![Tamara Toumanova & Serge Lifar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Tamara_Toumanova_%26_Serge_Lifar.jpg)
Serge Lifar ( ua, Сергій Михайлович Лифар, ''Serhіy Mуkhailovуch Lуfar'') ( 15 December 1986) was a Ukrainian ballet dancer and choreographer, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. Not only a dancer, Lifar was also a choreographer, director, writer, theoretician about dance, and collector.
As
ballet master of the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
from 1930 to 1944, and from 1947 to 1958, he devoted himself to the restoration of the technical level of the
Paris Opera Ballet, returning it to its place as one of the best companies in the world.
Biography
Early life and education
Lifar was born in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Ky ...
,
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
. His year of birth is officially shown as 1904 (as on a 2004 Ukrainian stamp commemorating his centenary).
He became the pupil of
Bronislava Nijinska
Bronislava Nijinska (; pl, Bronisława Niżyńska ; russian: Бронисла́ва Фоми́нична Нижи́нская, Bronisláva Fomínična Nižínskaja; be, Браніслава Ніжынская, Branislava Nižynskaja; – Febr ...
in her ballet studio «School of Movement» in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Ky ...
, 1920.
In 1921 he left
Soviet Russia
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
and was noticed by
Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪˈrɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), usually referred to outside Russia as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, pa ...
, who sent him to
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
in order to improve his technique with
Enrico Cecchetti
Enrico Cecchetti (; 21 June 1850 – 13 November 1928) was an Italian ballet dancer, mime, and founder of the Cecchetti method. The son of two dancers from Civitanova Marche, he was born in the costuming room of the ''Teatro Tordinona'' in ...
.
Ballets Russes
He made his debut at the
Ballets Russes
The Ballets Russes () was an itinerant ballet company begun in Paris that performed between 1909 and 1929 throughout Europe and on tours to North and South America. The company never performed in Russia, where the Revolution disrupted society. ...
in 1923, where he became the principal dancer in 1925.
[''A Dictionary of Twentieth Century World Biography.'' United Kingdom: ]Book Club Associates
Book Club Associates (BCA) was a mail-order and online book selling company in the United Kingdom. It came to dominate the mail-order book-club business in the U.K. in the 1970s and 1980s through extensive advertising in Sunday newspaper colour su ...
, 1992, p. 343. Lifar was considered the successor to
Nijinsky
Vaslav (or Vatslav) Nijinsky (; rus, Вацлав Фомич Нижинский, Vatslav Fomich Nizhinsky, p=ˈvatsləf fɐˈmʲitɕ nʲɪˈʐɨnskʲɪj; pl, Wacław Niżyński, ; 12 March 1889/18908 April 1950) was a ballet dancer and choreog ...
in the Ballets Russes.
He was cast at the age of 21 opposite
Tamara Karsavina
Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (russian: Тамара Платоновна Карсавина; 10 March 1885 – 26 May 1978) was a Russian prima ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and l ...
in Nijinska's ''Roméo et Juliette'' (1926, score by
Constant Lambert
Leonard Constant Lambert (23 August 190521 August 1951) was a British composer, conductor, and author. He was the founder and music director of the Royal Ballet, and (alongside Ninette de Valois and Frederick Ashton) he was a major figure in th ...
); Karsavina was twice his age.
He originated leading roles in three
Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
*
*
*
* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
ballets for the Ballet Russes, including ''
La Chatte
''La Chatte'' is a short novel by French writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. Released in 1933, the book tells of a love triangle involving Camille Malmert, her husband Alain Amparat and his Chartreux
The Chartreux is a rare breed of cat from ...
'' (1927), with a score by French composer
Henri Sauguet
Henri-Pierre Sauguet-Poupard (18 May 1901 – 22 June 1989) was a French composer.
Born in Bordeaux, he adopted his mother's maiden name as part of his professional pseudonym. His output includes operas, ballets, four symphonies (1945, 1949 ...
and based on an
Aesop
Aesop ( or ; , ; c. 620–564 BCE) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as ''Aesop's Fables''. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales c ...
fable, which featured Lifar's famous entrance in a 'chariot' formed by his male companions; ''
Ode
An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...
'' by
Léonide Massine
Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin (russian: Леони́д Фёдорович Мя́син), better known in the West by the French transliteration as Léonide Massine (15 March 1979), was a Russian choreographer and ballet dancer. Massine created the w ...
and ''Apollon Musagète'' (1928) with a score by
Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...
depicting the birth of the Greek God
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
and his encounter with the three muses,
Calliope
In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muse ...
,
Polyhymnia
Polyhymnia (; el, Πολυύμνια, lit=the one of many hymns), alternatively Polymnia (Πολύμνια), was, in Greek mythology, the Muse of sacred poetry, sacred hymn, dance and eloquence, as well as agriculture and pantomime.
Etymology ...
, and
Terpsichore
In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; grc-gre, Τερψιχόρη, "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word "terpsichorean" which means "of or relating to dance".
Appearance
...
