RUSSIAN BALLET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 50, 15 March 1937, Page 5

RUSSIAN BALLET

Hastings Season Soon The appearance here of Colonel de Basil's world famous Monte Carlo Russian Ballet at the Municipal Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Mafch 23 and 24 and on Wednesday afternoon, Mareh 24, will prove a revelation to local theatregoers, as nothing so wonderful, so beautiful, or so magnificent has ever previously been seen in New Zealand. Elaborate and care-fully-desigaed ballets, such as the Monte Carlo Russian dancers stage will be a startling novelty 'to all except a few who may have witnessed them at Covent Garden, London, or on the Continent, and the effeet cannot fail to be overwhelming. There will be a complete change of ballets on the second night and the matinee. Colonel de Basil's company is in the direet line of descent from the worldfamous ballet of Serge Diaghileff. When Diaghileff died in 1929, his company went in a body and asked Rene Blum, of the Monte Carlo Theatre, to take them over. This was done, and in time Rene Blum'was compelled to give up his other work of producing comedies and operettns at Monte Carlo and to devote himself 6ntirely to the dancers. By retaining the patronage of the Princess of Monaco hq~ was able to keep the nam6 of "Monte Carlo" in the title, which was one of considerable value because of Diaghileff 's long association with Monte Carlo. Every year since, the "Ballets de Monte Carlo" has given a season in London, and created almost a ballet mania in London as well as Europe. Russia was the first country in which great composers lilce Tchailcovsky, Glazounoff, Tcherpnine, Stravinslcy and others began to supply their talent composing special 1 music for the ballet, and it is also in Russia that artists of the calibre of Leo' Bakst, Benois, Korovine, Anisfield and others nsed their brush to design for the theatrieal scenery and costumes. This union between choreography in its best form and the music of great composers, with the colouring,

scenery, and costumes of great masters, resulted in the performanees of the opera and ballet at St. Petersburgh -and Moscow being quite a revelation to those who visited those cities. Leon Woizikowsky, njaster of the ballet and principal male dancer, Helene Kirsova, Yalentina Blinova, Nina Raievska, and Nina Golovina are among the most brilliant dancers in the organisation which numbers 110 artists. A feature of each of the ballets is the music of many of the great masters, performed by an imported band of 2j players under the direetion of the famous conductors Jascha Horenstein and Ivan Clayton. It is said that it is almost impossible to describe the magnificence of the various ballets, which with the elaborate seenery and gorgeous costumes make up a glorious spectacle. The box plans wili be opened at Fail's on Friday morning next at nine o'cloek. A qucue will be formcd from 8 a.m.