Australia Dancing - Sylphides, Les

Sylphides, Les

Duparcq, Derek: Janet Karin and Caj Selling in 'Les Sylphides', the Australian Ballet [3], 1963

Chopiniana, which eventually became Les Sylphides, was first staged at a charity matinee in St Petersburg on 10 Feburary 1907. Choreographed by Michel Fokine to Glazunov's orchestration of piano pieces by Chopin, it was a suite of individual tableaux representing national dances. It opened with a Polonaise in court costumes and was followed by a Polish Mazurka, a Nocturne and a Waltz in classical tutus. It concluded with a Tarantella. Fokine reshaped the work for two years prior to its 1909 staging as Les Sylphides for Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russe at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. The work continued to evolve, but retained its essence as a one-act ballet evoking the Romantic spirit of the sylph in an abstract work described by dance historian John Gregory as 'a visual meditation on beauty ? a reverie of the soul'.

Australian audiences first saw Les Sylphides in 1913 when it was performed in Melbourne by dancers of the visiting Imperial Russian Ballet led by Alexander Volinine and Adeline Genee. Volinine reproduced the choreography from the 1909 version. International companies have continued to present the work to Australian audiences over the years. In 1926 and 1929 Anna Pavlova's company staged Chopiniana, arranged by Ivan Clustine and led by Pavlova and Laurent Novikoff in 1926 and by Pavlova and Pierre Vladimiroff in 1929. The work was performed during the Dandre-Levitoff Russian Ballet tour of 1934-35, and was featured by the three Ballets Russes companies that toured Australia during the late 1930s, following its inclusion in the premiere performance by the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet in Adelaide on 13 October 1936. It was staged by Ballet Rambert during its 1947-48 tour, and by the Royal Ballet on its first Australian tour in 1958. Both the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballets have included Chopaniana in their Australian tour repertoires. The version presented by the Kirov company during its 1973 tour reintroduced elements of Fokine's 1908 version, and was hailed as a particularly fine production.

Les Sylphides is also familiar to Australian audiences through its inclusion in the repertoire of Australian classical companies, as well as through numerous stagings by semi-professional and amateur organisations. The First Australian Ballet was performing the work early in the 1930s, and it was presented by both the Kirsova and Borovansky companies in the early 1940s. In 1947 it appeared in programs of the Ballet Guild, remaining in the repertoire of that company through to its Ballet Victoria performances in the 1970s. The work was also performed by the National Theatre Ballet in the early 1950s, and by the Queensland Ballet in the late 1960s.

The Borovansky Ballet continued to perform Les Sylphides throughout the life of the company, foreshadowing its inclusion in the inaugural repertoire of the Australian Ballet. It was first performed by the flagship company in its second program, on 16 November 1962, with Marilyn Jones, Caj Selling, Leonie Leahy and Rosemary Mildner in lead roles. A number of international artists featured in the Australian Ballet's early performances of the work: Sonia Arova and Erik Bruhn in 1962, Tatiana Zimina and Nikita Dolgushin in 1963, and Lupe Serrano and Royes Fernandez in 1964. Les Sylphides was next performed by the company in 1976, when it was staged by Dame Alicia Markova, whose reproduction was also included in the 1979 season. In 1986, it was reproduced for the company by Irina Baronova, who, with Anna Volkova and Valrene Tweedie, was again involved in the most recent staging by the Australian Ballet. This opened in 2006 as part of the triple-bill tribute to Fokine entitled 'Revolutions', presented with the support of the four-year research and performance project Ballets Russes in Australia: Our cultural revolution. On opening night Lucinda Dunn, Olivia Bell, Damien Welch and Kirsty Martin featured in the lead roles. Les Sylphides is also in the repertoire of the Dancers Company.

