Materials in the Collection - Programs

Of all the types of materials in our collection, perhaps the largest single manuscript grouping that we have are programs.  There are two main varieties of programs in our collection.  The first is the flashiest and most artistic.  These are the souvenir programs.  

We have souvenir programs from all three Ballets Russes companies.  

We have several from Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.

Diaghilev's Ballet Russes Souvenir Program - 1922.
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

Some of the Diaghilev material features art by the great artists that the company worked with over the years.  This program features a sketch by Pablo Picasso.

Diaghilev's Ballets Russes Souvenir Program - 1927
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

There are programs from the joint Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo company founded by René Blum and Colonel de Basil.

Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo Souvenir Program - 1932
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

We also have a number of programs from Colonel de Basil's Original Ballet Russe company, although the name of the company varies based on the year and location where the company was performing.  There is a large gap in the years based on the company spending much of WWII in South and Central America.

De Basil's Ballets Russes Souvenir Program - 1935-37
Miguel Terekhov Collection

We also have souvenir programs from the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo company which was run by Serge Denham and primarily toured across the United States.  

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo Souvenir Program, 1943-44
Shirley Haynes Collection

While most souvenir programs were created for the company and used across different cities, sometimes, the more far-flung areas created their own souvenir programs.  An example of this is from the Original Ballet Russe's tours of Australia and New Zealand.

Original Ballet Russe Souvenir Program from 1936-37 tour of New Zealand
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

While the souvenir programs are more recognizable, the vast majority of programs that we have are from individual performances.  Some of them are more illustrious than others, like the staging of all three ballets choreographed by Massine with costumes and sets by Picasson.

December 21, 1920 performance program featuring performances of
Parade, Pulcinella, and Le Tricorne.

Other performance programs are interesting because of the companies and the dancers.  They could be from the early days of the combined Blum and De Basil Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo.

November 1932 performance in Amsterdam
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

April 1933 performance in Monte Carlo
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

February 1934 performance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

Some of the performance programs are almost as interesting to look at as the souvenir programs with beautiful covers and interesting art work.

May 1935 performance in Barcelona, Spain
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

July 1935 performance program from London, England
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

Often the interest comes from being in a far-flung location.  The Original Ballet Russe did several tours of Australia and then spent nearly five years in Central and South America.  While many pieces from the Australian tour remained and have been displayed in Australia, much of the work and material from the South American years has been unknown.

October 1936 performance program from Adelaide, Australia
Nathalie Branitzka-Hoyer Collection

Many of the South and Central American programs have never been seen and include the first appearances of young dancers and the debuts of culturally relevant works.

1941 performance program from Havana, Cuba
Tatiana Bechenova Collection

July 1942 performance program from Montevideo, Uruguay
Tatiana Bechenova Collection

September 1942 program from Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tatiana Bechenova Collection

We also have programs from the many cities in the United States that the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performed.  These range from big cities like Chicago and New York, to smaller places like Oklahoma City and York, Pennsylvania.

January 1946 program from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Miguel Terekhov Collection

January 1948 program from York, Pennsylvania
Bernice Rehner Collection

October 1947 program from Chicago, Illinois
Bernice Rehner Collection

Overall, we have an interesting and varied collection of programs that showcase the material and dancers from the different Ballets Russes companies.

Meet the Staff - Tara Davis

1. Who are you and what is your position?

Tara Davis – Graduate Assistant

2. Please give us a little bit of background about you.


I am an alumna of the University of Oklahoma (OU) Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) program. I have a Bachelor of Arts in English. My previous (and current) experience with dance was that of being the audience.

3. When did you come to the Ballets Russes Archive?


I came to the Ballets Russes Archive in September 2011 and stayed until December 2012.

4. Why did you become a part of the Ballets Russes Archive?


Jeri Smalley spoke about the archive in my preservation class. I was looking for more hands-­on experience in the field and the archive seemed really amazing. I had always admired ballet from afar and was really interested in learning more about the famous Native American Ballerinas from that time period. It seemed like an all-around great opportunity.

5. What aspects of the Ballets Russes Archive have you worked on? 


I worked on everything from arrangement of the collections, to the beginning stages of digitization, description, finding aids, and fundraising presentations. I feel like I really came at a time when the archive was moving from “Here’s where we’re going” to actually doing it.

