American Ballet Theatre records

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Description: American Ballet Theatre was founded in 1939 with the intention of creating an American company of international stature, a museum of the dance, “which would preserve the best of the classic tradition of Europe and at the same time lay the foundation for a new tradition, American in concept and spirit.” Its guiding principle was to encourage collaboration between artists with no single choreographer taking precedence. The records of the company attest to the pursuit of these goals.
Names: American Ballet Theatre (Creator)
Dates / Origin: Date Created: 1936 - 1967 (Approximate)
Library locations: Jerome Robbins Dance Division; Shelf locator: (S) *MGZMD 49
Topics: American Ballet Theatre; Ballet Theatre (New York, N.Y.); Mordkin Ballet Company; Mordkin, Mikhail, 1881-1944
Genres: Manuscripts; Correspondence; Records (Documents)
Notes: Biographical/historical: Mikhail Mordkin was born in Moscow in 1881. He was a graduate of the Imperial Ballet School there and eventually became a leading dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre. In 1910, he partnered Anna Pavlova at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and on a tour of the United States. He left Russia in 1923, settled in New York, and in 1927, opened a ballet school in Carnegie Hall. By 1936, according to an advertisement of the time, his school offered “complete ballet training, mimo-drama classes, [and a] rehearsal group [that would] prepare ballets for performances.” This group, the Mikhail Mordkin Ballet, was an outlet for advanced students (with Mordkin himself dancing main character parts). On December 19, 1936, the company presented Sleeping Beauty,sponsored by the Woman's Club of Waterbury, Connecticut, with Lucia Chase and Dimitri Romanoff in the leading roles. Plans for the student company became more ambitious. Advance Productions, with Lucia Chase as the major stockholder, was incorporated in March, 1937, to sponsor the company. The Mordkin Ballet began to tour nationwide with a small repertory of ballets choreographed by Mordkin. In 1938, the company was reorganized under Advanced Arts, Inc., with Rudolf Orthwine as president. Richard Pleasant managed the school and was later made secretary of the organization. A more professional Mordkin Ballet emerged, and dancers the calibre of Patricia Bowman, Nina Stroganova, Karen Conrad, Edward Caton, and Vladimir Dokoudovsky were hired. The company continued to tour with Mordkin's ballets, however, many new ideas were developing. Chase and Pleasant began to plan for a larger company, with more choreographers and dancers, and different artistic goals. In September of 1939, the nucleus of the Mordkin Ballet was reorganized into Ballet Theatre. Mikhail Mordkin was informed that he was no longer needed to teach or choreograph for the company, and only one of his ballets was ever produced by Ballet Theatre. Mordkin returned to teaching at his Carnegie Hall studio. It is as a teacher that he is best remembered. He possessed a “vivid personality” with the ability to “transmit something of the true spirit of the dance,” and he tried to bring out special qualities in each of his students. He died in 1944.; Biographical/historical: Ballet Theatre, launched in New York City in the fall of 1939, was an outgrowth of the Mordkin Ballet, which began in 1937 as an outlet for the talents of the students of Mikhail Mordkin's school. In the Mordkin Ballet the soloists were Lucia Chase, Viola Essen, Leon Varkas. Dimitri Romanoff, George Chaffee, and Leon Danielian. The repertoire included Giselle, La Fille Mal Gardée, Dionysius(to Glazounov's music), and The Goldfish,all choreographed by Mordkin who also appeared in some of the ballets. The second season of the Mordkin Ballet (1938) brought many additions and a number of changes in the personnel. Richard Pleasant was appointed general manager of the company; Patricia Bowman was engaged as prima ballerina; Nina Stroganova, Karen Conrad, Edward Caton. Vladimir Dokoudovsky, Kari Karnakoski, and Savva Andreeff were new soloists. The repertoire was augmented by Voices of Spring, Trepak(Alexander Tcherepnine's music) and what was called a symphonic version of Swan Lake(Act 2). It was an open secret that the Mordkin Ballet was financed by Lucia Chase. By the summer of 1939 Miss Chase and Mr. Pleasant had decided that the Mordkin Ballet was too small an undertaking and they began to formulate plans for a full-fledged company, to be called Ballet Theatre. Pleasant was appointed director of the organization. Only one of Mordkin's ballets, Voices of Spring,was