Ballet Russe (Russian ballet abroad) Photos from the collection of Alexander Vasiliev

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State Center of Photography ROSPHOTO
supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation

presents an exhibition Ballet Russe (Russian ballet abroad)
Photos from the collection of Alexander Vassiliev, Paris

Exhibition "Ballet Russe" is another project, prepared ROSPHOTO in collaboration with renowned art collector and historian of fashion Alexander Vasiliev (http://vassiliev.com/).

27/04/2010 - 13/06/2010

Opening: April 26, 2010 at 18.00
in the Exhibition Hall Front building

Among my archives and collections have a rare collection of photographs on the history of Russian ballet. One hundred years ago a brilliant impresario Sergei Diaghilev brought to Paris, he created the ballet troupe, and since then the word «Ballet Russe» became a household name. Talented choreographers new direction - Mikhail Fokine, Leonid Massine, Vaslav Nijinsky and his sister, Bronislava Nijinsky, George Balanchine and Serge Lifar raised the level of performances of Russian ballet at an unattainable height, excellent decorators and the creators of the ballet costumes - A. Benoit, L. Bakst, M. Dobuzhinski, Roerich, N. Goncharova, M. Larionov, created a new era in our theatrical and decorative art, an endless stream of emigrants abroad stars of the Imperial Ballet of Petrograd and Moscow graced the stage of the world to its sparkling talent, flawless technique of Russian ballet school, deep artistry and their vivid, memorable images.
The exhibition, which I intend to present the St. Petersburg audience - a gallery of photographic portraits of amazing stars, whose names were once decorated with posters of the best scenes of the world, which they hunted for autographs, have also led the audience in wild delight. Over a long career, and now its impressive length of any balletomane and ballet historian, Russian Servant Terpsichore posed a number of professional photographers for magazines, theater programmok, posters or newspaper articles. For the exhibition I was able to select about 200 rare and previously unpublished practice in Russia photos, which will help our contemporaries to become acquainted with the fate of ballet dancers of the past century, many of whom have become world stars of the first magnitude.
Portraits of the divine Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina, mysterious and glamorous Olga Spesivtseva Alexandra Danilova, a virtuoso of Faith Nemchinov, the talented Adolf Bolm will mark a period of history when the Russian ballet could feed the forces of men raised even in Russia. But after the death of Diaghilev in 1929 in Venice, his magnificent troupe disbanded, and only three years later, there were two new troupe - the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo "and" Russian Ballet Colonel de Basil. Presiding over their two experienced impresario - Leon Blum, and Vasily G. Resurrection, the Cossack captain, who became famous in the ballet world, under the pseudonym of Colonel de Basil.

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The two troupes existed at the same time, a lot of touring with new productions and restored performances Diaghilev's repertoire, and has traveled throughout the 1930's and 1940's half of the world. They have given performances in Europe, Australia, North and South America. To replenish the troupes new forces in the lead roles have been inviting young "baby ballerina", ward of the best Parisian ballet studios Olga Preobrazhenskaya and Matilda Kshesinskaya - a former leading ballerina of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. These were delicious Irina Baronova, Tamara Toumanova virtuosity and lyrical Tatiana Ryabushinsky who joined the troupe of "Colonel de Basil's Ballet", and "Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo was invited graceful Natalia Krasovskaya and several soloists, male graduates of the above ballet studios. After the Second World War interest in the glorious Russian Ballet troupes began to subside, and the demise of de Basil's finally turned the page of history of Russian ballet abroad.
In 1950 in France there was still a touring troupe - Ballet Marquis de Cuevas, decoration of which were beautiful Russian ballerina, prima ballerina of the Paris Grand Opera Vyrubova Nina and her contemporary, the Paris-star Circassian origin Ludmila Tcherina, as well as the Parisian dancer Andre Prokovsky, student Lyubov Yegorova.
The era of the 1960's was marked by a continuation of the Cold War and the daring leap over the barrier Bourget airport and talented young Rudolf Nureyev in 1961. His work on the stages of the world and in the movies have become an example to emulate an entire generation of young Western dancers. Along with Nuriyev in Canada was a brilliant ballerina Galina Samtsova Kiev, which later became one of the stars of English ballet.
In 1970 the loss of Soviet ballet abroad have become more pronounced. In London, during a tour of the Kirov Theatre in 1970, left the air Natalia Makarova, in Canada in 1974 - a fantastic Mikhail Baryshnikov. At the same time in Israel emigrated soloists of the Kirov Ballet Valery and Galina Panov. With great international scandal in New York in 1979 was an excellent soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre Alexander Godunov. From the same ill-fated tour of the Soviet Union has not returned to the couple Kozlov - Valentina and Leonid.
In 1980, Japan asked for political asylum to former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi, the aunt of Maya Plisetskaya, Shulamith Messerer and her son, a soloist of the Bolshoi, Michael. In 1983 Italy left soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre, Vladimir Derevianko, soon followed in England Stanislav Hours. At the end of the twentieth century abroad was a great set of ballet stars from the USSR, among whom it must be noted Alla Osipenko, Irina Kolpakova, Galina Mezentsev, Galina Shlyapin, Igor Zelensky, Helen Pankov, Irek Mukhamedov and Vladimir Malakhov.
I happened to be personally familiar with many stars of Russian ballet abroad, and even work with them. Proof of this is a rare collection of autographs on the photos exhibited in the halls of ROCFOTO on Bolshaya Morskaya St. Petersburg. Viewers will see the autographs of members of Diaghilev Ballet - Valentina Kashuba, Anatoly Vilzaka, Alexandra Danilova, a soloist of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre Alice Vronsky, Irina Baronova signature, Tatiana Ryabushinsky, Tamara Grigorieva, Tatiana Leskov, and many others.
A rare addition to this unique exhibition are photographs from the archives of Xenia Tripolitova, whose memoirs, entitled "Little Ballerina" were recently published in Moscow. Joy to the viewer, I think, will be rare photographs with portraits of lesser-known artists of the Russian ballet abroad - Lily Nikolskaya, Olga Stark, George Skibina, Andrew Eglevskogo and many others.
The exhibition I would like to dedicate the 100 th anniversary of "Russian Seasons" by Sergei Diaghilev. I think it will be a wonderful gift for the aesthetes, balletomanes, historians and lovers of beauty.
Alexander Vasilyev

State Center of Photography ROSPHOTO
191186, Saint-Petersburg, Bolshaya Morskaya, 35
phone: +7 (812) 314-12-14, fax: +7 (812) 314-61-84
www.rosphoto.org, office@rosphoto.org

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Photo from the collection of Vassiliev (www.vassiliev.com.ru)

1. Tamara Toumanova. Ballet miniature "Dying Swan, 1950
Photo from the collection of Vassiliev

2. Natalia Krasouskaya in the dressing room
Hollywood, 1948
Photo from the collection of Vassiliev
3. Mikhail Baryshnikov and Isabella Rossellini. Shot from the movie "White Nights" (directed by T. Hackford)
Photo Snowdon
London, 1985

4. Tamara Gamsakhurdia and Alexander Demidov. Ballet miniature "Bacchanalia", 1920
Photo from the collection of Vassiliev

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Added after 6 minutes
I would be glad to see members of the forum at the opening ceremony on 26th at 18.00. - Come !