In a letter to his friend, the artist Alexandre Benois, the Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev once declared, “In a word, I see the future through a magnifying glass.”  Evidence of this statement was on hand at an exhibition at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts entitled “Diaghilev’s Theater of Marvels: The Ballets Russes and Its Aftermath.”  Through the clever juxtaposition of original set and costume designs with contemporary performance footage, the exhibition conveys the long-ranging influence of the Diaghilev company on the future of the world of ballet.

Curated by dance historian, author, and Barnard College professor Lynn Garafola, the library’s exhibit is one event in a larger celebration, taking place in cities around the world, of the centenary of the Ballets Russes’ first performances in Paris in May of 1909.  For example, the Harriman Institute at Columbia hosted a series of events last spring celebrating the Ballets Russes, including a reconstruction of Nijinsky’s landmark ballet Afternoon of a Faun.

The exhibit is organized roughly chronologically to highlight important periods in the company’s history corresponding to its five most prominent choreographers: Mikhail Fokine, Léonide Massine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Bronislava Nijinska, and George Balanchine.  The items on display range from designs for costumes and sets signed by the artist, original black and white photographs, and letter correspondence to costumes worn in recent reproductions and video footage from restagings of Ballets Russes works.  Some of the treasures to be found in the glass cases filling the exhibition space include a dainty pair of Nicolini pointe shoes worn by Anna Pavlova and a visiting card with a handwritten note from Diaghilev granting admission to all performances during the 1912 season.

By including a wide range of audio and visual materials relating to the Ballets Russes, the exhibit succeeds in embodying the fusion of various artistic disciplines that characterized Diaghilev’s company.  The diverse fields of dance, music, art, and fashion came together under the Ballets Russes through collaborations among the most talented choreographers, composers, artists, and designers of the time.

We can imagine that if Diaghilev were alive in the 21^st century, he would take advantage of modern technology to create a multimedia artistic experience.  Tucked in the back corner of the exhibition space are six television screens playing Ballets Russes works, including Mikhail Baryshnikov in Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, the Joffrey Ballet’s reconstruction of Massine’s Parade, and even rare footage of Anna Pavlova in the film The Dumb Girl of Portici. Music from Petrouchka, Les Noces, and other ballets playing in the background provides a fitting soundtrack for the exhibit.

Rather than considering the historical context of the Ballets Russes or examining its predecessors, the exhibition chooses instead to emphasize the rich dance legacy we have inherited from Diaghilev.  A number of the programs on display are for performances by successor companies, such as the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, that emerged after the death of Diaghilev in 1929.  In addition, many of the costumes and most of the video footage is from later performances of Ballets Russes works that have been reconstructed by companies like the Joffrey Ballet.  Interspersed with letters, photographs, and costume and set designs providing historical detail, these costumes and videos provide evidence of the legacy inherited from the Ballets Russes by modern day dance-lovers.

Walking into the exhibit, a mother told her young daughter, “So now when you go to ballet class, you can say you saw this.”  On the 100^th anniversary of the first performances of the Ballets Russes, “Diaghilev’s Theater of Marvels” provides dancers and non-dancers alike with an opportunity to experience the spirit of modernization and innovation brought to the ballet world by Diaghilev and his company.