6. What are the biggest challenges you faced in working with the Archive?

Because of coming in during that transition period, there are a lot of things that seem simple at first, but actually represent a lot of steps in between. For instance, we wanted to start digitizing, but first we needed to pinpoint standards, which meant research, then we needed to get equipment, which required research, then we needed to draft policies and procedures, which took research, then these things needed to be tested and adjusted accordingly, which took more time. So for me personally, it was a challenge of learning patience and trying to think 4 steps ahead.

I also found it very challenging to convey the archive’s purpose, function, rules and needs to non-archivists. Because the archive is primarily funded and supported by an entity that isn’t otherwise associated with the information field, there were often differences in opinion as far as vision and practices went. It was definitely an exercise in politics, teaching, and appeasing others, all while striving to maintain professional integrity.

I also faced the challenge of leaving knowing that I could never finish everything and trying to pass on all that I had learned while there. As I am not naturally the teaching type, it was a challenge to try to convey my institutional knowledge to others in an effective and efficient way. It was  very hard to leave, since this truly was a project that was close to my heart.

7. What are the biggest successes you have achieved with the Archive?

It was a goal of ours to have all of the collections arranged by October of 2012. While some outside of the archive voiced doubt, I made it my goal in the spring of 2012 to have everything arranged by that October. With Jessie Hopper’s help, we accomplished that. It was truly rewarding to not only meet that goal, but also get the chance to work so intimately with those materials.

I also created item level descriptions of a large amount of our collections. It was fascinating to examine the materials that closely and describe them in ways that would make them accessible. You really had to think about things in this frame of “How do I make this as objective as possible, but still convey meaning, context, and encourage discoverability?” Seriously – I thought stuff like that, because I’m totally nerdy about this field. I feel like in the end, I came out with a good product and hope that I served these amazing materials well.

We began working on Encoded Archival Description (EAD) finding aids. I was graciously provided with an opportunity from the School of Dance (SoD) to go to training for this. When I came back, I not only began creating EAD finding aids, but I also taught someone else how to do them. As I've mentioned, I’m not much of a teacher, so that was very gratifying, especially as she went on to understand and do more than I had shown her in the first place. It was a rewarding endeavor.

8. What are your favorite projects you worked on with the Archive? 


I truly enjoyed processing Bernice Rehner’s collection. I think it is one of the most dynamic collections I have ever worked with. It was a challenge to arrange it – physically and intellectually. It gave me practice working with nearly every medium contained in the archive. And it was one of the first collections (of many now) that I really got to see firsthand how much you can learn about a person by the things they create and the things they keep.

I enjoyed working with Charlotte and Jeri to find out more about copyright and photographs. I learned so much about photo copyright and also was able to see the way our profession connects with others (Lawyers, photographers, dancers, etc).

I even enjoyed ‘Desmoking’ some of the materials. One of the collections came to us so saturated with cigarette smoke that it was impossible to process it without feeling ill effects. It was a process of experimentation, hope, frustration, and eventually seeking new alternatives. I feel like it was a microcosm of the archival field itself.

Arranging Branitzka’s photos was also a ton of fun. I got the chance to work more closely with Jessie and experience how much easier some projects are with another person. We were able to bounce ideas off of each other and she was there to help me efficiently make a decision that if I were by myself, I would've spent hours pondering over. It was satisfying to combine our skills and talents to create such a great product. Plus, Branitzka has some really great photos.

9. What are your favorite items or collections in the Archive? 


Bernice Rehner’s collection -­‐ I feel like it is the quintessential Ballets Russes Archive collection. It is grand. It has panache. It has big names, small names, and those in between. It had so many mediums and boundless personality. You really got a feel for the day-­‐to-­‐day life of the dancers -­‐ even those in the corps. You got a sense of the time period, you were able to see Bernice’s effervescence though her things. It was just wonderful. 

George Verdak’s Fat Ballerinas. I LOVE those things. Of all of the people whose materials I read, Verdak was the one I wanted to hang out with the most. He was just so funny and obviously talented. I loved his friendship with Bernice. And those drawings. To this day I still want to be a Verdak ballerina for Halloween, but it would just be the most OBSCURE costume in the world. Get those things famous so I can do it!

Walda Welch’s Collection (primarily Tamara Karsavina’s materials) – Again, these materials really showed the personality of Karsavina. From the dictated letter from her husband saying she wouldn’t dream of torturing them with her handwriting, to the picture of her with her dog Bijou, I just really felt like I got to know a piece of her.

