1928
The dance world looked completely different in 1928, and we're using a slightly different format this month to reflect that. The leaders of the ballet world were Diaghilev and Pavlova, both touring the world with their companies. In America the modern dance movement was already underway, and in England the founding of a national ballet company had begun. Ballet of the Year ...and indeed a strong contender in the 'Ballet of the Century' stakes, was Balanchine's Apollo - called 'Apollon Musagète' originally, it is seen as the birth of neo-classicism in ballet, and its influence was felt through the rest of the century. Events Queen Mary agreed to become the patroness of the Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain, which was founded by and had as its President Mme Adeline Geneée. This was seen as a significant move towards the establishment of a State ballet school - and thence, presumably, a company Not everyone thought this was a good idea: "Anton Bolin (sic) and Hilda Butsova have for some time been discussing the prospects of an English Ballet. Why! When it is a well known fact that most of Madame Pavlova's Ballet is English." Ninette de Valois was appointed premiere danseuse of the Royal Opera House and appeared in 5 operas. Also in this year she opened a school of dancing attached to the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The Coliseum featured Anton Dolin's production of 'Rhapsody in Blue', starring himself and Nemtchinova, with a corps de ballet that included Mary Skeaping, future director of the Royal Swedish Ballet and producer of a famous version of 'Giselle'. Both the Diaghilev and the Pavlova companies appeared in London. Diaghilev's season included Massine's new 'Ode' as well as 'Apollon Musagète', and the première of Balanchine's 'The Gods go a-Begging' to music by Handel, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. On a provincial tour later in the year, it was Beecham who filled the theatres -'he was evidently a greater attraction than we were', said Diaghilev's régisseur, Grigoriev. Mary Wigman - pioneer of modern dance in Europe - made her first appearnace in London. And the Prince of Wales won the second prize for amateurs at Aix-les-Bains (ballroom, we assume) Saddest event of the year Diaghilev, hoping that seeing again a ballet in which he had triumphed might help set the 'unfortunate Nijinsky' on the road to recovery, had him brought to a performance of 'Petrushka': but though he watched with apparent interest, he would say nothing, and when people he had known well were brought to him afterwards, he only smiled vacantly; and he never saw the company again. Deaths Loie Fuller died in January. She was a solo dancer, known all over Europe and America for her recitals in which she experimented with the effect of different coloured light on scarves, drapery, and voluminous costumes. As a dancer she was, at best, unremarkable, but the effects she obtained by these means earned her wide admiration. One of the great influences on 20th century dancing, Enrico Cecchetti died in Milan in November. He was a ballet master at the Maryinsky - where he created both Carabosse and the Bluebird in 'Sleeping Beauty' - and later of the Diaghilev Ballet. He was a great teacher - his pupils included Nijinsky, Pavlova, Massine, Lifar, de Valois, Markova - and the system of teaching which he evolved was conserved by the Cecchetti Society and is still used all over the world today. They Did Things Differently From the Dancing Times: Season ticket holders at the Paris Opéra threatened to sue the Opéra if they were no longer allowed to go to the foyer de la danse, or green room, via the stage, to visit the corps de ballet girls. The Opéra wanted them to use an underground passage. Next Month The year we'll be looking at will be 1975. If there's anything you'd particularly like to see featured, write to us!
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../mar98/year_1928.htm revised: 15th march 1998 Bruce Marriott email, © all rights reserved, all wrongs denied. credits written by Patricia Meja and Jane Simpson © email design by RED56