Research Materials

[Ballet Rambert in Australia], 1947-1949 (Moving picture): Cast: Sally Gilmour, John Gilpin, Walter Gore, Belinda Wright and artists of Ballet Rambert; 16 mm film, shot by Dr Joseph Ringland Anderson; black and white and colour, no sound, 70 mins; This compilation contains excerpts from Giselle Act I, Soiree musicale, Gala Performance, Les Sylphides, Swan Lake Act II and two ballets not yet identified. Sally Gilmour and Walter Gore dance the leading roles in Giselle. In Soiree musicale the 'Canzonetta' is danced by Belinda Wright and David Hunt, the 'Tyrolese' by Annette Chappell and John Paget, 'Bolero' by Sara Luzita, Paula Hinton and Barbara Grimes and 'Tarantella' by Brenda Hamlyn and Frank Staff. In Gala Performance Margaret Scott is the Russian Ballerina, Sally Gilmour is the French Ballerina and Joyce Graeme is the Italian Ballerina. The footage was shot between 1947 and 1949, probably in Melbourne, when the Rambert company toured Australian and New Zealand. Poor vision quality.

Ringland Anderson Ballet Films; Ballet Rambert Australian tour ; Giselle ; Gore, Walter ; Scott, Margaret ; Graeme, Joyce ; Swan Lake ; Gilmour, Sally; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 449256

Ballets Russes in Australia, 1936-1940: An Avalanche of Dancing, The, 1999 (Moving picture): betacam SP videotape, a co-production by ScreenSound Australia and the National Library of Australia; colour and black and white, sound, PAL, 45 mins; This documentary examines the mutual fascination between the artists of the Ballets Russes companies that toured Australia between 1936 and 1940 and the Australian public. It includes archival film footage shot by Dr Ewan Murray-Will showing the dancers in performance and in their leisure moments. Ballets represented include Aurora's Wedding, Le Beau Danube, Le Carnaval, Choreartium, La Concurrence, Jeux d'enfants, Petrouchka, Les Presages and Thamar. Other archival footage from the collections of the ScreenSound Australia includes excerpts from Les Sylphides and Le lac des cygnes (Swan Lake). Also included are excerpts from oral history interviews and from the photographic and printed dance material held in the National Library of Australia. Interviewees include Irina Baronova, Kira Bousloff, Geoffrey Ingram, and Max Dupain. Valrene Tweedie is featured in a filmed interview. Dancers appearing include Irina Baronova, Helene Kirsova, Igor Youskevitch, Leon Woizikowsky, Sonia Woizikowska and Tatiana Riabouchinska who dances excerpts from the Prelude in Les Sylphides.; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Tweedie, Valrene ; Petrouchka ; Kirsova, Helene ; Baronova, Irina ; Swan Lake ; Dupain, Max ; Bousloff, Kira Abricossova ; Ingram, Geoffrey ; Carnaval, Le ; Youskevitch, Igor ; Riabouchinska, Tatiana ; Murray-Will, Ewan ; Presages, Les ; Wojcikowska, Sonia ; Beau Danube, Le ; Jeux d'enfants ; Thamar ; Woizikowsky, Leon ; Aurora's Wedding ; Choreartium ; Concurrence, La; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 406013

[Ballets Russes: Graduation Ball; Paganini; Les Presages; Scheherazade; Swan Lake; Les Sylphides; Outdoor scenes], 1936-1940 (Moving picture): Cast: Artists of the Ballets Russes companies.; 16 mm film, shot by Dr Joseph Ringland Anderson; black and white, no sound, 23 mins; A compilation of excerpts from the repertoire of the Ballets Russes companies as performed during their Australian tours. Also included are some scenes of the dancers relaxing in the garden of the Toorak home of Dr Joseph Ringland Anderson.

