1938 – London ballet wars London ballet wars between the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Original Ballet Russe

The ‘London Ballets wars’, as it was called, occurred during simultaneous seasons by two rival visiting ballet companies in the British capital. Starting in the summer, the Russian Ballet (renamed from Colonel de Basil’s Ballet Russe) was at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, whilst the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo was performing around the corner at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. During the season, where audiences would often start an evening at one theatre and end it at the other, the world premieres took place of Mikhail Fokine’s Cinderella, with music by Frederic d’Erlanger and designs by Natalia Goncharova, and Léonide Massine’s Nobilissima Visione (St Francis), with music by Paul Hindemith, designs by Pavel Tchelitchew, and featuring British dancer Frederic Franklin.