Wooden figure designed for Cyril Beaumont by Ethelbert White showing Massine in the Can-Can (the figure is used for a magnet design by V&A Enterprises)
Strike day. Never mind two buses co-operated so I was at the museum by 7amso had a blissful hour and a half to catch up with business before we start the day in the galleries. To add to the challenges I had to get to the bfi southbank for the second of the series of dance films From the Ballets Russes which I have curated. It was wonderful to see Léonide Massine on screen talking about his work with Diaghilev when we have so much material on his works to install. By chance that lovely dancer Brenda Last was in the audience and was surprised to see herself dancing the Can-Can from La Boutique fantasque (originally created for the Ballets Russes) and everyone welcomed the chance to see the slightly later Mam’zelle Angot with designs by Andre Derain. The season is not all works created for Diaghilev but shows how his influence extended.