For much of the 20th century, Ballets Russes was the apotheosis of the dance.
No other company topped the creative power of the Ballet Russes. Legends like Diaghilev, Nijinksi and Balanchine built their reputations through their work with the company.
So did Krassovska, Slavenska, and Baronova. If those names aren’t as familiar, they will be after viewing “Ballets Russes,” a new documentary that recounts the storied 60-year history of the company.
“Ballet Russes” opens in theaters across the Bay Area Friday, Nov. 4.
Drawing on long-dormant archival footage and contemporary interviews, “Ballet Russes” is the handiwork of San Francisco-based husband-and-wife Jewish filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine.
Both admit neither knew much about ballet when they started the project six years ago. But both were as attracted to the human story behind Ballet Russes as they were to the artistry.
“It’s truly about a life well lived,” says Goldfine, who saw in her subjects ideal role models for aging gracefully.
Most of the former ballerinas and male counterparts in “Ballet Russes” were in their 80s and 90s during filming, yet were in remarkably good health, several still teaching and some still dancing. All were mentally sharp and remembered their glory days in vivid detail.
Ballet Russes was the brainchild of Russian-born producer Sergei Diaghilev, who formed the company in Paris in 1909. Over 20 years, he worked with artists like Picasso, Stravinsky and Dali to create a new kind of ballet unique to the 20th century.
After his death, management recruited a new generation of dancers, including a trio of Russian teens who came to be known as the “baby ballerinas.” Geller and Goldfine interviewed them, along with scores of others. It was clear that all still loved each other.
“Because they lived together 24 hours a day,” says Geller, “they had to stick together. There were the usual escapades, but by and large they had fond affection.”
Another striking aspect to the film is how physically beautiful the dancers are, even well into old age.
“A life dedicated to movement, no matter what that will do to knees and hips, creates a certain physique,” adds Geller. “The dancers were told whenever they went out, they were to embody glamour and elegance.”
Three dancers in the film were Jewish. One of them, Dame Alicia Markova, born Alicia Marks, was the last surviving veteran of the original Diaghilev company and widely considered one of the last century’s great prima ballerinas.
Two members of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, a spin-off company, were Jews: the late Alan Howard and Rochelle Zide. Another major Jewish player was theatrical impresario Sol Hurok, the man responsible for breaking the Ballets Russes in America. However, Hurok always downplayed his Jewish background.
Geller and Goldfine have made several documentaries over the years, most about contemporary youth culture. He was raised in Westchester County, N.Y., she in and around the Bay Area. Though they don’t see their film output as Jewish-themed, the couple acknowledges a certain Jewish sensibility in their artistic approach.
“There’s a sense of inquisitiveness and literacy to our films,” says Geller, “and hopefully a sense of intelligence so they are not mere entertainments, but actually look into the human condition. It’s a Jewish instinct: Always ask the questions.”
So far, “Ballet Russes” has played at the Sundance, Full Frame and Toronto Film Festivals, as well as a festival in Jerusalem. Sadly, the screenings came too late for several of the dancers, who have since died.
“It’s a meditation on aging,” says Geller of the film. “It’s about doing something you had a passion for, even if you can’t do that thing anymore. The sparkle and shine in the dancers comes from having done something with real purpose.”
“Ballet Russes” opens Nov. 4 at Embarcadero Cinemas, One Embarcadero Center, S.F. It opens Nov. 11 at Shattuck Cinemas, 2220 Shattuck, Berkeley; Rafael Film Center, 1118 4th Street, San Rafael and Camera Cinema 12, 201 S. Second Street, San Jose.