Misplaced Pages

#618381

61-710: The collection is named for Nicholas Sergeyev , former dancer and régisseur-général of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, who brought the collection out of Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917 . Since 1969 these materials have been held in the Harvard Theatre Collection at Houghton Library . At the end of the nineteenth century, the dancer Vladimir Stepanov developed his own method of choreographic notation, which he detailed in his book L'Alphabet des Mouvements du Corps Humain . In 1893 Stepanov proposed

122-464: A British touring company founded in 1941 by the ballerina Mona Inglesby . The Sadler's Wells Ballet staged a new production of The Sleeping Beauty in 1946 to re-open the Royal Opera House. The production featured a heavily altered choreographic text that angered Sergeyev to such an extent that he left the company. At the invitation of Inglesby, Sergeyev soon took up the post of Ballet Master to

183-495: A circle of art-loving friends who called themselves The Nevsky Pickwickians . They included Alexandre Benois , Walter Nouvel , Konstantin Somov , and Léon Bakst . Although not instantly received into the group, Diaghilev was aided by Benois in developing his knowledge of Russian and Western art. In two years, he had voraciously absorbed this new obsession (even travelling abroad to further his studies) and came to be respected as one of

244-402: A civil servant career, so he went abroad and immersed in his other plans. The success of the 1906 exhibition inspired Diaghilev to present Russian music to the world’s culture capitals such as Paris. In 1907, he organised ‘Concerts historiques russes’ with famous composers like Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov , Sergei Rachmaninoff , Alexander Glazunov , Feodor Chaliapin, and Félia Litvinne. The tour

305-479: A mention in W. H. Auden 's poem "September 1, 1939": What mad Nijinsky wrote About Diaghilev Is true of the normal heart; For the error bred in the bone Of each woman and each man Craves what it cannot have, Not universal love But to be loved alone. Diaghilev dismissed Nijinsky summarily from the Ballets Russes after the dancer's marriage to Romola de Pulszky in 1913. Nijinsky appeared again with

366-566: A project to the head committee of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg and its school, the Imperial Ballet School , that would record the company's repertory for posterity. The committee, which made decisions on the appointment of dancers, repertory, etc., consisted of Marius Petipa ( Premier Maître de ballet of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres); Lev Ivanov (second Maître de Ballet ); Ekaterina Vazem (former Prima ballerina of

427-478: A splendid collection of rare books at the end of his life, many people noticed that his impeccably cut suits had frayed cuffs and trouser-ends. Several sources have cited Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes as inspiration for the 1948 film The Red Shoes . Throughout his life, Diaghilev was severely afraid of dying in water, and avoided traveling by boat. He died of diabetes in Venice on 19 August 1929, and his tomb

488-709: Is now called the Sergeyev Collection for future generations. Sergeyev was born on 15 September 1876 in St Petersburg. He was accepted for training by the Imperial Ballet School and he graduated and joined the company in 1894. He was promoted to soloist and régisseur in 1904 and régisseur-général in 1914. He was thus the last ever régisseur-général of the Imperial Ballet. In 1919 he and his wife fled Russia, as did many Russian ballet professionals after

549-752: Is on the nearby island of San Michele , near to the grave of Stravinsky , in the Orthodox section. The Ekstrom Collection of the Diaghilev and Stravinsky Foundation is held by the Department of Theatre and Performance of the Victoria and Albert Museum . Diaghilev was played by Alan Bates in the 1980 movie Nijinsky , and the Contemporary Art Museum in Saint Petersburg State University

610-509: The Scythian Suite ; Chout , 1915 revised 1920; Le pas d'acier , 1926; and The Prodigal Son , 1929); Ottorino Respighi ( La Boutique fantasque , 1919); Francis Poulenc ( Les biches , 1923) and others. His choreographer Michel Fokine often adapted the music for ballet. Diaghilev also worked with dancer and ballet master Léonide Massine . He played a decisive role in the career of Sergey Prokofiev. The artistic director for

671-713: The Bolshevik revolution . It was a hazardous journey and the last leg was from Riga on a British warship. He was not the only one the Royal Navy helped to escape. Tamara Karsavina escaped from Murmansk with her husband, the British diplomat Henry James Bruce , with the aid of sailors of a British cruiser stationed in the White Sea, and Mathilde Kschessinskaya escaped from the Black Sea port of Novorossisk with her lover and future husband,

