BALLETS-RUSSES

The Russian Ballet

1909-1929

As a result of his frustration with the extreme conservatism of Russian art and culture, Serge Diaghilev (1872-1929) organized 1906 an exhibition with Russian Art in Paris which was an enormous success. In 1907 he organized a 'Season of Russian Music' and in 1908 a 'Season of Russian Opera' in Paris. In 1909 presented his new 'Russian Season' now completely devoted to the ballet with a variety of works chiefly choreographe by Michel Fokine (1880-1942) and dancers from the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet, hired by Diaghilev to perform in Paris during their summer holidays. After the enormous success of the Russian Season, Diaghlev founded an itinerant ballet company: The Ballets Russes, that would tour throughout Europe and North and South America, but never in Russia or the Soviet-Union. The Ballet Russes are widely regarded as the most influential dance company of the 20th century due to its groundbreaking collaboration between dancers, composers and designers, all frontrunners in their respective field of art. Among the Russian artists Alexandre Benois, Leon Bakst, Natalia Gontcharova, Michel Larionov, and Nicolas Roerich are of particular interest. After Diaghilev's death in 1929, the company ceased to exist due to its substantial debts. In 1931 it was revived as 'The Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo' that after World War II toured extensively in North and South America. 'The Original Ballet Russe', result of a split up in 1938, toured mostly in Europe. Both dance companies never went to the Soviet-Union.

1906-07

1911

1912-13

1914

1916

1920

1921

1922

1924

1927-28

1930

1931

1939

1955

1961

1968, 1970

1988-89