George de Cuevas
Encyclopedia
George de Cuevas was a Chile
an-born ballet
impresario
and choreographer who was best known for the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas that he formed in 1944.
Cuevas was born as Jorge Cuevas Bartholín in 1885 in Santiago, Chile
, a son of Eduardo Cuevas Avaria (1821-1897), a prominent Chilean politician and former diplomat, and his third wife, the former María Manuela del Carmen Bartholín de la Guarda, who was half Danish. He had five siblings: Roberto, Luís, Enrique, Sara, and Carmela.http://www.genealog.cl/Apellidos/Bravo/ He also had 11 half-siblings from his father's previous marriages.
Though Cuevas was apparently homosexual he married Margaret Rockefeller Strong
, a granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller
in Paris on 3 August 1927, on which day he received, by royal decree, the title of Marqués de Piedra Blanca de la Guana.http://www.genealog.cl/Apellidos/Bravo/ (According to Vanity Fair, the title may have been purchased for Cuevas, arguably by his millionaire bride.) Around the time of the wedding, Cuevas had been serving as a secretary at the Chilean legation in London; the bride had been raised in Italy and studied chemistry at Cambridge University. The Cuevases would have two children, John (born 1931) and Elizabeth (born 1929, aka Bessie, later sculptor Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas).http://www.sc-sculpture.com/
He became a naturalized citizen
of the United States
in July 1940 at the Ocean County
Naturalization Court in Toms River, New Jersey
, renouncing his title and becoming legally George de Cuevas. His title, however, continued to be used socially and in news reports. Cuevas and his wife sponsored an exhibition in 1940 at the New York World's Fair
that included old masters and French moderns borrowed from private collections and valued at $30 million.
He founded a new ballet company as the Ballet International in New York City
in 1944, performing at a now-destroyed theater in Columbus Circle
. The company was variously called the Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo or the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, but was most commonly called the de Cuevas Ballet by theatergoers.
In 1947, Rosella Hightower
accepted an invitation from Cuevas to join his new ballet company. The presence there of choreographer Bronislava Nijinska
was one of the major factors in Hightower's decision. Nijinska choreographed for Hightower the "glitteringly virtuosic" Rondo Capriccioso. In addition to classic dances, Hightower's performances included Piège de Lumière by John Taras
, the troupe's choreographer and balletmaster, in which she danced the role of a butterfly in a tropical forest who enchants a group of escaped convicts.
A 1953 costume party in Biarritz
featured 2,000 guests, of 4,000 invitees, who wore 18th-century costumes. Cuevas, dressed in gold lamé
and a headdress with towering ostrich plumes, came dressed as the "King of Nature".
At age 72, Cuevas faced off against the 52-year-old retired ballet dancer Serge Lifar
in a duel on March 30, 1958. The duel was precipitated by an argument over changes to Black and White, a ballet by Lifar that was being presented by the Cuevas ballet company. Lifar had his face slapped in public after insisting that he retained the rights to Black and White. Lifar sent his seconds to Cuevas who refused to extend an apology and chose to duel with swords. As duels had been "technically outlawed" in the 17th century, the time and location of the duel were not disclosed to the public. The duel was conducted in front of 50 newspaper photographers and ended with the two combatants in tears and embraces in what The New York Times
called "what may well have been the most delicate encounter in the history of French dueling", with the sole injury being a cut on Lifar's right forearm in the seventh minute.
The final success of his career was a production of The Sleeping Beauty that debuted in Paris in October 1960 and was well-received by critics. His doctors allowed him to attend the ballet's premiere, with Cuevas noting that "if I am going to die, I will die backstage." He was rolled onto the stage in a wheelchair after the performance to a standing ovation from the audience. The troupe was to have opened Sleeping Beauty in Cannes the night after Cuevas died, and canceled the performance in his memory.
George de Cuevas died at age 75 on February 22, 1961 at his villa, Les Délices, in Cannes.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an-born ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
and choreographer who was best known for the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas that he formed in 1944.
Cuevas was born as Jorge Cuevas Bartholín in 1885 in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, a son of Eduardo Cuevas Avaria (1821-1897), a prominent Chilean politician and former diplomat, and his third wife, the former María Manuela del Carmen Bartholín de la Guarda, who was half Danish. He had five siblings: Roberto, Luís, Enrique, Sara, and Carmela.http://www.genealog.cl/Apellidos/Bravo/ He also had 11 half-siblings from his father's previous marriages.
Though Cuevas was apparently homosexual he married Margaret Rockefeller Strong
Margaret Rockefeller Strong de Larraín, Marquesa de Cuevas
Margaret Rockefeller Strong Cuevas was an American activist.Cuevas was the daughter of Elizabeth Rockefeller Strong and her husband Dr. Charles Augustus Strong . Her maternal grandfather was Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller...
