Russian seasons, invented by Sergei Diaghilev, I lasted 20 seasons. Europe applauded the dancers, but the phenomenon has had a significant impact on art in General.
Diaghilev invited the best choreographers and dancers of the time: Vaslav Nijinsky, Leonid myasina, Mikhail Fokine, Serge Lifar, George Balanchine. On the sets and costumes worked with Leon Bakst and Alexander Benois, and later Pablo Picasso, Andre Derain, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse and many others. Wrote the music Richard Strauss, Eric Satie, Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, Claude Debussy and, of course, Igor Stravinsky.
Vaslav Nijinsky
Tamara Karsavina
Lydia Sokolova and Leon Wojcikowski
Diaghilev wanted to expand the scope of classical ballet. He supported experimenting with the dance forms that were ahead of their time.
Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Mordkin
Faith and Michael Fokine
Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Mordkin
Diaghilev’s seasons — especially the first, which included the ballets “the Firebird”, “Petrushka” and “rite of Spring,” played a significant role in the popularization of Russian culture in Europe and was instrumental in establishing the fashion for all things Russian.
Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Mordkin
Pavlova and Nijinsky
Pavlova and Mordkin
Nijinsky and Diaghilev
Mikhail Fokin and Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Karsavina and Adolph Bolm
After the death of Diaghilev the ballet company disbanded. Balanchine went to the United States, where he became a reformer of American ballet. Massine, together with Colonel de Basil founded the troupe “Russian ballet of Monte Carlo, which has kept the repertoire of “Russian ballet of Diaghilev” and largely continued his tradition. Lifar left France and headed the ballet troupe of Grand Opera, making a huge contribution to the development of French ballet.
