Dance Appreciation

Introduction Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev commonly known as Serge outside Russia, was a Russian promoter, ballet impresario and art critic. He was the founder and patron of the Ballets Russes, which is credited with producing many famous dancers and choreographers. Sergei is remembered all over the world as one of the greatest ballet personalities that have ever lived. He was born on March 31, 1872 in Russia in an affluent family with a history in music. He initially studied law at the University of St.
Petersburg but would later take singing lessons. However, he never was a big success as a singer as his voice was unpleasant. Though he neither composed nor choreographed, he was extremely able to pick those who had the talent. He died on August 19, 1929 having left an indelible imprint in the world of music and dance. Contributions Sergei cofounded and edited the World of Art, an art magazine, which became extremely popular to the lovers of art in his day.
He also edited the Annals of the Imperial Theatre and transformed it, taking it a notch higher in terms of graphic design and typography though he is criticized for overrunning his budget. However, these two magazines remained very popular in the world of art during his tenure as the editor. His greatest brainchild, Ballets Russes, became instrumental in popularizing ballet throughout Europe. It is through this group’s productions that ballet became a fundamentals part of the European culture.

Apart from popularizing the dance, the group brought into recognition some of the greatest choreographers the world has ever seen- Fokine, Nijinsky, Massine, Nijinska, and Balanchine. The composer Stravinsky was also virtually unknown and has Sergei to thank for making his genius known to the world. Conclusion Though Sergei was equally successful in collecting and exhibiting art and his ability to recognize talent in a painter was no less than in recognizing a talent in ballet, his greatest achievements will no doubt remain in revolutionizing ballet.
His eye for detail and success in recognize talent will make him remain immortalized through the compositions of the Ballet Russes. The group’s effect is still felt today with former members such as George Balanchine causing ripples in the United States and Serge Lifar being as effective in Paris. Source Citation “Sergei Diaghilev. ” Gay & Lesbian Biography. Ed. Michael J. Tyrkus and Michael Bronski. Detroit: St. James Press, 1997. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Feb. 2013.