Australia Dancing - Prodigal Son, The

Prodigal Son, The

Nanette Kuehn: Anton Dolin in 'The Prodigal Son', Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938 or 1939

The Prodigal Son, or Le Fils prodigue, was first choreographed by George Balanchine for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1929. The musical score by Prokofiev was written especially for the ballet and the designs were created by Georges Rouault. The libretto by Boris Kochno was adapted from the biblical parable and divided into three scenes.

Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes later revived many of Diaghilev's ballets for which decor and costumes were already held, however, Balanchine would not release his choreography of The Prodigal Son for de Basil's Covent Garden Russian Ballet. Instead, David Lichine was commissioned to create a complete choreographic reworking using the original designs, libretto and music.

Lichine's choreography of The Prodigal Son had its world premiere on 30 December 1938 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney by the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, with Anton Dolin in the role of the Son, Tamara Grigorieva as the Siren and Dimitri Rostoff as the Father. The event was the first world premiere staged in Australia by an international company and choreographer.

Lichine had injured his knee before arriving in Australia and was advised to rest from performances. He returned to form later in the tour, performing the title role in The Prodigal Son in the company's short return season in Melbourne in March 1939. Writing in The Age, Geoffrey Hutton found Dolin's performance of the Son 'a remarkable one of strength and gymnastic skill with dramatic impulse.' Of Lichine, he commented that while he had not regained his full technical prowess, his 'great sincerity, his sense of guilt and grief' deeply moved the audience.

Lichine's choreography of The Prodigal Son was noted for its original approach, inventive use of groupings and props. Irina Baronova, who alternated in the role of the Siren, commented that 'David had a wonderful imagination for an image or a line in the composition of a group. He was a like a painter or sculptor who knew how to make a visual impression.'

The work was well received by critics, with The Sydney Morning Herald finding it to be one of the most striking and original ballets of the season. In later years The Times in London commented that 'of all the versions, M. Lichine's is the most distinguished and the most successful. It takes the subject seriously and presents the story in strong stern dances which show considerable powers of invention in their design … The ballet has deeply moving as well as greatly exciting moments.'

The production remained in the company's repertory until it disbanded in 1948. It was revived by Roman Jasinsky in 1977 for the Dallas Ballet and in 1985 for the Tulsa Ballet Theatre.

Bibliography:

Kathrine Sorley Walker, De Basil's Ballets Russes (London: Hutchinson, 1982) ; Edward H. Pask, Enter the colonies dancing: a history of dance in Australia 1835-1940 (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1979) ; Vicente Garcia-Marquez, The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo 1932-1952 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990).

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