Overview
Letters from Serge Lifar to Serge Diaghilev describing Lifar's dance lessons, his impressions of rehearsals of ballets and musical concerts.
Dates
- Creation: 1924-1929
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in Russian.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
.3 linear feet (1 box)5 letters from Serge Lifar to Serge Diaghilev, including: a draft of letter about his lessons with Enrico Cechhetti in Turin (Italy) in 1924; letters from Milan (Italy) describing Lifar's impressions of rehearsals of Richard Strauss's La Legende de Joseph (possibly at Teatro alla Scala) and Arturo Toscanini's conducting concerts at Scala, and informing Diaghilev of the arrival of a book parcel from the Soviet Russia; and postcard from Ostend (Belgium) from 1929 where Lifar was on vacation.
In later years, Lifar made some corrections to the letters, crossing over words in the address lines and adding Diaghilev's initials instead, and stamping all letters with his personal ink stamp.
Biographical / Historical
Serge Lifar joined Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1923 where he quickly became Diaghilev's protégé. After taking classes with the famous ballet teacher Enrico Cecchetti arranged for him by Diaghilev, Lifar became leading dancer of Ballets Russes. After Diaghilev's death in 1929, Lifar joined Paris Opera as premier danseur and ballet master.
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Physical Location
b
Immediate Source of Acquisition
2007MT-61r. Purchased from Sotheby's (Firm), London, with the Parmenia Migel Ekstrom Memorial Fund; received: 2002 December.
Processing Information
Processed by: Irina Klyagin
- Title
- Lifar, Serge, 1905-1986. Serge Lifar letters to Serge Diaghilev, 1924-1929: Guide.
- Author
- Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou01947
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.
Harvard Yard
Harvard University
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2440
Houghton_Library@harvard.edu