retained. The repertoire of the first season of Ballet Theatre listed Michel Fokine's Les Sylphidesand Carnaval;Adolph Bolm's Ballet Mécaniqueand Peter and the Wolf;Mordkin's Voices of Spring;Anton Dolin's Quintetand his versions of Giselleand Swan Lake;Antony Tudor's Dark Elegies, Lilac Garden,and Judgment of Paris;Andrée Howard's Lady into Foxand Death and the Maiden;Agnes de Mille's Black Ritual;Eugene Loring's The Great American Goof;José Fernandez' Goyescas;Bronislava Nijinska's La Fille Mal Gardée;Yurek Shabelevski's Ode to Glory. Among the dancers were Adolph Bolm, Patricia Bowman, Edward Caton, Lucia Chase, Karen Conrad, Leon Danielian, Vladimir Dokoudovsky, Anton Dolin, William Dollar, Viola Essen, Miriam Golden, Nana Gollner (who was announced but did not dance during the first N.Y. season), Kari Karnakoski, Maria Karnilova, Nora Kaye, Andrée Howard, Eugene Loring, Hugh Laing, Annabelle Lyon, Dimitri Romanoff, Donald Saddler, Nina Stroganova, Yurek Shabelevski, Antony Tudor, Leon Varkas. The first Ballet Theatre season opened Jan. 11, 1940, at the Center Theatre, N.Y., and lasted four weeks. Between Feb. and Nov. the company gave scattered performances in Philadelphia and at Lewisohn Stadium in N.Y. In Nov. and Dec. it danced in Chicago as the official ballet of the Chicago Opera, giving twelve ballet evenings and appearing in opera ballets. The second season opened in N.Y. at the Majestic Theatre on Feb. 11, 1941. The company announced some innovations. There would be no division in ranks of the dancers; all were to be divided into two groups: principals and company. The roster of principals included Chase, Conrad, Gollner, Lyon, Katharine Sergava, Stroganova, Caton, Danielian, Dolin, Laing, Loring, Romanoff, and Tudor. Alicia Alonso, Miriam Golden, Nora Kaye, John Kriza, and Jerome Robbins were among “the company.” Another innovation was the absence of a regisseur-general. In lieu of one, Ballet Theatre had choreographers-in-residence, who were regisseurs for separate “wings” of the repertoire. Dolin was regisseur of the Classical wing, Eugene Loring of the American wing, and Antony Tudor of the new English wing. Five ballets new for the company were presented: Dolin's Capricciosoand Pas de Quatre,Loring's Billy the Kid;Tudor's Gala Performance,and de Mille's Three Virgins and a Devil. At the close of the four-week season, Richard Pleasant resigned as director of the company. Shortly thereafter, Ballet Theatre began to reorganize. German Sevastianov was invited as director; Charles Payne became executive managing director; Antal Dorati was appointed musical director. Alicia Markova and Irina Baronova were signed as ballerinas. In June, 1941, Markova and Dolin organized an International Dance Festival at Jacob's Pillow, where most of the company's dancers spent the summer, thus giving an opportunity to some of the choreographers to work on their new productions. Meanwhile arrangements were made for impresario S. Hurok to book Ballet Theatre beginning Nov., 1941. The company then included, among others: Markova, Baronova, Muriel Bentley, Chase, Conrad, Rosella Hightower, Kaye, Karnilova, Jeannette Lauret, Lyon, Sono Osato, Nina Popova, Rozsika Sabo; Dolin, Charles Dickson, Ian Gibson, Frank Hobi, Kriza, Laing, Yurek Lazowski, Nicolas Orloff, Richard Reed, Jerome Robbins, Romanoff, Borislav Runanin, Donald Saddler, Simon Semenoff, George Skibine, and Tudor. The company played a season in Mexico City, then opened in N.Y. on Nov. 12th at the 44th Street Theatre. Four new ballets were presented: Bluebeardby Fokine, Belovedby Nijinska, Princess Aurora(another title for Aurora's Wedding)by Dolin, Slavonikaby Vania Psota. After an American tour, the company returned to N.Y. opening at the Metropolitan Opera House, Apr. 6, 1942. The new works were Michel Fokine's Russian Soldierand Tudor's Pillar of Fire.Nora Kaye's performance in the latter placed her in the rank of ballerina overnight. Then there was a summer season in Mexico City with Fokine and Leonide Massine as choreographers. There the company rehearsed Alekoand Don Domingoby Massine; Romantic Ageby Dolin; Petrouchka,restaged by Fokine; as well as revivals of Billy the Kidand Coppélia.Fokine began work on Helen of Troybut did not finish it due to illness. He returned to N.Y. on Aug. 12 and died Aug. 22 of double pneumonia complicated by pleurisy. The six ballets prepared in Mexico City were presented during the fall season, which opened at the Metropolitan Opera House, Oct. 6. Adolph Bolm had been signed as regisseur-general, Leonide Massine as choreographer and dancer, André Eglevsky as guest artist; Michael Kidd joined the company. On the