Ballet App Project Timeline ~ 20th century
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1900
Ruth St. Denis precursor of modern American dance - hadn't seen ballet, no role models, developed modern dance independent of other dance forms. Incorporated Indian, Japanese and Egyptian influences in her dance 
Ruth St. Denis
1900
Loie Fuller precursors of the American modern dance - hadn't seen ballet, no role models, developed modern dance independent of other dance forms 
Loie Fuller
1905
Michel Fokine sees Isadora Duncan for the first time. Her free movements and expressive themes influence his style. 1906 Michel Fokine debuts 
Mikhail Fokine
1907
The Swan, choreographed by Fokine for Pavlova, in which the New Russian Ballet is declared by Fokine: a combination of masterful technique with expressiveness. 
Anna Pavlova in The Swan
1909
Serge Diaghilev founds Ballets Russes in Paris. Revives the ballet as a serious art form in Western Europe, where it had been languishing for many decades. 
Serge Diaghilev and Igor Stravinsky
1910
Nijinsky as the Golden Slave in Fokine's Scheherezade (Rimsky-Korsakov) contributed to the erotic power of that ballet. 
Nijinsky as the Golden Slave
1911
Nijinsky dances in Fokine's La Spectre de la Rose, his final leap, seemingly never landing, caused sensation 
Nijinsky in Le Spectre de la Rose
1913
Nijinsky's Sacre du Printemps, introduces Stravinsky, iconoclastic choreography, caused a scandal and publicity to Diaghilev's delight 
Sacre du Printemps by the Joffrey Ballet
1914
Denishawn becomes name of Ruth St. Denis' touring company, with her new partner/husband Ted Shawn. They tour with Ziegfeld Follies and vaudeville for 15 years 
Denishawn performs The Siamese Ballet with Ted Shawn as Rama
1917
Russian Revolution - impacts the ballet and its artists, many of whom have already begun the exodus 1924
Les Noces, Bronislava Nijinska's ballet for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, bringing traditional Russian peasant themes to the ballet. Score by Igor Stravinsky 
Bronislava Nijinska
1929
Diaghilev dies in Venice. His company is disbanded 
Serge Diaghilev
1933
LK invites GB to US to found a school, School of American Ballet (SAB) is born 
School of American Ballet NYC 1936 Alfred Eisenstaedt
1933
Les Ballets 1933, a short-lived company formed by Balanchine. Important dances include Errante, Mozartiana. 
Les Ballets 1933
1934
American Ballet Company founded by George Balanchine, Lincoln Kirstein, Edward Warburg and Vladimir Dimitriev 
1935
Ted Shawn founds his company of men dancers, with the intention of bringing respectability to dancing as a male profession. Highly athletic choreography. 
Ted Shawn's male dancers
1938
Eugene Loring, Billy the Kid, Ballet Caravan, American subject matter in ballet 
Eugene Loring
1940
Jacob's Pillow established as a dance festival in Becket, MA. Still going today. 
