Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who creates choreographies by practicing the art of choreography, a process known as choreographing. Choreography is used in a variety of fields, including musical theater, cheerleading, cinematography, gymnastics, fashion shows, ice skating, marching band, show choir, theatre, synchronized swimming, cardistry, video game production and animated art. In the performing arts, choreography applies to human movement and form. In dance, choreography is also known as dance choreography or dance composition. Reference: Wikipedia
Typographic poster in black typeface on buff-coloured paper with a black decorative foliate and stem border all around with a crowned shield top centre, within which is a red cross. Advertising the second appearance in Milan of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes with dancers including Danilova, Sokolova, Lifar, Balanchine and Idzikovsky,
The female dancers are credited on the poster as as Lubov Tchernicheva, Lydia Sokolova, Alexandra Danilova, Vera Savina, Vera Petrova, Dora Vadimova, Natalie Branitska, Henriette Maikerska, Lubov Soumarokova, Tatiama Chiamié, and the male dancers as Léonide Massine, Léon Woizikovsky, Stanislas Idzikovsky, Serge Lifar, Thadée Slavinsky, Georges Balanchine, Constantin Tcherkas, Nicolas Efimow, Nicolas Kremnew and Richard Domansky. Cimarociana had music by Domenico Cimarosa; scene design by Bakst, costume design by J.M. Sert and choreography by Massine. Le Lac des Cygnes had music by Tchaikovsky, design by C. Korovine, choreography by Marius Petipa, and L’Oiseau de Feu had music by Stravinsky, set and costume design by Natalia Goncharova, and choreography by Fokine. Credits are also given to Roger Désormière and Serge Grigorieff and John and Pericles Ansaldo.
Reference: © Victoria and Albert Museum
Plaque with the Wedding of Peleus and Thetis The Olympian gods celebrate the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. In the foreground, amorous couples embrace and toast the young couple while flying cupids fill the air. The seated youth on the right with a cluster of grapes is Bacchus, god of wine. Eris, goddess of discord, arrives uninvited at the left. Into the midst of the revelers, she will throw a golden apple inscribed “to the fairest,” leading to the Judgment of Paris, and eventually to the Trojan War. The exquisitely choreographed scene is based on a composition by the Utrecht painter Abraham Bloemaert (1566-1651), translated into a circular relief by the silversmith Adam van Vianen.
Reference: The Walters Art Museum
A Gene Kelly Emmy Award nomination plaque Certificate of nomination presented to Gene Kelly for Best Choreography for Television for the television show, Omnibus: Dancing Is A Man’s Game, for the awards period January 1, 1958 to February 28, 1959, signed (“Harry S. Ackerman”), laminated on board. Kelly wrote, directed, choreographed, and stars in this program which highlights the gracefulness of men and the similarity of movement between dance and athletics, a novel approach in 1958. 9 x 11 x 0.5 in.
Sold for US$ 500 (£ 398) inc. premium at Bonhams in 2018
Choreography for a ballet, ‘La délivrance de Renaud’, performed 29 January 1617. See V. Meyer’ ‘L’oeuvre gravé de Daniel Rabel’, Nouvelles de l’estampe, 1983, no.67, p.9.Reprinted in Paul Lacroix, ‘Ballets et mascarades de cour de Henri III à Louis XIV, 1868, vol. II, p.97
Reference: © The Trustees of the British Museum
LUCINDA CHILDS (BORN IN 1940) Set of choreographic diagrams (three works on paper and two photo reproductions) (i) signed, titled, dated and autographed ‘”Mad Rush” To Benedicte Love Lucinda 12/24/1980 Merry Christmas’ (bottom left) (ii) signed, titled and dated ‘”Mix Detail” 76 Lucinda Childs’ (bottom right) (iii) signed, titled and dated ‘”Mayday” Lucinda Childs 1989’ (bottom right) (iv) and (v) unsigned, unjustified, frames (i), (ii) and (iii) inks on grid paper (iv) and (v) photo-reproduction (i) 43.2 x 56.1 cm. (17 x 22 1/8 in.) (ii) 21.5 x 28 cm. (8 ½ x 11 in.) (iii) 43.2 x 56.1 cm. (17 x 22 1/8 in.) (iv) 85.9 x 60.5 cm (33 ¾ x 23 ¾ in.) (v) 75.5 x 60.5 cm (29 ¾ x 23 ¾ in.) (i) Produced in 1980. (ii) Produced in 1976. (iii) Produced in 1989.
Sold for EUR 4,375 at Christie’s in 2018
Pavel Tchelitchew Russian/American, 1898-1957 BALUSTRADE Signed P. Tchelitchew and dated ’41 (lr), dedicated to dear Zosya in remembrance of my ballet “Balustrade” for Christmas 1942 New York from Tchelitchew in Russian (cr); with the United Scenic Artist’s stamp and inscribed Jasinsky on the verso Brush and ink with pencil on paper 14 x 11 1/8 inches (35.5 x 28.2 cm.) Balustrade, with music by Stravinsky and choreography by Balanchine, was first performed by the Original Ballet Russe in 1941 in New York with Tamara Toumanova, Roman Jasinsky and Paul Petroff
Sold for $2,200 (includes buyer’s premium) at Doyle New York in 2001
