Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music

Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909-1929: When Art Danced with Music by Various. paperback edition. ISBN: 9781851777501.

Excerpt from the Foreword: This book celebrates one of the most dazzling cultural enterprises of the twentieth century. The Ballets Russes, established in 190 by the indefatigable impresario Serge Diaghilev, revolutionized the art of ballet. Combining Russian and Western traditions with a health dose of modernism, the company thrilled and shocked audiences with its powerful fusion of choreography, music, design and dance. Though it was based in Paris, the company toured throughout Europe, the United States and South America. Its influence continues to be felt today. Diaghilevs passion for the arts was matched by his ambition, charm, drive, and intellectual curiosity. Determined to make something extraordinary of his life, the young Diaghilev inaugurated Russias first art journal. But it was his establishment of the Ballet Russes in 1909 that broke new ground and radically changed the performing arts in Europe.