The company now known as the Royal Ballet gave its first performance on 5th May 1931, presenting a mixed bill of short works. Among those works was a new ballet by Ninette de Valois, technically the first ever ballet premiered by the Royal Ballet, and it is this ballet I will be examining today. Humble … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: The Jackdaw and the Pigeons, 1931
Theatre
Spotlight On: 18th Century Dancers in Britain
When discussing British ballet history there is often a focus on the early 20th century, the period when the Ballets Russes took London by storm and Ninette de Valois and Marie Rambert founded ballet companies that would boost the popularity of the art. It is a period rich with cultural records, so it's not surprising … Continue reading Spotlight On: 18th Century Dancers in Britain
La Dame aux Camélias: The Ballets
French author Alexandre Dumas fils (1924-1895) enjoyed a career that spanned decades, publishing many successful books and plays. One of his most notable works is the 1848 novel La Dame aux Camélias. Inspired by his relationship with courtesan Marie Duplessis, who died of tuberculosis at the age of 23, Dumas fils created the characters of … Continue reading La Dame aux Camélias: The Ballets
20th February 1946: The Premiere of the Sadler’s Wells Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty
In the last months of the Second World War, the Council for the Encouragement of Music and Arts were discussing what to do with a London theatre that was currently in use as a dance hall. Led partially by John Maynard Keynes, negotiations took place for music publisher Boosey & Hawkes to become the theatre's … Continue reading 20th February 1946: The Premiere of the Sadler’s Wells Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty
The Ballerinas of the Empire’s Giselle, 1884
In December 1884 London's Empire Theatre premiered a new production of the classic ballet Giselle. The theatre had only opened in April that year, but, alongside some shorter divertissements, the theatre had already produced a production of the ballet Coppélia, the first production staged in London. Both of these ballets would be staged by the … Continue reading The Ballerinas of the Empire’s Giselle, 1884
3 Long-Running Ballets at the Empire Theatre
Previously on the blog I've looked at long-running ballets at the Alhambra Theatre in London. The Alhambra was one of the greatest ballet-producing theatres in London during the late 19th and early 20th century. The other main theatre, was the Empire Theatre. Background The Empire Theatre opened in 1884, and began producing ballets in that … Continue reading 3 Long-Running Ballets at the Empire Theatre
Forgotten Ballets: A Tragedy of Fashion, 1926
Previously in my series on forgotten ballets I looked at a 1926 ballet by George Balanchine, one of the most influential ballet choreographers. Today I'd like to look at a 1926 ballet by another influential ballet choreographer, who did the same for ballet in Britain as Balanchine did in America. In 1926 Marie Rambert and … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: A Tragedy of Fashion, 1926
The Red Shoes, 1898
In 1948 Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger released the film The Red Shoes, in which Moira Shearer stars as Vicky Page. Page is a ballerina and during the film takes part in The Ballet of the Red Shoes. The movie was critically acclaimed, and was the basis for both a 1993 Broadway musical and a … Continue reading The Red Shoes, 1898
9 Long-Running Ballets at the Alhambra Theatre
Many of the names we associate with the early development of British ballet became well-known in the 1920s. Marie Rambert founded her first group, known as the Marie Rambert Dancers, in 1926, and Ninette de Valois formed the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1931. However, there was still strongholds of ballet in Britain before this period; Rambert … Continue reading 9 Long-Running Ballets at the Alhambra Theatre
Forgotten Ballets: Le Sicilien, ou l’Amour peintre
Playwright Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Molière, is renowned as one of the greatest writers of all time. He is best known as a playwright, but he also dabbled in writing comédie-ballets, a genre of plays that also contain music and dance. The most remembered comédie-ballet is 1670's Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, produced in collaboration with … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: Le Sicilien, ou l’Amour peintre
Spotlight On: Pauline Montessu
On the blog I've previously discussed the lives of some of the lesser-known dancers of the Ballet Russes, and I enjoyed looking into the lives of these dancers and learning more about them. This time, I'd like to look at a similar topic, but with a dancer from the ranks of the 19th-century Paris Opera … Continue reading Spotlight On: Pauline Montessu
Forgotten Ballets: Tally-Ho, or The Frail Quarry, 1944
Among my collection I have several programmes from the Ballet Theatre's (now American Ballet Theatre) 1946 tour to England. The company performed at the Royal Opera House in the Summer of 1946, one of the first tours to England by a company following World War II. The ballets featured on the programmes I have are … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: Tally-Ho, or The Frail Quarry, 1944
Forgotten Ballets: The Dance Dream, 1911
In the early 20th century, before the age of Ballet Rambert and the Vic-Wells Ballet, British ballet was mostly based at two London theatres: the Empire and the Alhambra. These theatres were music halls primarily, but a large portion of an evening's programme would be dedicated to ballet, and both theatres employed a full corps … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: The Dance Dream, 1911
Three Forgotten Dancers of the Ballet Russes
The Ballet Russes became a sensation in the 1910s. Their first Paris season of 1909 led to further seasons in the city, along with engagements in London, Monte Carlo, and further beyond. Under the leadership of Serge Diaghilev top artists came together to produce some of the most interesting ballets of all time. Some of … Continue reading Three Forgotten Dancers of the Ballet Russes
A Homage to the Queen
In 1953, the British Empire was preparing for the coronation of their new Queen, Elizabeth II. And the Royal Ballet was no different. Frederick Ashton's ballet Homage to the Queen united the top dancers of the company in a marvellous pièce d'occasion. The ballet premiered on the 2nd June 1953, the same day as Elizabeth … Continue reading A Homage to the Queen
Forgotten Ballets: Fiammetta, 1864
A slightly earlier contemporary to Marius Petipa was Arthur Saint-Léon. Preceding Petipa in the role of Maître de ballet of the Imperial Ballet, Saint-Léon arrived in Saint Petersburg in 1859, holding his post for 10 years. During that time he'd create and stage ballets for the company, and one of them, was 1864's Fiammetta, often … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: Fiammetta, 1864
The Mystery of the Grand Italian Opera Company in Liverpool, 1882
Among the programmes in my collection is one of my eldest: a visit to Liverpool by a Grand Italian Opera Company. It was a fully reputable tour, yet newspaper reports indicate that the scheduled performances never took place. I aim to find out why. Through my collecting I've become more well-versed in the world of … Continue reading The Mystery of the Grand Italian Opera Company in Liverpool, 1882
Forgotten Ballets: Les Mohicans, 1837
In the first part of this series (see here) I looked at a ballet from 1837, during the Romantic Era of ballet. The ballet, Le Chatte, didn't receive the least performances of the Romantic ballets premiered at the Paris Opera. That distinction goes to Les Mohicans, which premiered just months before La Chatte, and involves … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: Les Mohicans, 1837
Forgotten Ballets: Le chatte métamorphosée en femme, 1837
A lot of us can probably name a ballet. Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty are some of the most common answers I get when I tell people I'm interested in ballet- I've also gotten Giselle, and Anna Pavlova's Dying Swan. But there are plenty of ballets that have fallen by the wayside, some … Continue reading Forgotten Ballets: Le chatte métamorphosée en femme, 1837
Madeleine's Stage 