Australian Performing Arts (PROMPT) Collection

Kirsova Ballet


CONTENTS


INTRODUCTION

This PROMPT Finding Aid is a listing of programs and ephemera which document the life of the Kirsova Ballet in Australia between 1941 and 1944. The programs are housed in the National Library’s PROMPT collection.


CONTENT

The list is primarily based on material in the National Library of Australia’s PROMPT collection. Where there are gaps in the PROMPT holdings, the list has been supplemented by an indication of material in the National Gallery of Australia’s Research Library. The Research Library holds Helene Kirsova’s extensive personal archive including stage and costume designs, photographs and letters as well as published materials. In a couple of rare cases where no programs are held in either institution, newspaper clippings in the NGA Kirsova Archive have been quoted as evidence of performances.


ACCESS

Material from the PROMPT collection is available for use through the Petherick Reading Room, Ground Floor. Readers should complete an electronic call slip for the following catalogue record:

[Kirsova Ballet : theatre programmes, ephemera held at the National Library of Australia].

Access to the National Gallery Research Library and the Kirsova Archive is by appointment. Tel. (02) 62406532


ARRANGEMENT

The programs in the Kirsova Ballet PROMPT files are arranged in chronological order.


HISTORICAL NOTES

Helene Kirsova came to Australia in 1936 with the Monte Carlo Russian Ballet. Born Ellen Wittrup in Denmark, she had trained with Europe’s leading ballet teachers and had reached prima ballerina status dancing with major European companies and working with choreographers such as Leonide Massine and Michel Fokine. Kirsova received star billing for the 1936 Australian tour which was entrepreneured by Colonel W. de Basil. De Basil brought more companies to Australia in 1938 and 1940 which further opened up a world of exotic and dazzling ballet to Australian audiences. The advent of these ‘Ballets Russes’ companies also had a lasting legacy in the form of members of the companies who elected to stay in Australia. Two of the most prominent of these were Edouard Borovansky and Helene Kirsova both of whom formed companies of their own which had lasting influences on the development of ballet in Australia.

Kirsova initially returned to England with the Monte Carlo Russsian ballet in 1937 but returned early in 1938 when she married the Danish Vice Consul in Sydney, Erik Fischer. She soon established a ballet school developing local Australian dancers as well as engaging other dancers from the de Basil companies who remained in Australia. She formed her own company in 1941. Based in Sydney, the company also successfully toured Australia in spite of the difficulties of movement around the country in wartime, as well as the constant threat of male dancers being enlisted into wartime duty. After a short life span of three years the company was disbanded in 1944 following its Brisbane season. Kirsova went to Europe in 1947 with her second husband the Australian journalist Peter Bellew and lived in Paris. She died on the 22nd February 1962 while visiting London.

[Footnote. The PROMPT collection also contains programs for part of Kirsova’s career in Europe prior to her Australian visit, and programs for all the Australian tours of the de Basil companies in 1936, 1938 and 1940.]

Additional information from :


REPERTOIRE

Ballets performed by the Kirsova Ballet in Australia 1941-1943 as documented in programs.

A dream...and a fairy tale

Les Matelots

Vieux Paris

Les Sylphides

Faust

L’Oiseau bleue/Bluebird

Ritual fire dance

Revolution of the Umbrellas

Lac des cygnes (Swan lake act 2)

Jeunesse

Hansel and Gretel

Capriccio

Harlequin


THE KIRSOVA COMPANY

Dancers who appeared with the Kirsova Ballet as listed in programs.

Betty Alexander, David Beard, Mischa Burlakov, Helen Black, Serge Bousslof, Bettina Browne, Judith Burgess, Margaret Cameron, Rachel Cameron, Wolf Cardamatis, Peggy Chauncey, Frederick Maxwell Colas, Patricia Deardon, Roxanne Dick, Yvonne Ellis, Margaret Findley, Victoria Forth, Helene Ffrance, John Foxall, Joan Gadsdon, Ruth Green, Betty Hall, Joan Halliday, Monica Halliday, Paul Hammond (also used the name Paul Clementin), Strelsa Heckelman, Earl Henderson, Anne Hiller, Peter Houston, Terence Hughes, Nicolas Ivangine, Patricia Jordan, Betty Kellett, Athol Kirkland, Raissa Kousnetzova, Henry Legerton, Frances Lett, Charles Morris Lisner, Shirley Longley, Barbara Macdonnell, Elsie Macgregor, Grant McIntyre, Marie Malloy, Alice Marcetts, Gloria Mitchell, Norma Mitchell, Joyce Morgans, Judith Murphy, David Murray, June Newstead, ? O’Sullivan, ? Parsons, Joy Palmer, Moira Peoples, Gwen Pike, Roland Robinson, Peggy Sager, John Seymour, Valery Shaevsky, Jean Shearer, Thadee Slavinsky, Edouard Sobishevsky, Arnold Spirka, Edna Stanton, Jill Stanton, Tamara Tchinarova, ? Walker, Bruce Walter, Trafford Whitelock, Billie Windas, Maria Windas, Vera Windas, Valentin Zeglovsky.