SECTION 10

#1732855908619

732-833: The Nazi concentration camps during World War II . After dancing with the Ballets Russes in 1925, Ruth Page emerged as a founder of her own ballet troupes based in Chicago, including the Chicago Opera Ballet . Diaghilev's life and the Ballets Russes were inextricably entwined. His most famous lover was Vaslav Nijinsky . However, according to Serge Lifar, of all Diaghilev's lovers, only Léonide Massine , who replaced Nijinsky, provided him with "so many moments of happiness or anguish". Diaghilev's other lovers included Anton Dolin , Serge Lifar and his secretary and librettist Boris Kochno . Nijinsky's later bitter comments about Diaghilev inspired

793-755: The Sergeyev Collection , fearing that these invaluable records would be lost to posterity in the upheaval of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Civil War that followed. He used these records in his subsequent employment by many of the leading Western ballet companies of the time, and after his death they finished up housed at the Harvard University Library Theatre Collection. In 1921 he met Serge Diaghilev in Paris. He had of course known Diaghilev in St Petersburg when they both worked for

854-567: The Théâtre du Châtelet , which was less prestigious than the Palais Garnier . At that time, Diaghilev was rather skeptical about ballet; he said that ‘anyone with no special wit can enjoy it, there is no sense or subject in ballet’. Serge Lifar recalled that to the end of his days Diaghilev referred to the corps-de-ballet dancers as ‘a herd of cattle’. Nevertheless, in 1909 the very first ballet Saison Russe took place and its success overwhelmed even

915-543: The revolution of 1917 , Nicholas Sergeyev left Russia with all of the notations as well as a great deal of music and other materials relating to the documented works. In 1921 Sergeyev took over the post of régisseur to the ballet troupe of the Latvian National Opera in Riga , and during his appointment with the company he added more materials belonging to the notated ballets. Piano scores and orchestral parts for some of

976-478: The Ballets Russes was Léon Bakst . Together they developed a more complicated form of ballet with show-elements intended to appeal to the general public, rather than solely the aristocracy. The exotic appeal of the Ballets Russes had an effect on Fauvist painters and the nascent Art Deco style. Coco Chanel is said to have stated that "Diaghilev invented Russia for foreigners." [Rhonda K. Garelick]. Perhaps Diaghilev's most notable composer-collaborator, however,

1037-477: The Ballets Russes were often considered too "intellectual", too "stylish" and seldom had the unconditional success of the first few seasons, although younger choreographers like George Balanchine hit their stride with the Ballets Russes. The start of the 20th century brought a development in the handling of tonality, harmony, rhythm and meter towards more freedom. Until that time, rigid harmonic schemes had forced rhythmic patterns to stay fairly uncomplicated. Around

1098-649: The Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich , with the aid of sailors at a British base there. Not for nothing did Soviet Russia describe the British and other nations that interfered in the Russian Civil War as the “foreign interventionists” Sergeyev brought with him the records of the Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov choreographies of some 20 classical ballets in the Stepanov notation, what is now known as

1159-656: The Imperial Ballet. Diaghilev hired him for his Ballets Russes company and brought him to London to reproduce in its original form the ballet Sleeping Princess (now known as Sleeping Beauty ) for his financially disastrous 1921 season at the Alhambra Theatre. After disagreements with Diaghilev he went to Riga as regisseur of the Latvian National Opera Ballet. He also founded his own company and produced Act IV of La Bayadere , La Fille mal Gardee , and Paquita , all from his Maryinsky notations. In 1924

1220-399: The Imperial Ballet. His appearance as a dandy with a grey lock amazed the ballerinas, who soon nicknamed him ‘Chinchilla’. He was especially interested in young Mathilde Kschessinska , who was flattered by the attention of an already famous art connoisseur. Even though they would fight later and temporarily break contact, the friendship would last through all their lives. Diaghilev brought

1281-560: The Imperial Theatres and teacher of the classe de perfection ); Pavel Gerdt ( Premier danseur of the Imperial Theatres); and Christian Johansson (former Premier danseur of the Imperial Theatres and teacher at the school). The committee required that Stepanov first present demonstrations, known as "certifications", on the effectiveness of his new method before the project would be implemented. The first of these demonstrations

