Tours to Australia and New Zealand during the 1930s by Colonel Wassily de Basil’s Ballets Russes mark a watershed in the cultural life of the two nations. Local artists rejoiced in the opportunity to learn about European high art firsthand, while audiences and the public at large were jolted from the conservatism that shrouded the post-Depression Antipodes. The dancers were feted like pop stars, and they in turn embraced the physical vitality of Australia and New Zealand.

The Ballets Russes in Australia and Beyond draws together essays by leading international and national scholars, who explore the rich legacy of the Ballets Russes; its impact on dance, music, visual art and Antipodean society in general. A dazzling array of pictures brings to life the sheer vitality of the companies in a way that makes the volume indispensable to balletomanes, scholars, and those fascinated by the synergies between the creative arts in general.

Contributors: Jane Albert, Alan Brissenden, Mark Carroll, Lee Christofis, Michael Christoforidis, Joel Crotty, Helen Ennis, Gillian Forwood, Nicolette Fraillon, Lynn Garafola, Stephanie Jordan, Valerie Lawson, Andrew Montana, Felicity St John Moore, Richard Stone.