Ringland Anderson Ballet Films; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Swan Lake ; Graduation Ball ; Presages, Les ; Scheherazade ; Paganini; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 483688

Ballets Russes: Les Sylphides, 1936-1940 (Moving picture): Cast: Dancers of the Ballets Russes; Film maker: Murray-Will, Ewan; 16 mm film, shot by Ewan Murray-Will; no sound, black and white, 3 mins; Excerpts from a performance of Les Sylphides.; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Murray-Will, Ewan; Location:; Ewan Murray-Will Ballets Russes collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 326155

[Ballets Russes; Borovansky Ballet; Royal Ballet; London Festival Ballet], 1936-1954 (Moving picture): 16 mm film, shot by Dr Joseph Ringland Anderson; black and white and colour, no sound, 61 mins; The Ballets Russes component of this compilation contains scenes of the company arriving at Spencer Street railway station, Melbourne. Also included are shots of the dancers taking class in the first instance with Anna Roje and secondly with Anatole Oboukoff, and scenes of the dancers relaxing in Melbourne at the Toorak home of the Ringland Anderson family and elsewhere. Footage from the 1950s of the Borovansky Ballet performing excerpts from Scheherazade, the Royal Ballet in excerpts from La Boutique fantasque and Le Tricorne and the Festival ballet in Les Sylphides and Prince Igor is also included. Note: Much of this material has poor vision quality.

Ringland Anderson Ballet Films; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Scheherazade ; Boutique fantasque, La; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 449231

[Covent Garden Russian Ballet in Australia], 1938 or 1939 (Moving picture): Cast: Irina Baronova, Tatiana Riabouchinska and artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet; 35 mm film; black and white, no sound, 10 mins; This footage contains excerpts from Les Sylphides, including sections from the Prelude, Mazurka and pas de deux, and Le lac des cygnes (Swan Lake) including sections from the pas de deux and dance of the Little Swans. It was shot on stage most probably during a rehearsal. The corps de ballet mostly only mark their steps and positions on stage although the principals dance with energy. The corps de ballet continues to wear Sylphides costumes during the excerpts from Swan Lake.; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Baronova, Irina ; Swan Lake ; Riabouchinska, Tatiana; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 54327

Ewan Murray-Will Ballets Russes Collection, 1936-1940 (Moving picture): Cast: Alberto Alonso, Irina Baronova, Anton Dolin, Valentin Froman, Nina Golovina, Roland Guerard, Roman Jasinsky, Helene Kirsova, David Lichine, Paul Petroff, Tatiana Riabouchinska, Tamara Tchinarova, Tamara Toumanova, Igor Youskevitch, Sonia Woizikowska, and artists of the various Ballets Russes companies.; 16 mm films, shot by Dr Ewan Murray-Will; colour and black and white, no sound, c. 145 mins; Footage includes scenes from Aurora's Wedding, Le Beau Danube, Le Carnaval, Choreartium, La Concurrence, Jeux d'enfants, Petrouchka, Les Presages, Thamar, Scuola di Ballo and Les Sylphides. Some footage also shows the dancers picnicking in the bush, including in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, and dancing on Bungan Beach in Sydney. There are also shots of Kirsova in her dressing room, Kirsova getting married and Kirsova relaxing.

Some items in the collection are described on Australia Dancing as individual records.

Clips from a number of the films in this collection are available online by following links at the australianscreen site 'Chesterman Collection (1935 - c1940)'; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Baronova, Irina ; Finch, Tamara Tchinarova ; Petrouchka ; Kirsova, Helene ; Dolin, Anton ; Wojcikowska, Sonia ; Murray-Will, Ewan ; Lichine, David ; Youskevitch, Igor ; Toumanova, Tamara ; Riabouchinska, Tatiana ; Carnaval, Le ; Presages, Les ; Petroff, Paul ; Beau Danube, Le ; Aurora's Wedding ; Jeux d'enfants ; Thamar ; Choreartium ; Concurrence, La ; Scuola di ballo; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title nos: 262798, 326073, 326078, 326097, 326098, 326102, 326127, 326115, 326120, 326144, 326149, 326155, 326157

[Giselle: Ballet Rambert], 1948 (Moving picture): Cast: Sally Gilmour, John Gilpin, Walter Gore and artists of Ballet Rambert; 16 mm film, shot by Dr Joseph Ringland Anderson; colour, no sound, 38 mins; Is part of: [Ballet Rambert in Australia], 70m mins; Excerpts from Giselle Act I as performed in Australia by Ballet Rambert during its Australia tour of 1947-1949. Shot in Melbourne at a dress rehearsal in October 1948. Compilation also contains excerpts from Soiree musicale, Gala Performance, Les Sylphides, Swan Lake Act II and two ballets not yet identified. Poor vision quality.