SECTION 20

#1732855908619

1342-581: The International Ballet. Sergeyev's stagings for both of these British companies formed the nucleus of what is now known loosely as the "classical ballet repertory", and as a result these works went on to be staged all over the world in versions derived from Sergeyev's stagings. Nicholas Sergeyev died in Nice, France on 23 June 1951. Upon his death the notations passed on for a briefly to a Russian associate of his, from whom Mona Inglesby purchased them. Through

1403-553: The Latin alphabet as Nicholas or Nikolai Sergeev, Sergueev or Sergueeff etc.) was a Russian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher, and regisseur of the Imperial Ballet at the Maryinsky Theatre , St Petersburg. He fled Russia in 1919 and spent the rest of his life in the West, producing ballets for many of the leading western companies of the time. He is remembered for preserving what

1464-685: The London theatrical dealer Ifan Kyrle Fletcher, Inglesby sold the notations for Swan Lake to Harvard University in 1967. Two years later in 1969 Inglesby sold Harvard the rest of the collection of Sergeyev's materials for a sum claimed to be around £6,000. Today the collection is known officially as the Nikolai Sergeev Dance Notations and Music Scores for Ballets , or simply as The Sergeyev Collection . Nicholas Sergeyev Nicholas Grigoryevich Sergeyev (1876–1951) ( Russian : Никола́й Григорьевич Серге́ев , variously written in

1525-757: The Russian and Finnish artists at the Stieglitz Academy with the works of those such as Mikhail Vrubel , Valentin Serov , and Isaac Levitan . In the same year he opened an exhibition of young Russian painters in Germany. Though the young art connoisseur had no private fortune, he managed to gain the protection and support of such high nobility as the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and later even Nicholas II . The Russian-Finnish exhibition of 1898 became

1586-629: The ancient icons. The exhibition was designed by Léon Bakst and occupied 12 rooms in the Grand Palais . It, too, enjoyed enormous success and in many ways paved the way for the future success of the Ballet Russe. France was soon immersed in fashion à la russe. Diaghilev was offered the Legion of Honour award, but refused in honour of Bakst. In 1899, Prince Serge Wolkonsky received directorship of all Imperial theaters. On 10 September 1899, he gave Diaghilev

1647-524: The artists themselves. The first season included Le Pavillon d'Armide , Polovtsian Dances , Nuit d’Egypte , Les Sylphides , and operas Boris Godunov , The Maid of Pskov and the first part of the Ruslan and Lyudmila . The ballets followed the operas and were performed after the second intermission. Leading dancers Vaslav Nijinsky , Anna Pavlova , Tamara Karsavina , Ida Rubinstein , Mikhail Mordkin immediately became world-known stars. Diaghilev’s innovation

1708-509: The ballets was also added, such as Paquita by Édouard Deldevez , The Little Humpbacked Horse by Cesare Pugni, and Adolphe Adam 's scores for Giselle and Le Corsaire among others. In 1920 Sergeyev was invited by Sergei Diaghilev to stage The Sleeping Beauty for the Ballets Russes in Paris, but Diaghilev's insistence on altering passages of Petipa's choreography caused Sergeyev to withdraw his services. Sergeyev utilized

1769-656: The classics Giselle , Coppelia , Sleeping Princess and Swan Lake , as well as some shorter ballets and some short extracts from the classics. He worked with International Ballet until his health started to fail, and he died in Nice on 23 June 1951 aged 74. Sergei Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( / d i ˈ æ ɡ ɪ l ɛ f / dee- AG -il-ef ; Russian: Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев , IPA: [sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf] ; 31 March [ O.S. 19 March] 1872 – 19 August 1929), also known as Serge Diaghilev ,

1830-512: The classics. On 6 March 1905, he opened an exhibition of the ‘Russian portraits of the 18th and 19th centuries’ at the Tauride Palace with more than 4000 paintings collected from 450 owners. Diaghilev himself travelled to acquire the portraits and wrote a catalogue of 2300 art works with information on the artists, models, and other relevant data. The exposition, designed by Benois, was an innovative example of art synthesis and greatly impressed

1891-401: The company, but the old relationship between the men was never re-established; moreover, Nijinsky's magic as a dancer was much diminished by incipient mental illness. Their last meeting was after Nijinsky's mind had given way, and he appeared not to recognise his former lover. Diaghilev was known as a hard, demanding, even frightening taskmaster. Ninette de Valois, no shrinking violet, said she

