In the early 20th century, Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes took Europe by storm. When the legendary impresario recruited composers, artists, dancers, choreographers, and set-designers to join his illustrious company, he approached them with an artistic dare that they simply couldn’t refuse: “Astonish me!” The result proved nothing short of revolutionary.
In this six part series, Curious Minds favourite Dr. Julia Zarankin (Splendour and Opulence: Catherine the Great and the Hermitage Museum) returns to explore the story of how the Ballets Russes transformed the world of dance between 1909 and 1929, leaving spectators in awe and shaping the course of modern art. We will begin by exploring the history of the Russian Imperial ballet and then explore how Diaghilev changed the face of dance and turned it into a fusion of the arts as well as a daring, cutting-edge creative enterprise.
This course is led by Dr. Julia Zarankin, who holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Princeton University. She was recently awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. Fascinated with all things Russian, Julia teaches in Toronto and leads tours to Russia and the Caucasus with Worldwide Quest.
May 23: Ballet Before Diaghilev
We’ll examine the history, traditions and classical heritage of the Russian Imperial Ballet up to the end of the 19th century. From there, we’ll discuss the changing artistic climate in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg at the turn of the 20th century, and will explore how Sergei Diaghilev burst on the artistic scene as one of the leaders of the World of Art Movement.
May 30: The Birth of the Ballets Russes
Diaghilev’s decision to form a ballet company stems from his work with Russian avant-garde artists and musicians. The Ballets Russes began as an experiment in 1909 when Diaghilev arrived in Paris with a troupe of dancers on summer break from the Imperial Ballet and performed daring choreographies. Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Tamara Karsavina are some of the iconic dancers who took Europe by storm.
June 6: Finding New Forms: Fokine, Stravinsky, Nijinsky
Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes became more than a dance company: with it, he ushered in a creative movement that drew on the greatest musical and artistic talents of the day. We’ll explore the work of the innovative artists collaborating with Diaghilev: Mikhail Fokine, Igor Stravinsky, and Vaslav Nijinsky. We’ll discuss new Ballets Russes productions, including The Firebird, Petrushka, and Afternoon of a Faun.
June 13: Riots and the Rite of Spring
The premiere of The Rite of Spring literally sparked a riot in 1913. We’ll relive the magic, excitement and scandal of the opening performance in Paris and examine how Stravinsky's revolutionary music and Nijinsky's choreography prefigured the dawning of a new age.
June 20: The Tumultuous 1920s
The tumultuous political climate of World War I and the Russian Revolution forced Diaghilev and his dancers to sever ties with Russia permanently. Diaghilev’s roster of collaborators in the 1920s reads like a who’s who of the most illustrious modern artists, designers, and composers in Europe: Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Coco Channel, Claude Debussy, Erik Satie, Max Ernst, among others. We’ll touch upon revolutionary choreographies by Nijinsky’s sister, Bronislava, as well as the beginning of George Balanchine’s career.
June 27: The Legacy of the Ballets Russes
Diaghilev’s death in 1929 marked the official end of the Ballets Russes, but in the twenty years of its existence, the company changed the face of modern ballet. We’ll discuss the legacy of the company and examine how Diaghilev’s visionary spirit of artistic collaboration re-imagined the creative possibilities of dance and catapulted the art form to new heights.