It would be an understatement to say the Ballet Russes exhibition is big. It is so huge it fills up three large halls. Although this is amazing and very impressive, it’s a lot to a take in, in one go.

The collection was so varied, telling many stories. I didn’t know much about the Ballet Russes or Diaghilev so it was interesting to realise how much he revolutionised ballet and costume design.

    I enjoyed seeing the costumes and their intricate design details. My favourite garment was actually worn by a young boy, which I was surprised to find out because it was a very beautiful dress.  

The video clips of the dancers were brilliant. It bought the costumes to life, seeing all the components, stage, movements and music in place.



A dancer modeling a costume in front of the frontcloth for ‘Le Train Bleu’ at Sotheby’s auction house.
Photograph by Nesta MacDonald, 1968. V&A Theatre & Performance Collections



A great deal of work was put into this exhibition. Added extras, such as video clips of the dance choreography with explanations from professionals, helped me understand the technical expressions of the dance.

My absolute highlight was walking round the corner and being stunned by the Stage Backcloth for the Wedding scene in ‘The Firebird’ by Natalia Goncharova. What impressed me was the way it was displayed. There were dancer’s silhouettes playing on the wall, lit  with bright red and loud music playing from the ‘Firebird’.

The 1926 Backcloth for 'The Firebird' Ballet by Natalia Goncharova

http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre_performance/diaghilev-ballet-russes/exhibition/index.html