Sergeyev Collection - Misplaced Pages Continue

1952-539: The composer's widow, Nadezhda Rimskaya-Korsakova , who protested in open letters to Diaghilev published in the periodical Rech. Diaghilev commissioned ballet music from composers such as Nikolai Tcherepnin ( Narcisse et Echo , 1911), Claude Debussy ( Jeux , 1913), Maurice Ravel ( Daphnis et Chloé , 1912), Erik Satie ( Parade , 1917), Manuel de Falla ( El Sombrero de Tres Picos , 1917), Richard Strauss ( Josephslegende , 1914), Sergei Prokofiev ( Ala and Lolli , 1915, rejected by Diaghilev and turned into

2013-533: The correct rhythm. Members of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes later went on to found ballet traditions in the United States (George Balanchine) and England ( Ninette de Valois and Marie Rambert ). Ballet master Serge Lifar went on a technical revival at the Paris Opera Ballet , enhanced by Claude Bessy and Rudolf Nureyev in the 1980s. Lifar is credited for saving many Jewish and other minority dancers from

2074-514: The costumes and the set. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Diaghilev stayed abroad. Once it became obvious that he could not be lured back, the new Soviet regime condemned him in perpetuity as an especially insidious example of "bourgeois decadence". Soviet art historians wrote him out of the picture for more than 60 years. Diaghilev made Boris Kochno his secretary in 1920 and staged Tchaikovsky 's The Sleeping Beauty in London in 1921; it

2135-401: The costumes. The tour became a sensation and the success was overwhelming, however, financially, it was unprofitable and ended with a loss of 85,000 francs . By 1909, Diaghilev was at odds with Kschessinska , and the Russian state treasury refused to finance the future tours. Sergei turned for help to his other friend, Misia Sert . Due to her efforts, the company ended up being able to rent

2196-525: The established personnel of the Imperial Theatres. After several increasingly antagonistic differences of opinion, Diaghilev refused to go on editing the Annual of the Imperial Theatres and was discharged by Volkonsky in 1901. However, the scandal also ruined Wolkonsky’s career; in a week, he was similarly fired. By that time, even the Emperor , persuaded by Kschessinska, took Diaghilev’s side. Sergei didn’t think much of

2257-484: The first action of the recently formed society ‘ Mir iskusstva ’, established by Benois and Diaghilev earlier that year. The group also included Konstantin Somov, Dmitry Filosofov, Léon Bakst, and Eugene Lansere . Soon, with the help of Savva Mamontov (the director of the Russian Private Opera Company) and Princess Maria Tenisheva, the group founded the journal Mir iskusstva (World of Art). The magazine

2318-651: The invitation of Ninette de Valois , Sergeyev staged many works from the notations for the Vic-Wells/Sadler's Wells Ballet (precursor of the Royal Ballet ) in London: Coppélia (1933), Swan Lake (1934), The Nutcracker (1934), Giselle (1934) and The Sleeping Beauty as The Sleeping Princess (1939). Sergeyev also began staging works with the aid of the notations in 1942 for the International Ballet ,

2379-476: The members of Mir iskusstva with him to the Imperial theatres. Apollinary Vasnetsov , Alexandre Benois, Léon Bakst, Valentin Serov, Eugene Lansere and other contemporary artists began working on decorations and costumes. In 1900, Prince Serge Wolkonsky entrusted Diaghilev with the staging of Léo Delibes ' ballet Sylvia, a favorite of Benois. The two collaborators concocted an elaborate production plan that startled

2440-616: The most learned of the group. In the late 1890s, Diaghilev created several art exhibitions that were intended to introduce the contemporary artists to the local public and, later, to the Europeans. The exposition of British and German watercolorists in 1897 at the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts became a huge success—one which Diaghilev repeated in 1898 with the exhibition of

2501-548: The notation project. After Gorsky departed St. Petersburg in 1900 to take up the post of Maître de ballet to the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, the Imperial Ballet's régisseur Nicholas Sergeyev succeeded him to supervise the notation project. By the early 1900s Sergeyev had assistants aiding him in preparing the notations: Alexander Chekrygin (ru: Чекрыгин, Александр Иванович , Victor Rakhmanov , Nikolay Kremnev (ru: Николай Кремнев), and S. Ponomaryev (ru: С. Пономарев). After