Ted Shawn paints at Jacob's Pillow
1942
Antony Tudor choreographs Pillar of Fire, and Lilac Garden. Both are still performed by ABT 
Antony Tudor
1943
Katherine Dunham's Tropical Revue, performed by her dance company. She brought black and Carribean dance to the concert stage 
Katherine Dunham in Rora Tonga for Tropical Revue
1944
Jerome Robbins, Fancy Free, his first staged ballet, choreographed for Ballet Theater (ABT) 
1946
LK & GB form Ballet Society. Balanchine's The Four Temperaments is staged. Music by Paul Hindemith 
Ballet Society 1948 by Irving Penn L. to R. Corrado Cagli, Vittorio Rieti, Tanaquil Le Clercq, and George Balanchine
1948
The Red Shoes, a film by Powell & Pressburger, choreography by L. Massine (he also performed in it) 
Red Shoes Moira Shearer 1948
1948
Orpheus, by Balanchine. NY City Center invites Ballet Society to become New York City Ballet. Music by Stravinsky 
Maria Tall Chief in Orpheus
1951
Jerome Robbins' The Cage 
Jerome Robbins The Cage 1952 by Roger Wood
1953
Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun 
Michael Novak of Paul Taylor Dance Company
1954
Balanchine's Nutcracker, start of a Christmastime tradition that many other dance companies imitate. Balanchine uses children dancers to draw the young audience - cash cow! 1956
Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino found the Joffrey Ballet Company 1957 West Side Story opens on Broadway. Jerome Robbins directs and choreographs. 1957 Balanchine's Agon, stripped down, avant-garde dance to Igor Stravinsky's twelve-tone score, NYCB 1958 Merce Cunningham's Summerspace, designed by Robert Rauschenberg 1958 Alvin Ailey founds his dance company. It is multicultural, combines different forms of dance (modern, ballet, jazz). Much of repertory reflected the black experience 1958 Jerome Robbins, NY Export: Opus Jazz 1958 Jerome Robbins creates his own ballet company, Ballet: USA. 1959 Martha Graham and George Balanchine stage Episodes 1959 Paul Taylor dances a solo in Episodes 1959 Bolshoi Ballet comes to US, displays Russian style of ballet 1960 Alvin Ailey work Revelations, first staged 1961 Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West. Big boost for the male dancer! Around this time other important defections include Anna Makarova, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and others, bringing Russian tradition of ballet 1962 Nureyev dances with Margot Fonteyn in Giselle at the royal Ballet,thus beginning the long and famous partnership 1962 Paul Taylor creates Aureole,his first major success -shows a lyrical side to modern dance by combining antelope-like movements with Baroque music - to become Taylor's signature style 1964 Fiddler on the Roof opens on Broadway. Jerome Robbins' last original Broadway show - choreograher and director. One of the longest-running shows in the history of Broadway 1967 Balanchine's Jewels, said to be the first evening-length plotless (non-narrative) ballet 1967 Robert Joffrey's Astarte, multimedia ballet with rock music. Makes the cover of Time magazine in March 1968. 1969 Arthur Mitchell, an NYCB principal dancer, founds Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) 1969 Jerome Robbins returns to NYCB. Stages Dances at a Gathering 1970 Peter Martins leaves Royal Danish Ballet and joins NYCB 1971 Alvin Ailey's Cry, in which Judith Jamison performed the solo (also launching her career). 1973 Pina Bausch takes over directorship of Tanztheater Wuppertal. Her Experimental dance style combines the poetic with the everyday 1974 Mikhail Baryshnikov defects to the US 1977 Pacific Northwest Ballet opens in Seattle, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, of NYCB, directors 1977 Mikhail Baryshnikov stars in Hollywood film The Turning Point 1980 Mikhail Baryshnikov becomes artistic director of ABT 1985 Edward Villella founds Miami City Ballet 1987 Millicent Hodson And Kenneth Archer reconstruct Nijinsky's choreography (thought to be lost) for Le Sacre du Printemps at the Joffrey Ballet, renamed The Rite 1990 Peter Martins becomes Ballet Master in Chief, NYCB 2010 NY Export: Opus Jazz, a film of Robbins' 1958 ballet, made by members of the NYCB INCLUDE: lev ivanov, twyla tharp, savion glover, billy elliott, Fred Astaire, gene kelly, busby berkeley, Alwin Nikolais (precursor to Pilobulus), Mark Morris, Pearl Primus, , Diaghilev's employment of the era's artists in Paris: Matisse, Picasso, Braque, Derain, Fokine's Les Sylphides Fokine's Chopiniana Les Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo |
1900
Isadora Duncan precursor of modern American dance dance - hadn't seen ballet, no role models, developed modern dance independent of other dance forms. Expressed egalitarian ideas: humanism, populism, feminism Carl Van Vechten quotes 
Isadora Duncan
1903
Maruis Petipa ends his more than 50 year reign as chief Ballet Master of Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. Over this period, ending in 1903, Petipa has choreographed , among others, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and The Sleeping Beauty. He introduces new styles of ballet to female dancers, in particular, including epaulement, swift footwork, rounded arms, and jumps that cut through space. 
