Alexander Alexeyevich Gorsky
Encyclopedia
Alexander Gorsky a Russian ballet choreographer and a contemporary of Marius Petipa
, is known for restaging Petipa’s classical ballets such as Swan Lake
, Don Quixote, and The Nutcracker
. Gorsky “sought greater naturalism, realism, and characterization” in ballet. He valued acting skills over bravura technique ( a showy display of skills such as many turns or high jumps.) His interpretations of ballets were often controversial and he often used artists outside the dance world to create sets and costumes. Gorsky gave continuity to the plots of Petipa’s ballets and removed excessive choreography that did not relate to the story.
(father of Tamara Karsavina
), N. I. Volkov, and Marius Petipa
. Upon graduation of the ballet school he joined the company and moved up in rank from corps de ballet
, coryphée (a dancer who performs in small ensembles), to solo dancer. He danced roles in La Fille mal gardée
, the La Flûte magique
, and Le Réveil de Flore.
In 1895 Alexander Gorsky developed a friendship with V.I. Stepanov
who was creating a system of dance notation. Upon Stepanov’s death Gorsky perfected Stepanov's system and was later appointed to teach it to students of the Imperial Ballet School. Stepanov's system was utilized by the Imperial Ballet to document much of the company's repertory. Today this cache of notation is included in the Sergeyev Collection
.
In 1900 Alexander Gorsky was nominated to be Premier danseur (principal male soloist) of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre, only to be moved to the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre as régisseur (manager) eight days later. What was meant to be a temporary move became permanent. The school was creating many talented students but the company was in decline. Gorsky was named Premier Maître de Ballet of the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre. In his teaching he used “ free dance movements in contrast to the academic, frozen forms” of previous classical ballet style. He was inspired by Isadora Duncan
who was famous for rejecting ballet and believed dance should be a natural expression of the soul. He was also inspired by the Stanislavsky's method of acting.
’s work Some of Gorsky’s ballets were Gudule’s Daughter (a revision of the La Esmeralda
, Salammbo
, Etudes, Dances of the Nations, Eunice and Petronius , and Love is Quick.
Of the Bolshoi Theatre's classical repertory Gorsky revived the Petipa/Ivanov version of La Fille mal gardée for the first time in 1903 (Gorsky's version would become the basis for nearly every production staged in Russia and the west for decades), the Petipa/Ivanov revival of Swan Lake in 1901, Petipa's Don Quixote in 1900, La Bayadère
(with Vasily Tikhomirov
) in 1904, and Raymonda
in 1905. He also revised The Nutcracker
and Petipa's revival of Arthur Saint-Léon
's The Little Humpbacked Horse
in 1901
The largest change that Gorsky made to Petipa’s choreography was the action of the corps de ballet. Instead of being a moving background as the corps often is, they became an important part of the drama. They bustled around the stage breaking the symmetry and lines typical of Petipa. Their movement was often culturally relevant, playful, and realistic of a group of people. (Souritz 31) Some fans of ballet thought the new version was a masterpiece and rushed to Moscow to see it. Others such as Alexander Benois thought it was a mess “typical of amateur performances.” However “the dynamic, stormy rhythm, and easy lighthearted gaiety of Don Quixote, as we know it today are due in great part to Gorsky”
receives all the credit for these changes, but it was Gorsky who first thought of them.
Marius Petipa
Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....
, is known for restaging Petipa’s classical ballets such as Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
, Don Quixote, and The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
. Gorsky “sought greater naturalism, realism, and characterization” in ballet. He valued acting skills over bravura technique ( a showy display of skills such as many turns or high jumps.) His interpretations of ballets were often controversial and he often used artists outside the dance world to create sets and costumes. Gorsky gave continuity to the plots of Petipa’s ballets and removed excessive choreography that did not relate to the story.
Early life
The Russian ballet choreographer Alexander Gorsky was born August 6, 1871 outside of St. Petersburg, Russia. When he turned eight his parents hoped to send him to the School of Commerce and his sister to the Imperial Ballet School both in St. Petersburg. After being accepted to the School of Commerce he went along with his sister to the Imperial School of Ballet. Officials of the school insisted he also be a student there as well as his sister. His parents accepted and Alexander became a student at the Imperial Ballet SchoolEarly career
Gorsky was taught by Platon K. KarsavinPlaton Karsavin
Platon Karsavin was a dancer with the Russian Imperial Ballet.His father was a provincial actor, but the family had three children; and to feed his family, he became a tailor and moved to St. Petersburg. When Platon was 6 years old his father died. The family was again left without money...
(father of Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina was a famous Russian ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was most noted as a Principal Artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and later the Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev...
), N. I. Volkov, and Marius Petipa
Marius Petipa
Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....
. Upon graduation of the ballet school he joined the company and moved up in rank from corps de ballet
Corps de ballet
In ballet, the corps de ballet is the group of dancers who are not soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. A corps de ballet works as one, with synchronized movements and corresponding positioning on the stage...
, coryphée (a dancer who performs in small ensembles), to solo dancer. He danced roles in La Fille mal gardée
La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille mal gardée is a comic ballet presented in two acts, inspired by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's 1789 painting, La réprimande/Une jeune fille querellée par sa mère...
, the La Flûte magique
The Magic Flute (ballet)
The Magic Flute is a Ballet comique in one act, originally choreographed by Lev Ivanov to the music of Riccardo Drigo. First presented by students of the Imperial Ballet School at the school's theatre on...
, and Le Réveil de Flore.
