Diaghilev's Ballets Russes was the premier ballet company of Europe from 1909 to 1929.  The Ballets Russes was also the major ballet company in the Western World until Diaghilev's death in 1929.  After his death, many of Diaghilev’s dancers continued with other companies throughout the world, while some dancers started their own companies. 

 

The year of Diaghilev's death was the beginning of the Great Depression. The Depression was worldwide. Regardless, companies sprung up all over the western world.  Many of the companies took the name Ballet Russe: Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, The Original Ballet Russe, Rene Blum's Ballet Russe.

 

Two men who joined forces to continue the Diaghilev tradition were René Blum, director of the Monte Carlo Opera Ballet, and Colonel Vassili de Basil, associated with L'Opera Russe à Paris. They hired George Balanchine and Leonide Massine as choreographers and Serge Grigoriev as regisseur-general. Grigoriev had a remarkable ability for remembering every detail of Diaghilev's repertoire.

 

The repertoire consisted of works from Diaghilev's company and new works by Balanchine and Massine.  Balanchine was fired in the first year, because the audiences preferred Diaghilev's repertoire and Massine's ballets.

 

René Blum and Col. de Basil Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo company was about to declare bankruptcy when an American impresario, Sol Hurok (photo below), took over the management in 1934 and booked the company in the USA at the St. James Theatre.  Hurok thought ballet deserved a rightful place in American culture, so he booked the company with the Metropolitan Opera House and the season was a success. The name was changed to the singular Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.

 

Because of difficulties between Blum and de Basil, Blum gave up his share of the partnership, leaving Massine and Col. de Basil to run the company. According to many reports, it was impossible to work with de Basil. Massine left after his contract was fulfilled and returned to Monte Carlo, where he formed another company with Blum. Many of de Basil's dancers followed Massine and joined René Blum's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.  The new company got backing from Julius Fleischmann, of the Cincinnati Yeast Fleischmanns, who became President. New York financier Serge Denham served as vice president.

 

When Massine discovered his ballets belonged to Col. de Basil, he brought a law suit in London that captured the imagination of the press. They reported the events of the trial daily. Finally, the courts decided de Basil did own the ballets. Both companies could use the name Ballet Russe, but de Basil had to drop "de Monte Carlo."  Hurok also severed his connection with Col. de Basil's company and became manager for Massine and Blum. Hurok was sure the American public could not support two companies, so he tried to get the companies back together.

 

Meanwhile, Col. de Basil's (photo below) company called themselves Covent Garden Ballet Russe, and finally Original Ballet Russe. In 1938 the two companies were performing in London at the same time. Col. de Basil was at Covent Garden and Blum was two blocks away at the Drury Lane. Ballet lovers could run back and forth, from one theater to the other, and see the ballets of their choice.

Through an all-night session, the management of the two companies got together and ironed out their differences. But at the last moment de Basil said no to the offer.  Once Hurok was managing both companies at the same time, and he booked the Ballet Russe to play four weeks at the Hollywood Theatre (now called the Mark Hellinger), immediately followed by the Original Ballet Russe. It was the longest ballet season to hit New York -- a solid fifteen weeks.

 

Eventually Serge Denham took over the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as director and artistic advisor. When World War II started, the companies made New York City their permanent home. The quiet, reserved René Blum remained in Europe and was imprisoned at the Auschwitz concentration camp and murdered by the Nazis in 1942.  For years, dancers would perform in one company one season and in another company the next.  The common thread uniting all these companies was Sol Hurok.