Theatre Costume
1936 (made)
Costume for a Temple Servant in Mikhail Fokine's ballet Cleopatre.
Cléopâtre, described as a choreographic drama in 1 act, was staged for Serge Diaghilev’s Saison Russe at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, on 2 June 1909. It had been adapted from Une nuit d’Egypt created for the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg on 2 March 1908 using a score by Anton Arensky. For Paris the whole ballet was reworked incorporating music by by Sergei Taneyev (Prelude), Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov (Entry of Cleopatra), Mikhail Glinka (Veil Dance), Alexander Glazounov (Bacchanale) and Moussorgsky (Persian Dance) and entirely redesigned by Léon Bakst. After the production was damaged on tour in South America it was redesigned by Robert and Sonia Delaunay, keeping some of the Bakst costumes that survived. It continued to be danced by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes until the final season at Monte Carlo (12 May 1929). Cleopatre was then revived with a number of costumes being remade by de Basil’s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in Philadelphia on 10 November 1936 and seen at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 27 July 1937. This costume appears to be one of the 1935 remakes worn by the dancer Galina Chabelska who was one of six temple servants.
Set in Egypt, the ballet tells the story of two young lovers, Ta-Hor and Amoun who meet in the grounds of a temple. A high priest interrupts them, announcing the arrival of Cleopatra and her court. Amoun falls in love with the Queen’s beauty, and declares his love. Cleopatra accepts to spend a night with him, but in return he must drink poison the following morning. Ta-Hor tries to dissuade Amoun, but his passion is too strong. The ballet closes with Ta-Hor returning to the temple, to find the dead body of her lover.
Similar costumes, all aparently from the 1930s, are held in the collections of the Dancer Museum, Stockholm and the National Museum, Canberra.
Cléopâtre, described as a choreographic drama in 1 act, was staged for Serge Diaghilev’s Saison Russe at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, on 2 June 1909. It had been adapted from Une nuit d’Egypt created for the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg on 2 March 1908 using a score by Anton Arensky. For Paris the whole ballet was reworked incorporating music by by Sergei Taneyev (Prelude), Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov (Entry of Cleopatra), Mikhail Glinka (Veil Dance), Alexander Glazounov (Bacchanale) and Moussorgsky (Persian Dance) and entirely redesigned by Léon Bakst. After the production was damaged on tour in South America it was redesigned by Robert and Sonia Delaunay, keeping some of the Bakst costumes that survived. It continued to be danced by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes until the final season at Monte Carlo (12 May 1929). Cleopatre was then revived with a number of costumes being remade by de Basil’s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in Philadelphia on 10 November 1936 and seen at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 27 July 1937. This costume appears to be one of the 1935 remakes worn by the dancer Galina Chabelska who was one of six temple servants.
Set in Egypt, the ballet tells the story of two young lovers, Ta-Hor and Amoun who meet in the grounds of a temple. A high priest interrupts them, announcing the arrival of Cleopatra and her court. Amoun falls in love with the Queen’s beauty, and declares his love. Cleopatra accepts to spend a night with him, but in return he must drink poison the following morning. Ta-Hor tries to dissuade Amoun, but his passion is too strong. The ballet closes with Ta-Hor returning to the temple, to find the dead body of her lover.
Similar costumes, all aparently from the 1930s, are held in the collections of the Dancer Museum, Stockholm and the National Museum, Canberra.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Brief description | Dress and collar in 'Egyptian' style made to a design by Leon Bakst for a Temple Servant in Mikhail Fokine's ballet Cleopatre as revived by Colonel de Basil's Ballet Russe in 1936 |
| Physical description | Dress for a Temple Servant made of blue, pink and purple silk faille with blue silk chiffon midriff section and blue skirt decorated gold stencilled decoration. Cleopatre |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | Costume for a Temple Servant in Mikhail Fokine's ballet Cleopatre. Cléopâtre, described as a choreographic drama in 1 act, was staged for Serge Diaghilev’s Saison Russe at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, on 2 June 1909. It had been adapted from Une nuit d’Egypt created for the Imperial Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg on 2 March 1908 using a score by Anton Arensky. For Paris the whole ballet was reworked incorporating music by by Sergei Taneyev (Prelude), Nikolai Rimsky Korsakov (Entry of Cleopatra), Mikhail Glinka (Veil Dance), Alexander Glazounov (Bacchanale) and Moussorgsky (Persian Dance) and entirely redesigned by Léon Bakst. After the production was damaged on tour in South America it was redesigned by Robert and Sonia Delaunay, keeping some of the Bakst costumes that survived. It continued to be danced by Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes until the final season at Monte Carlo (12 May 1929). Cleopatre was then revived with a number of costumes being remade by de Basil’s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo in Philadelphia on 10 November 1936 and seen at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 27 July 1937. This costume appears to be one of the 1935 remakes worn by the dancer Galina Chabelska who was one of six temple servants. Set in Egypt, the ballet tells the story of two young lovers, Ta-Hor and Amoun who meet in the grounds of a temple. A high priest interrupts them, announcing the arrival of Cleopatra and her court. Amoun falls in love with the Queen’s beauty, and declares his love. Cleopatra accepts to spend a night with him, but in return he must drink poison the following morning. Ta-Hor tries to dissuade Amoun, but his passion is too strong. The ballet closes with Ta-Hor returning to the temple, to find the dead body of her lover. Similar costumes, all aparently from the 1930s, are held in the collections of the Dancer Museum, Stockholm and the National Museum, Canberra. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2486-1986 |
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| Record created | July 1, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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