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"Constant rejection of the academic distinctions between the fine arts and the decorative arts and their readiness to experiment in various media"
One of the most distinctive characteristics of Russian artists of the early 20th century was their determination not to distinguish between the fine arts and decorative arts. It is a long standing belief that "High" art - designated thus simply by its name, is superior academically and aesthetically to the "minor" arts such as furniture design, book design and stage design. The avant-garde artists of this period held no prejudices against any art form and were therefore willing to experiment in a variety of media in both design and studio art . Correlating with this unusual aesthetic notion was the philosophy of the Ballets Russes.
The Ballets Russes designer Alexander Benois once said of the company "It was no accident , that what was afterwards known as the ballets russes was originally achieved not by the professionals of the dance but by a circle of artists , linked together by the idea of Art as an entity . Everything followed from the common desire of several painters and musicians to see the fulfillment of the theatrical dreams which haunted them".1 It was precisely because the founders of the Ballets Russes were uneducated in the established traditions of theatre ,that their collective vision could be realised . Having not been blinkered by theatrical conventions anything was possible for this group ,and open minded experimentation was the underlying key to their success and place in history. The World of ArtOfficially founded in 1909 the Ballets Russes company originally stemmed from the World of Art movement which was formed in 1908. This group, led by Serge Diaghilev, consisted of the most important artists and intellectuals of St. Petersburg society . Diaghilev’s charismatic and forceful personality dominated the World of Art scene, but there was consensus among the participants as to what this group was to promote and achieve. The World of Art , through its journal of the same name, aimed to give a serious and effective discussion of every art form ; painting , music , literature and the "applied" arts. It strongly believed in the principle , "art for arts sake" and followed the same approach to publishing as "The Yellow Book" in Britain. This ideal was very influential , with the belief that the magazine itself should be a beautiful item with a high quality of design , illustration and typeface printed on a good grade of paper.
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The group consisted essentially of aesthetes , who praised beautiful objects and saw value in every type of art. Along with that philosophy though , was a very genuine attempt to encourage the art of modern movements and to also bring to the attention of Russia its own artistic past , regardless of the media. The core members of the World of Art group Serge Diaghilev, Leon Bakst and Alexander Benois had broad creative aspirations and went on to establish the Ballets Russes almost by mistake. |
| Diaghilev, due to his imposing personality, made a name for himself in the European art world through his organization of some major exhibitions in Paris, through this and also through his own conscious endeavour to become an impresario , he was invited to organise concerts in Paris at the Palais de Champs-Elysees and at the Paris Opera. From their success the idea of staging a complete Russian opera in Paris occurred . In 1908 therefore Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov was staged at the Paris Opera , it was a huge success meaning that from the Diaghilev had the funds and contacts to become the impresario that he had always wanted to be. |  § |
| The Ballet Russes It was however, Alexander Benois who suggested to Diag hilev that ballet may be a good art form to work in . As a ballets enthusiast, Benois could envisage the creative possibilities of staging such a project , at the same time showing awareness of the vast choreographic reforms that were being made in dance by the dancer and choreographer Michel Fokine. Enthusiasm , experimentation and foresight coincided in the 1909 production of "Le Pavillon d’Armide" ; at the time the art of ballet was poorly regarded in Paris , illustrated in the fact that the production had to be staged in the old theatre Chatelet. In Russia however, the Ballet had always been held in high esteem and was taken very seriously : internationally renowned companies flourished , such as the Tsar sponsored Imperial Theatre , and the Mariinsky ballet company - which had amongst its cast a number of outstanding dancers , including Vaslav Nijinsky and the innovative artistry of Michel Fokine. |
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"Le Pavillon d’Armide" however, did break Paris. Through the superiority of its incredible production , with scenes and costumes by Benois , the production was a huge success. This was not least due to Nijinsky in the role of Armide’s favourite slave boy -the seemingly inhuman heights of his jumps , his sweet demeanor and acting skill captivating Paris and leading to the firm establishment of the company. |
It is widely regarded that Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes created in Western Europe a "ballet public" ; so revolutionary was the company it is certainly true that he built the most influential ballet company ever - from , essentially , nothing. The innovation of the Ballets Russes cannot be stated enough , a totally new ballet art was being created in choreography , in stage and costume design , in music , in presentation, in philosophy and even in the administration of the company . Unusually , the Ballets Russes was an independent company not affiliated to either a theatre or opera house or on the success of a particular star- giving it an artistic freedom and the ability to tour.
