From Russia to Monaco with Love...

One hundred years after bursting onto the world’s stage and forever changing the face of dance, the Principality will salute the magic, vision, dynamism and pioneering spirit of Serge Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes in original tribute programs and events throughout 2009 and into 2010. Inspired by his bold imagination and farsighted vision, 100 Years of Diaghilev will bring together worldrenowned artists from a variety of cultures in a comprehensive series of dance and musical performances, exhibitions, films, an academic conference, as well as assorted artistic activities showcasing the origins, development and long term influence since debuting in 1909.

The focus will be on the revolutionary enterprise known collectively as the Ballets Russes, through which Diaghilev combined dance, music and the visual arts in an unprecedented and astonishing way to transform popular culture. Diaghilev’s extraordinary company survived a twentyyear rollercoaster ride of phenomenal successes and crippling problems and quite simply, revolutionized ballet. A largerthanlife personality himself, he discovered (and nurtured) talented luminaries such as George Balanchine and his genius for gathering together the most avantgarde composers of the day, Stravinsky, RimskyKorsakov, Ravel, Debussy and Prokofiev, and designers such as Bakst and Matisse helped shape the Modernist movement. An endlessly fascinating impresario, he introduced the Ballets Russes to their new home in Monaco with such dancers as Nijinsky and Pavlova and for two decades ingeniously assembled the era’s most brilliant creative minds like Cocteau and Picasso, Coco Chanel, Robert Delaunay and Natalia Goncharova and inspired them to produce some of their best work. His productions are still just as relevant today, almost 70 years after his death and his commissions, ranging from the remarkable to the bizarre, are continually being recalled on stages around the world.

To coincide with the Principality's celebrations to mark the centenary – and as the ideal introductory backdrop to it this year’s featured summer exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum is Moscow: Splendours of the Romanovs. From July 11 through September 13, filling more than 4,000 square meters, the focus will be on Mother Russia during the Romanov era, in particular the reign of the last dynasty of Tsars, the Romanovs, who ruled Russia for three centuries. With a particular emphasis on Russian art from the second half of the 18th century to the early 20th century, the most important exhibits illustrating the reigns of Paul I to Nicholas II will be on loan from Moscow's Historical Museum. They will highlight the magnificence of the court during that era and the international influence of Saint Petersburg, which hosted several AllRussian exhibitions (including in 1882), before the future capital became a hub of modern art and Constructivism in the early years of the 20th century. Curator is Brigitte de Montclos, curatorinchief of heritage who also curated the Grimaldi Forum's 2004 exhibition Imperial Saint Petersburg, from Peter the Great to Catherine II, which was seen by more than 65,000 people. (www.grimaldiforum.com)

Additional cultural highlights planned for the Principality’s unique retrospective include:

From July 9 through August 30 at Monaco’s Sporting d’Hiver venue will be an exhibition called Etonnez Moi! (Surprise Me!). Featuring opera and theater stage designs, decorations and costumes, important (handwritten) music and documents from the Diaghilev years (19091929), including many great works from European, Russian and North American collections. This exhibition is being staged in collaboration with the National Museum of Monaco and the Ekaterina Foundation of Moscow.
Exposition Danzes! At the Villa Sauber from July 9 through September 20 and at the Sporting MonteCarlo from July 9 through September 3, Monaco’s National Museum presents these tributes dedicated to Serge Diaghilev and his ballet company. (www.nmnm.mc)
Monaco Dance Forum: From December 9 – 20 a series of ateliers (workshops and symposiums) and shows
(including documentary presentations by Monaco’s Archives Audiovisuelles) are planned to pay homage to
dancers, artists and performers, culminating on December 20 with the Cérémonie des Nijinsky (Nijinsky
Awards), a tribute to the legendary Russian choreographer and dancer at the Grimaldi Forum.
(www.monacodanceforum.com)
The MonteCarlo Opera and Les Ballets de MonteCarlo will join forces in December to perform Les Noces
(The Wedding), Stravinsky’s ballet with vocals which the Ballets Russes premiered in 1923 with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska. This joint collaboration will continue as part of the 2010 Spring Arts Festival (April 518)
with performances of Le Sacre du Printemps and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé (commissioned by Diaghilev in 1909, Nijinsky danced the part of Daphnis at its 1912 Paris debut where Bakst designed the original sets.) (www.opera.mc)
At the Grimaldi Forum Monaco on December 1314, the Hamburg Ballet, under the direction of John Neumeier, will join with the MonteCarlo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Artistic Director, Maestro Yakov Kreizberg, for a special tribute, Nijinsky. (www.opmc.mc)
Les Ballets de MonteCarlo: From December 23, 2009 through January 4, 2010, director and choreographer
JeanChristophe
Maillot presents new adaptations and recreations of the répertoire of the Ballets Russes Shéhérazade,
Les Noces, Le Spectre de la Rose, Le Sacre du Printemps. (www.balletsdemontecarlo.com)
Travelers to Monaco can find excellent vacation value by bidding on exclusive packages at exceptional prices at
www.MonacoAuction.com, the premiere online travel auction marketplace dedicated to luxury travel within the
Principality. For more information, please contact the Monaco Government Tourist Office (MGTO) at 565 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10017; telephone (800) 7539696 or (212) 2863330; or email info@VisitMonaco.com. Information and
links are available via the Monaco Government Tourist Office web site at www.VisitMonaco.com.