The Polovtsian dances from Prince Igor was the production most frequently danced by Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and the only work in every one of the company's season from 1909 to 1929. It was performed in some form at over a quarter of all Ballet Russes' performances. With its emphasis on vigorous male dancing, it introduced a new note into ballet in the early 20th century. Choreographed by Mikhail Fokine to music from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, the dances were first performed when Serge Diaghilev presented Act 2 of the opera on 18/19 May 1909 at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris. The first performance of the complete opera was presented by Diaghilev in London on 8 June 1914 at Drury Lane.

In 1910 the Polovtsian dances were performed as part of Le Festin and the structure of the one-act ballet was constantly changing to suit the needs of the season. In 1921 a front cloth designed by Nicholas Roerich was added while the Marche Polovtsienne was played and ‘Chanson Polovtsienne’ was sung by Zoia Rozowska. New choreography was added by Léonide Massine for Catherine Devillier and the young Polovtsian girls, leading into the original Fokine choreography for the Polovtsian Dances. In1923 Bronislava Nijinska set new choreography for the opening dance.

Given the vigorous nature of the choreography, costumes were frequently remade and changed over time. This costume, made to the design by Roerich, includes the name of Serge Unger, who was one of the dancers who had trained with Bronislava Nijinka in Kyiv (Kiev) and danced with Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes 1923-25, leaving with Nijinska to work on her subsequent projects.