Original Ballet Russe
Original Ballet Russe | |
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General information | |
Name | Original Ballet Russe |
Previous names | Les Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo Ballets Russes de Colonel W. de Basil Covent Garden Russian Ballet |
Successor | (1937–c. 1941) |
Other | |
Formation |
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The Original Ballet Russe (originally named Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo) was a
History
Dissolution of Ballets Russes and formation of Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo
The company's name is derived from the
In 1931, with the help from financier
Massine and Balanchine join
The company hired
Without consulting Blum, Col. de Basil dropped Balanchine after one year[2] – ostensibly because he thought that audiences preferred the works choreographed by Massine. Librettist Kochno was also let go, while dancer Toumanova left the company when Balanchine was fired. According to historian Katherine Sorley-Walker, however, Balanchine and Kochno left of their own volition, because they found Blum and De Basil "dictatorial."[3]
Blum leaves, Nijinska joins
Col. de Basil and Blum had an acrimonious relationship,[2] which ended in 1934 with Blum breaking up the partnership. Col. de Basil renamed his company Ballets Russes de Colonel W. de Basil.[4] In April, 1934, Bronislava Nijinska directed the company's season at the Théâtre de Monte-Carlo,[5][6] presenting her ballets Bolero, Variations, Etude, and Les Comediens Jaloux.[7] Nijinska created Les Cent Baisers for the company's London season in 1935.[8]
The company struggled financially in the wake of the Great Depression, and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Sol Hurok, an American, took over the management of the Ballet Russe[9] and brought the company to the United States.
The company splits
In 1937, Massine left, joining with Blum to form their own company,[10] recruiting several dancers from their previous group. However, the ballets which Massine had choreographed while under contract with Col. de Basil were owned by his company. Massine sued de Basil in London to regain the intellectual property rights to his own works. He also sued to claim the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo name.[9] The jury decided that de Basil owned Massine's ballets created between 1932 and 1937, but not those created before 1932.[11] It also ruled that both successor companies could use the name Ballet Russe – but only Massine and Blum's company could be called Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo. Col. de Basil renamed his company again, calling it the Covent Garden Russian Ballet[4] and bringing on Michel Fokine as resident choreographer.
Sol Hurok ended up managing Blum and Massine's company as well. The Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo and the Original Ballet Russe often performed near each other. Under its new name, the company's first season, starting May 1938, was at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Massine's Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo had a season at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane a few hundred yards away,[9] and this season was known as the "London Ballet Wars".
After London, Hurok booked both of the companies to perform in New York (with de Basil's company playing the
In 1939, the company spent a six-week season at Covent Garden. English ballerina Mona Inglesby danced with the company that season.
Finally, in 1939, Col. de Basil gave the company its final name, the Original Ballet Russe.[4]
The company toured extensively throughout Europe and Australia, visiting Australia in 1936–37, 1938–39, and 1939–40.[12][13][14] During his visit to Australia, de Basil commissioned work from Australians, especially from designers, who included Sidney Nolan and Kathleen and Florence Martin. He also instigated a design competition for an original Australian ballet, which was won by Donald Friend with designs for a ballet based on a fictitious event in the life of Ned Kelly.[citation needed]. A number of dancers stayed in Australia,[15] including Kira Bousloff, who went on to found the West Australian Ballet.
During World War II
Soon after they returned to the United States in 1939,
While in Cuba, David Lichine and Tatiana Leskova appeared in Conga Pantera at the Cabaret Tropicana. Other dancers included Tamara Grigorieva, Nina Verchinina, Anna Leontieva, Genevieve Moulin, Tatiana Leskova, Anna Volkova, Your Lazowski, Dimitri Romanoff, Roman Jasinski, Paul Petroff, and Oleg Tupin.
Disbandment
In 1947, the Original Ballet Russe gave its last season in London before disbanding.[17] The company was revived in 1951 by family members G. Kirsta and the Grigorievs, after Col. de Basil died.[17] The company proved to be financially unstable, and folded while on tour in Europe in 1952.
In popular culture
A feature documentary about the company, featuring interviews with many of the dancers, was released in 2005, with the title
A Thousand Encores: Ballets Russes in Australia was a documentary screened on ABC Television on November 3, 2009, about the company's three visits to Australia between 1936 and 1940. The documentary claims that there is more footage of the Ballets Russes in Australia than anywhere else in the world. Some film was in colour, a rarity for that time.
