Ballets Russes and New Dance Pioneers Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key figures, ballet productions, and movement concepts from the Ballets Russes and the Pioneers of New Dance.

Anna Pavlova

Russian prima ballerina (1881–1931) of the Imperial Ballet who toured with the Ballets Russes in 1909 before dancing independently worldwide with her own company after 1913.

The Dying Swan

A 1905 solo dance choreographed by Michel Fokine specifically for Anna Pavlova, set to Camille Saint-Saëns's cello piece Le Cygne.

Vaslav Nijinsky

Virtuosic Russian dancer and choreographer (1890–1950) from the Imperial Ballet and Marinsky Theater, celebrated for his exceptional elevation, expressive movement, and innovative roles in the Ballets Russes.

Tamara Karsavina

Celebrated Russian prima ballerina (1885–1978) who graduated from the Imperial School in 1902 and achieved acclaim at the Marinsky Theater and as a star of the Ballets Russes.

Adolph Bolm

Russian dancer (1884–1951) who studied at the Imperial School, performed at the Marinsky Theater from 1903 to 1911, and was a lead dancer for the Ballets Russes.

Les Sylphides

A 1909 ballet choreographed by Michel Fokine to the music of Frédéric Chopin, originally performed under the title Chopiniana.

Scheherazade

A 1910 one-act ballet choreographed by Michel Fokine with costume and set designs by Léon Bakst and music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, inspired by the prologue of The Thousand and One Nights.

Igor Stravinsky

Russian-born composer (1882–1971) whose revolutionary modernist scores for the Ballets Russes included Firebird, Petrushka, and Le Sacre du printemps.

Firebird

A 1910 ballet based on Russian folklore, featuring choreography by Michel Fokine, music by Igor Stravinsky, and starring Tamara Karsavina.

Petrushka

A 1911 Ballets Russes production choreographed by Michel Fokine with a score by Igor Stravinsky and sets/costumes by Alexandre Benois, starring Vaslav Nijinsky and Tamara Karsavina.

L'Après-midi d'un Faune (The Afternoon of a Faun)

A 1912 ballet choreographed and danced by Vaslav Nijinsky to music by Claude Debussy with visual designs by Léon Bakst, marked by stylized, angular movements and animalistic poses.

Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring)

A 1913 landmark ballet choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky to an Igor Stravinsky score, known for its jarring rhythms, unconventional choreography, and infamous premiere scandal.

The Black Crook

An 1866 production widely recognized as the first American musical comedy, which employed 80 dancers and ran for a record 474 performances.

The Delsarte Method

A movement system formulated by François Delsarte intended to improve dramatic and musical expression through controlled bodily attitudes, gestures, and poses.

Genevieve Stebbins

American dancer and instructor (1857–1934) who popularized the Delsarte Method in the U.S. by adding steps, rhythm, relaxation principles, and movements inspired by Greek art.

Loïe Fuller

American-born dance pioneer (1862–1928), born Marie Louise Fuller, who introduced theatrical lighting techniques and flowing silk garments to create visually striking, Art Nouveau-inspired performances.

Serpentine Dance

An iconic performance piece developed by Loïe Fuller from skirt dancing, using long silk robes extended with wands and lit with multi-colored electric lights.

Fire Dance

An 1895 creation by Loïe Fuller performed atop a glass plate illuminated from beneath to give the visual illusion of dancing inside flames.

Isadora Duncan

American performer (1877–1927) known as the 'grandmother of modern dance,' who rejected rigid ballet technique in favor of natural body movement, barefoot dancing, and Greek-inspired tunics.

Dress Reform Movement

A late 19th and early 20th-century initiative advocating against restrictive, health-impairing garments like corsets in favor of natural and unconstricting clothing for women; supported by Isadora Duncan

Solar Plexus

The central anatomical area of the torso identified by Isadora Duncan through quiet introspection as the primary spring and origin of all bodily movement.

Ruth St. Denis

Pioneering American dancer and choreographer (1879–1968), known for her fusion of Eastern and Western dance styles and significant influence on modern dance.