Maruis Petipa
1906
Anna Pavlova named Prima Ballerina to the Imperial Russian Ballet 
Anna Pavlova
1909
Leon Bakst & Alexandre Benois, first and very influential stage designers for Ballets Russes 
Design by Alexandre Benois for The Nightingale 1914
1909
Vaslav Nijinsky dances for the debut of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in Paris 
Vaslav Nijinsky
1911
Ted Shawn meets Ruth St. Denis 
Ruth St. Denis & Ted Shawn
1912
Nijinsky dances to his own choreography, L'Apres-midi d'un Faune, with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes 
Nijinsky as The Faun
1915
Leonide Massine becomes Diaghilev's new protégé 
Leonide Massine
1915
Denishawn opens a dance school in Los Angeles 1917
Leonide Massine choreographs Le Tricorne with designs by Pablo Picasso and Falla, a work performed well into the 1970's 
Picasso's set for La Tricorne
1924
George Balanchine leaves Imperial Russian Ballet and arrives in Paris, joins Diaghilev's Ballets Russes 
George Balanchine
1928
John Martin becomes first full-time dance critic at a US neswpaper (New York Times) 
1928
Apollo, Balanchine and Stravinsky's first collaboration, Diaghilev's Ballets Russes 
1931
Doris Humphrey's The Shakers. With economy of means, it portrayed sexual repressions and tension among members of an American religious sect. 
1933
San Franciso Ballet Company founded. Earliest established classical ballet company in the United States. 1933 Adolph Bolm, ballet master at SF Ballet, until 1936, and director of the school 
Igor Stravinsky, Adolph Bolm, and Nana Gollner
1935
Martha Graham, student of Denishawn, leaves to form The Martha Graham Dance Company, and a school to teach her technique 
Martha Graham 1946 by Philippe Halsman
1935
Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, students of Denishawn, form their own dance company and school 
Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman in Square Dance 1938
1936
Ballet Caravan founded by Lincoln Kirstein for purpose of using American themes in ballet choreography, design and music 
Lew Christensen with Ballet Caravan 1938
1939
On Your Toes, both stage musical and film that included by choreography by Balanchine. The Slaughter on Tenth Avenue number in that film was later revived as an independent ballet by NYCB 
On Your Toes with Vera Zorina 1939
1940
Ballet Theatre (later American Ballet Theatre), led by Lucia Chase and Oliver Smith, gives its first performances 
Lucia Chase
1942
Agnes de Mille, Rodeo, American subject matter in ballet 
1943
Oklahoma! first Broadway show to use a ballet sequence to advance the plot, choreographed by Agnes de Mille 
Joan McCracken (Sylvie) in Oklahoma! 1943
1943
Broadway's Cabin in the Sky, in which Katherine Dunham stars and co-choreographs with Balanchine 
Lena Horne and Eddie Anderson in Cabin in the Sky 1943
1944
Martha Graham's Appalachian Spring 
Martha Graham performing in Appalachian Spring 1944
1946
Jose Limon, student and protegee of Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, forms Jose Limon Dance Company 
José Limón in Danzas Mexicanas, late 1930s
1947
Martha Graham's Night Journey, an exapmle of her use of Greek mythology to provide universal themes about human emotion 
Night Journey Martha Graham Dance Company by BB Promotion
1949 Jose Limon, a former pupil of Humphrey, The Moor's Pavane based on Shakespeare's Othello 
Arnold Eagle in The Moor's Pavane 1949
1953
Suite by Chance, Merce Cunningham's first work to use chance procedures. 
Suite by Chance
1953
Merce Cunningham, a dancer from Martha Graham's company, forms his own company His longtime collaboration with John Cage, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg 
Merce Cunningham with Chris Komar, Karole Armitage, Louise Burns, Rob Remley Sounddance (j elbers)
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