; and ''Le Fils prodigue'' (''
The Prodigal Son'') (1929), with a score by
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, ...
, the last great ballet of the Diaghilev era.
Paris Opéra Ballet
At the death of
Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev ( ; rus, Серге́й Па́влович Дя́гилев, , sʲɪˈrɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪdʑ ˈdʲæɡʲɪlʲɪf; 19 August 1929), usually referred to outside Russia as Serge Diaghilev, was a Russian art critic, pa ...
in 1929, Lifar at the age of 24 was invited by
Jacques Rouché to take over the directorship of the
Paris Opéra Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...
, which had fallen into decline in the late 19th century. Lifar gave the company a new strength and purpose, initiating the rebirth of ballet in France, and began to create the first of many ballets for that company.
These were immediately successful, such as ''Les Créatures de Prométhée'' (1929), a personal version of ''Le Spectre de la rose'' (1931); and ''L'Après-midi d'un faune'' (1935); ''Icare'' (1935), with costumes and decor by
Picasso; ''Istar'' (1941); and ''Suite en Blanc'' (1943), which he qualified as ''
Neoclassical ballet
Neoclassical ballet is the style of 20th-century classical ballet exemplified by the works of George Balanchine. The term "neoclassical ballet" appears in the 1920s with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, in response to the excesses of romanticis ...
''.
As part of his effort to revitalize dance, Lifar thought the basic principles of ballet—specifically the
five positions of the feet—denied mobility for the dancer. He codified two additional positions, known as the sixth and seventh positions, with the feet turned in, not out like the first five positions.
The sixth and seventh positions were not Lifar's inventions, but revivals of positions that already existed in the eighteenth century, when there were ten positions of the feet in classical ballet;
and their use is limited to Lifar's choreographies.
During his three decades as director of the Paris Opéra Ballet, Lifar led the company through the turbulent times of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and the German occupation of France. Lifar was a collaborationist under the occupation . Lifar's postwar trial resulted in his condemnation as a collaborator and his suspension from the national stage. During his absence, Balanchine was hired to replace him.
Returning to his former position, Lifar's presence was vehemently opposed by the Opera stagehands with the result that he was not allowed to appear on stage nor to consult with technical staff directly on any productions. Nevertheless, he brought the Paris Opéra Ballet to America and performed to full houses at the
New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and t ...
despite protests. Audiences were enthusiastic and had great admiration for the company of dancers.
He undoubtedly influenced
Yvette Chauviré
Yvette Chauviré (; 22 April 1917 – 19 October 2016) was a French prima ballerina and actress. She is often described as France's greatest ballerina, and was the coach of prima ballerinas Sylvie Guillem and Marie-Claude Pietragalla. She was awa ...
,
Janine Charrat
Janine Charrat (24 July 1924 – 29 August 2017) was a French dancer and choreographer. She appeared in ''Ballerina'' at the age of 12, and went on to choreograph over 50 ballets. She was an officer of the Legion of Honour.
Filmography
* 1938: ...
, and
Roland Petit
Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets.
Life and work
The son of shoe designer Ros ...
.
In 1958, Lifar was forced into retirement due to a strained relationship with the Opera management. A famous photograph was taken of Lifar leaving the
Palais Garnier, after being forced to resign, looking somber and clasping the wings from the costume of
Icarus that the character puts on in order to fly.
Later life
On 30 March 1958, at age 52, Lifar faced off against the 72-year-old
impresario
An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer.
His ...
George de Cuevas
Jorge Cuevas Bartholín, known as George de Cuevas (1885 – 22 February 1961), was a Chilean-born ballet impresario and choreographer who was best known for the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas that he formed in 1944.
Life and career
Cueva ...
in a duel in France. The duel was precipitated by an argument over changes to ''Black and White'' (''Suite en blanc''), a ballet by Lifar that was being presented by the Cuevas ballet company. Lifar had his face slapped in public after insisting that he retained the rights to ''Black and White''. Lifar sent his seconds to Cuevas who refused to extend an apology and chose to duel with swords. As duels had been "technically outlawed" in the 17th Century, the time and location of the duel were not disclosed to the public. The duel was conducted in front of 50 newspaper photographers and ended with the two combatants in tears and embraces in what ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' wrote "what may well have been the most delicate encounter in the history of French dueling," with the sole injury being a cut on Lifar's right forearm in the seventh minute.
In 1977 the Paris Opéra Ballet devoted a full evening to his choreography.
Death
![Tombe de Serge Lifar (Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Tombe_de_Serge_Lifar_%28Sainte-Genevi%C3%A8ve-des-Bois%29.jpg)
He died in
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
, Switzerland in 15 December 1986, aged 81, and was buried in
Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery
Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery (french: Cimetière russe de Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois) is part of the ''Cimetière de Liers'' and is called the Russian Orthodox cemetery, in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, Paris, France.
History
The ...
.
