Rene Blum and The Ballets Russes: In Search of a Lost Life

by Judith Chazin-Bennahum

Overview

Ren? Blum and the Ballets Russes documents the life of the enigmatic and brilliant writer and producer who resurrected the Ballets Russes after Diaghilev died. Based on a treasure trove of previously undiscovered letters and documents, the book not only tells the poignant story of Blum's life, but also illustrates the central role Blum played in the development of dance in the United States. Indeed, Blum's efforts to save his ballet company eventually helped to bring many of the world's greatest dancers and choreographers--among them Fokine, Balanchine, and Nijinska--to American ballet stages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199831760
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	07/15/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Judith Chazin-Bennahum, former ballet dancer, is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Theatre and Dance at the University of New Mexico.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Janet Rowson Davis Introduction Chapter 1: Childhood and Youth: The Formation of an Intellectual and Aesthete Chapter 2: René Blum, Man of Letters Chapter 3: Marcel Proust and René Blum: An Uncommon Friendship Chapter 4: The Great War and René Blum Chapter 5: The Stately Pleasure Dome: René Blum and the Théâtre de Monte-Carlo Chapter 6: René and Josette: Romance in Monte Carlo Chapter 7: The Resurrection of the Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo Chapter 8: Blum Brings Michel Fokine into the Fold Chapter 9: The New World Calls: Blum Sells the Company to Americans Chapter 10: Blum's Last Days Epilogue Appendix: List of Productions in Monte Carlo Notes List of René Blum's Publications and Other Writings Select Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

Blum now has a biographer. She is Judith Chazin-Bennahum, a historian of dance…Her research is worthy, and we owe her a debt for bringing Blum back into historical view.
—The New York Times Book Review

Jennifer Homans

Unlike his French prime minister brother, Léon, René Blum (1878–1941) spent his life in a cultural rather than political milieu. As editor of the literary journal Gil Blas, he was acquainted with the likes of Pierre Bonnard, Edouard Vuillard, Claude Debussy, Paul Valéry, and Marcel Proust. A man of arts as well as letters, Blum was a theatrical manager whose forte was producing and promoting dance. Acording to Chazin-Bennahum (Distinguished Professor Emerita of Theatre & Dance, Univ. of New Mexico), "Blum is revered for having saved the Ballets Russes from probable extinction after the death of Diaghilev in 1929." In 1932, in partnership with Colonel W. de Basil, Blum resurrected Diaghilev's Ballets Russes as the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, which existed until 1963. To compile this biography, Chazin-Bennahum mined a wealth of previously untapped primary sources and unearthed numerous photographs from several archival collections. Blum's own autobiography has been lost since he was arrested and sent to Auschwitz in 1941. VERDICT Balletomanes, Francophiles, and students of European cultural history will enjoy this scholarly and meticulously researched work.—Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.

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