tour that followed, Helen of Troywas choreographed by David Lichine. Irina Baronova left the company late in 1942. For the N.Y. season (beginning Apr. 1, 1943) at the Metropolitan, Vera Nemchinova, Vera Zorina, and Janet Reed joined the company as guest artists. Additions to the repertoire were Romeo and Julietby Tudor; Erranteand Apollo,revived by George Balanchine. This season J. Alden Talbot became director of the company, replacing Sevastianov who had joined the U.S. Army. For the fall season Zorina was again guest artist; Janet Reed joined the company as soloist, and Alicia Alonso returned as soloist after an absence of two years. The new ballets were Dim Lustreby Tudor, Mam'zelle Angotby Massine, Fair at Sorochinskby Lichine. Alicia Alonso was given the opportunity to dance Giselle(Nov. 2, 1943), which raised her to ballerina status. During the tour that followed, Nana Gollner and Paul Petroff joined the company. In the spring of 1944, Tally-Hoby de Mille and Fancy Freeby Robbins were added to the repertoire, and in the fall Balanchine's Waltz Academy.The guest artists were Tatiana Riabouchinska, Tamara Toumanova, Eglevsky and Lichine; Markova and Dolin had left the company. Undertowby Tudor was the only important new ballet presented in the spring of 1945. Markova, Dolin, Toumanova, and Eglevsky were back as guests. Talbot resigned as director, and Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith became co-directors, positions they have held ever since. The fall brought five new ballets: On Stage!by Kidd; Gift of the Magiby Semenoff; Grazianaby John Taras; Interplayby Robbins; and a new version of Firebirdby Bolm. After the spring of 1946, the contract between Ballet Theatre and S. Hurok was terminated, and the directors announced a return to the company's 1940 policy of being “American in character” and of building “from within its own ranks.” Ballet Theatre played July 4-Aug. 31 at Covent Garden Royal Opera House, London. Eglevsky, Kaye and Alonso were leading soloists. While the company was in England, Keith Lester staged his version of Pas de Quatrefor it, and Frederick Ashton staged Les Patineurs. The company played a fall season at the Broadway Theatre, N.Y. Gisellewas restaged by Balanchine, with new scenery and costumes by Eugene Berman, and Facsimilewas choreographed by Robbins. Igor Youskevitch was invited as premier danseur; newly appointed soloists were Diana Adams, Melissa Hayden, and Ruth Ann Koesun. Tudor was artistic administrator. The 1946-47 tour was an artistic success, but the company lost money. The N.Y. season at the City Center for Music and Drama (Apr. 28-May 18) was successful artistically and financially. An engagement in Havana, Cuba, closed the season on an optimistic note. In the spring of 1947, Ballet Theatre Foundation was established as a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation for the purpose of supporting Ballet Theatre as a performing organization. The fall season, also at the City Center, introduced Balanchine's Theme and Variations.Following its 1947-48 tour, the company played a season at the Metropolitan, where it premièred Tudor's Shadow of the Windand de Mille's Fall River Legend.There was no fall season, but a short spring tour in 1948 was followed by an engagement at the Metropolitan from Apr. 17 to May 8. Maria Tallchief joined the company. The spring 1950 season at the City Center, N.Y., was preceded by a national tour. From August 7 to December 10, the company made its first tour of Europe, traveling as the American National Ballet Theatre, sponsored by the State Department. Leading soloists seen in Europe were Alicia Alonso, Nora Kaye, John Kriza, John Taras, Mary Ellen Moylan, and Igor Youskevitch. Designs with Stringsand Caprichos(Herbert Ross) were premièred this season; Rodeowas added to the repertoire. In the fall of 1950, Ballet Theatre became the ballet of the Metropolitan Opera. The association only lasted one season. Adams, Kaye, Laing, and Tudor left the company. In the spring of 1951, the N.Y. season featured Jean Babilée, Colette Marchand, Nathalie Philippart, and Mia Slavenska as guest artists. Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, Les Demoiselles de la Nuit,and L'Amour et son Amourwere given their American premières. Herbert Ross did his The Thief Who Loved a Ghostfor the company, and Carmalita Maracci created Circo de España.In May and June, the company toured South America. Coinciding with a season at the Metropolitan, the Ballet Theatre School opened officially in Dec. A fall season without significant premières was followed by a national tour. A second European tour, sponsored by the State Dept. occupied Ballet Theatre from May 4 to end of Sept., 1953. Principal soloists were Alonso, Hayden, Kriza, Moylan, and Youskevitch. The following season was devoted largely to touring the U.S. and was also marked by television appearances of the company, notably on the “Omnibus” show for which the Ford Foundation commissioned Capital of the Worldby Eugene Loring. In the spring of 1955, Ballet Theatre celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a gala season at the Metropolitan, followed by a South American tour. For the gala, a number of former soloists returned to dance their original roles in revivals of ballets associated with the company. May 7, 1956 saw the initiation at N.Y.'s Phoenix Theatre of the Ballet Theatre Workshop, formed to provide choreographers with a showcase to try out new works. The first program was praised more for its intention than its attainment. The following year (1957) two Workshop programs featured significant new works, Kenneth MacMillan's Journeyand Herbert Ross's Paean.This Workshop was preceded by a tour of Europe and the Near East. Featured soloists were Erik Bruhn, Scott Douglas, Rosella Hightower, Nora Kaye, John Kriza, and Lupe Serrano. On the return from Europe the company changed its name from Ballet Theatre to American Ballet Theatre. In the summer of 1957, American Ballet Theatre toured the U.S. The following spring it set out for North Africa and Europe. Violette Verdy and Royes Fernandez were the new principals for this successful tour. The autumn 1958 season at the Metropolitan brought some undistinguished premières, but the addition to the repertoire of Miss Juliewas an asset. With only scant bookings available for 1959, American Ballet Theatre was forced to suspend its activities for a year. The spring, 1960 season at the Metropolitan marked the temporary return to the company of Nora Kaye and the moderately successful première of Lady from the Sea.Maria Tallchief and Erik Bruhn headed the company that set off for Europe in May. In Sept. American Ballet Theatre became the first American ballet company to dance in the Soviet Union. A spring tour in the U.S. was made in 1961 and was followed by an autumn season at N.Y.'s 54th Street Theatre with guest artists Mariane Orlando and Caj Selling joining soloists Ivan Allen, Elisabeth Carroll, Fernandez, Kriza, Koesun, Toni Lander, Serrano, Bruce Marks, and Sallie Wilson. Two European ballets were added to the repertoire: Moon Reindeerand Etudes,the latter with notable success. In Nov., 1962, Ballet Theatre announced that it was moving its head-quarters to Washington, where it would henceforth operate under the auspices of the Washington Ballet Guild. A few performances were given in that city, but in Apr., 1963, the Guild stated that the cost of maintaining the company had run far beyond preliminary estimates. Later the Guild decided to sponsor Ballet Theatre performances in Washington. Miss Chase and Mr. Smith announced that Ballet Theatre had been disbanded for the summer, but would resume full-scale activity in the fall of 1964, which it did, ending its Washington connection and making N.Y. its home base again. From mid-Aug. to early Nov., 1964, the company toured South America and Mexico sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of State's Cultural Presentations Program, following this with a brief tour in Texas and the South. During this tour Harald Lander's staging of August Bournonville's La Sylphide,with Toni Lander and Royes Fernandez in the principal roles had its première (San Antonio, Nov. 11). American Ballet Theatre celebrated its 25th anniversary with a season (Mar. 16 to Apr. 11, 1965) at the N.Y. State Theater, Lincoln Center. The company was in splendid form and had a resounding success. La Sylphidehad its N.Y. première and other new works were Agnes de Mille's The Wind in the Mountains(Mar. 17), and The Four Marys(Mar. 23), the latter with guest artist Carmen de Lavallade in the leading role; Glen Tetley's Sargasso(the first major creation for Sallie Wilson, Mar. 24), Bentley Stone's L'Inconnue(Apr. 6) and, most importantly, the great Jerome Robbins version of Igor Stravinsky's Les Noces(Mar. 30). The season also saw the revival of Antony Tudor's Dark Elegiesand three new young sailors (Eliot Feld, Edward Verso, William Glassman) in Fancy Free.In Sept. the company danced in Hawaii and Alaska. On Nov. 15, 1965, the National Council on the Arts announced an emergency grant of $100,000 to insure the company's immediate survival and an additional $250,000 towards the expenses of a projected tour of the U.S., both grants being on a matching basis. The company's second season