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CamRuSS Russian History & Arts lecture series. Talk 6: “When Art Danced with Music: Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes.” by Dr Natalia Murray
Friday 27 November, 2020, 19:00 - 20:30

Léon Bakst, La Sultane Bleue, 1910. A costume sketch for the ballet Schéhérazade.
The Ballets Russes—the most innovative dance company of the 20th century—propelled the performing arts to new heights through ground-breaking collaborations between artists, composers, choreographers, dancers, and fashion designers, and were responsible for reawakening of interest in ballet in Europe and America, and bringing Russian culture to the attention of the rest of the Western world. In this lecture we will look at the origins and development of the Ballets Russes and the most important Russian impresario and the first international curator, Sergei Diaghilev.
Language: English
Tickets: Adults £10, CamRuSS members, OAPs, Students – £5 * (Suggested contributions due to the change to the virtual format of the event)
To pre-book your tickets please visit.
You can also pay by a direct bank transfer (BACS) to the following account:
* While there is no charge for our online events, CamRuSS would welcome any donations towards the support of our volunteers’ efforts in bringing more speakers and online events during the social distancing time. Suggested donation £5-£10.
Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society
NATWEST Bank, Sort code: 60-11-30. Account: 18120466
Ref: 27Nov + YOUR NAME (under which you are making the reservation).
Please email events@camruss.com to inform us about your payment.
Dr Natalia Murray, MA (Academy of Fine Arts, St Petersburg), PhD (Courtauld Institute of Art) is a visiting lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art and a senior curator. In 2017 she curated a major exhibition Revolution. Russian Art. 1917-1932 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and is currently working on several exhibition projects in Moscow and Paris. Her books and articles extend across the wide field of 19-20th century Russian and European art, and she has featured in films dedicated to the Hermitage museum and the Russian revolution and in programmes for BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.
Registration link to ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0od-mopzsuE9fja2bVOBsq40SATXKhAB3y
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
The presentation slides.
Chalyapin, Boris Godunov – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK85SrIG1Ow
Ballet Petrushka – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvXlFKvpoOg
The Golden Cockerel with Goncharova’s decorations and costumes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pw7siwIR5g
Bibliography:
Scheijen, Sjeng, Diaghilev. A Life, London: Profile Books, 2009
Pritchard, Jane, Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909-1929, V&A, 2015
Bellow, Juliet, Modernism on Stage: The Ballets Russes and the Parisian Avant-Garde, Routledge, 2016