LEONIDE MASSINE: CHOREOGRAPHIC GENIUS WITH A COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF DANCE COLLEGE OF HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND RECREATION BY ©LISA ANN FUSILLO, D.R.B.S., B.S., M.A. DENTON, TEXAS Ml~.Y 1982 f • " /, . 'f "\ . .;) ;·._, .._.. •. ..._l./' lEXAS WUIVIAI'l' S UNIVERSITY LIBRAR't dedicated to the memories of L.M. and M.H.F. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express her appreciation to the members of her committee for their guidance and assistance: Dr. Aileene Lockhart, Chairman; Dr. Rosann Cox, Mrs. Adrienne Fisk, Dr. Jane Matt and Mrs. Lanelle Stevenson. Many thanks to the following people for their moral support, valuable help, and patience during this project: Lorna Bruya, Jill Chown, Mary Otis Clark, Leslie Getz, Sandy Hobbs, R. M., Judy Nall, Deb Ritchey, Ann Shea, R. F. s., and Kathy Treadway; also Dr. Warren Casey, Lynda Davis, Mr. H. Lejins, my family and the two o'clock ballet class at T.C.U. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION • • • . iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES • . viii LIST OF FIGURES . ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS . X Chapter I. INTRODUCTION . 1 Purpose • • • • • • • . • • • • 5 Problem • • . • • • • • . • • • 5 Rationale for the Study • • • . • . • • • • 5 Limitations of the Study • • . • • • • • 8 Definition.of Terms • . • • . • . • • 8 General Dance Vocabulary • • . • • . • • 8 Choreographic Terms • • • • . 10 Procedures. • • • . • • • • • • • • . 11 Sources of Data • . • • • • • . • . 12 Related Literature • . • • • . • • . 14 General Social and Dance History • . • . 14 Literature Concerning Massine .• • . • • • 18 Literature Concerning Decorative Artists for Massine Ballets • • • . • • • • • . 21 Literature Concerning Musicians/Composers for Massine Ballets • • • . • . • • 21 Organization of Material • • . • • • . 22 II. THE EDUCATION OF CREATIVE GENIUS: DIAGHILEV'S INFLUENCE ...••. 24 Massine--The Years Before Diaghilev • • • • 24 The Miassin Family • • • • . • . • • . 24 The Bolshoi Theatre School . • • • 25 Diaghilev--Early Years • • • • . • 30 Education and The World of Art Journal . • . • • . • . • . 30 The Paris Exhibitions • 34 Russian Ballet in the West 36 v Massine and Diaghilev • • • • • • • • • • • 38 The Meeting • • • • • • • • • • • . 38 The Educational Process . • . • . • • 41 Emergence of a Genius • • • • • • • • • • 46 Epilogue • • • • • • . 49 III. COLLABORATION: MASS'INE AND THE PAINTERS 55 Pablo Picasso • • • • . 56 Andre Derain • • • . 70 Henri Matisse • • . 75 Georges Braque • • • 83 Joan Mira • • • • • . 87 Andre Masson • 90 Christian Berard • • • . 92 Salvator Dali • 95 Marc Chagall 99 Epilogue 101 IV. COLLABORATION: MASSINE AND THE MUSICIANS/ COMPOSERS • • • 104 The Musicians/Composers • • • • . • • • • . 105 Erik Satie • • • • • • • • • 105 .Manuel de Falla ••••••• 110 Igor Stravinsky . • • • . • . • • • 113 Serge Prokofiev . • . • • . 119 Paul Hindemith • • • . ••••. 121 Symphonic Works . • . • • • 124 Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky • 126 Hector Berlioz • • • • • • • . • • • • 127 Ludwig van Beethoven • • • • . 129 Rirnsky-Korsakov • • • • • • . • 130 Epilogue • . • • • • . • • • • 131 V. COLLABORATIVE CULMINATION: FOUR MASSINE BALLETS • • • • • • • • • • 134 The Diaghilev Period 1915-1920 . • . 135 Post-Diaghilev 1924-1933 . • • 148 Symphonic Ballets 1933-1934 • . • . 156 Religious Ballets 1915, 1932, 1938-1952 171 vi VI. SUMMARY, FINDINGS, AND CONCLUSION •• 183 Sununary • 183 Findings 186 Conclusion 188 APPENDIX A . 189 APPENDIX B • 192 APPENDIX C . 197 BIBLIOGRAPHY • 210 vii LIST OF TABLES 1. Chronology of Ballets by Leonide Massine and the Designers Discussed in Chapter III • • • 103 2. Chronology of Ballets by Leonide Massine and the Musicians/Composers Discussed in Chapter IV • • • • • • . • • • • • • . 133 viii LIST OF FIGURES 1. Programmatic Details of the Ballet Le Tricorne . 138 2. Programmatic Details of the Ballet Le Beau Danube . 150 3. Programmatic Details of the Ballet Les Presages . •· . 164 4. Programmatic Details of the Ballet Noblissima Visione . 173 ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Costume Designs for Parade by Picasso • . 59 Costume Designs for Parade by Picasso . 60 Cost:ume and Set Designs for Le Tricorne by Picasso 64 Costume Design for Le Tricorne by Picasso • • • • 65 Set Design for Pulcinella by Picasso • • • • • • • • 68 Set Design for Boutique Fantasque by Derain • • 72 Costume Designs for Boutique Fantasgue by Derain 73 Costumes for Boutique Fantasgue by Derain • • • • • • 74 Set Design for Le Chant du Rossignol by Matisse. • 77· Costume Design for Le Chant du Rossignol by Matisse • 78 Costume for Le Chant du Rossignol by Matisse 79 Costumes for Le Chant du Rossignol by Matisse • 81 Set and ~ostume Designs for Rouge et Nair 82 costume for Zephire et Flore by Braque 85 Costumes for Zephire et Flore by Braque . 