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Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo "Les Sylphides" performance photographs by Sasha, C0481, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Purchased by Steve Gerber from Schubertiade Music on February 18, 2010.
Processing completed by Amanda Brent in April 2021. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in April 2021. This item was formerly part of the Performing Arts Manuscript Materials collection, C0215.
Alexander Stewart, known by the mononym Sasha, was a Scottish photographer known for his portraits of theatrical productions and entertainers, particularly of the London theatre scene. Born in 1892, he was also the inventor of the Sashalite, a popular camera flashbulb that was used internationally and created the signature dramatic look of his photographs. Sasha passed away in 1953.
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo was a ballet company founded by René Blum and Colonel W. de Basil in 1932. Blum and de Basil created the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo after the death of Sergei Dhivagilev and the dissolution of the original Ballets Russes. The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo was the first major platform for choreographer-dancers like George Balanchine and Leonide Massine. However, the original company did not last long and split in 1938, with one faction following de Basil and the other following Massine, the latter's which lasted much longer, until the 1960s.
Three black and white photographs taken by Sasha to promote a London tour performance of "Les Sylphides" by Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. The first photo features the ballet dancers Andre Eglevsky and Alexandra Danilova posed together. The second and third photos feature Eglevsky with a trio of corps de ballet dancers in different poses. On the back of each photo is a typewritten description, labeling the prominent dancers' names, the company name, and that they will be performing at the St. James Theatre in London. The photographer's stamp is also on the back of the first photo.
The Special Collections Research Center holds many other collections and materials related to ballet.
The Getty Museum, the National Portrait Gallery of London, and the Victoria & Albert Museum all hold photographs by Sasha.
The New York Public Library, Archives and Manuscripts Division holds the
The New York Public Library, Jerome Robbins Dance Division holds the Interview with
This is a single folder collection.
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo." Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed May 4, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ballet-Russe-de-Monte-Carlo.
"Sasha." Getty Images Gallery, accessed May 4, 2021. https://www.gettyimagesgallery.com/collection/sasha/.
"Sasha (Alexander Stewart) (1892-1953), Photographer." National Portrait Gallery, London, accessed May 4, 2021. https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp87592/sasha-alexander-stewart.
"The Sashalite by Sasha." Photos.com by Getty Images, accessed May 4, 2021. https://photos.com/featured/the-sashalite-sasha.html.