#lesballetsrusses

Portrait of art connoisseur and impresario Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929). Without this famous founder of Les Ballets Russes, the European and American cultural worlds of the 20th century would have been totally different. Diaghilev had a great talent to discover young artists and to create an encouraging atmosphere of kindred spirits. Visual artists such as Bakst, Picasso, Tchelitchew and many others collaborated with composers as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, or Satie, all under Diaghilev's direction. Diaghilev's lead dancer and groundbreaking choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky was, during many years, Diaghilev's lover. They were a famous society couple - not the least because of their many public quarrels... #sergeidiaghilev #sergediaghilev #diaghilev #vaslavnijinsky #stravinsky #satie #picasso #bakst #lesballetsrusses #balletsrusses #prokofiev #balletimpresario #artconnoisseur #paveltchelitchew #portrait #queerartist #illustration https://www.instagram.com/p/CiE0nbwtA4E/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

uitgave 1929 L’illustration Journal Universel

Portrait of ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky (1889-1950). Nijinsky's unique dancing style and charm notably contributed to the rise to fame of dancing company Les Ballets Russes. Nijinsky, who was also the lover of Les Ballets Russes founder and impresario Sergei Diaghilev, was a genius choreographer and was responsible for some of the most groundbreaking ballets of the 20th century - including the shocking Le Sacre du Printemps in 1913. As Diaghilev grew more and more controlling and obsessive towards Nijinsky, the latter escaped from his attention by rushing into a not very successful marriage with a colleague ballerina. On hearing the news, Diaghilev immediately dismissed Nijinsky from Les Ballets Russes. Nijinsky's mental health grew quite instable in the following years, which finally led to a diagnosis with schizophrenia in 1919. #vaslavnijinsky #nijinsky #vaslav #dancer #ballet #lesballetsrusses #sergeidiaghilev #diaghilev #ballethistory #portrait #lesacreduprintemps #queerdancer #choreographer https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch4PnMzNdMm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Portrait of ballet dancer and choreographer Serge Lifar (1904-1986). Lifar was another ballet dancer who became famous thanks to Sergei Diaghilev's Les Ballets Russes. As a choreographer, Lifar distanced himself from Diaghilev's view by emphasizing ballet as a distinct form of art with more importance than the music, costumes and decors. No more 'Gesamtkunstwerke' for Lifar, and that's one of the ways in which he modernized ballet. After Diaghilev's death in 1929, Lifar plundered the apartment of his mentor and lover, which meant the start of Lifar's own notable collection of ballet-related items and letters. After WWII, Lifar was suspended from the French stages because of his collaboration with the occupying Germans. #sergelifar #lifar #lesballetsrusses #sergeidiaghilev #balletdancer #choreographer #queerdancer #portrait https://www.instagram.com/p/CiHryPSN67y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=