Works
- 1932
- George Balanchine's Cotillion, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, La Concurrence, and Suites de Danses[18]
- Léonide Massine's Jeux d'enfants[18]
- Boris Romanoff's Chout (Le Bouffon) Pulcinella, and L'Amour Sorcier[19]
- Lev Ivanov's Le Lac des Cygnes (Swan Lake), act II
- Michel Fokine's Petrouchka, Les Sylphides, and The Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor
- 1933
- Rameau)[18]
- Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5), Le Beau Danube, Beach, Scuola di Ballo,[19]and Les Matelots
- 14 September — Michel Fokine's Carnaval (set to Robert Schumann's Carnaval, Op. 9), London, UK
- 24 October premiere — Leonide Massine's Choreartium (set to Alhambra Theatre, London, UK
- Vaslav Nijinsky's L'Après-midi d'un faune[20]
- 1934
- Léonide Massine's Le Tricorne, Chicago
- Léonide Massine's Union Pacific,[18] Philadelphia
- Léonide Massine's La Boutique Fantasque
- Léonide Massine's Les Contes Russes
- David Lichine's Les Imaginaires
- Bronislava Nijinska's Bolero
- Bronislava Nijinska's Variations
- Bronislava Nijinska's Étude
- Bronislava Nijinska's Les Comediens Jaloux
- Marius Petipa's Le Mariage d'Aurore (arranged by Nijinska)
- Michel Fokine's L'Oiseau de feu
- 1935
- Léonide Massine's Jardin public, Chicago
- Léonide Massine's Le Bal, Chicago
- Léonide Massine's Union Pacific
- Léonide Massine's Les femmes de bonne humeur
- Léonide Massine's Le Soleil de Nuit
- Bronislava Nijinska's Les Cent Baisers
- Michel Fokine's Schéhérazade, Thamar, and Le Spectre de la Rose
- 1936
- David Lichine's Le Pavillon, 24 July premiere
- symphony), Covent Garden, London, UK, 13 October
- Léonide Massine's La Boutique fantasque, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Australia[21]
- Leon Woizikovsky's L'Amour Sorcier[20]
- Léonide Massine's Cimarosiana
- Michel Fokine's Cléopâtre and Papillons
- Bronislava Nijinska's Danses slaves et tziganes and Les Noces
- 1936–1937 Australia tour
- Marius Petipa's Aurora's Wedding
- Léonide Massine's Le Beau Danube
- Léonide Massine's La Boutique Fantasque
- Michel Fokine's Carnaval
- Léonide Massine's Les Contes Russes
- George Balanchine's Cotillon
- Michel Fokine's L'Oiseau de Feu
- Bronislava Nijinska's Les Cent Baisers
- Leon Woitzikowsky's L'Amour Sorcier
- Vaslav Nijinsky's L'Après-midi d'un faune
- Léonide Massine's Le Soleil de Nuit
- Michel Fokine's Petrouchka
- Leon Woitzikowsky's Port Said
- Léonide Massine's Les Presages
- Michel Fokine's Prince Igor
- Michel Fokine's Schéhérazade
- Léonide Massine's Scuola di Ballo
- Michel Fokine's Le Spectre de la Rose
- Lev Ivanov's Swan Lake, Act II
- Michel Fokine's Les Sylphides
- Michel Fokine's Thamar
- 1937
- 11 January — Petrouchka, Sydney
- Michel Fokine's Le Coq d'or (set to the music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)
- David Lichine's Francesca da Rimini, Le Lion amoureux, and Les Dieux mendiants
- 11 January —
- 1938
- Michel Fokine's Cendrillon
- David Lichine's Le Fils Prodigue and Protée
- 1939
- Michel Fokine's Paganini
- 1940
- Serge Lifar's Le Danube bleu[20]
- 1940 Australia tour
- David Lichine's Graduation Ball[22] (set to the music of Johann Strauss II), Melbourne
- Igor Schwezoff's La Lutte eternelle, Sydney
- Mikhail Obukhov (after Petipa, Saint-Leon)'s Coppélia, Sydney
- Nina Verchinina's Etude (The Quest)
- Serge Lifar's Icare and Pavane (Las Meninas)
- 1941 Havana tour[23]
- Le Spectre de la Rose
- Léonide Massine's Symphonie Fantastique, Les Présages, and Le Beau Danube
- Marius Petipa's Le Mariage d’Aurore
- George Balanchine's Cotillon and Balustrade
- Bronislava Nijinska's Les Cent Baisers
- 1942
- Vania Psota and S. Pueyrredón de Elizalde's Fue una vez
- 1943
- Vania Psota's El Malón
- 1944
- Vania Psota's La isla de los ceibos
- 1945
- Vania Psota's Yx-kik
- 1946
- spring — David Lichine's Cain and Abel, Mexico City[24]
- John Taras' Camille
- William Dollar's Constantia
- Anton Dolin's Giselle (after Coralli) and Pas de Quatre
- Antonia Cobos' Mute Wife
- Edward Caton's Sebastian
- Vania Psota's Yara
- 1947
- Jerome Robbins' Pas de Trois
- Bronislava Nijinska's Pictures at an Exhibition
- spring — Giselle, Metropolitan Opera House, New York[25]
- spring — Swan Lake, Metropolitan Opera House, New York
- Boris Kniasev's Piccoli and The Silver Birch
- summer — David Lichine's Graduation Ball, London, UK[18]
- 1948
- Anatole Joukovsky's Danzas eslavas
- Nina Verchinina's Suite choréographique
- Nina Verchinina's Valse triste
References
Notes
- ^ Anderson, Martin, "A Century in Music: Manuel Rosenthal in Conversation" (April 2000). Tempo (New Ser.) (212): pp. 31-37.
