Behind the Scenes at the Ballets Russes

The Ballets Russes was perhaps the most iconic, yet at the same time mysterious, ballet company of the twentieth century. Inspired by the unique vision of their founder Sergei Diaghilev, the company gained a large international following. In the mid-twentieth century - during the tumultuous years of World War II and the Cold War - the Ballets Russes companies kept the spirit and traditions of Russian ballet alive in the West, touring extensively in America, Europe and Australia. This important new book uncovers previously-unseen interviews and provides insights into the lives of the great figures of the age - from the dancers Anna Pavlova and Alicia Markova to the choreographers Leonide Massine, George Balanchine and Anton Dolin. The dancers' own words reveal what life was really like for the stars of the Ballets Russes and provide fascinating new insights into one of the most vibrant and creative groups of artists of the modern age.

Michael Meylac is Professor of Russian Literature at the University of Strasbourg, France.

Introduction : Russia and Europe: A Transparent Barrier
Part I: Les Ballets Russes de Serge de Diaghilev, Les Ballets Russes de Colonel de Basil and the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo
Working with Diaghilev
The Baby Ballerinas
Working with the Ballets Russes de Colonel de Basil and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
The Ballets Russes in Australia
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in America
Part II: Marquis de Cuevas and Others
6. Serge Lifar
7. Nina Vyroubova
Part III: The Next Generation
8. Pierre Lacotte
9. Three Portraits
10. The Canadian ballet
11. The Netherlands Ballet
Part IV: The Heirs of the Russian Tradition
12. American ballet
Part V: The Mariinsky Theatre
Part VI: The Wandering Stars
13. Rudolf Nureyev
14. Natalia Makarova
15. Mikhail Baryshnikov
16. Two Portraits
Postscript, List of Illustrations, Index