Beautifully illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, Ellen Terry's book about the Russian Ballet is a must read. The Ballets Russes, created by impresario Sergei Diaghilev, is widely considered the most influential ballet company of the 20th century. The company promoted ground-breaking artistic collaborations among young choreographers, composers, designers, and dancers, all at the forefront of their several fields. Diaghilev commissioned works from composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Claude Debussy, and Sergei Prokofiev, artists such as Vasily Kandinsky, Alexandre Benois, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse, and costume designers Léon Bakst and Coco Chanel.
The company's productions created a huge sensation, completely reinvigorating the art of performing dance, bringing many visual artists to public attention, and significantly affecting the course of musical composition. It also introduced European and American audiences to tales, music and design motifs drawn from Russian folklore. The influence of the Ballets Russes lasts to the present day.
Pamela Colman Smith (1878 - 1951), was an English author, illustrator, and artist who worked on many books, and did stage design, and costumes for theatre in London.
The company's productions created a huge sensation, completely reinvigorating the art of performing dance, bringing many visual artists to public attention, and significantly affecting the course of musical composition. It also introduced European and American audiences to tales, music and design motifs drawn from Russian folklore. The influence of the Ballets Russes lasts to the present day.
Pamela Colman Smith (1878 - 1951), was an English author, illustrator, and artist who worked on many books, and did stage design, and costumes for theatre in London.