Ringland Anderson Ballet Films; Giselle ; Gore, Walter ; Ballet Rambert Australian tour ; Swan Lake ; Gilmour, Sally; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 449256

[Les Sylphides], 1936-1940 (Moving picture): Cast: Nathalie (Natasha) Branitzka, Roman Jasinsky, Helene Kirsova, Tatiana Riabouchinska, Anna Volkova, Nina Youchkevitch, Igor Yousskevitch and artists of the Ballets Russes.; 16 mm film, shot by Dr Joseph Ringland Anderson; black and white, no sound, 43 mins; Excerpts from various performances of Les Sylphides including performances by the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet in 1936-1937 with Helene Kirsova, Nina Youchkevitch, Nathalie (Natasha) Branitzka and Igor Youskevitch and by the Original Ballet Russe in 1940 with Anna Volkova, Tatiana Riabouchinska and Roman Jasinsky.

Ringland Anderson Ballet Films; Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Kirsova, Helene ; Volkova, Anna ; Youskevitch, Igor ; Riabouchinska, Tatiana ; Jasinsky, Roman; Location:; The Keep Dancing! Collection; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 449220

Lupe Serrano and Royes Fernandez, 1964 (Moving picture): Cast: Lupe Serrano and Royes Fernandez; 16 mm film, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; black and white, sound, 25 mins; Lupe Serrano and Royes Fernandez, principal dancers with American Ballet Theatre visiting Australia as guest artists with the Australian Ballet, perform the pas de deux and variations from Don Quixote. Their performance of this pas de deux was a highlight of their time with the Australian Ballet. The film also contains a performance of the pas de deux from Les Sylphides and the pas de deux and variations from Nutcracker. A commentator gives brief biographical details of Serrano and Fernandez.; Australian Ballet, The ; Don Quixote ; Fernandez, Royes ; Nutcracker; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 47971

Edouard Borovansky in Capriccio italien, c. 1943

Spotlight on Australian Ballet, 1948 (Moving picture): 16 mm film, directed by Doc K. Sternberg; black and white, sound, 47 mins; This film traces the early history of dance in Australia showing the importance of tours to the country by companies from overseas, and highlighting the development of local companies such as the Kirsova Ballet, Ballet Guild and the Bodenwieser Ballet. Footage includes scenes of Laurel Martyn rehearsing her work En Saga and excerpts from the repertoire of the Bodenwieser Ballet including Waterlilies, Demon Machine and Blue Danube. Most attention, however, is given to the Borovansky Ballet. The company is seen in a variety of works including Le Beau Danube, Capriccio italien, Terra Australis, Swan Lake and Les Sylphides. Backstage activities are also shown. The dancers who appear include Martin Rubinstein, Tamara Tchinarova, Kathleen Gorham, Vassilie Trunoff, Serge Bousloff, Edna Busse and Edouard Borovansky. Xenia Borovansky is seen conducting a class, Edouard Borovansky is seen directing rehearsals and Bill Constable is seen painting cloths for Terra Australis.; Finch, Tamara Tchinarova ; Rubinstein, Martin ; Trunoff, Vassilie ; Gorham, Kathleen ; En Saga ; Borovansky Ballet ; Kirsova Ballet ; Ballet Guild ; Bodenwieser Ballet ; Terra Australis ; Busse, Edna ; Borovansky, Edouard ; Borovansky, Xenia ; Demon Machine ; Constable, William (Bill) ; Bousloff, Serge ; Blue Danube, The ; Beau Danube, Le; Location:; National Film and Sound Archive; Title no: 11165

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