- ^ a b Homans, Jennifer. "René Blum: Life of a Dance Master," New York Times (July 8, 2011).
- ^ Sorley-Walker, Katherine (1983). De Basil's Ballets Russes. New York: Atheneum. p. 20.
- ^ a b c "Les Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo". The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. 2004. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
- ^ García-Márquez, Vicente (1990). The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo 1932-1952. New York: Alfred A.Knopf. pp. xiii.
- ^ Sorley-Walker, Katherine (1983). De Basil's Ballets Russes. New York: Atheneum. p. 36.
- ^ Detaille, Georges and Gérard Mulys (1954). Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo 1911-1944. Paris: Editions Arc-en-Ciel. pp. 181–185.
- ^ Sorley-Walker, Katherine (1983). De Basil's Ballets Russes. New York: Atheneum. pp. 55–57.
- ^ a b c Andros, Gus Dick (February 1997). "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo". Andros on Ballet. Michael Minn. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ "BLUM BALLET SOLD TO COMPANY HERE; World Art, Inc., Formed by Julius Fleischmann, Takes Over Monte Carlo Troupe," New York Times (November 20, 1937).
- ^ australiadancing[usurped] through the Internet Archive
- ^ Amanda. "Ballets Russes", The Age (17 July 2005)
- ^ Haskell, Arnold L. (1937). Dancing Round the World. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
- ^ Hall, Hugh P. (1948). Ballet in Australia from Pavlova to Rambert. Melbourne: Georgian House.
- ^ Joan Woods (8 Dec 2014). "Madame Kira's legacy of dance to Western Australia". Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Associated Press, "Former New York City Ballet star Yvonne Mounsey, who founded West Coast school, dies at 93,", Washington Post (Oct. 3, 2012).
- ^ a b Finkelstein, Richard (July 12, 2004). "A Ballets Russes Chronology". International Arts Resources. Artslynx. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ a b c d e García-Márques, Vicente. Massine: A Biography (New York: Knopf, 1995).
- ^ a b Detaille, Georges and Gérard Mulys (1954). Les Ballets de Monte Carlo 1911-1944. Paris: Éditions Arc-en-Ciel.
- ^ a b c Sorley Walker, Kathrine (1983). De Basil's Ballets Russes. New York: Atheneum.
- ^ Vicente García-Márquez, The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo, 1932-1952 (New York 1990), p. 155.
- ^ "Catalogue Information on 'Artists of the company, in Graduation ball, The Original Ballet Russe, Australian tour, His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne, 1940', picture by Hugh P. Hall". Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1938-1940. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ Villalón, Célida P. (August 1, 2007). "The Ballet Russe - Ballet Russe de Montecarlo". Villalón, Vivian (trans.). Danza Ballet. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ Turnbaugh, Douglas Blair. "Ballets Russes (1909-1962)". glbtq Encyclopedia. glbtq. Retrieved 5 June 2010.
- ^ Martin, John. "Rosella Hightower Scores in Giselle Role, Replacing Markova, as Ballet Russe Opens", The New York Times, March 21, 1947. Accessed November 5, 2008.
Sources consulted
- "Les Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo". The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Oxford University Press. 2000.
- Sorley Walker, Kathrine. 1982. De Basil's Ballets Russes. London: Hutchinson. ISBN 0-689-11365-X.
Further reading
- Garcia-Marquez, Vicente (1990). The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo 1932-152. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0-394-52875-1.
- Anderson, Jack (1981). The One and Only: The Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo. New York: Dance Horizons. ISBN 0-87127-127-3.
- Chazin-Bennahum, Judith (2011) René Blum and the Ballets Russes: In search of a lost life. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-539933-2
- Sorley-Walker, Katherine (1983) De Basil's Ballets Russes. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11365-X
- Detaille, Georges and Mulys, Gérard (1954) Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo 1911-1944. Paris: Arc-en-Ciel.
- Haskell, Arnold L. (1937) Dancing Round the World. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
- Hall, Hugh P. (1948) Ballet in Australia from Pavlova to Rambert. Melbourne: Georgian House.