Australia Dancing - Cent baisers, Les

Cent baisers, Les

Dupain, Max: Nina Youchkevitch and Igor Youskevitch in costume for 'Les cent baisers', Monte Carlo Russian Ballet, 1936 or 1937

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Les cent baisers or The hundred kisses was first staged in Australia by de Basil's Ballets Russes on 5 December 1936 at Melbourne's His Majesty's Theatre. The premiere provided Australian audiences with their first opportunity to experience the choreography of Bronislava Nijinska, the sister of famed dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Nijinska had built her own reputation creating works such as Les Noces (1923) and Les Biches (1924) for Diaghilev's Ballet Russe.

The production of Les cent baisers was financed by Baron Frederic d'Erlanger, who also composed the score, while set and costumes were designed by Jean Hugo. The libretto by Boris Kochno was based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Swineherd and the Princess, which tells the story of an arrogant princess who rejects a princely suitor and his humble gifts. Disguised as a swineherd, the prince returns and delights the princess with a magical musical instrument which he trades with her for a hundred kisses. The story ends unhappily with the princess scorned by both her father and the disillusioned prince.

Les cent baisers was first seen on 18 July 1935 at Covent Garden in London, featuring Irina Baronova as the Princess and David Lichine as the Prince. The work was Nijinska's only choreography for de Basil's Ballets Russes and was considered one of her most classical compositions, with strong links to academic technique. Both Nijinska's choreography and perfectionism placed exceptional demands on the dancers but the experience was felt to be artistically and technically rewarding, particularly impacting on the development of the 16 year-old Baronova.

In the first Australian performances Nina Youchkevitch and Tamara Tchinarova alternated in the role of the Princess alongside Igor Youskevitch as the Prince. The work received glowing reviews in the press:

'In Les cent baisers [Nijinska] is seen using all the conventional movements of the Russian tradition ... the point of her accomplishment lies in the wit and the eloquence with which she illustrates a fanciful plot ... scenery, costume, music and dancing combined perfectly to achieve an air of glowing, fantastic elegance.'

The Covent Garden Russian Ballet staged Les cent baisers on their 1938-39 Australian tour, with Paul Petroff appearing as the Prince and Irina Baronova reprising her original role as the Princess. The Argus acclaimed the work, pronouncing it to be 'one ballet as near perfect as anyone could wish.'

'Dance flows into dance naturally and inevitably. The conventional exercises of the corps de ballet have been replaced by a complex but expertly woven series of patterns which repeat and develop the line of the solo dances ... we have not previously seen the princess danced with the technical brilliance and subtle wit given to the part by Baronova. Petroff's light miming as the prince has the same polish'.

Alexandra Denisova appeared as the Princess later in the tour and alternated in the role with Tamara Toumanova on the 1939-40 tour to Australia by de Basil's Original Ballet Russe. Les cent baisers received its final performances during the company's 1940-41 tour of the United States.

Bibliography:

Vicente Garcia-Marquez, The Ballets Russes: Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo 1932-1952 (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990) ; 'The Ballet : Les Cents Baisers, L'Amour Sorcier', The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 February 1937, p. 3 ; 'Polished work: new ballet', The Argus, 8 November 1938, p. 2

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