Australia Dancing - Lichine, David (1910

Lichine, David (1910 - 1972)

Dupain, Max: David Lichine in 'L'Apres-midi d'un faune', Original Ballet Russe, 1940

Russian-born, David Lichine left his native country at an early age to settle in Paris. There he studied with Lubov Egorova and, later, Bronislava Nijinska. His professional career began in Ida Rubinstein's company in 1928 and he subsequently danced with Anna Pavlova's company, with Nijinska's company and with various manifestations of the Ballets Russes companies around the world.

Lichine first came to Australia with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet on their Australian tour of 1938-1939, when three of his ballets were performed. Australian audiences were introduced to Lichine's choreography with Les dieux mendiants, saw his Protee just three months after its world premiere and witnessed the world premiere of The Prodigal Son. Lichine also danced in a variety of works during this tour, including Choreartium, Jeux d'enfants and the Anton Dolin-choreographed solo, Bolero. Lichine returned with the Original Ballet Russe tour of 1939-1940, when Les dieux mendiants and Protee were again performed, along with three more of his works - Le pavillon, Francesca da Rimini and Graduation Ball. While Le pavillon and Francesca da Rimini had been created for the de Basil company a few years earlier, Graduation Ball was choreographed in Australia. At its world premiere in Sydney on 1 March 1940 Lichine took the role of the leading cadet.

After the Original Ballet Russe left Australia for the United States Lichine continued to dance with this company, led by Colonel de Basil, until 1941 when he his wife, Tatiana Riabouchinska, joined Ballet Theatre in New York. Lichine also worked in the 1940s in South America with the ballet company at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. In 1949 he and Riabouchinska moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a teacher and freelance choreographer.

Lichine was invited by Edouard Borovansky to return to Australia to stage a full length Nutcracker for the Borovansky Ballet for its 1955 season. This work, which was a staple Christmas treat for Australian audiences for many years, premiered on 16 December 1955 with Peggy Sager as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Royes Fernandez as the Prince. During this visit to Australia Lichine also staged his Corrida, which had first been workshopped in Lichine's Los Angeles studio in 1952, for the Borovansky Ballet. Its world premiere as a fully realised production was on 17 February 1956. Leading roles were danced by Kathleen Gorham and Paul Grinwis.

Bibliography:

A list of Lichine's roles as a dancer and works as a choreographer is in Martha Bremser (ed.), International Dictionary of Ballet, Volume 2 (Detroit: St James Press, 1993), pp. 851-854.

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Internet - Google
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
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