Mikhail Fokine

The 19th century was nearly over. At the Mariinsky Theatre, Marius Petipa was ardently preserving the classical ballet tradition. However, the young choreographer Mikhail Fokine explored new dancing styles inspired by Isadora Duncan’s performances. Free dancing and classical movements, together with the music, became one on the stage. Fokine strove to graphically recreate the atmosphere of the epochs his ballets showed.

MIKHAIL FOKINE

The costumes and scenery reflected Fokine’s approach well. For the first time, male dancers began to dance solo. The new challenge was the seed of the first Russian revolution. The spirit of freedom engulfed Fokine, too. But the oppressive government struck back. Right then, the impresario Sergei Diaghilev invited Fokine to stage performances with the Ballets Russe in Paris. What a perfect site for staging theatrical revolutions!