Russian around for ballet

Dan Geller and Danya Goldfine's new dance documentary Ballets Russes tells the story of the extraordinary choreographers, composers, dancers and designers of the first half of the 20th century who transformed ballet into an art-form. The film consists of intimate interviews with surviving members of the Ballets Russes companies, now in their 70s, 80s and 90s, along with rare archival materials and motion-picture footage. Ground-breaking choreographers for the Russes included George Balanchine and Agnes De Mille; sets and costumes were created by such artists as Picasso, Matisse, Dali and Cocteau. Look for our review coverage in next week's issue.