RUSSIAN BALLET

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20731, 15 February 1939, Page 3

RUSSIAN BALLET

HISTORICAL SURVEY DANCER’S LIFE DESCRIBED In giving a brief history of the Russian ballet Mademoiselle Lisa Serova, a member of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, said that the Russian ballet, which was a comparatively new* art, originated in St. Petersburg about 150 years ago. The Russians, who had rather more temperament and expression than the Continental dancers, evolved their own type of dancing, but this was not brought to Europe until 1910, when a company danced in Paris under the direction of Diaghileff. Diaghileff and Pavlova had wished for some time to show this form of Russian art to the rest of the world and their season in Paris and consequent Continental tour proved highly popular, continued Mademoiselle Serova. It was during the Paris season that Fokine, who was then a young man, started to break way from the classical tradition in his choreography, his first ballet, “Les Sylphides,” being an unqualified success. Migration of Dancers “In 1927, when the ballet was in full swing, Diaghileff died, and the dancers migrated to Monte Carlo, where they lived in poverty •until Colonel de Basil reorganised the troupe,” said Mademoiselle Serova. “The older ballerinas went to Paris, where they set up schools which were attended by the children of White Russians who had been obliged to flee from their country. “De Basil’s troupe, which consisted of young dancers, started with a three weeks’ contract in London, which eventually lengthened out into six months, after which a tour of the United States was begun. The enthusiasm of the Americans was a great experience for the dancers, who were only children at the time. After five years we have grown up and become more sophisticated, working more together and becoming a team, and consequently the dances have become increasingly smoother.” Mademoiselle Serova said that at the age of seven aspiring dancers started a three years* course of intensive training, at the end of which they were either told that they were eligible for further training or that they did not qualify. After that they devoted all their time to the ballet, with daily lessons, surrounded by the best of music, and at the age of 17 or 18 they gave their first performances.