Legacy
![Serge Lyfar Stamp](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Serge_Lyfar_Stamp.jpg)
Editions Sauret published his memoirs, titled ''Les Mémoires d'Icare'', posthumously in 1993. The title references one of his greatest roles in the ballet ''Icare''. "The story of the ballet is based on the ancient Greek myth of
Icarus, whose father
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, a ...
builds him a pair of artificial wings. Disobeying his father's orders, Icarus flies too close to the sun, which melts the wax in his wings and causes him to plunge to his death."
The Serge Lifar Foundation was set up on 23 August 1989 by Lifar's companion, Countess Lillan Ahlefeldt-Laurvig. In 2012, jewels from the Countess' estate were auctioned at
Sotheby's
Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...
, with the proceeds going to the Foundation.
In the summer of 1994 the First Lifar International Ballet Contest was held on the stage of the
National Ukraine Opera. The Sixth Lifar International Ballet Competition was held in April 2006 and the seventh in
Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loca ...
in March–April 2011.
Awards and honours
*Commandeur des
Arts et des Lettres
*Chevalier de la
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
(1983)
Books
In 1935 Lifar published his ''confessio fidei'' ("confession of faith") titled ''Le manifesto du chorégraphe'', proposing laws about the independence of choreography. Some of views include:
He also wrote a biography of Diaghilev titled ''Serge Diaghilev, His Life, His Work, His Legend: An Intimate Biography'' published by Putnam, London, 1940.
Cultural depictions
*''
Anna Pavlova
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20t ...
'', film by
Emil Loteanu
Emil Vladimirovich Loteanu (6 November 1936 – 18 April 2003) was a Romanian-Soviet film director born in what is now Moldova. He moved to Moscow in his early life. His best known films are '' Lăutarii'', '' Gypsies Are Found Near Heaven'', '' A ...
; portrayed by
Igor Sklyar
Igor Borisovich Sklyar (russian: Игорь Борисович Скляр; born 18 December 1957) is a Russian actor and singer. He has appeared in over 30 films since 1974. He starred in the 1994 film, '' The Year of the Dog'', which won the S ...
(1983).
Further reading
*Mark Franko, "Serge Lifar and the Question of Collaboration with the German Authorities under the Occupation of Paris (1940-1949)," in Dance Research 35(2) (in French) (Winter 2017): 218-257.
*Mark Franko, «Serge Lifar et la question de la collaboration avec les autorités allemandes sous l’Occupation (1940-1949),» Vingtième siècle. Revue d'histoire, n°132 (Oct-Déc 2016): 27-41.
*Jean Laurent & Julie Sazanova, ''Serge Lifar, rénovateur du ballet français'', Paris, Buchet-Chastel, 1960.
*''The Diaghilev-Lifar Library'', catalogue, Sotheby's, Monte-Carlo, 1975.
*''Ballet material and manuscripts from the Serge Lifar Collection'', catalogue, Sotheby's, London, 1984
*Alexander Schouvaloff, ''The Art of Ballets Russes: The Serge Lifar Collection of Theater Designs, Costumes, and Paintings at the Wadsworth Atheneum'', Yale University, 1998.
*Roger Leong (ed.), ''From Russia With Love: Costumes for the Ballets Russes 1909–1933'', Australian Publishers, 2000, , .
*Laurence BENAÏM, ''Marie Laure de Noailles, la vicomtesse du bizarre'', Paris, Grasset, 2001, .
*Robert Aldrich & Garry Wotherspoon, ''Who’s Who in Gay and Lesbian History from Antiquity to World War II'', Routledge, London, 2002, .
*Stéphanie Corcy, ''La vie culturelle sous l'Occupation'', Paris, Perrin, 2005.
*Lynn Garafola, ''Legacies of Twentieth-century Dance'', Weslyan University Press, Middletown, 2005
*Cyril Eder, ''Les comtesse de la Gestapo'', Paris, Grasset, 2006
*Florence Poudru, ''Serge Lifar : La danse pour patrie'', Hermann, 2007, .
*''Serge Lifar, musagète'', DVD, 2008.
*Frederic Spotts, ''The Shameful Peace: How French Artists and Intellectuals Survived the Nazi Occupation'', Yale University Press, New York, 2008.
*Jean-Pierre Pastori, ''Serge Lifar, la beauté du diable'', ed. Fame Sa, 2009, .
*Sjeng Scheijen ''Sergej Diaghilev, een leven voor de kunst''. Amsterdam, Bert Bakker, 2009, .
*Alan Riding, ''And the Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-occupied Paris'', 2010.
References
External links
Official site of Serge Lifar Foundation*
*
Serge Lifar Musagète (film by Dominique Delouche, 2005)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lifar, Serge
1905 births
1986 deaths
Dancers from Kyiv
Ballet teachers
French ballet masters
Ballets Russes dancers
Burials at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery
Ukrainian choreographers
Ukrainian male ballet dancers
Serge Lifar
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France
Paris Opera Ballet étoiles
Paris Opera Ballet artistic directors
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to Switzerland
White Russian emigrants to Switzerland
White Russian emigrants to France
20th-century ballet dancers