Also, Walda’s snapshots were amazing. Her snapshots were kind of the visual equivalent of what Bernice’s materials were. You really see a different side of the dancers and the performances. Also, I got this feeling that Walda felt really lonely in the company – she’s rarely in the pictures, always behind the camera. When she is in them, she’s usually pretty straight-­‐faced. Sometimes her pictures have this listless, mournful feeling. I don’t know how quite to describe it. When I later saw that she was only in the company for two years, I felt like I knew part of the reason she left. I’m digressing here – but I guess it’s just another example of how personality filters through papers and pictures.

10. What are your hopes for the future of the Archive?

I hope the archive is able to get the recognition it deserves from researchers, dancers, students, and the archival profession. I hope it becomes a landmark archive for this subject and that anyone who researches this era of ballet knows of its existence.

I hope that it begins to contribute to larger exhibitions in efforts to make its amazing set of materials noticed and become part of the larger dance–research community.

I hope they continue to help other MLIS students on their way to the profession get such great experience. I truly feel like it was a blessing to get to work with these materials and hope others get that opportunity as well.

I hope that it always stays in such caring and capable hands like it does today.

Introducing the Collections - The Tatiana Bechenova Collection

Tatiana Bechenova (c.1925-2012) was born in Sophia, Bulgaria, daughter of Paulina Belka of Odessa and George Bechenoff of Siberia.  She was raised in Paris and joined de Basil’s Original Ballet Russe at the age of fourteen.  Bechenova performed as a soloist from 1939 to 1947, traveling with the company around the world, including a tour in Australia and a longer sojourn throughout Central and South America.  After leaving Original Ballet Russe, she was a principal dancer for Agnes de Mille in the Broadway production of Carousel.  Following her marriage to Thomas O’Rourke, the couple moved to Dubuque, Iowa.  She taught ballet at Clarke College and opened the Academy of Ballet in 1958.  Bechenova founded the Dubuque City Youth Ballet in 1969 and, with her daughter Marina, established the Heartland Ballet in 1983. 

The Tatiana Bechenova Collection is the largest collection by number of items, although not by linear feet.  With over 900 photographs, her collection provides the most comprehensive picture of the dancers and the travel of the Original Ballet Russe during their sojourn in South and Central America.

Tatiana Bechenova in costume.  

Tatiana Bechenova joined the company shortly before the Original Ballet Russe's final trip to Australia.

Certificate from traveling on the S.S. Monterey from Australia

Train ticket traveling between Sydney and Brisbane in Queensland

Program from Brisbane performance on July 6, 1940.

Tatiana Bechenova on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.

Christmas party on the S.S. Orcades on way to Australia in 1939

Her collection also includes the only materials we have related to the company's ill-fated trip to Cuba in 1941. Several of the dancers struck to keep their pay.  However, there was a major blowup between Colonel de Basil and his financier, Sal Hurok.  Due to this, the money to get the dancers  off the island was gone.  The dancers were trapped for several months before they were rescued with a new contract in South America.

Telegram to Tatiana Bechenova regarding the strike.

Roman Jasinsky, Moscelyne Larkin, and Tatiana Bechenova on the beach in Cuba.

Program from Havana in 1941.

Following a brief stint in the US and Canada, the company embarked on a five-year engagement across Central and South America.  The Bechenova collection contains hundreds of snapshots and performance programs from nearly every country in the region.  This collection contains the only large scale groupings detailing the movements of the Original Ballet Russe.

Tatiana Bechenova in front of Sugar Loaf in Brazil.

From the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Artist's Pass at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.

July 19, 1942 performance program from Montevideo, Uruguay

November 20, 1945 performance program from San Salvador, El Salvador

Performance program from July 5, 1945 in Caracas, Venezuela

November 10, 1945 performance program from Tegucigalpa, Honduras

They brought ballet in its most unique form to Central and South America as well as being a highlight in Australia.  The Bechenova collection is comprehensive in its materials regarding these somewhat lost years of the Original Ballet Russe.

Olga Morosova and Oleg Tupine in Le Coq d'Or

Graduation Ball, which was first presented in Sydney in 1940

Peformance of Paganini

The Tatiana Bechenova Collection is the most recent major collection donated to the Ballets Russes Archive, and it may turn out to have the most research and historical merit in its coverage of Original Ballet Russe and the South American tour.