Vladimir Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons: How They Conquered Paris
Sergei Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons were the first great breakthrough of Russian show business on the world stage, and they changed the culture of Paris and all of Europe for good.
At the beginning of the twentieth century Diaghilev did the impossible: he turned classical art into an ultra-fashionable trend and conservative ballet into an avant-garde multimedia performance.
What made them so charismatic and magical?
1. A synthesis of the arts
Diaghilev brought geniuses together. On one stage met the music of Stravinsky, the choreography of Nijinsky, and the designs of Bakst and Picasso.
2. Cultural shock
Paris expected to see “provincial” dances and got wild expressiveness, the primal passion of The Rite of Spring and the oriental splendor of Scheherazade.
3. A revolution in fashion
Bakst’s bright oriental costumes spilled from the stage into the streets of Paris. Frenchwomen threw off their rigid corsets, put on harem trousers and turbans, and fell for orientalism.
4. Marketing genius
Diaghilev was a first-class producer. He gave away front-row tickets to the most beautiful women in Paris, creating artificial excitement around the “Russian miracle.”
5. The birth of stars
The Seasons gave the world names that became synonymous with ballet: Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Ida Rubinstein and George Balanchine.