86 Set and Costumes for Jeux d'Enfants by Mira 88 Costume for Jeux d'Enfants by Mire •••. 89 Set and Costumes for Les Presages by Masson 91 Set Design for Seventh Symphony by Berard . 94 Backcloth Design for Bacchanale by Dali . 97 Two Set Designs for Labyrinth by Dali • 98 costume Design for Aleko by Chagall • • · · • . 100 X CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION As a leading figure in the development of dance during the early twentieth century, Leonide Massine was an artist who foresaw and created an idiom of dance that transcended stylistic boundaries. The ballets which Massine produced had a profound effect upon choreographic approaches to dance movement. Massine's ballets also reflect the strong relationship of decorative art and mus.ic with dance. This artistic integration became a vital creative force for Massine throughout his career and was rooted in the education imparted by Serge de Diaghileff. 1 • It was Diaghilev who discov~red, nurtured and guided Massine.2 Under the watchful eye of his mentor, Massine's education stressed the importance of unity in the arts--music, painting, literature and dance--to accomplish a wholeness of art in the theatre. This lThe spelling of Diaghileff using the "ff" ending is from the original translation of his name from Russian to French. The more current spelling, Diaghilev, is used in all other instances in this study. 2oiana P. Daniels and Lillian Moore, "E. 0. Hoppe and the Diaghilev Ballet," Dance Magazine, September 1954, p. 24. 1 2 education by Diaghilev was an extension of Massine's own background which was directly influenced by both of his parents who were musicians and by his own experiences in the Bolshoi Theatre School. Destined to become a legendary ·protege ·of Diaghilev, Massine was widely recognized both for his brilliance as a dancer and as an innovative choreographer. These qualities were emphasized by de Mille when she wrote about Massine: "He has unmatched rhythm and tremendous strength and spirit. He succeeded Fokine and Nijinsky as master choreographer. 3 DJ.aghilev was i-nstrumental in uncovering the choreographic genius in Massine and pre- senting that genius to the western world. The era of western exposure to Russian Ballet began in 1909 when Diaghilev pr~sented a small troupe of Russian dancers to Paris audiences. In 1916, Massine joined the then established Ballets-Russes company which was organ­ ized and directed by Diaghilev. It was a unique ballet company because it verified Diaghilev's personal theory that a theatrical production could only claim recogni­ tion as a work of serious art if it were the result 3Agnes de Mille, The Book of the Dance (London: Paul Hamlyn, 1963), p. 153. 3 of the association, on equal terms of the arts of literature, music, and painting.4 The artistic world of the early 1900s was rich with spirited talent. From this new generation of artists emerged the avant-garde movements in painting and music. Diaghilev was a connoisseur of the arts and brought these artists together, thus combining the talents of painters, musicians, poets, and dancers for his ballet company and creating a milieu of high voltage creative energy. This was the foundation, established by Diaghilev and supported by all the artists involved, that Massine inherited when he entered the world of ballet. Guided by Diaghilev and educated by the artists who surrounded him, the young Massine absorbed the knowledge of his tutors ahd combined it with his own artistry when creating his choreography. Massine learned well from Diaghilev and continued to associate and collaborate with outstanding contemporary musicians and painters even after he left the Ballets- Russes company. Exchanging not only artistic ideas, but also sharing vital energy and enthusiasm of other artists, Massine became keenly aware of the tremendous power of 4w. A. Propert, The Russian Ballet in Western Europe 1909-1920 (New York: Benjamin Blom Inc., 1972) P· 8. 4 artistic collaboration. He continued that heritage throughout his entire life, as noted by Agnes de Mille when she wrote of the situation after the death of Diaghilev: Leonide Massine was the only choreographer­ performer with sufficient resilience to re-organize the veterans [of the Diaghilev ballet] and their pupils into a successful unit of lasting achieve­ ment and creative force. He continued in the great Diaghileff tradition of using the best and freshest in the allied arts of music and design.S Leonide Massine was the legacy of Serge Diaghilev. When he left Russia to join Diaghilev and the Ballets­ Russes, Massine committed himself to ballet. His life, career, and art were unified in the ballets