The Victoria and Albert Museum's major exhibition for the autumn,
Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballet Russes, showcases the work and imagination of artistic director Serge Diaghilev and the genesis of the radical Ballet Russes. Diaghilev's work with the company transformed the face of early 20th century culture through collaboration with artists including Coco Chanel, Igor Stravinsky, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, in the development of an aesthetic which married art, music and dance to create a spectacular brand of total theatre. Diaghilev's vision combined with Vaslav Nijinsky's bold choreography of an original ballet repertoire (including Stravinsky's
The Rite of Spring) saw the Ballet Russes become one of the most influential theatre companies of the twentieth century, and their legacy still influences a panoply of contemporary culture. The exhibition, which opens at the V&A South Kensington on the 25th September and runs until the 9th January 2011, features over three hundred objects, including original costumes, set designs and props, all of which tell the story of a ballet company and visionary who together transformed the face of modern dance, fashion and art.
In celebration of the launch of the exhibition, the V&A shop have also launched a special range of tie-in merchandise, including this gorgeous scarf designed by Erdem, featuring the original costume designs of Léon Bakst for the Ballet Russes:
At £185, it is rather pricey, but it is certainly a beautiful keepsake of the exhibition. On the other hand,
these gorgeous prints are a bit more within my price range, and will look great in hanging up in my room. I can't wait to get down to the V&A when the exhibition opens, it looks as though it's going to be unmissable (and invaluable for my dissertation research!)
To find out more about the exhibition, visit
www.vam.ac.uk.
What do you think? Will you be paying a visit? Or perhaps splashing out on the Erdem scarf?
(Image credit: V&A Theatre and Performance Collections and V&A Shop.)
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