Russian Ballet

from November 24, 2009 to May 23, 2010

To celebrate the centenary of the first season of Russian Ballet in Paris (2009), and in the context of the cross-cultural year, Russia in France and France in Russia, an exhibition will soon be open to the public at BnF. About 100 works from the most important collections concerning Russian Ballet will be presented. 19 seasons of the Diaghilev ballet company were given in Paris from 1909 to its founder’s death in 1929.
Diaghilev’s company became immediately famous. It contributed not only to renew classical ballet through choreographers such as Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Leonide Massine, Bronislava Nijinska or George Balanchine but also to support the major transformations undergone by stage scenery and costumes in the early 20th century.

In the framework of the exhibition, to pay tribute to Diaghilev’s ballet company, four ballets will be performed at the Opéra national de Paris, in their original choreography, from 12 to 31 December 2009.