THE KIRSOVA BALLET SEASONS

Chronological listing of the company’s seasons as documented in programs and ephemera.

Notes :-
Abbreviations for holdings : -

NLA – National Library of Australia, PROMPT collection
NGARL – National Gallery of Australia Research Library


1941

Sydney. Conservatorium.
Season opened July 8. (5 performances)

Book
32 p. Wrappers.
Cover title - “Ballet productions”
Title page – “Red Cross Ballet Season presented by Helene Kirsova…
Gala opening performance July 8 1941.”
Includes - photo portraits of HK, principal dancers and designer Loudon Sainthill : photos of rehearsals : four pages of colour designs by Sainthill : program of ballets
Held – NLA

Program
4 p. Cover - “Ballet season for Red Cross…presented by Helene Kirsova.”
Repertoire – Dream...and a fairy tale, Les Matelots,Vieux Paris
Held - NLA


1941

Sydney. The Everglades, Blue Mountains.
October

Program
12 p. Wrappers.
Cover – “Souvenir of “Everglades” Garden Fete…October 4th, 5th, 6th. Proceeds in aid of War Veteran’s Home at Narrabeen and King George’s Fund for Sailors.”
Title page - “Ballet productions presented by Helene Kirsova.”
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Vieux Paris
Includes advertisement for “The Helene Kirsova School of Russian Ballet—Diaghilev Tradition”, with two pages of photos of company principals.
(“Everglades” was a famous garden in the Blue Mountains)
Held – NGARL


1941-1942

Sydney. Minerva Theatre.
Season commenced November 22, 1941. 6 weeks

Book
32 p. Wrappers.
Cover title – “The Kirsova Ballet Souvenir”
Title page – “Madame Helene Kirsova and Whitehall Productions present The Kirsova Ballet, Minerva Theatre, Sydney, Season 1941-1942.”
Content is substantially the same as the book above with photos, portraits designs etc. Program of ballets differs.
Held – NLA

Programs (undated)

16 p.
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Faust
Held – NLA (2 copies)

16 p.
Repertoire – Les Matelots, Faust
Held – NLA

16 p. Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Les Matelots, Vieux Paris
Held – NGARL


1942

Melbourne. His Majesty’s Theatre.
Season commenced Saturday 31 January

Programs

The contents for all the programs for this season of the Kirsova Ballet are identical. Photo portraits of the company are the same and page nine in each program is an uncredited essay titled “A permanent Australian ballet”. However, changes in the Repertoire and in the cover illustrations have been noted.

34 p. Wrappers.
Cover - “JC Williamson Magazine Programme”
Cover illustration – seated woman in yellow evening gown
Repertoire - A dream… and a fairy tale, Faust
Held – NLA (2 copies)

34 p. Wrappers.
Cover illustration – seated woman in yellow evening gown
Repertoire - Les Sylphides, Faust
Held – NLA

34 p. Program as above with same repertoire but cover illustration is a drawing of a ballet dancer signed “Constable”
Held – NLA

34 p. Wrappers.
Cover illustration - seated woman in yellow evening gown
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Les Matelots, L’Oiseau bleue, Ritual fire dance, Vieux Paris
Held – NLA

34 p. Program as above with same repertoire but cover illustration is a drawing of a ballet dancer signed by “Constable”
Held – NLA

Change of cast slips

Wednesday matinee 11 Feb.
Changes to casts of - Dream …and a fairy tale , Faust
Held – NLA

Friday 20 Feb.
Changes to casts of - Les Matelots, Blue Bird, Vieux Paris
Held – NLA


1943

Sydney. (Conservatorium).
Season commenced February 9. ( 6 performances)