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In choreography, the exceptional talents of Fokine and Nijinsky in the early years established the company with a modernist reputation . Michel Fokine is often labelled a ballet reformist , bringing dance into the 20th century, with his emphasis on movement expressing the meaning of the accompanying music rather than simply showing off the agility of the dancer , a type which was previously to be seen in the Imperial Theatre. |
| Nijinsky , in taking over
Fokine’s role as principle choreographer built on his masters foundations by
bringing various modernist art movements into dance, combined with his own
incredible physicality. Leonide Massine in particular was to extend modernism to its limits in theatre with his production of "Parade", the infamous cubist work, produced in collaboration with Picasso. In music, Diaghilev had the foresight to pluck Igor Stravinsky from obscurity, and helped to establish him as a leading contemporary composer due to his work whilst in the employment of the Ballets Russes . Although the Ballets Russes is known for its varied and sophisticated music, ranging from the composers such as Debussy , Ravel, Strauss and Falla. Diaghilev was most successful as an "exporter of Russian goods" ; obviously great publicity was given to Russian art , and composers such as Stravinsky , Rimsky -Korsakov and Mussorgsky became incredibly popular , as did the dancers Tamara Karsavina , Nijinsky, Alicia Markova , Massine, all of whom were stars. |
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In every aspect the Ballets Russes broke with conventions even in the format of productions. For example, the norm of a one-act ballet was established , as well as the introduction of musical interludes to avoid long intervals. All these changes were made in the intimacy of a small collaborative group, united in the commitment to elevating ballet to a fine art through a distinctly modernist artistic identity. Each of the figures involved contributed their own artistic vision in order to create the enterprise , the whole of which was orchestrated by Diaghilev. It was his ability as an entrepreneur which brought all of these artists together - every one at the forefront of their craft - combining those disparate elements into a united whole.
The Ballets Russes, however, was also ground breaking in its approach to theatrical design , simply by hiring "easel" painters. Previously theatres had employed "in-house" craftsmen who were designated to a particular task , for example painting architectural backgrounds or forest scenes , whilst a professional costumier designed the outfits. In his pursuit of artistic coherence Diaghilev usually assigned only one artist for the entire production ; Mikhail Larionov , a Russian artist employed by Diaghilev, wrote that Diaghilev understood that decor "should be conceived as one of the integral parts" of ballet in tandem with music and movement . Stage design was the central element in productions : dance was to be expressive of the subject matter depicted in the scenes and costumes, the dance reflecting the setting in which it was placed - all of those elements conceived under the banner of modernism.
Diversity and daring experimentation are often words uttered in discussion of the Ballets Russes and certainly the repertoire was radically up-to-date, with works based in symbolism , primitivism, cubism, futurism, constructivism. It is interesting to note that the Ballets Russes never performed in its native country : with its Russian roots , French base and travels around Europe and America , it was truly an international and world known company. To design for the company was an aspiration for many avant-garde artists - Picasso , Matisse , Braque , Ernst and Miro , Gabo and Pevsner, (and of course Larionov and Goncharova ) amongst others all relished the chance to be involved with a Ballets Russes project.
This determined quest for new forms would not have been possible without Serge Diaghilev who raised funds by persuading illustrious patrons to support it, attracted first class dancers , composers and artists and extracted what he wanted from them in order to produce a large repertoire of some of the most innovative ballets of the 20th century, of which many are still in production today. After Diaghilev’s death in 1929 the company disintegrated.
