Ballets Russes Style: Diaghilev's Dancers and Paris Fashion

(Paperback)

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'Russian opera conquered Paris in one day', wrote a French theatre critic in May 1909. In the two decades between its dbut performances and the death of impresario Sergei Diaghilev in 1929, the Ballets Russes was an unrivalled sensation in Paris a city that in those years knew no shortage of artistic stimulation. But while attention has often centred on the links between Diaghilev's troupe and modernist art and music, there has been surprisingly little analysis of the Ballets' role in the area of tastemaking. For the first time, Ballets Russes Style addresses this gap, revealing the extent of the ensemble's influence in arenas of high style, including fashion, interior design, advertising and the decorative arts.

Reviews

"A wonderful descriptive account of the Ballets Russes from its inception to its demise, emphasizing the relation of the company and its development to the fashion and arts world. Written with great clarity it explores these relationships in detail. Most informative and insightful."

--Elizabeth Wilson

"Davis's vantage point offers intriguing insights into the broader cultural impact of Diaghilev's enterprise. Her book is a welcome addition to recent scholarship on the Ballets Russes and its enduring allure."

-- "Times Higher Education"

"The 'legendary command' of the Ballets Russes impresario was simply: 'Astonish me!' A century on from its Paris debut, Diaghilev's dancers continue to do that in this handsome book . . . Mary E. Davis conveys the electric excitement from a collection of talents--music by Stravinsky, sets by Picasso, costumes by Bakst--that has never been equaled."

-- "Independent"
The historian Mary E. Davis's Ballets Russes Style: Diaghilev's Dancers and Paris Fashion traces the costumes' influence, from Paul Poiret's 1910s harem pants and togas to Karl Lagerfeld's 2009 collection with Russian models wearing Cossack boots.--Eve M. Kahn "New York Times "

Author Bio

'The "legendary command" of the Ballets Russes impresario was simply: "Astonish me!" A century on from its Paris debut, Diaghilev's dancers continue to do that in this handsome book ... Mary E Davis conveys the electric excitement from a collection of talents - music by Stravinsky, sets by Picasso, costumes by Bakst - that has never been equalled.' - The Independent 'Davis' vantage point offers intriguing insights into the broader cultural impact of Diaghilev's enterprise. Her book is a welcome addition to recent scholarship on the Ballets Russes and its enduring allure.' - Times Higher Education 'this book combines a lively history of the troupe with detailed assessments of the set and costume designs.' - Sydney Morning Herald 'Mary Davis has plenty to say, inviting her readers to revel in an aspect rarely discussed in scholarly books, the effect of the Ballets Russes on Paris fashion and style and, conversely, how style and fashion affected the ballet ... Davis's book illuminates the relationship between popular culture and art spawned by the Ballets Russes. It charts the heritage of the various ballets Diaghilev introduced to the French upper class world between 1909 and 1929. These drew on mythology, on Russian folklore and ultimately on the avant-garde artistic circles of the 1920s. It fills a much needed gap in Ballets Russes history ...' - The Slavonic and East European Review 'The well amalgamated combination of art history, ballet history and fashion history is one of the many strengths of this study ... It also provides a refreshing insight on a theatre phenomenon that suffered from a pedantic historicization.' - Modernism/Modernity 'a fascinating look at the ways in which early 20th-century Russian dancers in France caught the public imagination ... beautifully illustrated on heavy stock' - The Gay and Lesbian Review 'A wonderful descriptive account of the Ballets Russes from its inception to its demise, emphasizing the relation of the company and its development to the fashion and arts world. Written with great clarity it explores these relationships in detail. Most informative and insightful.' - Elizabeth Wilson 'A wonderful addition to the large body of literature available on the topic, this is a small, compact and well-organized book focusing specifically on the impact the troupe had on designers working at the time of Diaghilev ... What is nice about this particular volume is the links drawn between specific theatrical designs or performers and the couture they inspired ... I will be spending considerable time with this book in the coming months.' - wornthrough.com