Director

1848 · ref. 55296 — New York: David Libidins Independent Booking Office 1848. First printing. Softcover. Near fine condition. Large Quarto. Unpaginated. Original stylized red anniversary print on yellow wraps; protected by modern mylar. Contains Denham address on the occasion of the ten year anniversary close-ups of Alexandra Danilova Frederic Franklin Nathalia Krassovska Leon Denielian Ruthana Boris and Mary Ellen Moyland. Scenery and costumes by Christian Berard in color. Repertoire printed in red and black to turquoise paper. Full-page color costume sketch by Henri Matisse. Illustrated advertisements in b/w and color. Minor wear. Serge Diaghilev 1872-1929 was the founder of the Ballets Russes a troupe that revolutionized modern design fashion and theater and is widely regarded as the most influential ballet company of the 20th Century. It performed first in Paris in 1909 at the Palls Garnier with overwhelming success. Diaghilev himself was skeptical about ballet at times referring to the dancers as "a herd of cattle." Diaghilev's success however was based on his idea to combine dance music and visual arts including set design and costumes with Leon Bakst as the artistic director of the Ballet Russes. Key to the tremendous success of the Ballets Russes was the mix of traditional ballet with show elements that way making it more appealing to the general public and influential in contemporary art at the same time. After Diaghilev's death in 1929 his property was claimed by his creditors and in 1931 Wassily de Basil a Russian émigré and René Blum ballet director at the Monte Carlo Opera founded the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo. Its first performance was given in 1932 at the Monte Carlo Opera. David Libidins, Independent Booking Office unknown