In 1895 Alexander Gorsky developed a friendship with V.I. Stepanov
Vladimir Ivanovich Stepanov
Vladimir Ivanovich Stepanov , dancer at the Imperial Ballet in Saint Petersburg. In 1892 he published a dance notation with the title L'Alphabet des Mouvements du Corps Humain. This Alphabet of Movements of the Human Body is a notation that encodes dance movements with musical notes and not with...
who was creating a system of dance notation. Upon Stepanov’s death Gorsky perfected Stepanov's system and was later appointed to teach it to students of the Imperial Ballet School. Stepanov's system was utilized by the Imperial Ballet to document much of the company's repertory. Today this cache of notation is included in the Sergeyev Collection
Sergeyev Collection
The Sergeyev Collection is a collection of choreographic notation, music, photos, décor and costume designs, theatre programs and various other materials relating to the repertory of the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia at the turn of the 20th century...
.
In 1900 Alexander Gorsky was nominated to be Premier danseur (principal male soloist) of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre, only to be moved to the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre as régisseur (manager) eight days later. What was meant to be a temporary move became permanent. The school was creating many talented students but the company was in decline. Gorsky was named Premier Maître de Ballet of the Imperial Bolshoi Theatre. In his teaching he used “ free dance movements in contrast to the academic, frozen forms” of previous classical ballet style. He was inspired by Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan
Isadora Duncan was a dancer, considered by many to be the creator of modern dance. Born in the United States, she lived in Western Europe and the Soviet Union from the age of 22 until her death at age 50. In the United States she was popular only in New York, and only later in her life...
who was famous for rejecting ballet and believed dance should be a natural expression of the soul. He was also inspired by the Stanislavsky's method of acting.
Choreography
Alexander Gorsky choreographed, restaged, and revived many ballets. He created many of his own ballets but it was his restaging of Marius Petipa’s ballets that have become more well known. Some say he paved the way for Michel FokineMichel Fokine
Michel Fokine was a groundbreaking Russian choreographer and dancer.-Biography:...
’s work Some of Gorsky’s ballets were Gudule’s Daughter (a revision of the La Esmeralda
La Esmeralda (ballet)
La Esmeralda is a ballet in 3 acts, 5 scenes, inspired by Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, originally choreographed by Jules Perrot; with music by Cesare Pugni and design by William Grieve , D. Sloman , Mme...
, Salammbo
Salammbô
Salammbô may refer to:*Salammbô , the original novel by Gustave Flaubert*Salammbô , an unfinished opera, based on Flaubert's novel, on which Modest Mussorgsky worked between 1863 and 1866...
, Etudes, Dances of the Nations, Eunice and Petronius , and Love is Quick.
Of the Bolshoi Theatre's classical repertory Gorsky revived the Petipa/Ivanov version of La Fille mal gardée for the first time in 1903 (Gorsky's version would become the basis for nearly every production staged in Russia and the west for decades), the Petipa/Ivanov revival of Swan Lake in 1901, Petipa's Don Quixote in 1900, La Bayadère
La Bayadère
La Bayadère is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. La Bayadère was first performed by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on...
(with Vasily Tikhomirov
Vasily Tikhomirov
Vasiliy Dmitriyevich Tikhomirov was a dancer and a choreographer with the Bolshoi Ballet of Moscow, Russia. His most distinguished production was The Red Poppy , with his wife Yekaterina Geltzer in the main role. He and Geltzer were buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery....
) in 1904, and Raymonda
Raymonda
Raymonda is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa, with music by Alexander Glazunov, his opus 57. First presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre on in St. Petersburg, Russia...
in 1905. He also revised The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
and Petipa's revival of Arthur Saint-Léon
Arthur Saint-Leon
Arthur Saint-Léon was the Maître de Ballet of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet Coppélia.-Biography:...
's The Little Humpbacked Horse
The Little Humpbacked Horse (ballet)
The Little Humpbacked Horse, or The Tsar Maiden is a ballet in four Acts and eight scenes with apotheosis. The original choreography was by Arthur Saint-Léon, and was set to music by Cesare Pugni...
in 1901
Don Quixote
Gorsky staged his revival of Don Quixote in 1900, a version he staged for the Imperial Ballet in 1902. Gorsky's production served as the basis for nearly every production staged thereafter.The largest change that Gorsky made to Petipa’s choreography was the action of the corps de ballet. Instead of being a moving background as the corps often is, they became an important part of the drama. They bustled around the stage breaking the symmetry and lines typical of Petipa. Their movement was often culturally relevant, playful, and realistic of a group of people. (Souritz 31) Some fans of ballet thought the new version was a masterpiece and rushed to Moscow to see it. Others such as Alexander Benois thought it was a mess “typical of amateur performances.” However “the dynamic, stormy rhythm, and easy lighthearted gaiety of Don Quixote, as we know it today are due in great part to Gorsky”
Swan Lake
By 1920 Gorsky had made several versions of Swan Lake. Swan Lake had been changed many times and was considerably different from Petipa’s and Ivanov's St. Petersburg Ballet’s version. He redid the peasants’ waltz from the first act, added character dancing, lost the straight geometric lines of Petipa, and ended the first act with the dancers carrying torches (Souritz 116). The second act was also changed to be more dramatic. The swans ran in circles and in confused flocks, in a way contemporary critics found intolerable. In the third act, the waltz of the prospective brides, originally danced by the corps de ballet, was given to the soloists.The Nutcracker
It was Gorsky who first thought of turning the fantasy scenes in The Nutcracker into a dream from which Clara awakens at the end . In the original ballet and the story on which it is based, they really occur. Gorsky also changed the story so that the roles of Clara and the Nutcracker / Prince would be danced by adults, rather than children, thereby making the relationship between the two characters a romance rather than just a friendship. Usually Vasili VainonenVasili Vainonen
Vasili Vainonen was a renowned Soviet choreographer, mainly for the Kirov Ballet, now known as the Mariinsky Ballet, with which he worked from 1930 to 1938...
receives all the credit for these changes, but it was Gorsky who first thought of them.