Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo
9780226167169
9780226186306
Irina Baronova and the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo
Publication supported by the Neil Harris Endowment Fund
In the 1930s and ’40s, the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo toured the United States and the world, introducing many to ballet as an art form, while spreading the enduring image of the ballerina as an embodiment of feminine grace and sophistication. This sumptuous, illustrated history tells the story of the rise of modern ballet and its popularity through the life story of one of ballet’s most glamorous stars, Irina Baronova (1919–2008), prima ballerina for the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo and later for Ballet Theatre in New York.
Drawing on letters, correspondence, oral histories, and interviews, Baronova’s daughter, the actress Victoria Tennant, warmly recounts Baronova’s dramatic life, from her earliest aspirations to her grueling time on tour to her later years in Australia as a pioneer of the art. She begins with the Baronov family’s flight from Russia during the Revolution, which led them to Romania and later Paris, where at the age of thirteen, Baronova became a star, chosen by the legendary George Balanchine to join the Ballets Russes, where she danced the lead in Swan Lake. Tennant provides an intimate account of Baronova’s life as a dancer and rare behind-the-scenes stories of life on the road with the stars of the company. Spectacular photographs, a mix of archival images and family snapshots, offer many rare views of rehearsals, costumes, set designs, and the dancers themselves both at their most dazzling and in their most everyday.
The story of Irina Baronova is also the story of the rise of ballet in America thanks to the Ballets Russes, who brought the magisterial beauty and star power of dance to big cities and small towns alike. Irina Baronova and the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo offers a unique perspective on this history, sure to be treasured by dance patrons and aspiring stars.
Drawing on letters, correspondence, oral histories, and interviews, Baronova’s daughter, the actress Victoria Tennant, warmly recounts Baronova’s dramatic life, from her earliest aspirations to her grueling time on tour to her later years in Australia as a pioneer of the art. She begins with the Baronov family’s flight from Russia during the Revolution, which led them to Romania and later Paris, where at the age of thirteen, Baronova became a star, chosen by the legendary George Balanchine to join the Ballets Russes, where she danced the lead in Swan Lake. Tennant provides an intimate account of Baronova’s life as a dancer and rare behind-the-scenes stories of life on the road with the stars of the company. Spectacular photographs, a mix of archival images and family snapshots, offer many rare views of rehearsals, costumes, set designs, and the dancers themselves both at their most dazzling and in their most everyday.
The story of Irina Baronova is also the story of the rise of ballet in America thanks to the Ballets Russes, who brought the magisterial beauty and star power of dance to big cities and small towns alike. Irina Baronova and the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo offers a unique perspective on this history, sure to be treasured by dance patrons and aspiring stars.
256 pages | 335 color plates | 9-1/16 x 10-7/8 | © 2014
Art: Art--Biography, Photography
History: General History
Music: General Music
Reviews
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
FOREWORD
PROLOGUE
St. Petersburg, 1916–1919
Letter to My Children
CHAPTER ONE
Romania, 1920–1927
Seeing a Ballet for the First Time
CHAPTER TWO
Paris, 1928–1931
Ballet Class with Madame Preobrajenska
CHAPTER THREE
Monte Carlo, 1931–1932
Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo
CHAPTER FOUR
London, 1933
Becoming a Star
CHAPTER FIVE
America and Canada, 1933–1938
Baby Ballerina — Pioneer Tours
CHAPTER SIX
Covent Garden, 1934–1938
A New Home
CHAPTER SEVEN
Australia and New Zealand, 1938–1939
The Ballets Russes in Australia
CHAPTER EIGHT
Goodbye Home, 1939
World War II
CHAPTER NINE
Hollywood and South America, 1940–1941
MGM, Massine, and de Basil
CHAPTER TEN
Ballet Theatre, 1941–1943
The Birth of American Ballet Theatre
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Massine’s Highlights of the Ballet Russe, 1945
Broadway and London, 1946–1949
CHAPTER TWELVE
Family, Teaching, Awards, Autobiography
EPILOGUE
Byron Bay, 2008
IRINA BARONOVA REPERTOIRE
POSTSCRIPT
CREDITS AND SOURCES
INDEX
FOREWORD
PROLOGUE
St. Petersburg, 1916–1919
Letter to My Children
CHAPTER ONE
Romania, 1920–1927
Seeing a Ballet for the First Time
CHAPTER TWO
Paris, 1928–1931
Ballet Class with Madame Preobrajenska
CHAPTER THREE
Monte Carlo, 1931–1932
Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo
CHAPTER FOUR
London, 1933
Becoming a Star
CHAPTER FIVE
America and Canada, 1933–1938
Baby Ballerina — Pioneer Tours
CHAPTER SIX
Covent Garden, 1934–1938
A New Home
CHAPTER SEVEN
Australia and New Zealand, 1938–1939
The Ballets Russes in Australia
CHAPTER EIGHT
Goodbye Home, 1939
World War II
CHAPTER NINE
Hollywood and South America, 1940–1941
MGM, Massine, and de Basil
CHAPTER TEN
Ballet Theatre, 1941–1943
The Birth of American Ballet Theatre
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Massine’s Highlights of the Ballet Russe, 1945
Broadway and London, 1946–1949
CHAPTER TWELVE
Family, Teaching, Awards, Autobiography
EPILOGUE
Byron Bay, 2008
IRINA BARONOVA REPERTOIRE
POSTSCRIPT
CREDITS AND SOURCES
INDEX
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