BALLET in BRITAIN 1934-1944 by Arnold Haskell
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a Hamlet, produced by Sadler Wells, 1942. Above: costume designs for Ophelia and Claudius by Leslie Hurry: below: the Players' scene from the production. '€mee Scitttyit UNCOLN KIRSTEIN DONALD WINDHAM BAIRD HASTINGS PAUL MAGRIEL The tabular history of British ballet for ten in Dolin’s books; Dance Index is pre- the last decade which comprises this issue pairing an issue on Antony Tudor, whose follows the pattern of our earlier number on early works are listed here but whose full de- the Soviet Ballet by Joan Lawson (June-July velopment has been in the United States. 1943) and will be followed soon by a similar The Triumph of Neptune, a ballet with a survey on French ballet by Pierre Tugal. The national British subject, which Balanchine rhree together will present an important pic- in collaboration with Lord Berners and the ture of contemporary ballet outside the Sitwells composed for Diaghilev as early as United States. 1926 will be chronicled in another Balan- In Britain, ballet has had a slow, steady chine issue to appear next year. The Dance growth, not a boom which might be followed Archives of the Museum of Modern Art have by a corresponding slump, and the outlook recently acquired a large collection of designs for the post-war years is very encouraging. for British Ballets which can be seen in the The Sadler Wells plans a permanent com- Archives collection. pany which will include a boarding school Arnold Flaskell is well known for his books with full academic curriculum, the engage- on ballet and as dance critic for the London ment every year of both a prominent foreign Daily Telegraph. He has recently completed choreographer to produce his own works, a thirteen broadcast script on “the History and an ‘experimental’ choreographer to de- of Sadler Wells” and a survey on English velop talent. As a non-profit making institu- ballet for the British Council. In 1939 his tion they hope to obtain the position of an paper, ‘‘The Birth of British Ballet” won the official national ballet and tour the world. Silver Medal of the Royal Society of Arts. They have already completed, early this year Acknowledgement for the illustrations is under the auspices of the E.N.S.A. and of due to Mr. Haskell, The Museum of Mod- the British Council, a three month tour of ern Art, Dwight Godwin, Lee Michel, and to France, Belgium and Holland. the artists and companies represented. Mr. Haskell’s checklist deals with the three In the September issue credit for the cover most prominent companies now performing designs, which were taken from decoupage in Britain. A month by month record of the screens by Hans Christian Andersen, was in- complete London scene can be found in the advertently omitted. Both front and back files of the London Dancing Times. The covers were selected by Mr. Cornell from History of the Markova-Dolin Ballet is writ- Andersen’s own work. COVER: Around a scene from Sadler Wells’ 1943 revival of The Swan Lake, Leslie Hurry’s original designs for this production have been arranged by Joseph Cornell. Subscription 25c a month: $2.50 by the year. Copyright 1945 by Dance Index-Ballet Caravan Inc., 130 West 56 Street, New York 19, N. Y. Vol. IV, No. 10, October 1945 BALLET IN BRITAIN 1934-1944 by Arnold Haskell INTRODUCTION 1910. First London Appearance of Anna Pav- Diaghileff company and a pupil of the St. lova. This visit not only inspired hundreds of Petersburg Academy. She was the first of the young dancers and their parents, but gave Russians to start a London school and had an them the opportunity to dance in ballet. The extraordinary influence, giving Anton Dolin bitter quarrels between the Russian and the and Alicia Markova amongst others to Dia- Polish members of her company made Pav- ghileff and later British ballet. In after years lova rely increasingly on English dancers not N. Legat opened a studio in London and had only In the corps de ballet but also as prin- a considerable Influence, especially on the cipals; e. g. Hilda Butsova (Boot) and Ruth more experienced dancers who attended his French. Pavlova opened up a new career for classes. the English dancer who previously had only 1917. Adeline Genee's Farewell at the Coli- found work In pantomime or vaudeville. seum. This great Danish ballerina's Influence 1911. First London Appearance of Serge Dia- on British Ballet has been in many respects ghileff. The French painter, Jacques Emile even greater than that of Anna Pavlova. She Blanche,, has best described the effect of this went to the Empire for a few weeks’ engage- visit when he said that the impact on young ment and stayed a generation. Brought up in people, particularly University men, had been the great Bournonville tradition—first cousin tremendous. DIaghileff's influence was less to the Russian school; Johannsen was a pupil widespread but more concentrated that that of Bournonville—her technique and delicate of Pavlova; it was aimed straight at the intel- artistry Inspired thousands. Since her retire- ligentsia. ment she has been a pioneer of English dance education. 