Calgary Public Library

Ballets Russes, a Zeitgeist Films release ; a Geller/Goldfine production ; produced and directed by Dayna Goldfine & Dan Geller ; produced by Robert Hawk, Douglas Blair Turnbaugh ; written by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Celeste Schaefer Snyder, Gary Weimberg

eng

videorecording

MPAA rating: Not rated

Ballets Russes

64448914

a Zeitgeist Films release ; a Geller/Goldfine production ; produced and directed by Dayna Goldfine & Dan Geller ; produced by Robert Hawk, Douglas Blair Turnbaugh ; written by Dan Geller, Dayna Goldfine, Celeste Schaefer Snyder, Gary Weimberg

119

Fame, glamour, ego, politics, money, war, love, and dance: essential elements that made up more than fifty years in the lives of a group of revolutionary artists. This is the story of an extraordinary merger of Russian, American, European, and Latin American dancers who collaborated with composers, choreographers, and designers to transform the face of ballet for generations to come. The film maps the company's Diaghilev-era beginnings in turn-of-the-century Paris to its halcyon days in the 1930s and '40s--when the Ballets Russes toured America and the world, astonishing audiences with artistry never before seen--to its demise in the 1950s and '60s when rising costs, rocketing egos, outside competition, and internal mismanagement ultimately brought this revered company to its knees. Infused with juicy anecdotal interviews from many of the company's glamorous stars, this is a brief yet fascinating history of a groundbreaking company

I never wanted to dance -- Baby ballerinas -- Three artistic visions -- A blaze of glory -- Crossing the Atlantic -- Rival dance companies -- Just like Diaghilev -- Ballet wars of 1938 -- Ballerinas in covered wagons -- So many accents -- Lights, camera, action! -- As American as Mark Twain -- All-American ballerinas -- Curtain call -- Bridge to the future -- End/CreditsSpecial features: Additional footage [featurettes]: Dancer beginnings (9 min.); Collaborators (20 min.); Behind the velvet curtain (12 min.); The rehearsal studio (16 min.); Archival footage (6 min.); Photo galleries [slide shows]; Theatrical trailer (2 min.)

live action