Chicago Ballet
Encyclopedia
Chicago Opera Ballet, established in 1910, which marks the beginnings of the first American ballet company. Chicago Grand Opera Company's first ballet master was Luigi Albertieri (protégé of Enrico Cecchetti
). The opera became a base from which successful Chicago resident dance companies emerged. In 1922 two émigré dancers, Andreas Pavley and Serge Oukrainsky, among the opera's most illustrious early ballet masters, created Chicago's first independent ballet company, the Pavley-Oukrainsky Ballet, which toured nationally and internationally until Pavley died in 1931. In 1919, Adolph Bolm
was invited by the opera to stage an original ballet. Based on a story by Oscar Wilde
, Bolm's "The Birthday of the Infanta" had music by Chicago composer John Alden Carpenter and decor by the American designer Robert Edmond Jones
. Midwest dancer Ruth Page
starred as the infanta. When Pavley and Oukrainsky left the opera in 1922 to form their company, Bolm became the opera's ballet master. Subsequently he helped establish Chicago's Allied Arts, considered the first ballet theater in the United States, which he directed from 1924 to 1927. Allied Arts ceased for lack of funds, but the Adolph Bolm Ballet continued. Experimentation continued in the 1930s and included a pioneering attempt by Mark Turbyfill (Chicago Opera) and his former student Katherine Dunham
to organize an African American ballet company in Chicago. In 1933, Ruth Page choreographed "La Guiablesse", which featured Page along with Dunham and an all-black supporting cast. Dunham, Ruth Page and Bentley Stone formed the Chicago Works Progress Administration (WPA) Dance Project and had significant success. Two important ballets emerged by Page and Stone; "American Patterns" (1937), the first feminist ballet, and the landmark "Frankie & Johnnie".
Following the WPA, The Page-Stone Ballet was the first American ballet company to tour South America.
Ruth Page became the leading force of ballet in Chicago, establishing many Chicago companies with various names: Chicago Grand Opera Company, Ravinia Opera Festival, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Ballet, Ruth Page's International Ballet and Chicago Ballet, with Ben Stevenson
and Larry Long as Co-Artistic directors in 1974. Chicago Ballet was well known for Page's version of "The Nutcracker
", considerered one of the finest, at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater in McCormick Place. It premiered in 1965 and continued until 1997. Many international ballet stars appeared with the company during the long "Nutcracker" seasons.
Enrico Cecchetti
Enrico Cecchetti was an Italian ballet dancer, mime, and founder of the Cecchetti method. The son of two dancers from Civitanova Marche, he was born in the costuming room of the Teatro Tordinona in Rome. After an illustrious career as a dancer in Europe, he went to dance for the Imperial Ballet in...
). The opera became a base from which successful Chicago resident dance companies emerged. In 1922 two émigré dancers, Andreas Pavley and Serge Oukrainsky, among the opera's most illustrious early ballet masters, created Chicago's first independent ballet company, the Pavley-Oukrainsky Ballet, which toured nationally and internationally until Pavley died in 1931. In 1919, Adolph Bolm
Adolph Bolm
Adolph Rudolphovitch Bolm was a Russian born American ballet dancer and choreographer....
was invited by the opera to stage an original ballet. Based on a story by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, Bolm's "The Birthday of the Infanta" had music by Chicago composer John Alden Carpenter and decor by the American designer Robert Edmond Jones
Robert Edmond Jones
Robert Edmond Jones was an American scenic, lighting, and costume designer. He is credited with incorporating the new stagecraft into the American drama. His designs sought to integrate the scenic elements into the storytelling instead of having them stand separate and indifferent from the play’s...
. Midwest dancer Ruth Page
Ruth Page
Ruth Page was an American ballerina and choreographer, considered a pioneer in creating works on American themes. To the classical ballet vocabulary she added movements from sports, popular dance and everyday gestures....
starred as the infanta. When Pavley and Oukrainsky left the opera in 1922 to form their company, Bolm became the opera's ballet master. Subsequently he helped establish Chicago's Allied Arts, considered the first ballet theater in the United States, which he directed from 1924 to 1927. Allied Arts ceased for lack of funds, but the Adolph Bolm Ballet continued. Experimentation continued in the 1930s and included a pioneering attempt by Mark Turbyfill (Chicago Opera) and his former student Katherine Dunham
Katherine Dunham
Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator, and activist...
to organize an African American ballet company in Chicago. In 1933, Ruth Page choreographed "La Guiablesse", which featured Page along with Dunham and an all-black supporting cast. Dunham, Ruth Page and Bentley Stone formed the Chicago Works Progress Administration (WPA) Dance Project and had significant success. Two important ballets emerged by Page and Stone; "American Patterns" (1937), the first feminist ballet, and the landmark "Frankie & Johnnie".
Following the WPA, The Page-Stone Ballet was the first American ballet company to tour South America.
Ruth Page became the leading force of ballet in Chicago, establishing many Chicago companies with various names: Chicago Grand Opera Company, Ravinia Opera Festival, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Ballet, Ruth Page's International Ballet and Chicago Ballet, with Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson
Ben Stevenson, OBE , is a former ballet dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet and English National Ballet, co-director of National Ballet in Washington, D.C...
and Larry Long as Co-Artistic directors in 1974. Chicago Ballet was well known for Page's version of "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...
", considerered one of the finest, at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater in McCormick Place. It premiered in 1965 and continued until 1997. Many international ballet stars appeared with the company during the long "Nutcracker" seasons.
Historical Notes
- The San Francisco Ballet is often called the first ballet company in America, probably because when it was established it never changed its name. San Francisco Ballet was founded in 1933 as part of San Francisco Opera, while Chicago Ballet (with various names) was established in 1910 as part of Chicago Grand Opera Company.