Ballets Russes Style, By Mary E Davis
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The "legendary command" of the Ballets Russes impresario was simply: "Astonish me!" A century on from its Paris debut, Diaghilev's dancers continue to do that in this handsome book.
Ballerina Natacha Trouhanova flashes a nipple in a 1909 magazine photo-spread. Despite a "feminising costume of gold harem pants fixed by ropes of pearls to a jewelled bandeau top", Nijinsky's performance in the 1910 Scheherazade was "sex incarnate".
It was for a Ballets Russe programme that Apollinaire coined the term "sur-realisme" to describe its transcendence of 19th-century realism.
Mary E Davis conveys the electric excitement from a collection of talents – music by Stravinsky, sets by Picasso, costumes by Bakst – that has never been equalled.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments