The Ballets Russes (1908–1913) on Stage and Screen

The Ballet Russes was one of the most influential performing arts companies of the twentieth century. In the years before the outbreak of World War I, the company produced works such as Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring, which still engage and inspire music, dance, performance and visual artists to this day. This book is an analysis of the inner workings of this groundbreaking company. Drawing on first-hand accounts by company artists as well as more recent fiction and documentary film reconstructions, it recounts the story of the Sergei Diaghilev–helmed creative hot house in its formative years. Dominated by artists, musicians and dancers such as Alexandre Benois, Igor Stravinsky, Michel Fokine, Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Nijinsky these were years of fusion, ensemble creativity and collaboration. The Ballets Russes defined modernism grounded in principles of artistic rediscovery, and aspired to excellence and the status of high culture without shunning the benefits of hype. Above all, the Ballets Russes created a new art form that transcended all its component parts to stand as a model of artistic fusion, the principles of which continue to inspire artists and audiences today.

Mark Nicholls is senior lecturer in cinema studies at the University of Melbourne where he has taught film since 1993. As a radio and print film journalist Mark has worked for ABC radio and as a columnist for the Melbourne newspaper, The Age. He has an extensive list of stage credits as a playwright, performer, producer, and director. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Mark Nicholls
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages:
Bibliographic Info: ca. 5 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2025
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9502-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5510-9
Imprint: McFarland

“What a pleasure it was delve into this wonderfully insightful and detailed look behind the scenes of this remarkable company who changed the course of ballet at the turn of the 20th Century. The mirroring of the human relationships alongside the works they created, reflected both in real life and on film, is fascinating. A must read for both dance lovers and film buffs.”—David McAllister AC, former artistic director of The Australian Ballet, author and freelance artist