A MEMOIR OF THE DANCE WORLD

By S. Hurok

HERMITAGE HOUSE / NEW YORK 1953

COPYRIGHT, 1953, BY S. HUROK
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Published simultaneously in Canada by Geo. J. McLeod, Toronto
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 53-11291
MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A.
AMERICAN BOOK-STRATFORD PRESS, INC., NEW YORK

To
The United States of America:
Whose freedom I found as a youth;
Which I cherish;
And without which nothing that has
been accomplished in a lifetime
of endeavour could have come to pass

CONTENTS

[1.][Prelude: How It All Began][11]
[2.][The Swan][17]
[3.][Three Ladies: Not from the Maryinsky][28]
[4.][Sextette][47]
[5.][Three Ladies of the Maryinsky—and Others][66]
[6.][Tristan and Isolde: Michel and Vera Fokine][92]
[7.][Ballet Reborn in America: W. De Basil and his Ballets Russes De Monte Carlo ][105]
[8.][Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Leonide Massine and the New Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo][125]
[9.][What Price Originality? The Original Ballet Russe][138]
[10.][The Best of Plans ... Ballet Theatre][147]
[11.][Indecisive Interlude: De Basil’s Farewell and a Pair of Classical Britons][183]
[12.][Ballet Climax—Sadler’s Wells and After ...][208]
[13.][Epilogue: Unborn Tomorrow][310]
[Index][323]

List of Illustrations
[Added by the etext transcriber as it does not appear in the book.]

[ 1. S. Hurok ]
[ 2. Mrs. Hurok ]
[ 3. Marie Rambert ]
[ 4. Olga Preobrajenska in her Paris school ]
[ 5. Lydia Lopokova ]
[ 6. Tamara Karsavina ]
[ 7. Mathilde Kchessinska ]
[ 8. Michel Fokine ]
[ 9. Adolph Bolm ]
[ 10. Anna Pavlova ]
[ 11. Alexandre Volinine in his Paris studio, with Colette Marchand ]
[ 12. Ballet Pioneering in America: “Sasha” Philipoff, Irving Deakin, Olga Morosova, “Colonel” W. de Basil, Sono Osato ]
[ 13. S. Hurok, “Colonel” W. de Basil and leading members of the de Basil Ballet Russe, 1933. Back row: David Lichine, Vania Psota, Sasha Alexandroff, S. Hurok; Center row: Leonide Massine, Tatiana Riabouchinska, Col. W. de Basil, Nina Verchinina, Yurek Shabalevsky; Front row: Edward Borovansky, Tamara Toumanova ]
[ 14. Anton Dolin in Fair at Sorotchinsk ]
[ 15. Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo: Alexandra Danilova as the Glove Seller and Leonide Massine as the Peruvian in Gaîté Parisienne ]
[ 16. Tamara Toumanova ]
[ 17. Alicia Markova ]
[ 18. Scene from Antony Tudor’s Romeo and Juliet: Hugh Laing, Antony Tudor, Dmitri Romanoff, Lucia Chase, Alicia Markova ]
[ 19. Ballet Theatre: Jerome Robbins and Janet Reed in Fancy Free ]
[ 20. Ninette de Valois ]
[ 21. David Webster ]
[ 22. Constant Lambert ]
[ 23. S. Hurok, Margot Fonteyn, Robert Helpmann ]
[ 24. Irina Baronova and Children ]
[ 25. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Following the premiere of Sylvia—Frederick Ashton, Margot Fonteyn, S. Hurok ]
[ 26. S. Hurok and Margot Fonteyn ]
[ 27. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Frederick Ashton, Ninette de Valois, Leonide Massine ]
[ 28. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Beryl Grey as the Princess Aurora ]
[ 29. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Nadia Nerina in Façade ]
[ 30. Roland Petit ]
[ 31. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Margot Fonteyn and Alexander Grant in Tiresias ]
[ 32. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: John Field and Violetta Elvin ]
[ 33. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Le Lac des Cygnes—John Field and Beryl Grey ]
[ 34. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Last Act of Le Lac des Cygnes ]
[ 35. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Giselle—Robert Helpmann and Margot Fonteyn ]
[ 36. Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet: Elaine Fifield as Swanilda in Coppélia ]
[ 37. Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet: David Blair and Svetlana Beriosova in Coppélia ]
[ 38. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: A Wedding Bouquet ]
[ 39. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Act I. The Sleeping Beauty—The Princess falls beneath the spell of Carabosse ]
[ 40. Agnes de Mille ]
[ 41. John Lanchbery, Conductor, Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet ]
[ 42. John Hollingsworth, Conductor, Sadler’s Wells Ballet ]
[ 43. Robert Irving, Musical Director, Sadler’s Wells Ballet ]
[ 44. The Sadler’s Wells production of The Sleeping Beauty: Puss-in-Boots ]
[ 45. Robert Helpmann as the Rake in The Rake’s Progress ]
[ 46. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Rowena Jackson as Odile in Le Lac des Cygnes ]
[ 47. Colette Marchand ]
[ 48. Moira Shearer ]
[ 49. Moira Shearer and Daughter ]
[ 50. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Symphonic Variations—Moira Shearer, Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes, Pamela May ]
[ 52. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: America is closer: loading at Port of London ]
[ 53. Sadler’s Wells Ballet: Scenery and costumes start the trek for America ]
[ 54. Antonio Spanish Ballet: Antonio ]
[ 55. Antonio Spanish Ballet: Serenada ]