at the N.Y. State Theater (Jan. 18 to Feb. 13, 1966) did not produce any new work as distinguished as Les Noces,but the revival of Tudor's Pillar of Fire,with Sallie Wilson or Veronika Mlakar in the role of Hagar was another triumph. New works were Glen Tetley's Ricercarewith guest artist Mary Hinkson and Scott Douglas (Jan. 25), Todd Bolender's Kontraste(Jan. 28) and Enrique Martinez's Balladen der Liebe(Feb. 8). John Kriza gave his final performance with the company (Feb. 3), dancing the Minister in Fall River Legend,retiring to become assistant to the directors. During June and July the company toured the Soviet Union for the second time under the auspices of the Cultural Presentations Program and on its return, after a rehearsal period in N.Y., began its most extensive tour of the U.S. and Canada, appearing in nearly one hundred cities. Leading dancers for this tour were listed as Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez, Toni Lander, Scott Douglas, Ruth Ann Koesun, Bruce Marks, Sallie Wilson, Eleanor D'Antuono, Gayle Young, Paul Sutherland, Veronika Mlakar. Before the company started on this tour, its third annual season at the N.Y. State Theater was announced for May, 1967. *MGO The Dance Encyclopedia Compiled and edited by Anatole Chujoy and P. W. Manchester. New York, Simon and Schuster, 1967 For additional information on the history of this company, see the following references: *MGTB (U.S.) 78-2058 American Ballet Theatre Text and commentary by Charles Payne, with essays by Alicia Alonso, Erik Bruhn, Lucia Chase, and Nora Kaye. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1978 *MGZA Dance Perspectives #6 The American Ballet Theatre: 1940-1960 by Selma Jeanne Cohen and A. J. Pischl *MGZB The annual souvenir books published by the company contain brief reports on each year's activities, and, occasionally during anniversary seasons, include cumulative lists and histories.; Content: American Ballet Theatre was founded in 1939 with the intention of creating an American company of international stature, a museum of the dance, “which would preserve the best of the classic tradition of Europe and at the same time lay the foundation for a new tradition, American in concept and spirit.” Its guiding principle was to encourage collaboration between artists with no single choreographer taking precedence. The records of the company attest to the pursuit of these goals.|||In 1971, the records of American Ballet Theatre and its predecessors, Ballet Theatre and the Mordkin Ballet, were purchased by the Dance Collection of The New York Public Library. In July 1987, with the assistance of a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a two-year project entitled “Preserving America's Cultural Heritage by Providing Access to the Archives of the American Ballet Theatre” was undertaken.|||Comprising 220 linear feet of material, roughly 450,000 items, the collection is really two in one, containing both the records of the Mordkin Ballet, 1936-1939, and those of the much larger Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre, 1939-ca. 1967. (The collection contains papers dated as late as 1978, but documentation of the years after 1967 is minimal.) Consisting mainly of office correspondence, papers, and memoranda, the records are divided into ten distinct subject series.|||Information regarding posters, photographs, music, sound recordings and other material separated from the collection can be found at the end of this finding aid, under "Separated Material".; Content: Comprises the records of both the Mordkin Ballet, 1936-1939, and those of the much larger Ballet Theatre/American Ballet Theatre, 1939-ca. 1967. Consists chiefly of correspondence, papers, ledgers, and memoranda which document every aspect of the company's operation. Divided into ten subject series: Mikhail Mordkin/Mordkin Ballet; Artists; Productions; Bookings: Tours and Seasons; Administration; Organization and Development; Promotion; Legal; School; Financial; Content: More than half the collection consists of financial records. The Bookings series is also extensive. The Artists series contains correspondence with 648 dancers, choreographers, composers, designers, photographers, writers, etc. There are also contracts with 761 artists. The Production files document 152 ballets
Physical Description: Extent: 220 linear feet
Type of Resource: Text
Identifiers: Other local Identifier: (S) *MGZMD 49; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12179863; MSS Unit ID: 19700; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 723343a0-8ff6-0139-ad8f-0242ac110002

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