4 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

The new feature documentary on the late fashion-editing 'icon' Diana Vreeland may be of interest to some ballet lovers, as she herself was influenced by Diaghilev (she said):
http://www.modbee.co...ht-to-life.html

Vreeland claimed to have met Diaghilev and Nijinsky, although she was infamous for stretching the truth at times, for impact. I haven't seen the film but it supposedly contains some rare Ballet Russes clips of Faun and other works. Vreeland tried to become a dancer in the 1920s, working mainly in music hall-type shows, I believe.

[Bonnette]

Diana Vreeland was a fascinating character and I've been eagerly awaiting this documentary. By all accounts, she was someone for whom the phrase "reinventing oneself" might have been coined...what style and panache! Thanks for the link, Natalia.

[dirac]

Thanks, Natalia. I've been looking forward to this movie, too. By birth and upbringing Vreeland should have been a lady who lunched, but her husband did not have much of a head for business, I gather. I don't know how much ballet interest the film will have per se but I expect it'll be a lot of fun.

[CM]

I believe that the fiim may include some footage from Ann Barzel.  I'm always interested in first hand accounts of Ballet Russes performances and of meetings with Diaghilev particularly when they are based in Paris.  The film also covers the period where she curated exhibitions for the costume institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Didn't she write a catalogue for the exhibition Diaghilev: costumes and designs of the Ballets Russes?

[dirac]

I think she did.

You can find Vreeland's account of Nijinsky, Diaghilev, Vernon & Irene, et al., attending her mother's salon in her memoir, "D.V." (edited by Robert Gottlieb). As Natalia notes above, don't forget your salt shaker.