Program
4 p.
Cover “Kirsova Ballet Season in aid of the Legacy War Orphans Appeal”
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Revolution of the Umbrellas
Held – NLA

Sydney. Conservatorium.
Season commenced March 15 (7 performances)

Program (undated)
4 p.
Repertoire – Revolution of the Umbrellas, Hansel and Gretel
Season details verified in Pask.
Held – NGARL


1943

Sydney. Conservatorium.
Season commenced September 18

Program
4 p.
Cover - “Kirsova Ballet Season presented by Helene Kirsova to provide at Erskineville the first of a series of fully equipped children’s playgrounds to be established by the Kirsova Ballet throughout the congested areas of Sydney”
Repertoire- Lac des cygnes, Jeunesse, Hansel and Gretel, Capriccio
Held – NLA

Sydney. Conservatorium.
Season commenced December 17

Program
4 p.
Cover - “Proceeds from this season will be used to continue the work of establishing a series of fully equipped playgrounds throughout the congested areas of Sydney. The full proceeds from the September season amounting to pounds 1,678, were sufficient to provide two grounds at Erskineville, and these are now under construction. Proceeds from this season, it is hoped, will be sufficient to complete the requirements in Erskineville and also to extend the scheme to another municipality lacking proper playing facilities.”Repertoire – Lac des cygnes, Capriccio, Harlequin, Vieux Paris
Held – NLA ( 2 copies)

Program
4 p.
As above except for changed Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Harlequin, Hansel and Gretel, Capriccio
Held - NGARL


1944

Melbourne. His Majesty’s Theatre.
Season commenced January 15

Program
3 p. fold out
Repertoire – Lac des cygnes, Jeunesse, Harlequin, Vieux Paris
Held - NLA

Melbourne. His Majesty‘s Theatre.
Season commenced January 22

Program
3 p. fold out
Repertoire - Les Sylphides, Revolution of the Umbrellas
Held – NLA

Melbourne. His Majesty’s Theatre.
Season commenced January 29

Program
“Programme for final week commencing Saturday January 29”
3 p. fold out
Repertoire – Lac des cygnes, Harlequin, Hansel and Gretel, Capriccio
Held – NGARL


1944

Adelaide. Theatre Royal.
Season commenced February 7. (3 weeks)

Program
3 p. fold out
For the week 7-12 February
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Hansel and Gretel, Harlequin, Vieux Paris
Held – NLA (2 copies)

Program
3 p. fold out
For the week 14-19 February
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Revolution of the Umbrellas
Held – NGARL

Program
3 p. fold out
For the week 21-26 February
Repertoire – Lac des cygnes, Capriccio, Jeunesse, Vieux Paris
Held – NGARL


1944

Brisbane. His Majesty’s Theatre.
Season commenced April 8 (?)

NB. Programs for the first two weeks of season are not held in either NLA or NGARL. However a newspaper clipping of April 8 lists the Repertoire as - Swan Lake, Harlequin, Hansel and Gretel, Vieux Paris.
Also a newspaper clipping of April 15 lists the Repertoire as – Revolution of the Umbrellas, Les Sylphides.
Held – NGARL

Program
4 p. fold out
“Programme for the Third week commencing…April 22…”
Repertoire – Lac des cygnes, Jeunesse, Capriccio, Hansel and Gretel
Held – NLA

Program
4 p. fold out
“Programme for…week commencing April 29”
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Revolution of the Umbrellas
Held - NGARL

Program
4 p. fold out
Programs for May 1, May 2
Repertoire – Les Sylphides, Revolution of the Umbrellas,
Held - NGARL

Program
4 page fold out
Program for 3-6 May ?
Repertoire – Lac des cygnes, Hansel and Gretel, Harlequin, Vieux Paris
Held - NGARL


1944

Sydney (?). Maccabean Hall.

Program
4 p. fold out
“Kirsova Ballet School pupil’s recital”, December 11
Repertoire – Ten items danced by pupils and six items danced by members of the Kirsova Company.
Held – NGARL


No venue , place or date

Program
4 p. fold out
Cover - “Ballet productions presented by Helene Kirsova”
Repertoire – A dream…and a fairy tale, Les Matelots, Vieux Paris
Back page has advertisement for “The Helene Kirsova School of Russian Ballet-Diaghiliev Tradition”
Held – NGARL


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