Australian Performing Arts (PROMPT) Collection
Kirsova Ballet
CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Content
- Access
- Arrangement
- Historical Notes
- Repertoire (A listing of all ballets performed by the company)
- The Kirsova Company (A listing of all dancers who performed with the company)
- Kirsova Ballet Seasons (Chronological listing of the companys seasons as documented in programs and ephemera)
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 Librarys PROMPT collection.
CONTENT
The list is primarily based on material in the National Library of Australias 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 Australias Research Library. The Research Library holds Helene Kirsovas 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 Europes 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 Kirsovas 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 :
- Pask, Edward. Ballet in Australia, the second act, 1940-1980. (Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1982) pp.15-22 [NLA Call no. N+ 792.80994 P282]
- Potter, Michelle. A strong personality and a gift for leadership: Helene Kirsova in Australia . In Dance research, (Oxford University Press), Vol .Xlll No.2. 1995 pp 62-76. (Copy included in Kirsova file in the PROMPT collection)
- Bellew, Peter. Pioneering ballet in Australia. (Sydney, Craftsman Bookshop, 1945) [NLA Call no. Nq 792.8 BEL]
REPERTOIRE
Ballets performed by the Kirsova Ballet in Australia 1941-1943 as documented in programs.
A dream...and a fairy tale
- Book and Choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Frederic Chopin
- Décor and costumes Loudon Sainthill
- Premiere July 8, 1941
Les Matelots
- Choreography Helene Kirsova after Leonide Massine
- Music Georges Auric
- Décor and costumes Loudon Sainthill after Pedro Pruna
- Premiere - July 8, 1941
Vieux Paris
- Book and Choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Jacques Offenbach, J. Strauss jnr
- Décor and costumes Loudon Sainthill
- Premiere - July 8, 1941
Les Sylphides
- Choreography after Fokine
- Music Frederic Chopin
- Premiere November 1941
Faust
- Book by Heinrich Heine arranged by Helene Kirsova
- Music Henry Krips
- Décor and costumes Loudon Sainthill
- Premiere October 1941
LOiseau bleue/Bluebird
- Pas de deux from The sleeping princess
- Music Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Ritual fire dance
- Music Manuel De Falla
Revolution of the Umbrellas
- Book and choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Henry Krips
- Décor and costumes Wolfgang Cardamatis
- Premiere February 1943
Lac des cygnes (Swan lake act 2)
- Choreography Marius Petipas
- Music Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Premiere September 1943
Jeunesse
- Choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Francois Poulenc
- Costumes Birger Bartholin
- Premiere September 1943
Hansel and Gretel
- Book and choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Engelbert Humperdinck
- Décor and costumes - Amie Kingston
- Premiere March 1943
Capriccio
- Choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
- Costumes Alice Danciger
- Premiere September 1943
Harlequin
- Choreography Helene Kirsova
- Music Maurice Ravel
- Décor and costumes Amie Kingston
- Premiere December 1943
- All ballets - Produced by Helene Kirsova
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, ? OSullivan, ? 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.
Chronological listing of the companys 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 Veterans Home at Narrabeen and
King Georges 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
BalletDiaghilev 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 Majestys 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, LOiseau 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 childrens
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 Majestys Theatre.
Season commenced January 15
Program
3 p. fold out
Repertoire Lac des cygnes, Jeunesse, Harlequin, Vieux Paris
Held - NLA
Melbourne. His Majestys Theatre.
Season commenced January 22
Program
3 p. fold out
Repertoire - Les Sylphides, Revolution of the Umbrellas
Held NLA
Melbourne. His Majestys 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 Majestys 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 pupils 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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