Australia Dancing - Concurrence, La

Concurrence, La

Seymour, Maurice: Edouard Borovansky in 'La concurrence', Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo [1], c. 1935

The single act ballet La concurrence (The Competition) was choreographed by George Balanchine for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's opening program in 1932. Unlike this season's other new productions, which used pre-existing scores, the music for La concurrence was collaboratively composed by Georges Auric. Set and costumes were created by Andre Derain, who was also responsible for the libretto.

Set in the late 1890s, the narrative of La concurrence depicts the rivalry between two tailors with shops facing each other on a town square. Customers emerge wearing costumes created by each tailor in his attempt to outdo the other - creating an amusing exploration of the influence of clothing on personality. While the work depends heavily on mime and detailed characterisation, technical virtuosity is also required in elements such as the crowd-pleasing fouette competition. The lead role of the Young Girl, which can be seen as forming a vital link between the two stage groupings of the adults and children, was created on thirteen year-old Tamara Toumanova. She was joined in the fouette competition by the two other adolescent girls who, along with Toumanova, were to become known as the 'baby ballerinas' - Tatiana Riabouchinska and Irina Baronova. Balanchine's fine eye for characterisation was augmented by Leon Woizikowsky's acclaimed interpretation in creating the role of the Tramp.

Despite its immediate popularity, La concurrence was viewed by some critics as a shallow return to pantomime. Apparently Balanchine, after viewing the work from the front of house for the first time, commented that he was 'through forever with that kind of stuff'. It was, however, very well received by the press in Australia, where it was performed by the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, premiering in Melbourne on October 6, 1938. Baronova danced in this production as the Young Girl, Edouard Borovansky and Yura Lazovsky as the Tailors, and Yurek Shabelevsky as the Vagabond. The review of this 'witty and sophisticated character ballet' appeared in the Argus on October 7, hailing Balanchine as 'the most individual choreographer after Massine', and asserting that 'Balanchine's humour does not lie in the incidents of the story, but in his freakish sense of the grotesque, his witty burlesques of character, and his surprising angular line.' Photographs of eight-year old June Mackay, selected to dance a child role in the ballet, had featured in the Argus the previous day.

Following the Australian tour, the role of the Young Girl was performed by Natasha Sobovina (Rosemary Deveson), who later recounted learning the role in a hotel bathroom with Baronova humming the music. La concurrence then disappeared from the Ballets Russes repertoire. The Derain decor, noted for its sophisticated focus on flat surface, was never seen again - although some maquettes do exist in private collections. Various theories account for its disappearance - that it was shipped to Germany for the Berlin season and never returned, that it was used by de Basil as collateral for his debts, and, perhaps the most widely accepted, that it was among the decors destroyed in a Montreal warehouse following the 1941 tour.

Bibliography:

Kathrine Sorley Walker, De Basil's Ballets Russes (London: Hutchinson, 1982); Vicente Garcia-Marquez, The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo 1932-1952 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990); 'Brilliant Dancing: Ballet season', The Argus, 7 October 1938, p. 2 ; 'For the Ballet', The Argus, 6 October 1938; Richard Buckle, George Balanchine: Ballet Master (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1988); Leland Windreich (comp & ed), Dancing for de Basil: Letters to her Parents from Rosemary Deveson (Toronto: Dance Collection Press/es, 1996)

Research Materials

Moving picture | Picture | All

Hall, Hugh P.: Artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet as the Girls in 'La Concurrence' [1], 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet as the Girls in 'La Concurrence' [1], 1938 (Picture): Hall, Hugh P. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/707 LOC ALBUM 1111/18
nla.pic-vn4174108

Hall, Hugh P.: Artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet as the Girls in 'La Concurrence' [2], 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet as the Girls in 'La Concurrence' [2], 1938 (Picture): Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Hall, Hugh P.; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/708 LOC ALBUM 1111/18
nla.pic-vn4174110

Hall, Hugh P.: Artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet in 'La concurrence', 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet in 'La concurrence', 1938 (Picture): Hall, Hugh P. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/713 LOC ALBUM 1111/18
nla.pic-vn4174121

Photographer unknown: Cast of 'La Concurrence' receiving flowers, Ballets Russes, 1930s

Photographer unknown: Cast of 'La Concurrence' receiving flowers, Ballets Russes, 1930s (Picture): Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Geoffrey Ingram Archive of Australian Ballet; National Library of Australia; PIC P348/BR/158, Album 810/6
nla.pic-vn3417662

