Benefits during Petipa's time

[innopac]

Sorry - somehow lost the post.

During Petipa's life I am presuming that dancers would keep the evening's takings if they were granted the right to have a benefit performance by, for example, The Director of the Imperial Theatres and that the right to have a Benefit would include use of the theatre space.

But would the artist granted the Benefit be required to make payments out of the evening's receipts to other dancers and theatre staff involved in the Benefit?

What was the role of benefit performances? Were they both an honour and a way of helping an artist provide for his/her financial future? Were they mainly for farewells?

Were they an extension of royal patronage or did they develop some other way?

[innopac]

In The Dancer's Heritage by Ivor Guest he writes about the Maryinsky Theatre:

"Most of the seats were reserved for the Court, the diplomatic corps, and members of exclusive clubs, less than a third -- and most of those in the gallery and balcony -- being available for the public. A considerable proportion of the audience attended nearly every performance." page 55

Would only the public be paying for tickets?

[Mel Johnson]

That's right. When Vsevolozhsky became Director of Imperial Theaters, one of his goals was to end all the "papering" of the house to state freeloaders. He met with only a little success.

[innopac]

That's right. When Vsevolozhsky became Director of Imperial Theaters, one of his goals was to end all the "papering" of the house to state freeloaders. He met with only a little success.

So does that mean an artist would gain more honour than financial recompense from a benefit concert?

[Mel Johnson]

That's right. Of course, that shouldn't stop the Tsar or any other interested audience member to kick in a little incentive to the artist being honored, a place on the Easter Egg list, for example.