Lifar, Serge

(1905-1986) (Sergey Mikhailovych Lifar)

   dancer, choreographer, writer

   Of Russian origin, Sergey Lifar was born in Kiev and was a student of Bronislava Nijinska and Enrico Cec-chetti. He was brought into the Ballets russes by Sergey Diaghilev (1923), where he quickly demonstrated his exceptional talent of interpretation (Le Lac des cygnes, L'Oiseau bleu, Apollon musagéte) and choreography (Renard, by Igor Stravinsky). On the death of Diaghilev, Lifar was called by J. Rouche to the Opéra de Paris (1929), where he choreographed Créatures de Prométhée (music by Beethoven), which earned him the position of first dancer and master of ballet. He then began a brilliant career, marked by numerous creations, like Bacchus et Ariane (music by albert roussel, 1931) Salade (music by dariusmil-haud, 1935), Icare, a "rhythmic" ballet (1935), Le Chevalier et la Demoiselle (music by Philippe Gaubert, 1938) Les Animaux modèles (music by francis poulenc, 1943), and Roméo et Juliette (music by Sergey Prokofiev, 1955). Lifar also revived numerous works: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Le Spectre de la rose, and Giselle, and composed choreography for various other companies, including the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Faithful to the academic tradition that he renewed and enlarged, Lifar proclaimed the autonomy of dance in relation to the other arts. He also published numerous works (La Manifeste du choréographe, 1935; Traité de la danse académique, 1949; Histoire des Ballets russes, 1950).