Hall, Hugh P.: Edouard Borovansky as the First Tailor and Yurek Shabelevsky as the Vagabond in 'La concurrence', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Edouard Borovansky as the First Tailor and Yurek Shabelevsky as the Vagabond in 'La concurrence', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938 (Picture): Borovansky, Edouard ; Hall, Hugh P. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/705 LOC ALBUM 1111/18
nla.pic-vn4174103

Seymour, Maurice: Edouard Borovansky in 'La concurrence', Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo [2], c. 1935

Seymour, Maurice: Edouard Borovansky in 'La concurrence', Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo [2], c. 1935 (Picture): Borovansky, Edouard ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Geoffrey Ingram Archive of Australian Ballet; National Library of Australia; PIC P348/EB/60, Album 810/1
nla.pic-vn3355895

Hall, Hugh P.: Frontcloth by Andre Derain for 'La concurrence', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Frontcloth by Andre Derain for 'La concurrence', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938 (Picture): Hall, Hugh P. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/698 LOC ALBUM 1111/18 *
nla.pic-vn4174089

Hall, Hugh P.: Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1938-1940 (Picture): 1182 photographs; b&w; 25 x 20 cm; This is a collection of photographs taken by Hugh P. Hall of 30 ballet productions performed by the Covent Garden Russian Ballet (toured Australia 1938-1939) and the Original Ballet Russe (toured Australia 1939-1940). The photographs were taken from a seat in the circle of His Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne and mounted on cardboard for display purposes. For conservation and storage, the photographs have been demounted. The original arrangement of the photographs has been recorded, and details are available from the Pictures Branch of the National Library. The collection comprises photographs of performances of the following ballets: Les presages; Symphonie fantastique; Les cent baisers; Le coq d'or; Petrouchka; L'apres-midi d'un faune; Cendrillon; The Firebird; Paganini; Francesca da Rimini; Icare; La concurrence; Jeux d'enfants; Graduation Ball; Scuola di ballo; Le Danube bleu; The Prodigal Son; Swan Lake; Le carnaval; Cotillon; Scheherazade; Union Pacific; Les dieux mendiants; Les femmes de bonne humeur; Prince Igor; Les Sylphides; Papillons; Protee; Aurora's Wedding; Le spectre de la rose.; Presages, Les ; Symphonie fantastique ; Cent baisers, Les ; Coq d'or, Le ; Petrouchka ; Apres-midi d'un faune, L' ; Cendrillon ; Firebird, The ; Paganini ; Francesca da Rimini ; Icare ; Jeux d'enfants ; Graduation Ball ; Scuola di ballo ; Beau Danube, Le ; Prodigal Son, The ; Swan Lake ; Carnaval, Le ; Cotillon ; Scheherazade ; Sylphides, Les ; Union Pacific ; Dieux mendiants, Les ; Femmes de bonne humeur, Les ; Prince Igor ; Papillons ; Protee ; Aurora's Wedding ; Spectre de la rose, Le ; Hall, Hugh P. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/1-1182 LOC Album 1111
nla.pic-vn3886152

Hall, Hugh P.: Irina Baronova as the Girl and Edouard Borovansky as the First Taylor in 'La concurrence', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Irina Baronova as the Girl and Edouard Borovansky as the First Taylor in 'La concurrence', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938 (Picture): Baronova, Irina ; Borovansky, Edouard ; Hall, Hugh P. ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/715 LOC ALBUM 1111/18 *
nla.pic-vn4174126

Hall, Hugh P.: Irina Baronova as the Girl with artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet in 'La concurrence', 1938

Hall, Hugh P.: Irina Baronova as the Girl with artists of the Covent Garden Russian Ballet in 'La concurrence', 1938 (Picture): Ballets Russes Australian tours ; Baronova, Irina ; Hall, Hugh P.; Location:; Hugh P. Hall collection of photographs, 1939-1940; National Library of Australia; PIC/11102/709 LOC ALBUM 1111/18
nla.pic-vn4174112

Photographer unknown: Irina Baronova in 'La concurrence', Ballets Russes, ca. 1930s

Photographer unknown: Irina Baronova in 'La concurrence', Ballets Russes, ca. 1930s (Picture): Is part of: Margaret Walker Dance Archives: Ballets Russes photographs; Baronova, Irina ; Ballets Russes Australian tours; Location:; National Library of Australia; MS 8495 Series23; folio 1; album 1
nla.ms-ms8495-23-1-s35-a1

Research Materials Top

Other resources

Find more about Concurrence, La in:

Libraries - Libraries Australia
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia
Internet - Google