Australia Dancing - Verchinina, Nina (1910

Verchinina, Nina (1910 - 1995)

Photographer unknown: Portrait of Nina Verchinina, Ballets Russes, 1930s

Born in Moscow, Nina Verchinina was raised in Shanghai, where she began her ballet training, and in Paris where she studied with Olga Preobrajenska and Bronislava Nijinska. Her professional career began in 1929 with the company of Ida Rubinstein. In 1933 she joined Colonel Wassily de Basil and Rene Blum's Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. While dancing for this company she was frequently cast by Leonide Massine, who created roles on her in his symphonic ballets - Verchinina premiered as Action in Les Presages, as the solo performer in the second movement of Choreartium and as a witch in the fifth movement of Symphonie Fantastique. The expressive movement style of these ballets particularly suited Verchinina, who took time from her classical training to study the central European style of Rudolf von Laban.

When the de Basil - Blum company split into two separate organisations, Verchinina followed de Basil and was a leading dancer in his Original Ballet Russe company that toured Australia in 1939-1940. In Australia she was much admired for her performances in Massine’s symphonic works, in particular in the role of Action in Les Presages. She also developed her choreographic practice in Australia. Verchinina had begun to choreograph in 1937 and prior to the Australian tour had been invited to work with the San Francisco Ballet in 1937-8. The influence of the 'free dance' of her modern training was apparent in her choreographic style, and she presented three world premieres during the Original Ballet Russe tour.

Etude, a ballet in three scenes set to music by Bach with costumes by Olga Larose premiered at the Theatre Royal, Sydney on July 25, 1940. Etude was performed by a cast of eleven dancers that included Verchinina, and the program note read: 'This ballet was inspired by Bach's music, (1) Aria from St. Matthew's Passion, (2) Arioso, and (3) Sarabande. There is no actual story to the theme, but the choreography conveys the realisation of musical architecture through kinaesthetic dance form.'

Etude Choreographic [sic], a divertissement set to music by Handel, premiered at the 'Midnight performance for Polish Relief organised by Col. W de Basil and Polish members of the Company' on March 12, 1940. It was performed by a cast of eight, and the program included the note: 'For the First Time on the Stage'.

Dithyramb, a divertissement choreographed and danced solo by Verchinina, was set to music composed by Margaret Sutherland. It premiered at a charity matinee on May 9, 1940 and was also performed at the 'Farewell Original Ballet Russe, Midnight performance' on September 19, 1940.

When the company left Australia for the United States on September 19, 1940, Verchinina was the legal guardian of the young Australian company member Valrene Tweedie who was embarking on her professional career, dancing under the name Irina Lavrova.

During the Second World War Verchinina maintained contact with de Basil while establishing her reputation in Cuba and South America. In 1949 she founded her own company in Madrid. In the 1950s she returned to South America, initially working in Argentina and then in Brazil where she directed her own school and formed the company Ballet Nina Verchinina in Rio de Janeiro. She remained based in Brazil and was a guest teacher at studios around the world until shortly before her death.

Bibliography:

Precise dates and locations of Verchinina's training in 'modern dance' are difficult to pinpoint. Most sources are somewhat vague – mentioning that she trained 'in the style of' Laban or 'with' Laban.

Leslie Norton states that Verchinina 'went to Germany to study for a year with Wigman' – Leonide Massine and the 20th century ballet (Jefferson, N. C. London: McFarland, 2004) p 153.

Barbara Naomi Cohen-Stratyner states that Verchinina 'studied modern expression with Rudolf von Laban c.1936.' - Biographical dictionary of dance (New York: Schirmer Books,1982) p.905.

Beatriz Cerbino at the internet site 'idanca.net' states that Verchinina 'spent a year researching and working in New York, where she came into contact with the dance technique of Martha Graham and had lessons with a student of Laban'. See Cerbino, B, 2003, 'Verchinina, a moderna' viewed 11 August 2009.

Further information on Verchinina's time in Australia is available at the website 'Michelle Potter on dancing'.

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