THE RUSSIAN BALLET [Illustration] THE RUSSIAN BALLET BY A. E. JOHNSON WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY RENÉ BULL HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY BOSTON & NEW YORK 1913 _Printed in England._ CONTENTS. PAGE INTRODUCTION 1 PÉTROUCHKA 13 THAMAR 35 LE CARNAVAL 51 CLÉOPÂTRE 63 LES SYLPHIDES 77 SCHEHERAZADE 85 LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE 105 NARCISSE 115 L’OISEAU DE FEU 127 LE PAVILLON D’ARMIDE 145 PRINCE IGOR (POLOVTSIAN DANCES) 153 LE DIEU BLEU 163 PRELUDE À L’APRÈS-MIDI D’UN FAUNE 179 JEUX 189 LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS 199 LA TRAGÉDIE DE SALOME 213 LE LAC DES CYGNES 223 ANNA PAVLOVA 235 INTRODUCTION. There is no need to enlarge here upon the vogue which the Russian Ballet, or rather that company of dancers which has become familiar outside its own country under that title, has achieved in England, France, Germany, and America. Sufficient testimony to that is provided by the appearance of this book, which seeks to present a souvenir of the performances with which so many spectators have been delighted. It may be interesting, however, to sketch briefly the history of the ballet as a form of theatrical art, and suggest an explanation of the enthusiasm with which, after a long period of practical desuetude, at least in London, its revival by the Russians had been greeted.