Sergeyev Collection - Misplaced Pages Continue

2562-461: The notation to mount Giselle for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1924, with the ballerina Olga Spessivtseva in the title role and Anton Dolin as Albrecht. This was not only the first time that the Parisian ballet had danced Giselle since the 1860s, but also the first production outside of Russia to include the old choreographic text as preserved under Petipa and his predecessors in St. Petersburg. At

2623-547: The paper to print the issues. He invited many of his fellow members in Mir iskusstva to work on the magazine, design fonts and create illustrations. He also showed himself as a successful promoter by finding sponsors, advertisers, and new distribution channels. As recalled by Benois, the success of the magazine went to Sergey’s head and very soon he was thinking about himself as ‘the only one, without whom nothing can be done. At that time Diaghilev started frequent visits to repetitions of

2684-493: The post of officer on special duty. The post was usually a nominal one, but since Diaghilev managed to actively engage into the theatrical world, he was soon made responsible for the production of the Annual of the Imperial Theaters. As editor-in-chief, he reformed the edition and converted it into a full-scale luxurious magazine with critical essays, playbills, articles about artists and lots of pictures. Diaghilev even changed

2745-424: The principal male role. Based on the success of these demonstrations, the proposed notation project was approved and Stepanov soon set to work documenting the repertory of the Imperial Ballet. Among the first works to be notated was Petipa's 1894 ballet Le Réveil de Flore followed by the scene Le jardin animé from the ballet Le Corsaire . After Stepanov's death in 1896, the dancer Alexander Gorsky took over

2806-471: The rest of his life. He had a new company of young dancers to train and rehearse in the traditions of the Maryinsky and a young director who believed in his methods. Inglesby had the only person in the world outside Soviet Russia who could produce the classical ballets in their original Petipa/Ivanov forms, which is what she wanted her company to do. Between 1942 and 1948 he re-created full length productions of

2867-554: The same time he did some work for International Ballet , the fledgling touring company formed by Mona Inglesby in 1941. When he left Sadler's Wells he joined International Ballet, as ballet master and director of the International Ballet School in Queensberry Mews, South Kensington. He never had a formal contract but it was an arrangement that suited both sides admirably and he stayed with International Ballet for

2928-459: The turn of the century, however, harmonic and metric devices became either more rigid, or much more unpredictable, and each approach had a liberating effect on rhythm, which also affected ballet. Diaghilev was a pioneer in adapting these new musical styles to modern ballet. When Ravel used a 4 time in the final part of his ballet Daphnis and Chloe (1912), dancers of the Ballets Russes sang Ser-gei-dia-ghi-lev during rehearsals to keep

2989-519: The visitors. The paintings were combined into groups and accompanied with notes, and the interiors were decorated differently in order to emphasize their meanings and double the effect. The exhibition enjoyed enormous success and raised Diaghilev to the top of art and society elite. Passionate to promote Russian art abroad, in 1906, Diaghilev organized and opened the ‘Two Centuries of the Russian art and Sculpture’ exposition at Salon d'Automne . It included 750 works from 103 authors, from modern artists to

3050-585: The émigré Russian Prima Ballerina Olga Spessivtseva hired him to produce Giselle for her at the Paris Opera. This was a huge success, and gained for him the medal of L'Academie Nationale de Musique et la Danse. Back in Riga he found his own ballet company in financial difficulties, so he joined the newly formed Russian Opera Company as ballet master. The company went on a world tour producing excerpts from classical ballets and operatic interludes. In 1934 this company

3111-500: Was Igor Stravinsky . Diaghilev heard Stravinsky's early orchestral works Fireworks and Scherzo fantastique , and was impressed enough to ask Stravinsky to arrange some pieces by Chopin for the Ballets Russes. In 1910, he commissioned his first score from Stravinsky, The Firebird . Petrushka (1911) and The Rite of Spring (1913) followed shortly afterwards, and the two also worked together on Les noces (1923) and Pulcinella (1920) together with Picasso , who designed

