The 'black Swan' Pas De Deux/'tchaikovsky Pas De Deux'

[Mel Johnson]

Mikhail Mordkin was an absolutely vital part of American ballet history. He was one Russian dancer who came and STAYED. He got around the country and taught a good many students who became part of the advance guard of the American ballet.

[rg]

the scrupulous and reliable russian historian/scholar elizabeth souritz has published a book in russian on mordkin:

crudely translated:

ARTIST BALYETA - MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH MORDKIN (paper) YPCC moskva 2003

the text, 236 pp. long, includes coverage of the years in america souritz did a good deal of her research in the new york public library for the performing arts dance collection.

[leonid17]

the scrupulous and reliable russian historian/scholar elizabeth souritz has published a book in russian on mordkin:

crudely translated:

ARTIST BALYETA - MIKHAIL MIKHAILOVICH MORDKIN (paper) YPCC moskva 2003

the text, 236 pp. long, includes coverage of the years in america souritz did a good deal of her research in the new york public library for the performing arts dance collection.

Many thanks. I do refer to Mme Souritz book on Soviet Choreographer in the 1920's and look forward to acquiring the Mordkin book.

[leonid17]

Should anyone find a photo of Legnani as Odile, or of Ponomarev's sketch, please share them!

Does any one know what colour costume Julie Sedova wore in act 3 when she danced the role in a 4 act version with Mordkin in Washington on November 3, 1911?

Does any American contributor know anything about ther Mordkin production in Washington DC as

I have so far only found reference to this production on an English website. As I am interested in Mordkin, do American ballet scholars/enthusiasts consider Mordkin's work in the USA an important contribution to American ballet history?

The same question above also applies to Yekterina Geltser who appreared with Mordkin’s All Star Imperial Russian Ballet, New York, December 19, 1911. I would be grateful to hear from anyone who has copies or knows of any reviews for this Mordkin Tour.

[4mrdncr]

It's not a photograph, but the one picture that always explained to me Odile vs. Odette and the black tutu (or not) was Tasha Tudor's illustration in "The Royal Book of Ballet" which I received as a young dancer many years ago. The illustration shows Odile in an identical costume to Odette's--ie. White and long (not a tutu / not quite romantic length) and feathery. Odette, meanwhile, is still a swan vainly trying to attract Siegfried's attention in the window. So Rothbart made doubly sure he could deceive Siegfried by (1) making Odile the (evil) identical twin of Odette wearing a white costume, AND by appearing at the ball too early for Odette to have returned to human form.

I thought Odile's black costume was the same affectation that caused good cowboys to wear a white hat, and bad cowboys a black hat--ie. from the 19th c. early days of photography. But of course, black was associated with evil long before then. Very interesting pictures from late 19th-early 20th century. Thank you for posting them.