Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2011 - 21

9 French poster advertising the Ballets Russes in
Le Spectre de la Rose featuring Nijinsky, designed
by Jean Cocteau (1911).

Films of excerpts of works such as the Royal Ballet's production
of The Firebird and the Joffrey Ballet in the Millicent Hodson-Kenneth
Archer re-creation of Nijinsky's Le Sacre made a striking contrast to a
portion of Pina Bausch's contemporary Le Sacre, set to Stravinsky's score.
At the end, a weird 1960s version of Les Biches (1924), called The House
Party, and a collection of couture garments designed by Yves St. Laurent
in the 1970s that borrowed many details and colors from the costumes,
paid homage in a different way to Diaghilev's legacy. They remind us of the
troupe's influence on fashion and home decor and of the dedication of his
high society patrons.
Souvenirs of Diaghilev himself were omnipresent throughout the
galleries, a deliberate intention by Pritchard "to keep his presence there."
By combining the use of media with the rich assortment of artifacts-the
costumes, designs, paintings, the scenic drops, the backstage props-
Pritchard evoked the outsize spirit of the Diaghilev Ballets Russes,
remembered for our time. Given the scale of the creative effort expended
on the part of Pritchard and the V&A staff, augmented by Hatley and the
theatre artists he employed, it's not likely that a visual memoir of the
legendary troupe as comprehensive as this will be mounted again in our
lifetime.

Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909-1929
By the time this article is published, the V&A exhibit will have been taken
down, the costumes, drops, and other objects packed away in the museum
storerooms, or returned to the lenders. However, the catalog that accompanied the exhibition is available and highly recommended for anyone
with an interest in scenery, costume design, ballet history, and the arts and
artists of the period before and after World War I. The 234-page catalog,
10 inches by 12-1/2 inches high, contains an extensive gathering of photographs of many of the objects in the exhibit, crisply presented in excellent
color reproductions. An index is added at the rear of the volume.
Many of the costumes pictured are not only seen in full view, but also
in detail, allowing the specialist to examine the jewels, embroidery, and appliqués that contribute to the elegance of their appearance. The two backdrops-the 1926 revival of The Firebird and Two Women Running-are
given double-page spreads (two for the Picasso drop). One of the many
drawings by Bakst, from the 1921 production of The Sleeping Princess,
is shown with hand-written notes to the crew building the costume. Photographs of the artists in casual poses hint at their relationships, on and off
the stage.
The essays are original takes on subjects pertaining to the Ballets Russes and its personnel rather than regurgitated, familiar facts. Sjeng Scheijen,
the author of the most recent biography of Diaghilev, writes about "Diaghilev
the Man." Sara Woodcock describes "Wardrobe," among the many articles.
One of my favorites is a brief piece by the exhibit curator and editor of the
catalog, Jane Pritichard, "Diaghilev Under the Hammer," which describes
the hunt for DBR memorabilia and the auctions which brought the treasures
into contemporary private and museum collections.
The catalog also comes with useful appendices about the company's
repertoire and touring dates, and a timeline. A bibliography is also
included. The catalog can be purchased at the V&A website and also from
Amazon.com.

Lydia Sokolova, Anton Dolin, Bronislava, Nijinska, Léon
Woizikovsky in costumes for Le Train Bleu designed by Chanel.
Photo: Sasha (1924).
spring 2011

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