1912. Lydia Sokolova joins the Diaghileff Company. This English girl, Hilda Mannings, 1919. Ninette de Valois premiere danseuse at joined the Russian Ballet and rapidly came to Royal Opera, Covent Garden. De Valois the fore In open competition with the best (Edris Stannus) started as a child prodigy, Russian dancers of the day, at a time when miraculously surviving such ecstatic notices as Diaghileff could draw on the full resources of 'this child Is a poem'. She next danced In vari- his mother country. She was a pioneer, the ous revues and this marked her debut In seri- first of the Anglo-Russians. ous ballet. 1913. Phyllis Bedells succeeds Lydia Kyasht ns 1920. Foundation of Association of Operatic at the Empire. Ballet in premiere danseuse Dancing of Great Britain under the Presi- before the of the Russians England coming dency of Adeline Genee and the Secretary- flourished at the Empire and Alhambra had ship of P.J.S. Richardson, Editor of the Danc- halls. Music, choreography and decors music ing Times. This Association was formed to were of great aesthetic value but the danc- no control the vast teaching profession that had ing was on a very high level. Phyllis Bedells sprung up with the popularity of ballet. It In- English dancer came a few years was an who sisted on a certain standard and granted cer- play her full role as a dancer in too sOon to tificates to those who conformed. the national movement. She has since given a Mr. Richardson, founder and editor of The to Sadlers Wells. daughter and many pupils Dancing Times, has throughout his career 1914. Seraphine Astaviefa starts her London been active In assisting the craft as well as School. Astaviefa was a dancer-mime in the the art of dancing. 164 1921. Diaghileff's Sleeping Princess at the Al- deafh five years later cut short her career, or hambra. This great production of the Tchai- rather postponed its climax by a few years. 1926. kovsky-Petlpa ballet with such dancers as Spes- Marie Rambert presents slvtseva, Trefllova, Egorova, Lopokova, Schol- Frederick Ash- ton's first Ballet, The Tragedy of Fashion. In lar, Vladimiroff and Wilzak gave the public spite of this comparatively recent date Ash- Its first real knowledge of ballet classicism, ton can truly be called 'the father of English since the basis of all our work. It was a com- choreography.' Marie Rambert first became parative failure—ten years later it would have associated with the Diaghileff Ballet when as had a record run. Debut in Russian Ballet of a pupil of Jacques Dalcroze she was selected Pafrick Kay, later Anton Dolin. He left after to teach Nijinski eurythmics. She remained this production to perfect himself and studied with Astafieva and Legaf. to study ballet from Cecchetti. She started e school in London and her pupils became the 1922. Foundation of the Cecchetti Society.* nucleus of a self-contained company of cho- This effort to codify and so preserve fhe great reographers, dancers and even decorative maestro's teaching in England was all import- artists. But during Diaghileff's lifetime, of ant as can be seen from the names of its com- course, their destination was Russian Ballet. mittee included Ninette Valois, which de Rambert gave occasional performances at the Marie Rambert and Cyril Beaumont. Lyric, Hammersmith, Sir Nigel Playfair's avant 1923. Ninette de Valois joins the Diaghileff garde fheafre, before fhe formation of her Ballet. She soon rose to be a soliste. Among own Ballet Club, 1931. Her original company her most notable performances was thaf of consisted of Pearl Argyle, Prudence Hyman, the 'finger' variation in Aurora's Wedding Diana Gould, Andre Howard, Elizabeth (The Sleeping Princess). Schooling, Frederick Ashton, Harold Turner Chappell, all of have play- Astafieva presents a Pupil Show, 'Anglo-Rus- and William whom a major role in the history of our ballet. sian Ballet,' at the Albert Hall. This ambitious ed Later other pupils joined her company, among venture made ballet history. Anton Dolin, whom were Antony Tudor, Walter Gore, christened that night, made headlines. A Frank Staff, Maude Lloyd and Sally Gilmour. child, Alice Marks (Markova to be), also at- her quality tracted considerable attention. The whole These names reveal somefhing of in discovering and Inspiring talent. Frederick performance showed beyond a doubt the justly sums up her character (Dancing possibility of British Ballet. Ashton Times, January 1945) — 'Hers is a deeply 1924.