SECTION 50

#1732855908619

3172-756: Was a Russian art critic , patron , ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes , from which many famous dancers and choreographers would arise. Diaghilev's career can be divided into two periods: in Saint ;Petersburg (1898–1906) and while as an emigrant (1906–1929). Sergei Diaghilev was born in Selishchi to a noble officer Pavel Diaghilev  [ ru ] . His mother died from childbed fever soon after his birth. In 1873, Pavel met and married Elena Panaeva, who loved Sergei and raised him as her own child. The House of Diaghilev  [ ru ] in Perm

3233-858: Was a local cultural centre, and the Diaghilevs housed a musical evening every second Thursday, Modest Mussorgsky being one of the most frequent guests. Sergei Diaghilev composed his first romance at the age of 15. When he entered the Saint Petersburg Imperial University , he also had private music lessons with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov . Instead of the usual four, it took him six years to graduate. By his own admission, Diaghilev used his student years ‘to look around’ and find his true interests in life. Seven months after graduation he opened his first exhibition. During his years at University, Diaghilev's cousin Dmitry Filosofov introduced him to

3294-475: Was a production of remarkable magnificence in both settings and costumes, but, despite being well received by the public, it was a financial disaster for Diaghilev and Oswald Stoll , the theatre-owner who had backed it. The first cast included the legendary ballerina Olga Spessivtseva and Lubov Egorova in the role of Aurora. Diaghilev insisted on calling the ballet The Sleeping Princess . When asked why, he quipped, "Because I have no beauties!" The later years of

3355-624: Was disbanded and Sergeyev came to London. He produced Giselle first for the Camargo Society and then for the Vic-Wells Company, with Spessivtseva, Markova and Dolin dancing lead roles at some of the performances. He stayed with the Vic-Wells to produce Swan Lake , Coppelia , and Casse Noisette , and then the 1939 production of Sleeping Princess . He was ballet master for the Vic-Wells from 1937 to 1942, when Vera Volkova took over. At

3416-513: Was intended to serve ‘the god Apollo’ and promote modern art. The first issue was released in February 1898. As recalled by Benois, Diaghilev, as the art director , created the style and designed the publication, wrote critical essays, and, in 1904, published a monograph on Dmitry Levitzky . Nevertheless, Benois remembered him as the member of Mir iskusstva least interested in philosophy and literature, frequently revealing huge gaps in his knowledge of

3477-507: Was supported and sponsored by Diaghilev’s royal patrons Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia and Duchess Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin . In the spring of 1908, Diaghilev mounted a production of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, starring Feodor Chaliapin, at the Paris Opéra. Boris Anisfeld created the sets, designed by Bakst and Benois. To maximize authenticity, one of the artists Ivan Bilibin even travelled to Arkhangelsk Oblast to purchase

3538-502: Was the notation of Lev Ivanov's one-act ballet La Flûte magique , which was staged for the Imperial Ballet School in 1893. The second demonstration was a revival of Jules Perrot 's one-act ballet of 1848 Le Rêve du peintre , which was staged by Stepanov for the Imperial Ballet School, the first performance being given on 23 April [ O.S. 2 May] 1893. Stepanov staged Le Rêve du peintre from notations he prepared from consultations with Christian Johansson, who had danced

3599-401: Was to synthesize dance, music and visual arts with set decorations and costumes into a single performance. During these years, Diaghilev's stagings included several compositions by the late Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, such as the operas The Maid of Pskov , May Night , and The Golden Cockerel . His balletic adaptation of the orchestral suite Sheherazade , staged in 1910, drew the ire of

3660-520: Was too afraid to ever look him in the face. George Balanchine said Diaghilev carried around a cane during rehearsals, and banged it angrily when he was displeased. Other dancers said he would shoot them down with one look, or a cold comment. On the other hand, he was capable of great kindness, and when stranded with his bankrupt company in Spain during the 1914–18 war, gave his last bit of cash to Lydia Sokolova to buy medical care for her daughter. Alicia Markova

3721-496: Was very young when she joined the Ballets Russes and would later say that she had called Diaghilev "Sergypops", and that he had said he would take care of her like a daughter. Dancers such as Alicia Markova, Tamara Karsavina , Serge Lifar, and Lydia Sokolova remembered Diaghilev fondly as a stern but kind father-figure who put the needs of his dancers and company above his own. He lived from paycheck to paycheck to finance his company, and though he spent considerable amounts of money on

SECTION 60

#1732855908619
#618381