, a granddaughter of John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
in Paris on 3 August 1927, on which day he received, by royal decree, the title of Marqués de Piedra Blanca de la Guana.http://www.genealog.cl/Apellidos/Bravo/ (According to Vanity Fair, the title may have been purchased for Cuevas, arguably by his millionaire bride.) Around the time of the wedding, Cuevas had been serving as a secretary at the Chilean legation in London; the bride had been raised in Italy and studied chemistry at Cambridge University. The Cuevases would have two children, John (born 1931) and Elizabeth (born 1929, aka Bessie, later sculptor Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas).http://www.sc-sculpture.com/
He became a naturalized citizen
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in July 1940 at the Ocean County
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
Naturalization Court in Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River, New Jersey
Toms River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Toms River Township and is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is part of a larger Toms River Township...
, renouncing his title and becoming legally George de Cuevas. His title, however, continued to be used socially and in news reports. Cuevas and his wife sponsored an exhibition in 1940 at the New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
that included old masters and French moderns borrowed from private collections and valued at $30 million.
He founded a new ballet company as the Ballet International in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1944, performing at a now-destroyed theater in Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle
Columbus Circle, named for Christopher Columbus, is a major landmark and point of attraction in the New York City borough of Manhattan, located at the intersection of Eighth Avenue, Broadway, Central Park South , and Central Park West, at the southwest corner of Central Park. It is the point from...
. The company was variously called the Grand Ballet de Monte Carlo or the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, but was most commonly called the de Cuevas Ballet by theatergoers.
In 1947, Rosella Hightower
Rosella Hightower
Rosella Hightower was an American ballerina who achieved fame in both the United States and Europe.-Biography:...
accepted an invitation from Cuevas to join his new ballet company. The presence there of choreographer Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska - February 22, 1972)) was a Russian dancer, choreographer, and teacher of Polish descent.Nijinska was born in Minsk, the third child of the Polish dancers Tomasz and Eleonora Nijinska . Her brother was Vaslav Nijinsky...
was one of the major factors in Hightower's decision. Nijinska choreographed for Hightower the "glitteringly virtuosic" Rondo Capriccioso. In addition to classic dances, Hightower's performances included Piège de Lumière by John Taras
John Taras
John Taras was a prominent American balletmaster and choreographer. Born on the Lower East Side of New York City to Ukrainian parents, he was sent at age 16 to study ballet with Michel Fokine, Anatole Vilzak and Ludmila Shollar, and later to the School of American Ballet...
, the troupe's choreographer and balletmaster, in which she danced the role of a butterfly in a tropical forest who enchants a group of escaped convicts.
A 1953 costume party in Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
featured 2,000 guests, of 4,000 invitees, who wore 18th-century costumes. Cuevas, dressed in gold lamé
Lamé (fabric)
Lamé is a type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of metallic yarns, as opposed to guimpé, where the ribbons are wrapped around a fibre yarn. It is usually gold or silver in color; sometimes copper lamé is seen. Lamé comes in different varieties, depending on the composition of the other...
and a headdress with towering ostrich plumes, came dressed as the "King of Nature".
At age 72, Cuevas faced off against the 52-year-old retired ballet dancer Serge Lifar
Serge Lifar
Serge Lifar ; 15 December 1986) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer of Ukrainian origin, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century.-Biography:Lifar was born in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire...
in a duel on March 30, 1958. The duel was precipitated by an argument over changes to Black and White, a ballet by Lifar that was being presented by the Cuevas ballet company. Lifar had his face slapped in public after insisting that he retained the rights to Black and White. Lifar sent his seconds to Cuevas who refused to extend an apology and chose to duel with swords. As duels had been "technically outlawed" in the 17th century, the time and location of the duel were not disclosed to the public. The duel was conducted in front of 50 newspaper photographers and ended with the two combatants in tears and embraces in what The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called "what may well have been the most delicate encounter in the history of French dueling", with the sole injury being a cut on Lifar's right forearm in the seventh minute.
The final success of his career was a production of The Sleeping Beauty that debuted in Paris in October 1960 and was well-received by critics. His doctors allowed him to attend the ballet's premiere, with Cuevas noting that "if I am going to die, I will die backstage." He was rolled onto the stage in a wheelchair after the performance to a standing ovation from the audience. The troupe was to have opened Sleeping Beauty in Cannes the night after Cuevas died, and canceled the performance in his memory.
George de Cuevas died at age 75 on February 22, 1961 at his villa, Les Délices, in Cannes.