of the Institute is the Editorial Office, which is concerned with the preparation of textbooks for all of the heretofore mentioned fields. Allied with the work of the Institute, which, as stated above, is concerned with research in all fields of the arts, is the preparation of books on music appreciation and choral singing, as well as with projects of the pedagogical faculties at Conservatories. To further this work of the Institute, testing groups are used by the teachers. To the Institute itself also belongs a chorus (which meets after school), involving changed voices of boys from sixteen to eighteen years old.

In this Institute are three choreographic groups. Also, the Institute is responsible for the planning of the lectures on the arts (already mentioned) which are made available to the general schools. An interesting part of the program of the Institute is concerned with the activities of the Pioneer Club Houses.

In connection with the basic research of the Institute the choice of students for the research experiments is based on the purpose of the research project. For instance, experiments pertaining to choreography draw upon a cross section of students whereas research work pertaining to choral singing draws upon students who have some choral ability.

The Institute is also concerned with the present curriculum as well as the emerging curriculum in art and music in the general schools in the Soviet Union. It was at the Institute of Art Education that there was defined for us the number of hours in the school day: grades 1-4-four periods; 5-8-six periods; 9-11-seven periods -45 minutes each.

Academy of Fine Arts

THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS in Moscow occupies an important place in the intellectual and artistic life of the Soviet Union. A session with the officers of the Presidium of the Academy was very helpful in developing an understanding of the organization and motivation of the entire fine arts movement in the Soviet Union. The work of the Academy is devoted to: (1) creative work of the members of the Academy, (2) scientific or theoretical subjects pertaining to the history of the arts, (3) the field of pedagogy in the Institutes as well as the four-year technical art schools. The Academy members work with the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, as well as with Institutes where painters and sculptors are trained.

The Academy dates back two hundred years. There are 110 members-sixty academicians and fifty associate members. Membership is based on professional attainment, maturity and production. There is no correspond